Page 163 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10
I didn’t want her to be nervous around me anymore. And she didn’t need to mull over the choices. I’d finally given in and read the last few pages of the file Ian had made on her, skipping over most of the basics. The last page had some random information that I wasn’t even sure how Ian had gotten. But I knew for a fact that she liked seafood. I grabbed her hand again. "Penny, I've heard that the crab cakes are wonderful here."
She smiled up at me. "That sounds perfect."
I quickly ordered for us, trying to get Jerrod the hell out of the room again. When the door finally clicked closed, I put my elbows on the table and leaned forward. "When we're together, I can assure you that I don't see anyone else in the room. You always have my undivided attention." I meant every word. I’d tried to stay away from her, and I couldn’t do it. No matter what I did, I kept gravitating back to her.
"That must make grading other students’ speeches quite difficult."
I laughed.You have no idea."It does."
I thought she’d be happy with the revelation, but she didn’t look pleased. A small worry line crossed her forehead, and I was pretty sure if the menu had still been there she would have hidden behind it.
But I’d come prepared for this too. A visit to the bank with a very perplexed teller had gotten me exactly what I needed. I reached in my pocket, pulled out a penny, and slid it across the table. "A penny for your thoughts?"
She smiled up at me. "The last guy that I dated didn't believe in labels. So really, I'm just wondering, where it is that we are? I mean, I'm not trying to pressure you. It's only because I'm curious. I just want to know where you stand on things."
I started laughing. Was she serious? Why did she think we were here? Ian had pretty much told me I was crazy for buying this place for our first date. But I hadn’t given it a second thought. Idid it for her. To show her that I cared. Maybe there was a part of me that hoped I’d be able to let her walk away after tonight. But that tiny shred of hope disappeared when she’d walked down the steps of her dorm building.
Penny’s face turned scarlet.
I hoped she didn’t think I was laughing at her expense. "Where I stand on things?” I said when I caught my breath. “Penny, I don't relish the idea of sharing you, if that is what you're referring to."
"I don't relish the idea of sharing you either, Professor Hunter."
The way she said it made me swallow hard. Maybe I was wrong before. Maybe she knew more about me than I thought. The worst things about my past were hard to find, I’d spent a lot of money and resources on burying that information. But a simple Google search would relay a lot.Fuck."What do you mean?" I asked.
"I know that you have a girlfriend. That woman from your office. You were going on a date. It was obvious."
Oh, thank God.I breathed a sigh of relief. "That wasn't a date.”
"No?"
"We had a work function that we were both attending. I am not interested in Professor Keane.” And I’d made that clear to her. “I am only interested in you. But since you've brought it up, if I were dating Professor Keane, you'd prefer that I'd stop, yes?"
"Yes,” she said without thinking it over for a second.
"Then you won't mind me asking you to stop dating Tyler Stevens." I raised my left eyebrow as I stared at her. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been a little jealous when I saw him exiting her dorm with her. Hopefully he’d spent the night alone in his dirty frat house.
"Tyler and I are just friends."
I leaned back in my chair. Maybe she thought that, but I doubted Tyler did. I’d heard him asking her out. I’d heard her agreeing. Did she not realize she’d already been on a date with him? The expression on her face was innocent enough. Which meant she really did have no idea how alluring she was. "Then I guess neither of us have anything to worry about." But I didn’t feel like the subject was settled. Not until Tyler was out of the picture.
Obsessed - Chapter 23
Saturday
"There is one more thing, Professor Hunter.”
Jerrod opened the door and brought in our entrees, interrupting her before she could finish her thought.
Penny took a bite of her crab cake like she’d been starving. I smiled, remembering that when she got in the car she hadn’t realized I was taking her to dinner. She was probably used to the dining halls closing at 7, as well as dining hall food. I watched the way her lips circled around her fork. Since when had eating been so seductive?
"This is amazing,” she practically moaned as she took another huge bite.
I smiled. Isabella only ever ate salads. I literally couldn’t picture her eating anything else. I watched Penny take another bite. She really was refreshing. "What is it that you wanted to ask me?"
She finished chewing. "My roommate, Melissa. She can be rather, well, persistent. She always wants me to go out on the weekends and tries to get me to go on double dates and stuff."
"And?" I didn’t like where this was going.
