Chapter 3
3
Tovah entered the classroom in the old turret that was deemed the science building. What kind of science she could only guess. It looked like any moment the ceiling would open and an operating table would lower on clanking chains, while lightning streaked overhead. The professor would enter with wild eyes and terrified hair screaming, “It’s alive! It’s alive!”
The seats were set up in a circle, so Tovah found an empty desk and sat down. A glance around the room showed the students were by and large young, fresh-faced women who all watched the door as if waiting in anticipation for a celebrity to walk in.
A hum of excited conversation buzzed around her.
Tovah took out her notebook. She preferred writing notes to typing them out in a computer like some students. It helped her remember better. And if she knew nothing else, it was that this was going to be a lot to remember. Granted, most of it was going to be a review from biology, only in greater detail. Still, it had been over a dozen years since she’d taken any kind of human-science-related classes.
The door opened and in walked Dr. Zach Quinn.
Black jeans fit his muscular butt to perfection. The t-shirt was white with the circulatory system drawn in bright red and blue. The text read: It’s all about the lubrication.
Tovah stared and tried to sink down into her seat. Hard to be inconspicuous when the desks were arranged in the round.
Zach walked to the podium at the head of the circle and placed his leather messenger bag on the top. He didn’t look up at the students, even when the noise level rose with nervous whispers.
“Welcome to A & P Lecture one-oh-one.” He took a stack of papers out of his bag and split them. “I’m passing around a hardcopy of the syllabus, but you can also access it on the class group on the university website.”
Zach looked up then and his gaze went through her like a laser strike. Tovah tried not to react. She had sat in on enough board meetings with her family to know not to show her hand, but her heart did speed up a bit as his mouth curled into a semblance of a smile behind all that impressive facial hair.
“The class is broken down into the bodily systems. Each section will conclude with an examination of the material. Midterms will be on what we’ve covered up to that point. Final will be over all the material.”
Tovah took one of the syllabi and passed the rest of the stack to her left. A quick glance over the list and her breath oozed from her lungs. This class was going to be long, in-depth, and involved. How was she going to do anything besides study?
Then again, what else did she have to do?
This was her life now. Her future.
No matter how embarrassing it was to sit in a classroom led by her felonious-looking neighbor, she was going to have to suck it up. Her future depended on it. If she wanted to be independent from the Reese clan, she had to make a stand and do something that excited her. That made her feel good, and as if the work she did mattered.
“I just want to sit on his face and grind it out,” came a whisper from beside her.
Tovah glanced over and the young woman sitting beside her had her tongue curled and mouth open as she stared at Zach’s behind as he turned back to the podium.
No witty rebuttal or gem of advice came, so Tovah pretended she didn’t hear anything. A quick glance around and all the women were in various states of provocative poses.
For God’s sake, had she signed up for the groupie class?
Acute embarrassment filled her face, heating her cheeks.
Please don’t let him think I’m one of them.
Zach continued to give a rundown of expectations, grading, submission requirements for assignments. In all ways he was professional. Not once did he act as if he stood in the midst of rampaging female hormones.
It wasn’t as if he acted like the students weren’t present, but that he was set apart from them. For all his unconventional dress and unscholarly appearance, he was clear, concise, direct, and succinct.
He did a brief overview of all systems they would cover, and Tovah took copious notes. The man spoke in outline form, without notes. Very impressive. Or maybe he’d given this lecture so many times he had committed it to memory.
At the break, she rose and went to get water and use the restroom. Standing at the sinks the conversation of the other students turned to their tasty professor. Two of the students spoke behind the confines of stalls, inviting all the other women in the room into their conversation.
“I swear he gets better looking every semester.”
“He seems so serious, but I heard he runs with a motorcycle club. The Tortured Angels. They hang out at the Gus Stop.”
One of the women at the sinks turned around and stared at the closed stall door with her mouth open. “Seriously? The Gus Stop? That place is such a dive.”
“What did you expect for a biker bar? Not exactly going to be a high-end pub in the fashionable side of town.”
A toilet flushed and the door opened as the one imparting that tidbit of tea came out and went straight to the sink. She had hair dyed an unnatural shade of black. “We should go there one night and see if he’s there.”
The others giggled.
“Oh, my God. We totally should, Eloisa.”
The other toilet flushed, and door opened. “We need to be quiet about it, though. Make it a surprise.”
Had she ever been that young and adventurous? Ever done anything to try and make a man notice her? Not that she remembered.
Most of her relationships had started when she had been approached by a man, or a mutual acquaintance had introduced them.
How much had she missed out on?
Tovah left the restroom before hearing more of their plan. The second half of class was about to start, and she didn’t want to come in late.
The after-break lecture consisted of Zach starting the deep dive into the first section of the textbook. By the time Tovah got home, her head spun, her hand was cramped, and she had more than enough material to read before the next class. Plus, a paper to write with citations.
