Savannah mouthed the words ‘if I want to pass’ in utter shock.
“I’m not your conventional history teacher. I don’t expect my students to memorize dates. I want them to understand and remember the significance of the events of the past.”
Her mouth still hanging open in a solid effort at catching nonexistent flies, Savannah continued to gape at him in wordless horror.
“Close your mouth, Vanna. It’s not that bad.”
Savannah snapped her mouth shut and glared at him. “Fine. Doctor Anderson,” she growled, stressing the word ‘doctor’ as though it was an insult. “What do I have to do to earn my grade in your class?”
She didn’t care how hot he was. She didn’t care how badly she had wanted him to want her for as long as she could remember. If he suggested trading sexual favors for grades, she’d smack him and march straight to the dean’s office.
“Tutoring, after class.”
Tutoring? Tutoring wasn’t even a word in her dictionary. Tutoring was for… well, not for her.
“I don’t need tutoring,” Savannah grumbled, wondering if she’d get suspended or lose her scholarship if she tried to shove her history paper down Jake’s throat. “There’s nothing you can teach me that I can’t learn from a textbook.”
Even as she said the words, she knew they weren’t true. But she was certain the things Jake could teach her were not part of the approved curriculum. He knew it to. The heat of his gaze warmed her from head to toe as he raked her with a knowing smirk.
“Trust me, Vanna. You have no idea how much I can teach you.”
***
And so it began, their afternoon ‘tutoring’ sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after class. Jake would usher her into his office, close the door, and try to persuade her that history was worth learning about. Yeah, and fortune telling was a viable career path.
Savannah huffed and slammed her text book shut, probably a little harder than she’d intended to, but whatever. If Jake wanted her to learn the information, he’d have to make it a hell of a lot more interesting. “I still don’t get why we’re learning about this ridiculous drivel. It’s all about a bunch of money grubbing opportunists with no qualms and sniveling debutantes with no value.”
Jake looked up at her from beneath raised brows. Savannah hated it when he did that. He looked far too devilishly handsome when he did, making it all too easy to forget he was her teacher and not the boy she’d followed around like a shadow as a child. She’d loved the twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes and his rakish scoff for as long as she could remember. A grin of amusement split his tan face, displaying his perfect teeth, and her heart skipped a beat.
Such a waste. With looks like that and talent like his, he should’ve been signing endorsement deals as a pro football player, not teaching freshmen the useless nuances of American History. A man like him could’ve been an incredible role model in a world of rehab-bound celebrities.
“Because, my dear Miss Savannah,” he drawled in a bad Southern accent that elicited a reluctant giggle, “not only was it the deadliest war in American history, but it was one of the most passionate and formative periods to befall our great nation.”
Savannah tipped her head to the side and regarded him with a haughty smirk. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
Laughing, Jake smacked his thighs in amusement as laughter rocked his big body. He shook his head at her, his blue eyes dancing with mirth. “How can you spout ‘Gone With the Wind’ quotes at me, but not appreciate the economic, moral, social, and political significance of the period?”
She chewed her lip thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I blame my mother. She likes sappy old movies like that.” It was the only ‘quality time’ the two of them had ever spent together, watching old movies as they waited around to take care of Preston.
Propping his hip on the desk beside her, Jake crossed his arms over his broad chest and grinned down at her. The effect was distracting, to say the least. Savannah itched to reach out and poke his thick bicep, just to see if it was as hard and powerful as it looked. Surely it was her pre-med curiosity regarding human anatomy and not her feminine hormones that begged for a touch. He was a perfect specimen of the human form and she’d love to learn more… Okay, enough of that. Slavery. Deserters. Carpetbaggers…
“Oh yeah?” Jake challenged, interrupting her pitiful attempt at diverting her attention back to the mind-numbing subject at hand. “And what movies do you like to watch?”
Savannah notched her chin and crossed her own arms over her chest. “Educational ones.”