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I winked and ignored her rolling her eyes and hissing, “Cunt.”

I chuckled as she made her way to the door. Professor Hall stood at the doorway with her back leaning against it. She said something to Devorah before she made her way back into the class.

I didn’t have another class scheduled, so I took my time packing my bags. Professor Hall made her way to my seat, sat in front of mine, and turned sideways to face me.

She was a beautiful woman, and in another lifetime, she would have already been mine. Her tilted, chocolate eyes gave her a slightly Asian look. I wondered if she was mixed with something other than black.

She was much shorter than I was, but that wasn’t hard. The long, raven-colored hair that flowed over her shoulders and to her waist was all hers. She hadn’t added any like the girls in class. Sometimes she wore it hanging in natural waves like she did today, and other times she wore it curly or in a ponytail. Iknew from our one night together last summer that when her hair was wet, it naturally curled.

I was immediately enamored with her when I met her on Sorrel Island last summer, and I spent the entire weekend trying to get with her. As much as she flirted with me, she didn’t give in until her final night on the island.

The way that woman worked her body and the things that she did to mine drove me insane. She didn’t want anything beyond that night, but I wanted more of her. I wanted more conversations, more kisses, more of her body, and more of her taste.

I hadn’t gotten her out of my mind the entire summer and found myself comparing other women to her. Professor Hall was a beautiful woman with a trim but curvy figure. I could tell that she worked out because she had muscles in her arms and calves. But they weren’t overtly muscular. Everything about the woman was feminine, from her scent to the way she smiled and giggled. With all her physical attributes, it was her intellect that I admired and respected her for.

“Great arguments and points. I’m glad that you stuck to the facts, but a little passion like Miss Stamford had never hurt anyone in a debate.”

“I disagree, Professor Pisces.” I loved teasing her with that name when no one was around. As much as she pretended to hate it, I knew differently. A little gasp always accompanied the slight parting of her lips and the deep heaving of her chest.

She tilted her head, and those plump, oval-shaped lips crooked up into a smirk, inviting me to state my reasoning.

“If you become too passionate and lost in personal experiences, you lose sight of the argument and the points.”

She conceded my argument, and I winked.

“I want you all to be the best at whatever you do and back up your arguments with logic and reason, but don’t lackthe passion, Mr. Gates. Otherwise, your arguments can sound hollow. That’s fine when we’re in here, but in the real world, losing that argument can mean the difference between life and death, especially if you’re an attorney.”

“Good thing that I’m not planning to be one then, huh?”

“You’re a communications major, correct?”

I nodded.

“Even more reason that you need to insert passion into your argument. I want you to readThank You for Arguingby Jay Heinrichs.”

“Is that a fiction book?”

“It is not.”

“I tend to lean toward Walter Mosley, James McBride, Paul Beatty, and Colson Whitehead. So, I must ask, Professor Hall, . . . is this for an assignment or entertainment?”

Professor Hall stuck her tongue in her cheek and replied, “An assignment, Mr. Gates. I am not interested in what you do in your spare time.”

I chuckled. “Somehow, I doubt that’s true.”

“I’m not. Believe it or not.”

“Then you should be. You can learn a lot about a person like that.”

“And maybe you can learn a lot by observing a person.”

I sat back, draped my arms casually over the backs of the chairs on either side of me, and spread my legs comfortably. “Tell me, Professor. What have you learned about me through observation?”

“You’re confident in your intelligence and abilities. You have a bit of a rough edge, but not because you chose that route in life, but it chose you. You’re a bit of a loner, and you shun others because emotions and relationships bring complications. I believe that you’re a spiritual man, although I doubt you are afaithful churchgoer. You like getting to the truth and dissecting facts, and you’re a big tease.”

I threw my head back and laughed. Shaking it, I replied, “You almost had me. But that last point, I ain’t gon’ lie. You got me mixed up with someone else. I ain’t ever been accused of that before. Besides, you know how I come through.”

She blushed. “I think you enjoy relaxing in the evening with a blunt, a good book, and a workout.”