Emily: Hello Kitten (The ‘Hello’ series)

4. Chapter 4

four

Emily

W ednesday, I did as he wanted, submitted my paper through a digital drop box and printed it out.

Even though I think it’s better to switch classes, Beth convinced me to give it another try, since I want to work in publishing. Yes, it’s a basic Lit course, but if I want to follow the next one, also one only he teaches, I need to pass this class.

So, now I’m clutching my two typed pages like they’re going to help me live as Beth

keeps trying to get me to chill out.

“Look, it’s just class. He’s just a professor,” she says.

“Yeah, and Hell’s just a place,” I retort.

“It’s awkward, but it’s not going to get less awkward if you avoid it. Plus, you can’t start skipping classes. You T.A. here,” she hisses.

“Don’t remind me. I spent half of my T.A. time yesterday peeking around corners to make sure I wasn’t going to run into him,” I admit.

“What happened to my badass friend who isn’t afraid to tell a guy no, huh?”

My shoulders slump and as my lips part to speak, the door flings open and Dr. Hayes comes in.

Unlike Monday where he skewered me under his gaze, he artfully avoids me as we talk about the reading. He reads a section when no one volunteers to, and my mind swirls. Even Beth is focused and wrapped up in his beautiful, deep reading voice.

When he finishes, there’s a collective sigh around the room that pisses me off. It shouldn’t, because I’ve already decided I’m never going to touch him again, but I hate that others swoon just as easily as I did.

He’ll have no trouble getting another girl my age or a woman closer to his.

As someone raises their hand to answer a question I didn’t hear, I notice Dr. Hayes’ eyes flick to me. I’m sure it’s only a second, but it feels so much longer.

Kitten , I practically hear him whispering in my ear as his hands glide over my body and—no. Absolutely not. We’re not going down this road. I glance away and focus on taking notes until the end of class when we hand in our assignments.

“Ms. Turner,” Dr. Hayes says, softening his voice into a croon.

I don’t look up as I set the pages in his hand and walk away.

Beth complains that I’m being rude, but she’s cut off as we head our separate ways. Thankfully, the rest of the day is easy. Dr. Hayes is the only professor I have to worry about. Not that I want to worry about him. I’d love to forget him entirely at this point.

When I get lunch, I stare at my phone, ready to delete his number, but every time I try, I think of some very good reason not to. What if something happens and I’m going to miss class? I know it’s a stupid reason. Why would he even care if I text him to tell him I’m late or missing class? I can do everything online.

“Just do it. Be done with him so you can stay in class,” I whisper to myself.

But I don’t. Instead, I go to the school gym—a place I never thought I’d go. To get to the cardio machines, I have to walk through the weightlifting section. I keep my eyes trained in front of me until someone drops their weights a little too hard.

I glance over my shoulder and find green eyes staring me down. I blink, look over the face those eyes are attached to, and relax when it’s not Adrian.

I work out for an hour, dive into homework, take care of some work I need to do as a T.A., and try to exhaust myself thoroughly so I can stop thinking.

Adrian was a one-night stand. Just because he had my toes curling, my back arching, and made me moan until I was hoarse doesn’t make him impossible to replace. I was just drunk, easy to please, really horny.

Now I’m in control. It’s fine. Totally fine.

I cling to that Thursday as I run errands for the professor I’m assisting. She’s great, but I wish she’d let me grade or do more than offer office hours, check attendance, and get the things she forgets from her office.

Dr. Spence has connections, though. She’s linked with publishing houses, grad schools, and people I need to meet if I want a solid career in that field. So, I’ll fetch her coffee, her notes, even her laptop if she forgets, and I’ll do it with a smile on my face.

Until I get said laptop and find myself walking in on her and Dr. Hayes talking before Dr. Spence’s class starts.

She smirks at him, then beams when I walk in. “And here is my functioning brain. Have you met Emily Turner?”

“I’ve seen her in one of my classes,” he says as if it’s that simple. But it has to be that simple. Because that’s all that’s going on between us. Nothing else.

Dr. Spence takes my hand and tries to pull me closer. I move forward stiffly, pasting on a smile.

Dr. Spence sighs. “She’s an amazing writer. You’re lucky. Of course, I say that to all professors who get to have her in class. Whether it’s academic or creative, she’s a beautiful writer.”

“I look forward to seeing more of that,” Dr. Hayes says, his eyes burning through me until I feel breathless and want to obey whatever comes out of his mouth next. “I’m pleased to meet you, Clarissa Spence. I’ve been hoping to have more friends in the department.”

“You will,” she replies, then gasps. “Oh, I forgot the essays I graded.”

“I’ll get them!” I volunteer immediately.

“No, I’ll take care of it,” Dr. Spence says. “If you’d like to sit in, Adrian?”

“If only I could,” he says. “Another time.”

The second Dr. Spence leaves the room, he focuses on me. “Emily.”

“Is there something about class you want to discuss?” I ask immediately.

He takes a slow breath, then sets his bag down. He reaches in and hands me the paper I wrote on our reading. An A+ is in bright red across the page.

“Even though grades are delivered electronically, I still wanted to give it.”

I stare at it, then glower at him. “You'd better not be improving my grades just because—”

“I don’t grade based on personality or the past,” he says, his hand brushing mine gently. “You earned this, Emily.”

“No, I didn’t. I have at least six typos in there. I have a run-on sentence and—”

“You’re an exceptional writer. Typos and grammar issues are easy to edit. You have grad school-quality arguments and observations. That’s what got you the A,” he emphasizes despite the fact that his thumb is rubbing into my wrist.

I swallow and meet his eyes. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?” He knows exactly what he’s doing, and that little hint of a smile proves it.

Stepping back is a totally normal thing to do if a professor touches someone, but I don’t want to. I force myself to think of him doing this with every other girl in class and manage to step back. He arches a brow.

“Something wrong?”“You know exactly what’s wrong. You’re bumping my grade up. You’re…” I glance at the open door. “I don’t want any special treatment.”

“And I’m not going to give you any.”

“Bullshit,” I growl, shoving my paper back into his hands. “Give this to me tomorrow and mark it down for the typos. Circle them, fix them. Rip my essay to shreds.”

Adrian’s eyes darken, and I see that warning in his gaze. I have a feeling that if the door were closed, if he wasn’t worried about Dr. Spence coming back in, his harsh palm would be coming down on my bare ass… again.

“If I remember right,” he says, edging closer as his voice stays a low, husky growl, “I was the one giving orders and you were following them eagerly.”

“When I was drunk. When you were a sexy stranger and nothing else. Now you’re my professor, and I’m not going to accept—”

“That is your grade, Emily,” he says evenly. “You had the best essay in class, and that’s how I grade. I cover all the names and read the papers. Yours was the top. You get the highest grade. Take it like a good girl.”

My jaw tenses, my hand balls into a fist, but my words don’t come as I hear the sound of heels coming closer.

“I hope you two are getting along,” Dr. Spence says.

“I was giving Emily her paper back a day early. I hope you don’t mind. Apparently, she doesn’t believe in her own work,” Dr. Hayes says, completely unbothered. “But my grades are final. The second it’s committed to red ink, it’s done.”

“We’re done,” I say to Adrian before smiling at Dr. Spence. “Put me to work.”

“Don’t I always?” she says brightly. “Adrian, if you’re sure you don’t want to stay …”

“I have a class of my own, but I’m definitely eager to sit in one day,” he says politely.

He heads out, leaving Dr. Spence glowing from his interest in her class while I’m still trying to read into everything he said.