“Whoa, baby!”

  The contents of my stomach shift as I look up at him. Fiercely tall. Ripped muscles just begging to tear his T-shirt in half. I frown at his hair. Long strands have fallen loose from his sloppy bun to frame his chiseled face.

  “Hey, Douglas.”

  He grins. Perfect teeth. “So, you do remember me.”

  I nod, shaking the queasiness away. “Vaguely, I guess.”

  “Well, I certainly remember you,” he says, looking me up and down. “I thought you graduated early.”

  “I did,” I say, glancing around him. “I’m a graduate student now.”

  “Sweet.” He notes the textbook in my arm. “You take General Chem in grad school?”

  “No, I teach it.”

  His brow rises. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Look, I’m sorry, but I have to get going…”

  He takes a step back. “Yeah, sure. No problem, sweetheart. Maybe we can get together sometime soon? Catch up? Get some coffee, or—”

  “Maybe,” I spit as I dodge around him.

  “Until then, Rose.”

  I offer him a lazy wave.

  Douglas Floyd.

  Yeah, sure. I remember you.

  You bastard.

  Not sure why I’m back on his radar. I don’t want to know either.

  The second I step into the library, I fill my lungs with that sweet scent of books. The place is deserted, as expected. Just a few people clacking away in the computer lab, printing off study notes for their classes or checking email.

  I reach the second floor and throw open the first study room I find. One small table, two chairs. More than enough space for me to spread out and get some reading done.

  I pull out my laptop and connect to the library’s wi-fi to do a quick check of my email before getting started. Three new emails await me — one from Dr. Zach, another from Daisy, and a third from—

  John Kirby?

  I glance around the empty room, feeling pretty foolish at the thought of getting pranked. There are no hidden cameras in here. No audio taps to capture my reaction.

  Subject: ;)

  Why is John Kirby sending me an email with a winky face on it?

  I hesitate for several moments before my curiosity forces me to open it.

  Hey, Ms. Hawthorne. It was nice meeting you today. I’m looking forward to learning from you. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from me. John

  But you can call me Johnny ;)

  I re-read it until the words turn to slush. There’s no way this means what I think it means. There’s no way a guy like John Kirby is taking time out of his day to send me emails like this.

  I forward the email to my sister.

  EXPLAIN, I ask.

  I hit send and wait. Suddenly, I have no desire to read or prepare for my class. Instead, I stare at my inbox, waiting for another bold-printed email to whoosh into in.

  Finally, she replies.

  He wants to learn you a thing or two with his cock.

  I sit back, wondering if there’s a more realistic interpretation, and my inbox refreshes with another message from Daisy.

  Okay, I just Googled him and you better be on your back spread eagle right the fuck now. I’m not even joking.

  I bite my lip, grinning at her phrasing, but I shake my head. My fingers move to type out a reply as another one pops into my inbox.

  ARE YOU DOING IT?

  THINK OF YOUR END ZONE, ROSE.

  I force out my response, one that will surely kill all the enthusiasm she has right now.

  I ran into Douglas today.

  A moment later, she replies.

  I hate you so much.

  I close the laptop and reach into my bag for my textbook.

  CHAPTER 5

  JOHN

  Rose Hawthorne.

  What am I going to do with you?

  Or, rather, what am I not going to do with her?

  Her closet must be full of those little skirts because I’ve never seen her wear anything else. Short and tight, gripping her legs just above the knee. And those tops. They hug her shape perfectly, showing off that blissful hourglass hidden beneath.

  It’s a good thing I sat in the back row or else this giant erection would be awkward to try to hide.

  “Predicting the relationships between chemicals in a reaction is its own thing entirely called Stoichiometry,” Rose says, scanning the room through her glasses. “But that is chapter two, so we’ll dive into that on Friday.”

  The class shifts all at once, instantly perking up as certain trigger words tell them the lecture is nearing its end. The same ladies that were swooning over Dr. Dickweed are now bored and disappointed he’s not teaching us himself, but I sure as hell ain’t.

  “If no one has questions, then that’s it for today,” she says, trying to raise her little voice over the sound of people standing up. “Or you can come see me during office hours! I’ll be in there today until three!”

  I toss my notebook into my backpack and wait, watching eagerly as the other students beeline for the doorway. Dr. Zach rises from the front row and walks up to her, instantly bringing a smile to her cute face and her cheeks turn an even darker shade of pink. I saw it in her the entire hour. That adorable, nervous twitch. This must have been her first day ever teaching, the poor thing.

  Someone should console her.

  I stand up and hold my backpack in front of me to hide the possible bulge as I make my way up to the front of the lecture hall. Dr. Zach leaves with his band of admirers just begging to throw their panties at him. That guy must get some undergraduate tail daily. He’d be stupid not to.

  As I approach Rose, her eyes slam to the floor to avoid mine.

  “Hey, Ms. Hawthorne,” I say.

  She clears her throat and shoves her books into her bag. “Hello, John.”

  “Did you get my email?”

  “I, uh…” She looks up. “Yeah. Sorry. I saw you sent one, but I’ve been swamped. You know… lesson plans and… my classes and stuff.”

