Chapter 7
GRADY
I thought about shaving but changed my mind. It was my act of rebellion against the dean. Damn woman didn’t need to pull me back so soon. I could have stayed a couple more days to work on that pyramid.
She was all about control. I was not a man that got controlled. Carver might have thought she won the war but she’d only won the initial skirmish. I had name recognition. I would find a way to get the funding I needed without the university’s backing if I had to.
I swung by the bakery and picked up a box of assorted doughnuts and a tray of coffees.
Today was the day I met my new TA. Classes started in two days.
Once classes started, I would be chained to the classroom.
Technically, it was a lecture hall. My class was in high demand.
At times, I could fill every one of the two hundred seats in the place.
If I had been allowed to get more information from the site in Guatemala, I really could have given a lecture series that would have left standing room only.
But no. “Fucking Carver.”
I unlocked the door and let myself in. My eyes drifted around the room and up to the highest row of seats in the back of the room.
As much as I wanted to be out in the jungle, I did like this part of my job.
I loved watching the faces of the young people when they listened to some of my stories.
I sometimes missed that feeling of wonder when you first saw or heard something exciting.
I put the box of doughnuts and tray of coffee on the desk. My TA was the backbone of my class. I needed her to do well. Bribing her with sweets was always a good way to start off a new semester.
I walked around the room, preparing myself for days cooped up inside the hall. I felt out of sorts and it had nothing to do with the classes starting back up.
It was all about the night before. That woman. No. She was not a woman. She was a student. That was like a dog and a cat. Students were off limits.
Worse, she was a student in my department.
I hoped like hell she wasn’t in my class.
I didn’t think she knew who I was, so she wasn’t trying to get a jumpstart on an easy A.
Then again, I supposed it was possible. But things felt real.
That chemistry couldn’t be faked. There was no faking her response.
I’d been with women who got the impression they were trying to win an Oscar in the bedroom.
What had been about to happen had been very real.
The woman had left me with a serious case of blue balls.
They were so blue they felt purple. Before her, I wanted to get laid.
Now, it was a fucking biological necessity.
I couldn’t think straight with the heaviness in my balls.
When I went to the bar tonight, I would look for a willing woman.
One that had nothing to do with the university.
The door creaked open, and she stepped in. I froze, my coffee cup suspended mid-air.
Fuck.
Clearly, she figured out who I was. Or maybe she already knew. My earlier suspicions roared to life. It was probably a setup. Fuck me and then blackmail me to get a better grade.
I quickly composed myself. “It’s you. Look, if we need to talk about last night, we can, but now’s not the time. I’m about to meet with my TA, and her mother is quite the character.”
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “Unless you’ve met Maggie, I assume you’re referring to someone else’s mother.”
I blinked, confused. “I only have one TA, and she’s due any minute.”
“Did Dean Carver not inform you?”
The mention of Dean Carver sent a chill down my spine. “What does this have to do with Dean Carver?”
“She opened up a TA position for me. My professor took a leave of absence. She said you needed a second TA. And that would be me. Surprise…”
I felt something happening down below. Asshole puckering and balls shriveling. It was rather uncomfortable. What was Dean Carver playing at?
“Professor Jones?” I muttered. “He’s off on some grand adventure, no doubt, while I’m here with you, apparently.”
She smirked. “And here I thought you were going to make this awkward.”
It was bad when I thought she was a student. But now that she was my TA, it was so much worse.
“I’m Cecily Monroe,” she said. “We should probably know each other’s names. You can call me Cece.”
“Miss Monroe,” I said, letting her know we were not going to be on a first name basis. “This?—”
Before I could respond, the door swung open again, and Lina Reese entered, her heels clicking against the floor.
That was who I had been expecting to come in.
Lina’s mom was on the university board and she donated a lot of money to the school, which essentially bought her the position as my TA.
I assumed the second TA would come from a similar background.
And maybe she did.
“Hi,” Lina said with a bright smile. She took one look at Cece and the smile disappeared. “I’m Lina. Lina Reese.”
“It’s good to meet you,” I said calmly. “I’m Professor Stone.”
Lina’s eyes raked over Cece. I knew that look.
I had been teaching for years and running the bar long enough to know a Mean Girl situation.
Cece didn’t look like Lina. Lina looked like the spoiled rich girl she was in her fashionable capris, blouse, and heels.
She was carrying a handbag with a designer name on it.
Cece was wearing a pair of khakis, sensible shoes, and a plain polo shirt.
