The words echoed through my mind, seeming to come out of nowhere. A memory? Something I’d heard on the radio?
My pulse hammered in my ears, and it took everything I had not to lean into him and drown in those blue eyes. He seemed so familiar. I wracked my brain, wondering if I’d ever met him before. Maybe at one of my parents’ dinner parties? He was definitely not the type of man anyone could forget with those broad shoulders, rich brown hair, a stunningly handsome face, and perfectly shaped lips. Lips that were moving.
“What did you say?” I blinked, wondering why I couldn’t hear him.
He scowled, making his face look dangerous and sexy. The pull I felt toward him was unbelievable. I didn’t even know this man and already I was enraptured.
My eyes widened with surprise as he reached out to my face. The palm of his hand brushed against my cheek. His touch was lightning. A surge of electricity surged through my body. My heart went into double time as he leaned closer. I held my breath, afraid to move, as his lips drifted down to me. Piercing blue eyes mixed with flecks of gold held onto to mine. I was mesmerized.
There was a tug on my ears followed by a sudden whoosh as the earplugs plopped out.
“I said, you should watch where you’re going. You’re making me late.”
The sexy stranger stepped back, wiping wet hands on his slacks.
I blinked, confused. Had I lost my mind? Turn off the hormones and help the poor man.
I fumbled in my backpack, looking for something to help him clean up.
“I, uh, you’re shirt . . . my coffee . . . stain . . .”
“Very good. You’ve managed to identify key components to the consequences of your careless actions.”
Who in the hell did he think he was? I gritted my teeth. Hot or not, this butthead was pissing me off.
“Look, I’m sorry about the coffee. I know I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m running late and—”
“I don’t need nor do I want your apologies. You’re not the only one who has somewhere to be. Students.” Mr. Butthead shook his head mumbling as he marched down the hall.
Ugh! What a prick!
I looked down at the pale yellow blouse I’d carefully picked out for my first day of class. It was dotted with brown spots.
“Great. Just great. Stupid sexy guy with his stupid blue eyes.” I could go back home, change, and miss my first class, or just suck it up and run like hell across campus.
I glanced at my watch.
Run like hell it is.
I charged into the men’s restroom and found Greg staring at the mirror, arranging and rearranging each strand of his already perfectly coiffed hair.
“Hey!” he cried when I dragged him out. “I wasn’t done.”
“Yes, you are.”
“You may be okay with that big ass sunglasses, pencil bun thing you have going on, but some of us like to look our best. And what’s up with that big stain on your blouse. I don’t think I can be seen with someone so scruffy looking.” He flashed a teasing grin.
Growling, I rubbed my hands vigorously through his hair messing it up. “There. Now we match. Now run.”
Chapter Four
Cold air hit against my skin, making me break out in goose bumps the moment I opened the classroom door.
“Oh thank god.” I held onto the doorframe, gasping for breath, waiting for the black dots to stop whirling around.
Note to self: do not run half a mile with ten pounds of textbooks on your back.
“Out of shape much?” Greg took my backpack and guided me to a couple of empty chairs.
I plopped in my seat, too exhausted to argue with him. When I finally caught my breath, I looked around the auditorium. It was huge! There had to be at least one hundred seats and almost all of them were filled. And no one had coffee stains on their clothes.
“You’ve been acting strange all morning, Nicole. Nervous?”
Concerned blue eyes gazed at me. I could never hide anything from him. He always read me well.
“Yeah.”
“Look, you don’t have to take this class. And you don’t have to hide behind those sunglasses.” He tapped the lens. “You could always drop it.”
“I want to. Really, I do.”
“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”
“I know that. I just wanted to challenge myself.”
All my life I’d felt like the average person. No one special. No special talents like my parents. Not super smart or funny, like Greg. I was just plain Nicole.
“I admire your initiative, but chemistry on a Monday morning?” He hunched over, his forehead landing on the desk with a soft thud. “You seriously need to rethink your priorities. Like sleep. Even the professor isn’t here yet. He’s probably still sleeping too.”
A high-pitched squeal caught my attention. A cute girl with bright red hair jumped up, waving to someone standing at the back of the classroom.
“Gianna! Over here!”
There were a few whistles and wolf calls as a raven-haired girl sauntered down the stairs to her friend. She looked like a model with perfect silky hair lying in waves on her shoulder and sultry dark eyes. She had killer cheekbones and pouty red lips. The tiny fitted T-shirt and jeans accentuated her perfect figure. And there wasn’t a coffee-stain in sight.
“I can’t believe you’re going to take Cooper’s class again. I thought he gave you the brush off last spring,” Red said.
“Last spring was a warmup.” Gianna pulled a compact mirror from her purse. “I’m going full blast this year.”
Red giggled. “You’re so bad, Gianna. If I thought I had a chance with Professor Cooper, I’d totally go for him. He’s hot and loaded from all those patients he has.”
“Patents,” she corrected, rolling her eyes. She gazed into the mirror and lightly dusted her nose. “He has to be someone’s sugar daddy. He might as well be mine.”
Ugh! She was one of those girls. I sat back in my seat, disgusted.
“I still don’t get why he’s even here.” Red popped a piece of gum in her mouth. “Who leaves a job at MIT for Texas State? He has to be married. Maybe his wife got a job in town.”
“Nope. Totally single.” Gianna snapped the compact shut.
“Divorced? Fleeing an ex or something?”
“Nope. As far as I know, he hasn’t hooked up with anyone. He spends all his time in the lab. But I’m going to change that.”
“Oh really?” Red blew a bubble and sucked it in, snapping it.
“Yep. A man like that has to get his release somewhere.”
“He didn’t seem to be interested when you took the class last spring.”
“I didn’t have a plan back then. I do now.”
“Yeah, right.” Red blew another quick bubble. “Failing chemistry and re-taking it a second time is not a plan.”
I rolled my eyes. Here I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to pass a college level chemistry class and this Gianna chick saw it as an opportunity to find her next sugar daddy.
“Oh, my sweet baby Jesus!” Greg grabbed my arm.
“Um, ouch?” I snatched my arm out of his grasp. “What’s your deal?”
The room grew louder as people stared and pointed toward the back of the auditorium. Red’s eyes grew wide and a pink bubble fell out of her mouth and onto her lap.
Swaggering down the auditorium steps was an Adonis in a Texas State T-shirt. He moved slowly as if making sure that everyone had time to take in his long, lean body. A couple of girls called out to him. He flashed them a dimpled smile, revealing perfect white teeth. He was gorgeous. All eyes were on him and he soaked in the admiration from men and women alike.
When he flexed the muscled arm holding onto the strap of his backpack, Red sighed dramatically, fanning herself.
I rolled my eyes.
“Do you know who that is?” Greg squealed.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” I poked my nose into my backpack looking for an extra pencil and notepad. My first day of college was turning out to be a repeat of high school. Couldn’t the professor just show up already so I could get this class over with?