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As several students chimed in, Serena worked to concentrate on the book they were studying She’d had to fill out a special application for this class, where only fifteen students were lucky enough to study with the Newbery Medal-winning professor But as the weeks went by, she so one of four hundred students in a huge lecture hall, instead A class where a professor couldn’t "accidentally" brush up against her, or stare at her boobs
Vowing to wear her big, shapeless sweatshirt in class frohtly away from her professor and held her breath as she waited for him to dismiss them for the weekend
Finally, he stepped away from her "Good work, everyone"
Serena i her books and laptop into her bag when he added, "I’d appreciate it if I could have a few morebehind the rest of the students in her class felt like the locking of a prison door Telling herself she was being overly melodramatic, she forced herself to relax her tense muscles "What would you like to speak withat her, but his pale blue eyes didn’t seeested Predatory That was how it felt As if he was iht young wo not to betray her nerves, she said, "Thank you I’m very passionate about literature"
"Passionate," he repeated in a low voice
The word hung between the exactly the wrong thing For all she knew, he’d think she was trying to lead hi over her words now, "is that I really enjoy reading Everything froenre fiction to literary novels"
"When I first received the class list and saw your name on the roster, I’ll admit I had e is far beyond your years, and you have a knack for explaining your reasoning in a way that often helps the others better understand the ain, she thanked him, but where pleasure at his coht be leading up to
"As this is the first year I’ve taught such a select group of students, I have coes, and quickly, so that everyone will get theassistant for the quarter?"
"I thought teaching assistants have already taken the classes they’re helping with?"
"Actually, it’s far better that you haven’t yet taken ether a week or two ahead of the rest of the class I will run my weekly plans by you and then you can let ht certain aspects of nments"
She should have jumped at the opportunity It was all of her dreams come true to ith an academic of Julian Fairworth’s stature Buthe h, Serena knew that every guy in the world didn’t want to get in her pants, no matter how much her mother had raised her to believe that they did And she’d be crazy to give up this opportunity when she needed his recommendation to the admissions department so that they would make her a permanent student after this quarter
"I’d love to help you out in any way that I can"
He returned her s herself to buy into, even though she wanted to "Wonderful I will eet through them quickly, we could ins"
"Okay," she said, belatedly adding, "Great!" just in case it sounded like she wasn’t as excited as she should be about helping hi out on the main Quad, it would be pretty difficult for hi inappropriate with her No doubt, she orrying for nothing, letting her s poison her
"I’m so pleased you’re areat deal out of it As there is another class in this room before ours, I’d like for you to coiven that all of my materials are already there, it makes theinappropriate Despite that, she could still barely stop a shiver at the thought of being alone with him in his office next Monday
"Sure," shefor her bag to sling it over her shoulder when he held out his hand to shake on the deal She willed hers not to treers around hers and so her closer, she froze as renewed panic skittered up her spine Unlike what she’d ilish professors would look like, he was fairly tall and muscular And all she could think in the few moments that he held on to her hand was that if he wanted to overpower her, he could easily do it Very easily
During the course of her h-pressure situations But standing here alone with her professor on campus felt more stressful than all of the had often frustrated Serena--but at least Genevieve Britten knew precisely how to scare er able to pretend to be co" She slipped her hand out of his and quickly grabbed her bag to hold it between theot to get all the way across campus before it does I’ll look for your email and see you on Monday in your office Thanks, ’bye"
She didn’tpathway to the corner of the Quad and onto the bike- and footpath between the buildings
What had she just gotten herself into?
Because noso--would Professor Fairworth really jeopardize his career at one of the et into her pants?--she couldn’t stop freaking out about it Especially now that their private Mondayover her like a dark shadow