  I smile, easily reading the embarrassment in her little eyes. She got the email, all right. She definitely did. “That’s okay,” I say. “You’ve probably been busy freaking out over your first time.”

  She raises a brow. “My what?”

  “Teaching.”

  “Oh.” She lets out an awkward laugh, but it quickly dies as she lowers her voice. “Was it that obvious?”

  “Nah.” I shake my head. “Well, you are a little pink.”

  Her head falls to hide her face. “Crap.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure teaching is one of those things that gets easier the more you do it.”

  “Hopefully.” She throws her bag over her shoulder. “Until then, I’ll just keep imagining people in their underwear.”

  “Well, if I knew you were doing that, I would have sat in the front row.”

  She holds back an even deeper smile. “I should get going. I have office hours today.”

  “I’ll walk you there,” I say. “I actually have a few questions to ask about the lecture.”

  “Really?” she asks, stepping toward the door. “Like what?”

  “I’m gonna need you to explain Atomic Theory to me again.”

  I hold open the door for her and she pauses, staring at me with unblinking eyes. “All matter is made up of tiny, indestructible particles called atoms,” she says.

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “That’s about it.”

  “Wow.” I chuckle. “You’re an excellent teacher, Ms. Hawthorne.”

  “Thank you.” She walks outside. I follow, taking wide steps to keep up with her quick feet. “So, did you have another question?”

  “Yeah. What are you doing tonight?”

  She doesn’t stop walking, but I notice her posture stiffen. “I have a class.”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  “I have to review lesson plans.”

  “Friday night?”

  Finally, she pauses on the sidewalk. “John…”

  “I told you to call me Johnny.”

  “Well, I’m not doing that.”

  I smile. “So, you did get my email?”

  She takes a steady breath. “Do you have any more questions about the lecture today?”

  Her eyes tremble with a touch of anger, and I wonder if I’ve pushed her too far. “No, Ms. Hawthorne,” I answer. “I do not.”

  “Then I will see you in class.”

  I nod as she turns away, once again disappearing into the crowd without even a quick glance back at me.

  Well, shit.

  CHAPTER 6

  JOHN

  “Hey, John. Can you spot me?”

  I nod at Junior and step off the treadmill. I haven’t made good use of my gym time today. This whole TA situation has me all fucked up. No girl has ever given me this much trouble before. Mostly, I can’t get that look on her face out of my mind. That cold resistance. That painful annoyance. All directed at me.

  It makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

  I stand over the barbell as Junior lies on the bench beneath it with his hands extended upward to grip the bar.

  “You okay?” he asks me.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You seem a little…” He lowers the bar to his chest and I keep my hand hovering beneath it. “I don’t know. Serious.”

  I glance downward at his handsome, upside-down face. I’m usually the one giving advice on how to pick up girls, but I’m clearly out of my element with Rose. The forbidden woman.

  Junior Morgan knows a thing or two about that.

  “So, how did you do it?” I ask him.

  Junior straightens his arms, pushing the barbell upward. “Do what?”

  “You know. Bang the coach’s daughter.”

  He pauses. “I never thought I’d have to explain the birds and the bees to you, John.”

  I sigh. “I mean, the coach told us hands off Alyssa, remember?”

  “I do recall.”

  “But you definitely didn’t do that.”

  “No, I did not.”

  “Okay, then. How did you convince her that was a good idea? Spill.”

  Junior sets the bar onto the rack and sits up, staring at me through narrow eyelids. “What’s up, John?”

  “I have a forbidden lady friend and she’s not going for my usual moves. I need to know how you pulled it off.”

  “Oh.” He grins. “This is about your triathlon, isn’t it?”

  “Trifecta.”

  “Let me guess — the teacher?”

  “Yeah.”

  He rolls his eyes. “Professors aren’t allowed to mess around with students, man. She could lose her job.”

  “She’s not a professor. She’s a teaching assistant.”

  “Does that even count?”

  “Yes, it counts.”

  “Well, she’s probably bound by the same ethical standards as professors, John.”

  “Hey, man, you weren’t allowed to mess around with Alyssa Pierce. You still did it.”

  “Right. And we lost our chance at the championship because of it.”

  I sigh. “I don’t need a lecture, Morgan. Okay? I just need to know how you caught her attention and made her ignore the consequences in favor of passionate sex in the back of your van.”

  He shrugs. “I’m Junior Morgan.”

  I frown. “You suck at giving advice, dude. Thanks a lot.”

  “Okay.” He chuckles. “What I’m about to tell you is sacred knowledge passed down through generations of satisfied men and must never be spoken of outside of this room. Agreed?”

  I sit down on the next bench across from him. “I’m listening.”

  “Have you tried…” he glances over his shoulders for prying ears, “showing an interest in her as a person and not just as a hole to stick your dick into?”

  I blink. “Seriously? That’s your sacred knowledge?”

  “Yeah. What’s she into?”

  “Doggy style, I hope.”

  “No.” He laughs. “What are her hobbies? What does she do outside of school? What’s important to her? That kind of thing.”

  “Oh.” I think for a second. “I have no idea.”