Lina was all perfect hair with manicured nails and Cece had her red hair pulled back in a ponytail.
No nail polish. Cece was curvy while Lina was willowy.
“This is…” I started to say but I stammered for a second.
“Cece Monroe,” Cece said.
“The other TA,” I quickly added. I sounded guilty. But I had just gotten caught with a beautiful woman in the lecture hall. A woman I had felt pressed up against me, the sound of her moans still fresh in my ears.
“Oh, another TA? I thought this position was mine alone. Who approved this?” Lina was acting like she was the boss. I was about fucking sick of women trying to push me around.
Cece crossed her arms. “Is there a problem?” Cece cocked an eyebrow and was immediately on the defensive.
“Ladies,” I interjected, raising my hands. “Let’s keep this professional. There’s been a few last minute changes but we can roll with it and have a successful year together.”
If it came to fist fight, my money was on Cece. That fiery red hair matched her personality. I had been on the receiving end of that passion last night.
“No one told me I had to work with another TA,” Lina said.
“Well, you do,” I said firmly, cutting off whatever petty complaint Lina was about to launch into. “And you’ll work together professionally, or you’ll find yourself without a position at all.”
Lina’s mouth snapped shut, her perfectly glossed lips forming a thin line. Cece, on the other hand, looked like she was fighting back a smirk.
“Now,” I continued, gesturing toward the desk where I’d set up the coffee and donuts. “Let’s discuss what your responsibilities will be this semester.”
As they moved toward the front of the room, I caught a whiff of that same vanilla scent from Cece that had nearly driven me insane the night before. My jaw clenched. This was going to be a long fucking semester. I was only a man and not immune to temptation, no mater how much self-control I had.
“Miss Reese, you’ll be handling the grading for the introductory sections,” I said, keeping my voice strictly professional. “Miss Monroe, you’ll assist with research coordination and field prep for any upcoming digs.”
I launched into my usual spiel about the course.
I did my best not to make eye contact with either one of them.
I emphasized the importance of careful excavation, the ethical considerations, and the need to preserve artifacts for future study.
As I spoke, I couldn’t help but notice Cece’s gaze fixed on me, a mix of frustration and something else.
Lina, on the other hand, seemed more interested in glaring at Cece than listening to me.
The few times I did look at Cece, I felt that same zing.
It was like an electric shock right to my soul.
In a good way. The tension in the room was humming but it wasn’t all sexual.
The two women were vibrating with thinly veiled animosity.
It was day one and there was already a ton of drama brewing here. It was going to be trouble.
After wrapping up, I dismissed them. Lina exited with a huff. Cece tossed her coffee cup in the trash and picked up the napkin Lina had left on the table area where she’d been sitting. I almost smiled watching her pick up after the snotty Lina.
“Cece,” I said, stopping her from walking out. “About last night… I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were a student. And I certainly had no idea we’d be working together.”
“Yeah, I get that,” she said.
“I would appreciate it if we could keep what happened last night between us,” I said. “It was a mistake. If I would have known you were a student, I never would have let things get that far.”
“Yep, heard that too,” she said. “For the record, I didn’t know who you were, either. I thought you were the bar owner, not a professor. I’m sure that’s what you’re thinking but I didn’t know.”
That was a relief. And I believed her.
“I’ll speak to the department,” I said, nodding. “See if we can get you reassigned.”
She shrugged and gave me a look that made me feel like a bug she was debating to kill with her shoe or her bare hand. “You can try, but until then, you’re stuck with me. I need this job and you’re not messing it up for me.”
“I can respect that.” As she turned to leave, I decided to offer her a bit more advice. “Maybe consider wearing something different tomorrow.”
She paused, looking over her shoulder. “Different how?”
“More appropriate,” I said, gesturing vaguely.
“Appropriate how? Use your words, Professor.”
The venom in her voice was no joke. A weaker man would wither.
“Those clothes are a bit… tight.”
She completely turned around, eyes narrowed on me.
If looks could kill, I would have been toast. “You are unbelievable. I didn’t hear you saying anything to Lina about what she’s wearing.
Oh, but wait, she’s a skinny little thing.
” I watched as she looked down at her chest and gave them a little shake.
“They’re called boobs, Professor Stone. You should know all about that considering these very same boobs were in your mouth last night.
I can wear a bigger shirt, but I promise you, you’re still going to be looking at my tits. ”
She walked out, leaving me alone in the lecture hall. With an erection. Her shaking her boobs while reminding me I had my mouth on them was too much for my self-control.
“Fuck me. I’m so screwed.”