Since she ate dinner before leaving, the first order of business after seeing to Trixie was making a cup of tea and a small snack.
Into this decompressing routine, the doorbell rang.
Trixie was already to the door as if she’d taken on the duties of a dog.
Tovah looked out of the peephole and shook her head. He couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge her in class, but now he wanted to bother her after and keep her from the staggering amount of work he’d given them for the week.
Oh, no. No, no, no. This was not going to happen.
Tovah opened the door and cocked her head. “May I help you?”
Zach stood with his hands down in his jean pockets and that damn intense stare aimed straight at her. “I wasn’t being a dick.”
The best defense was said to be a good offense. In this case, it would only make it seem as if she cared. Feigning confusion in such a situation usually worked much better. “When?”
She even gave a little frown and pout to make it more believable.
Zach’s gaze went straight to her mouth. A kick hit her low in the belly. Was he aware of his effect on the female populace of this house? Probably.
“You know when.” The words were drawn out like a temptation.
Tovah held the door open for him. “Do you want to come in to discuss your case?”
Trixie took that moment to preen and meow in welcome.
“Hi, beautiful girl.”
Trixie meowed again and brushed against his leg. He reached down and picked her up, then cuddled her to his chest. A constellation of long white hairs stuck to his shirt was his reward.
“Are you coming in? My tea is getting cold, and I’d really like to drink some before that happens.”
He glanced up over the cat’s head and lifted a brow. “Or you could stick it in the microwave.”
Tovah shook her head. “Not the same.”
She turned her back and started through the house to the kitchen. If he wanted to follow, he would.
“You make it really hard to apologize.” It came out more like a mumble, but she heard it.
A smile came and went. Better hide it before he saw and decided that meant he was off the hook. Though he had no reason to.
“Would you like a cup?”
He looked at her as if the concept she’d offer him a cup of tea was foreign.
“Don’t worry, I won’t put much poison in it.”
He stalked closer, still holding Trixie. “You have a very dark sense of humor.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She took a cup out of the cabinet for him. She passed the selection of tea across the counter.
He looked into the box and picked one out and held the package to his nose before handing it back to her.
“I didn’t talk to you in class because I don’t want there to be any question of favoritism.”
“Why would anyone think you were giving me special treatment? One: we just met. Two: why would you?”
“I try to keep my work separate.”
Separate from what , she wanted to ask but refrained. Barely.
“As you should.” She unwrapped the tea he selected and placed it in the cup then poured water from the electric kettle over the bag.
“I didn’t want anyone to know we knew each other.”
Tovah canted her head. “But do we? You know my grandma, but you don’t really know more than my name. Well, that and the fact I’m taking your class.”
“I know what Miss Rose has told me.”
“Which probably isn’t much.” She pushed the tea over to him.
Contrary to popular opinion, Rose wasn’t much of a gossip. Oh, she might talk about her grandchildren to outsiders, but she doubted it was anything of consequence.
At least not the worst of it.
If Tovah only knew all the things he’d been told about her, she’d be embarrassed. One of them was that she’d been dumped by some jerk who her parents had chosen for her.
Really? Chosen. Who did that kind of thing in this day and age? Long engrained cultural traditions notwithstanding. But Tovah’s family weren’t ones to do that—at least they hadn’t to her brothers. Well, according to Miss Rose. Of course, he was working all on second-hand information.
Zach took a sip of tea. And burned his mouth. Damn, that was hot.
“You should blow on it first.” The corner of her mouth rose into a sexy half-smile.
An odd, unfamiliar feeling fluttered in his chest. He rubbed a hand over it. “Yeah, thanks.”
“So, you were saying…”
What was he saying? Oh, yes. “I try for fairness and impartiality in my classrooms. The grades are the grades. Either my students know the material, or they don’t. There isn’t a lot of room for negotiation.”
She pursed her lips and made a considering sound low in her throat. “It’s been my experience that there is always room for negotiation.”
Did she realize she sounded like she was offering a challenge? Probably. And man, he was going to take her up on it. The idea alone made him hot all over. “What terms are we talking?”
She glanced down into her cup, before lifting her gaze to his. “I’ll play along and pretend we never met before class tonight, if you will help me…” She paused and pursed her lips. “That is…”
Anticipation heated his gut. What in the world was she hedging at? Man, he didn’t know if he wanted to offer suggestions or wait until she untied herself enough to spit it out.
For a confident, intelligent woman, she had a bad case of the awkward.
“Maybe I should back up for a moment, tell you a bit about my family.”
Even though Miss Rose had filled him in on the majority of the family dynamics, that wasn’t the same as hearing them straight from someone who had lived it day in and out. Besides, Tovah was actually talking to him instead of being hostile. That was a step in the right direction.
Which direction, he wasn’t sure only that it was a better one than where he’d been a few days before.