  “Find out,” he says. “Then, take an interest in that thing yourself or, at the very least, acknowledge it in a way that shows that you support it.”

  “And that’s how you got Alyssa’s attention?”

  “Aly’s a theatre major, so I went to her audition. I helped her memorize her lines. I supported her.”

  “It was that easy?”

  “Oh, no.” He shakes his head. “I never said that it was easy, but it was worth it.”

  I try to come up with ways of getting to know Rose, but I may have already screwed my chances. Something tells me this is going to be significantly harder than watching a stupid audition.

  Junior leans forward. “Look, John… you want some real advice?”

  I shrug. “Sure.”

  “Don’t fake this. Don’t lead her on, making her think you’re someone other than who you really are just to get in her pants and never talk to her again. If you just want sex, we both know you can get it somewhere else anytime you want.”

  “Damn right!”

  “If she doesn’t want the same thing, just move on to the next girl who will. I told Alyssa from the beginning that I just wanted sex and she did, too. It was an honest and casual fling.”

  “But now you guys are getting married,” I point out. “You have a baby.”

  “Well, like I said…” He looks over my shoulder and smiles. “It was worth it.”

  I turn around to see Alyssa standing out in the hallway through the glass door with their infant daughter balanced on her hip. The kid is a tiny replica of Alyssa in every way; brown hair, light skin. Face like a damn supermodel. She waves at Junior and she grins as she takes the baby’s hand and waves it for her.

  “And that’s my ride home,” Junior says, standing up. “Did this help?”

  I rise off the bench. “Yeah.” I nod. “I think so.”

  “Good.”

  We step out into the hall. Junior grabs his daughter and lifts her up into the air while planting kisses on her tiny cheeks.

  “Hey, Courtney,” he coos. “Did you miss me?”

  She giggles loudly, and Alyssa smiles at them before looking at me.

  “Hey, Alyssa,” I say.

  “Hey, John.”

  Junior leans down to kiss Alyssa’s cheek. For a moment, envy stabs deep inside. “I’ll go grab my stuff from the locker room,” he says, handing the baby back to her. “I’ll be right back.”

  “We’ll wait here,” she says.

  He takes off, leaving the three of us alone in silence. I look from her to the baby and back again, my mind running crazy until I realize I’ve been staring at them for way too long.

  Alyssa furrows her brow, glaring up at my inquisitive face for several seconds, until she finally speaks. “What’s up, John?”

  “Alyssa, can I ask you something?”

  “… Okay.”

  “Last year, you and Junior hooked up, but you weren’t supposed to.”

  She glances at the baby once. “Yes, we did.”

  “Why?” I ask. “What did he do that caught your attention?”

  She pauses, thinking back while she sways her hips to rock the infant in her arms. “Well, he flashed me.”

  I blink. “Wait, what?”

  “Yeah, he flashed his pecker at me in the locker room.” She nods. “That definitely caught my attention.”

  I scoff. “Junior told me a bunch of crap about showing interest in your hobbies and shit. You’re telling me all I gotta do is whip out my Little John?”

  She smiles. “He said that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Aww.”

  I exhale with frustration.

  “He’s not wrong, John.” She chuckles. “Junior’s confidence may have snagged my interest, but it was his obsession that sealed the deal.”

  “Obsession?” I ask.

  “He went out of his way to prove to me I was the only woman in the entire world for him,” she explains. “He never gave up. He never backed down. He believed in us long before I ever did.”

  I nod, letting the word sink in.

  Obsession.

  Her face softens. “Has it actually happened?” she asks. “Is there a girl out there whose finally tamed the great John Kirby?”

  “Oh, hell no.” I snort. “I just wanna bang my new chemistry TA.”

  She tilts her head and sighs. “I’m not sure why I expected anything else. Well, in that case, you know…” She bounces the baby once. “Wear a condom.”

  “Duh. I’m fertile as fuck,” I joke. “I’m wearing one right now.”

  “Okay, that’s weird.”

  Junior appears by her side with his gym bag dangling off one shoulder. “What’s weird?”

  “I’ll give you two guesses,” she mutters.

  He shrugs. “Yeah, that’s John. Ready to go?”

  “Yep.” She looks at me and her eyes flick downward. “Little John?”

  “It’s ironic,” I say.

  “I’m sure it is.” She smiles. “Good luck, John.”

  “Thanks, Alyssa.”

  I watch as the three of them take off together down the hall. Junior leans down and kisses Alyssa, stirring a bit of envy deep inside of me again. I might be just an old softy at heart, but Junior Morgan and Alyssa Pierce are possibly the most adorable couple I’ve ever seen in my life. Maybe I’ll have something like they have someday.

  But that day is not today.

  Today, I have a hot teacher to seduce.

  CHAPTER 7

  ROSE

  “Pop quiz!”

  The class groans, but I flash a smile.

  I’ve always wanted to do that.

  I grab the stack of freshly printed quizzes off the front desk. “Oh, come on, guys! It’s not so bad. It’s only ten questions, all multiple choice. If you’ve been slightly awake for the last two weeks, you’ll do fine.”