Free Bad Professor (An Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) by Claire Adams Page B

the backs of my knees hard against
the seat of the armchair and Ford pressed against the wall. We were inches
apart.
    "Yes?"
he asked and the word was barely more than a whisper.
    This
was what I had wanted all along. I wanted someone to find me, someone to be
curious enough to check on me. I wanted someone to discover my secret project
and Ford was the exact person I had wished it would be. Not just because being
near him felt like a fast car ride with all the windows down, but because he
could give me an honest opinion.
    I
flopped into the armchair and surrendered. "It's a short story."
    Ford's
eyes brightened and he dropped down to squat comfortably next to the arm of my
chair. "And you're hiding it from your father because it would make him
too happy?"
    "He'll
never give me an honest opinion," I said. "All he'll do is gush about
the joys of creativity and how he wished he had pursued his art."
    "So
you're looking for an honest opinion?" Ford laid a hand on the armchair
and I had the insane desire to rest my cheek against it.
    "Yes."
I distracted myself from his proximity by reaching into my book bag and
dragging out the spiral-bound notebook. "I haven't even typed it up yet,
but there's a clean copy in the back of this."
    He
didn't laugh in my face, just studied it with a disconcerting level of
interest. "Just a general opinion or actual feedback? How specific? Like
down to word choice, or just my overall impression?"
    My
hand shook as I shoved the notebook at him and it was hard to tell what was
sparking my nerves. Our fingers brushed and the lightning sensation of his skin
along mine shot right to the balls of my feet.
    I
cleared my throat. "Be specific," I squeaked. "Tell me what I
need to improve on."
    Ford
stood up and flipped open the spiral notebook. Then he leaned against the wall
and his eyes flashed across the page.
    I
dropped my book bag and leapt up out of the armchair. "Not now!"
    "Why?
No time like the present, right?" Ford asked with a wicked smile.
    I
flapped my hands at him. "Not in front of me. I'll die. Just take it and
read it when you have the time. Maybe you can give it to me next class."
    Ford
chuckled and used the notebook to fend off my buffeting attack. "Next
class is after Thanksgiving."
    I
raked both hands through my hair. "Oh my god, I have to go buy a
turkey!"
    "Wait,
now?"
    "Yes,
now, before the store runs out of the right size." I gathered up my book
bag. "My father's gotten it into his head that he wants a real
Thanksgiving gathering this year. I spent half of last night trying to figure
out what fruit looked best in a cornucopia. How insane does that sound?"
    Ford
laughed, then stopped on a long, barely audible sigh. "Actually, that's
sounds wonderful."
    I
watched his face and saw the shift from amused to wistful. "Why? What are
you doing for Thanksgiving?" I asked.
    "Nothing,"
Ford shook his head. "It's no big deal. Liz is volunteering in the city
and doesn't want to be away from school long enough to drive up here for the
weekend, which I totally understand. Still, the microwave dinner selections for
Thanksgiving were pretty bleak."
    My
pulse jumped into a riotous jig but I managed to speak calmly. "My father
is determined to have a big Thanksgiving meal. And he still wants to thank you
for braving the frat party check with him the other night. I'll have him call
you, but you should plan on coming to our house for Thanksgiving."
    "Are
you sure?"
    I
rolled my eyes, "My father will be happy you're there."
    "Will
you be?" Ford bit his lip as if the question had escaped.
    I
couldn't breathe so I nodded until I could manage to say, "Just don't say
anything about my short story."

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    CHAPTER
SIX
    Ford

 
    I folded the title page of
every article so that I couldn't see the student names. It helped me judge the
writing and check if my journalism students had mastered a neutral tone. Jackson
taught me the trick he had learned from