To Professor, With Love(34)

 

Braless giggled. “We meant the drink.”

 

“Oh, oh.” I pressed my hand to my brow, feigning embarrassment. “Silly me. Of course you did. Well, you can have some of those, too.” I winked at her. “Be right back.”

 

Pick sidled up beside me as I was whipping up the first concoction for them. “Sure you can handle all three of those lovely honeys over there, partner?” he asked, spelling out his double meaning when he wiggled his eyebrows, making the silver stud in one glint under the dim overhead lights.

 

I snorted. “Trust me. I got this.”

 

He chuckled but stepped back to help some guy who approached for an order. I returned to the girls and passed out their drinks. They paid in cash, and when they stuffed a couple extra bills into my tip jar, I smiled a little wider. “Thanks.”

 

“Hey, aren’t you Noel Gamble, the quarterback for ESU?” the tallest of the group finally gained the courage to ask.

 

“Yep. That’s me.” Always thrilled when someone recognized my face for something good, I propped my elbows onto the bar as I leaned in toward them. “Have you ladies seen me play?”

 

Two shook their heads while a third said not-so-successfully under her breath, “I’d sure like to see you play.”

 

The grin I sent her pretty much said, anytime, sweetheart, though honestly, my mind was still on Black Dress. But flirting made me more money, so I kept flirting.

 

“When do you get off work?” another asked.

 

I opened my mouth to dish out another impish response that would hopefully drag more tip money from them when I saw someone approach the bar and sit at a stool at the other end. I glanced over and nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw her. Gorgeous dark hair tumbled over one shoulder, and that elusive black dress glimmered slightly in the overhead lights.

 

“Excuse me,” I murmured and deserted the three co-eds to approach my mystery lady. Nothing was going to keep me from at least securing her digits.

 

But Pick was beating me to her. I grabbed his arm and jerked him back, unsettling his balance.

 

“What the fuck?” he said, stumbling into me.

 

“I changed my mind. You can have those three. I want her instead.”

 

He snickered and glanced back at the woman who was busy with her head bent, searching for something in her clutch purse that matched the fabric of her dress. When he looked back toward the flirty girls, a slow grin spread across his face.

 

“Well, hell, Gamble. I think this is the first time you’ve preferred quality over quantity. I’m impressed.”

 

“Just go take care of the airheads.” I pushed him toward the three who were still lingering by the bar.

 

He laughed at my obvious fixation with the lone woman, but complied, strolling toward the trio.

 

I took a deep breath, a little anxious about the first impression I was going to give, and stepped toward her. She didn’t notice my approach, which gave me a moment to plan my strategy.

 

In the end, I decided to go simple.

 

“What can I get you?” I asked, setting my hands on the edge of the bar and bracing my arms wide because I knew damn well how doing that made my muscles strain through my shirt. I let my slow smile start to spread as she lifted her face. Chicks always claimed to dig my smile as much as they did my biceps.

 

She looked up, and I held my breath, waiting for the moment our eyes connected. A jolt tore through me. I’d been hoping for a pretty face, and fuck, I wasn’t disappointed. But the crushed emotion I saw in a pair of green, green eyes caught me off guard. They were wide and lined with some dark, smoky eye makeup that made her look all sexy and edible. But so very, very sad. My protective instincts kicked into gear, ready to rip apart whoever had hurt her.

 

Then I glanced at her mouth. Her lips were ripe and edible and shaped divinely, just like...wait a second. I knew those lips. They were way too familiar, even as they parted in surprise.

 

“Holy shit.” I pulled back, zipping my gaze back up to her eyes and then all around her face, to take in the entire picture.

 

The fucking hot woman was my fucking hot English professor.

 

Jaw dropping, I couldn’t have contained my shock if I tried.

 

“Dr. Kavanagh?”

 

What. The. Hell? This wouldn’t do. It wouldn’t do at all. I’d been craving some woman to help me take my mind off my teacher. And the universe had sent me her wearing a hot black dress instead? Un-fucking-believable.

 

I was immediately pissed for two reasons. This was totally not helping me get over my fixation on her. And the mystery woman who might’ve actually helped me do that turned out to be just as forbidden as she was, because they were one and the same. I narrowed my eyes and clenched my teeth. Well, this was just peachy.