AllFreeNovel
Share Us
How can they even be related? Professor Nolan is a gentleman and a scholar. He's serious and dedicated and has this presence that just oozes maturity. On the other hand, Danny is immature and selfish, and while I don't think he's necessarily stupid, he's certainly not as smart. If it wasn't for Danny, I'd still be at the top of my class. Instead, I'm struggling just to pass this quarter before the break.
I didn't see how Danny was ruining my life at first, too caught up with finally having a boyfriend. Danny gave me 110% of the attention I thought I wanted, to the point I was talking to him as soon as I woke up and until the very second I went to sleep. It was fun...for a few days being the center of attention like that. But having to give Danny an equal amount of attention gave me basically no time for school, and when I tried to slow things down, he whined and complained and guilt-tripped me until I gave it. It became a game where he could see how much of my time he could take up, buying me gifts knowing I didn't have money to do the same, and telling me I could repay him instead with my time.
Now I'm on the verge of failing because I ignored my assignments for weeks, doing the bare minimum to get by. I lost track of the days, and before I knew it, I was screwed. Danny had grown tired of dates and our intimacy only going as far as making out and had been pressuring me to sleep with him. But the idea of sleeping with him and losing my virginity to him was less and less appealing until I was absolutely certain I never wanted to have sex with him.
I broke up with him two weeks ago, and he was pissed. Danny has been pretending we aren't split up, despite me insisting that we are. But even if I was still interested in his toxic, pushy ass, which I'm not, I can't have him anymore. I won't allow him to treat me like this. I have to focus on school, and now that everything is down to the wire, I have to focus if I'm going to pass English. As a graphic design major, English was never high on my priorities, so while I was able to save all my other grades over the past few weeks, I'm still having trouble pulling this one up.
I thought having a substitute would make things easier, that he'd just give us busy work, but Professor Gray apparently organized everything so the class would stay on track. The problem is, even if I had been able to coast through the next few classes until the break, the universe has decided to put another enormous distraction in my way.
That distraction is named Professor Nathan Nolan.
When I entered the lecture hall and saw him below me on the floor level, it took my breath away. His back was turned, and all I could think about was the way those wide shoulders filled out the suit jacket he was wearing, and the way his slacks clung to the shape of his ass. The way his arms stretched the material of his jacket was mouthwatering, and I hadn't even seen his face.
My first thought was to go talk to him. But I shook off the bizarre desire and took my seat, hoping that my instant attraction to a man whose face I hadn't even seen was just a side effect of working myself to the bone lately. But then he turned around and started a roll call. When he called my name and I called out that I was present, our eyes met, and it felt like the world had fallen out from beneath my feet.
I've had crushes before. I know the butterflies and the nerves, and the way my heart races when I think about them. But I've never felt that instant attraction you read about in books, and I've definitely never had a connection like the one I just had with Nathan.
His eyes are dark brown under heavy brows, and his face is rough-hewn yet handsome, with a wide mouth and strong jawline covered in a heavy amount of stubble. His hair is deep brown, with just a few shoots of gray appearing near his temples.
Nathan Nolan was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen, so much so that the eye contact made me feel like an arrow had struck me right in the chest, connecting the two of us. When his gaze heated as he looked at me, maybe feeling the same sort of connection, my pussy started to tingle and ache, making me shift in my chair to relieve the horribly inconvenient side effect of seeing my substitute professor.
That should have been the end of it.
But it wasn't.
I had zero expectations for Professor Gray's temporary replacement, but the way he taught us today and the way he was willing to spend time explaining things to me, had me hooked. It was the most fun I had in ages, and Nathan's smile, and the way his face changed from stern and serious to a relaxed and genuine grin, made my heart race.
I could barely stop myself from getting carried away and imagining what it would be like if this wasn't just a tutor session, if I was spending time with him because he wanted to, not because I needed him. When he invited me into his office and I saw the hard lines of his torso under nothing but a t-shirt, I could have perished on the spot. We sat so close together, barely touching, but it felt like the most sexual thing I have ever done—just brushing elbows!
But then Danny showed up and ruined everything. I didn't want to see Danny, even on a good day, and I didn't want him to see me with Nathan. He would never understand.
I can't believe I almost kissed my professor! It's insane! What's worse is that part of me wishes I did it. I wish Danny hadn't come in and ruined the moment. I should be thankful. If Danny hadn't interrupted us, who knows how far I would have let things go?
But, if he hadn't...I would know what kissing Nathan feels like. What that stubble would feel like against my cheeks, how soft his lips might be… Ugh, I'm a mess. I have a crush on my teacher. Not just any teacher, but my ex-boyfriend's dad.
"He's your teacher," I mutter, pushing myself off the floor and getting my legs underneath me. "Get it together, Noelle."
I need to get home and do some homework. If I don't pass this quarter, it will throw off my whole college career, and my mom will probably kill me. And then bring me back from the dead so she can kill me again. But even as I grab my things and head out of the building, I can't stop thinking about Nathan.
"Stop it!" I hiss at myself, but I can't.
My body is practically on fire, my skin so hot that it feels like it's too tight for me, and my underwear is soaked.
"Damn it," I whisper, heading straight to the dorms. I don't care if it's a long walk.
I'm so worked up that I don't think I could stand waiting for a ride or even taking the bus. So, I shoulder my bag and hurry home, keeping my head down so no one will talk to me. If someone stops me, I'm afraid I'll start to babble, telling them everything. I can't tell anyone about this. Not my friends, not my mom, not anyone. I have to keep it a secret.
It's a crush. That's all it is. I've had crushes before, and I'll get over it.
"Yeah right," I mutter to myself, thinking of how intense the feeling was when our eyes met. It’s a lot more than a crush, but that's all I'll let it be.
Nathan is the one man in the world who is strictly off-limits, and he knows it. There’s no way he will ever be interested in a student, let alone his son's ex-girlfriend. Even if I hadn't just broken up with Danny, he wouldn't be interested. I don't have a shot in hell, so why am I still thinking about him?
Because he's the best-looking guy I've ever met, and the chemistry between us was real. The worst part is that I don't think it was one-sided. I'm lying to myself about his interest—some part of him wants me, even if it's just physically, and that's going to make resisting him even harder. He's smart, kind, and generous, and he makes me feel like a woman. For once, I want to be treated like an adult.
"Noelle?"
I stop, looking up to see Danny leaning against the outside of the dorm. He's grinning like he's just found the best Christmas present. I scowl at him.