Zach stretched his arms out in an all-encompassing gesture. “I’ve got all night.”
She gave him that pursed-lip expression of annoyance again. “Well, I don’t. I have a professor who thinks shoving an entire month worth of work on students the first night is a good idea.”
“I gave the appropriate amount of work for a week. Anything less and the course objectives won’t be met.”
“You really have no sense of humor, do you?” She picked up her tea and took a sip, looking at him with those amazing green eyes over the rim.
Offended that she’d think he had no sense of fun, he crossed his arms. “You were going to tell me about your family.”
She set her cup down with a dull clunk on the bar. “With the exception of my grandmother, my family’s idea of fun is seeing how far they can go to screw each other over, while maintaining the utmost visage of dignity and decorum.”
Damn, she spoke like a Victorian novel mashed up with an episode of Real Housewives .
“I have heard that.”
“Then you understand why I’m asking?”
Slightly confused, but no less willing to send a jab her way. He still owed her for calling the cops on him. “You haven’t asked anything yet.”
A small narrowing of her eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t say I’ve led a sheltered life, but it has been rather devoid of scandal.”
His stomach dropped. This was getting more dangerous by the minute. “And you want me to help you with that?”
“Well, in a word, yes. But within reason.”
Zach laughed. What else was there to do? She had practically handed him the keys to the kingdom then snatched them away again. In what world was scandal within reason? Hell, he didn’t even understand the qualifiers for such a thing.
By the time he got himself together again, she stood in front of him stone faced, with flaming eyes and red cheeks. Oh, that ginger temper was working overtime.
She cocked her head. “I always found my grandmother to be an astute judge of character. I’m stumped as to how she could be so wrong about you.”
Wait. What?
The perfect comeback alluded him. Because she saw the tattoos and knew he rode a Harley, she assumed he was bad news. Even after knowing the responsible career path he’d followed. Miss Rose had gotten closer to him on first acquaintance than this uptight bit of skirt ever would for the simple fact Tovah saw with her eyes instead of her gut.
Zach held up his hands and stepped away from the bar. “Thanks for the tea.”
Trixie mewed up at him. He didn’t stop to scratch her between the ears this time. All he wanted was to get the hell out of there and go home. Shouldn’t have come over in the first place.
Hell, except for the slight dilation of her big green eyes when he’d seen her in the lecture hall, she hadn’t acknowledged him in class, either.
“Damn,” he mumbled as he crossed the yards.
She hadn’t made a big deal of him being her professor—he had.
But why had she turned on him?
He opened his door and headed straight for the kitchen. This fuck up demanded a shot of something stronger than herbal tea. He grabbed a bottle of tequila from the drink cart and picked up a shot glass, then headed for his favorite chair.
Not once in all the time he’d lived next to Miss Rose did he ever remember having a problem. Yet, Tovah had only been living there for less than a week and she’d already caused him two major headaches and a need for alcohol.
What in the hell?
Her father and brothers demanded too much from her. Not that she was incapable. She doesn’t have their temperament. No killer instinct.
Miss Rose’s words came back to him, and he remembered the look of sadness that came into the older woman’s eyes.
Zach let out a groan. Tovah had been trying to ask him to help her…break out of her shell? Toughen up? Become more worldly wise? Whatever she was after, she sure went back on that quick enough.
After he’d laughed.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. He hadn’t been laughing at her, but the situation. At the fact his dick had been dancing at the idea of creating a little scandal with her, and she’d put a within reason limit on it.
Truth of the matter was he didn’t want to cross a line with her. The university had rules about professors seeing students, though Tovah was what the admissions department termed a non-traditional student.
Still, she was hot enough to make him want to forget his own rules, throw caution to the wind, and fuck her until she forgot her own name.
A buzz from the general area of the kitchen, broke through the visions of stripping Tovah naked and giving her an anatomy lesson she’d never forget. Who was calling this late?
He hoisted himself out of the chair and grabbed his phone off the bar.
Penny’s name and number showed on the screen.
He accepted the call and hit the speaker. “What’s up?”
“The replacement you sent me did not live up to expectations.”
Zach groaned. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Never mind.” Her voice didn’t sound as annoyed as it did resigned. “How long is the semester?”
“Sixteen weeks.”
“All right. I think I can stick it out for that long. With luck J.T. will learn.”
“Want me to have a talk with him?”
“You could, but if you sent me twenty replacements, none of them would be you.”
Zach smiled and let a little chuckle roll out of him. “Boy, did I need to hear that tonight.”
At least Penny appreciated him.
“Sorry to bother you on a class night.”
“It’s fine. It was just the first one. No papers to grade or assignments to look over. That comes next week.” He didn’t bother to mention that his Monday, Wednesday, Friday Genetics class had papers to grade. Not her problem.
As he hung up the thought of what the next week might bring swirled in his head. Should he wish Tovah withdrew from his class?