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It’s a relief when the elevator stops on the fifth floor and the doors spring open. An explosion of giggles erupts from them as I stride down the hallway, glancing at the name plates hanging next to each office until I find the one I’m looking for. I hesitate and reconsider my actions. If I were thinking clearly, I’d forget about this and get the hell out of here while I still can. Once I rap my knuckles against the heavy wood, there won’t be any turning back. No sooner does that thought flit through my head than I raise my hand, knocking on the slightly ajar door.
“Come in,” says a deep male voice from the other side. “It’s open.”
The easy-going cadence of it pisses me off. Once I’m finished with him, he won’t sound quite so jovial. This asshole is using his stature at the university to get close to Elle, and I don’t like it one damn bit. I’ve been looking out for her since we were kids. I don’t care how old she gets, that’s something that will never change.
I push the door wide before stepping over the threshold and into the small space. His gaze locks on mine from where he’s parked behind his desk as his head jerks up. Surprise flashes across his face before it’s carefully masked.
“Hello.” He removes the black-framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose before leaning back in his chair. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I’m a friend of—”
“I know who you are,” he says, cutting me off.
Good. It’ll make everything easier if we don’t have to pretend.
He points to the chair opposite of him. “Want to take a seat while we talk?”
I shake my head, unwilling to give up my position of power. Even for a few minutes. “What I have to say won’t take long.”
His brows rise as he remains silent.
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, but it needs to stop.”
He holds my gaze with steady eye contact. There’s not a flicker of guilt within his blue eyes. “I think you have the situation confused. Elle Kendricks is one of my statistics students and nothing more.”
I shift my stance. If he thinks he can fool me, he’s wrong about that. “So...going out to dinner with your students is a normal occurrence for you?”
There’s a moment of silence as we size each other up.
“Upon occasion—yes. I enjoy getting to know the kids in my class on a deeper, more meaningful level.”
I almost snort.
Yeah, I’ll bet.
“From now on, you need to stay away from her.”
“And how am I going to do that? She’s one of my students. Us interacting is inevitable.”
I tilt my head and narrow my eyes. His calm, I-have-an-answer-for-everything demeanor pisses me off. Maybe Elle can’t see through his schtick, but I do.
“You know exactly what I mean. Offering her extra credit to work in your office, grabbing coffee and dinner…you’re trying to get her alone, and it needs to stop.”
“All I’m trying to do is give her an opportunity to earn more points and lift her grade before the end of the semester. I have absolutely no interest in her other than seeing that she succeeds.”
It's tempting to believe him and put a swift end to this uncomfortable conversation, but I’ve seen the way he stares at her when he thinks no one is looking. Like she’s a juicy Big Mac he can’t wait to sink his teeth into. Maybe he thinks he can blow smoke up my ass, but it won’t work. “From where I stand, it seems like there’s more to it than you’re willing to admit.”
He shrugs. “You would be mistaken.”
“I really hope that’s the case. The last thing I want to see is her being taken advantage of by someone she trusts to have her best interests at heart.”
He folds his arms across the perfectly pressed button-down that stretches across his chest. “Here’s the thing you need to remember. Elle is a nineteen-year-old young woman. More than old enough to make her own decisions, don’t you think?”
“I do,” I say in agreement. “Even though she’s a smart girl, she still might not see what a guy like you is up to until it’s too late, and I’m not going to allow that to happen.” My eyes sharpen. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t there rules against professors fraternizing with their students? I mean, something like that would probably be easy enough to check with the head of your department, or even the chancellor of the university.” I throw down that comment like a gauntlet.
He stiffens, the smug expression disappearing from his face. “Are you implying that my relationship with Elle has been in any way inappropriate?” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond. “Those are awfully strong accusations.”
