Free Becoming His Muse, Complete Set by KC Martin

her lips.
    “Seriously, Ruby. Would you?”
    She screws up her brow and thinks for a moment. “I don’t know. Not on purpose, I guess. My parents would kill me if I got kicked out of school. Actually, they’d probably just disown me. Your parents would be the ones considering homicide.”
    She studies me for a few moments as I wonder if she’s actually right about my parents. My father anyway. He’d certainly make my life hell any way he could, but eventually love would outweigh shame and disappointment. Wouldn’t it?… Maybe not.
    “Ava?”
    I look up, in that moment realizing I’ve been biting my lip. I release and feel the blood rush to plump up the little indent.
    “Are you thinking about it?”
    “No!” I set aside my Greek salad. “You know I couldn’t do it. I’ve got to graduate if I’m going to have a shot at going to New York.”
    A devilish smile pulls at Ruby’s lips. “Just don’t get caught. Aren’t some rules made to be broken?”
    She sounds just like Logan. “It’s too risky. Like Jonathan said, you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.”
    Ruby shakes her head. “Listen, Ava. Your degree isn’t enough to get you to New York. You need more experiences . You always say you wish you could be half as bold as Jenny Freeman, now’s your chance.”
    As if she’s conjured up the devil herself, Jenny struts by our table with frozen yogurt in a cup. She sees us and stops.
    “Ruby!” says Jenny. “You’re a Lit major. Did you check out the new writer-in-residence?” Her eyes sparkle as she pushes her full spoon between her smiling lips.
    “Oh, yeah. He’s an incredible writer.”
    “He’s quite the hottie,” says Jenny.
    Ruby nods. “Ava thinks so, too.”
    I kick her under the table.
    Jenny sizes me up. “So the serious art student is interested? Interesting.”
    I clear my throat and call up my best good-girl voice. “I think you both have forgotten that the College Board just implemented a new policy banning relationships between teachers and students.”
    “Who said anything about a relationship?” says Jenny. “I’m talking about sex.”
    Ruby laughs. “According to the College Board, the word relationship is a euphemism for sex.”
    Jenny scrunched up her eyebrows. “Huh?”
    “That means it includes sex in its definition of relationship,” I clarify. I like Jenny and I don’t want Ruby making fun of her slim vocabulary.
    “But how can they enforce such a thing if it’s between consenting adults . I mean if both parties are into each other. It’s not like we’re in high school.”
    “Exactly. Consenting adults who keep their business to themselves.” Ruby gives me a meaningful look.
    “Have you ever had a fling with a prof?” I ask Jenny. She sucks on her spoon as she thinks, giving me time to wonder if I really want to know the answer.
    “Nah, just Teacher Assistants. But I’d totally go for Rich Ten if I had the chance. He’s a total ’10’.”
    “Dr. Tennenbaum?” I say, incredulous.
    “Damn straight,” says Jenny.
    “I can see the allure,” says Ruby.
    “He’s going prematurely gray, you know. He’s not that old even. Like thirty-five or thirty-seven or something. He filled in as Prospero during our summer performances of The Tempest. He looks great in a toga.”
    “I didn’t realize you knew him so well,” I say. I also didn’t realize he let other students to call him Rich.
    “I wish I knew him better, if you know what I mean. But he’s unresponsive to my flirtations so far.” She frowns. “And probably forever with that new policy. He’s not a rule breaker. Oh, well.” She smiles, seemingly over her disappointment already.
    I shouldn’t be surprised that my friends have noticed the handsome Dr. T. I suppose, before Logan showed up, he was the cutest prof around, though I’d never felt an attraction toward him. I think it’s because he’s been so supportive of me that I’ve let him fill in where my father’s let me