Текст книги "Your Gravity - Part One"

Автор книги: L.G. Castillo

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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 6 страниц)

Chapter Six

I trudged into Rainbow’s house and landed face first into a purple beanbag.

The day had not gone well at all. Having my freaky-deaky dreams at night was more than enough. The last thing I needed was to have them during the day. Even after Cooper’s class, I kept on having weird images pop into my head as I walked across campus. I managed to survive my Composition and Introduction to Psychology classes. Barely. For some odd reason, I couldn’t get my mind off of Cooper. It was infuriating.

Flipping onto my back, I gazed at the fishnet-laced ceiling. I had an essay to write and five chapters to read for psychology. I was tired and hungry because I didn’t want to spend what little cash I had left on a ten-dollar sandwich. And I still didn’t have a job.

I thought about the bottle of pills I had in my nightstand drawer and sighed. Greg was right. I was going to have to start taking them again.

“Nicole! Is that you?”

“Yeah.” Pulling myself up, I headed to the kitchen. Rainbow’s flowing dress fluttered around her ankles as she moved from the fridge to the stove, humming.

“That’s a pretty song what is it?”

“‘Blackbird.’” She paused, brushing her frizzy red hair off her face. “I remember the day when Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played it at Woodstock. That was my first time I’d ever been with a—oh, you don’t need to know that part. Anyway, will Greg be joining us for dinner?”

“Yeah, he texted me. He’s on his way. Can I help with dinner?”

“Sure. You can put the hot dogs on the grill there.”

“You eat hot dogs?”

“They’re Tofurky dogs. Totally meatless, but just as good.”

I picked up a pale, tube shaped substance. It was hard to imagine anything looking like that tasting good. But I was so hungry I’d eat just about anything at that point.

“So how was your first day of college life?”

“Fine.” I was such a liar and apparently a really bad one because Rainbow arched an eyebrow at my answer.

“Your aura tells me otherwise.”

“My aura?”

“Yes, it’s a bit of a muddy blue today. It’s as if you’re afraid of something.”

“It’s nothing bad, really. My chemistry professor and I got off on the wrong foot. He kind of acted like a . . . well, uh, like an arrogant asshole.” There was no other way to put it.

“They usually are.”

I laughed. “To be fair, I kind of ruined his shirt and made him late for his class. I tried to apologize to Professor Cooper, but that just made things worse.”

A bowl slipped out of her hands, shattering on the floor. Her face paled.

“Are you okay?” I bent down picking up the pieces around her bare feet.

“Did you say Cooper? Jackson Cooper?”

“Yeah, do you know him?”

She blinked, opening and closing her mouth as if I’d caught her off guard.

“Sure. A lot of people do. He’s one of the leading researchers in his field.” She grabbed a broom and busied herself sweeping the spotless floor. “Interesting that a renowned biochemist would teach a freshman chemistry class. So, he was cranky?”

“That’s the understatement of the decade.”

“I’m sure things will settle down once everyone is over the first week of the semester crazies. How about your other classes?”

She was trying to change the subject. That just made me even more curious. She didn’t seem like the type of person to avoid things. That was more my parents’ MO.

After we set the table and placed the Tofurky dogs on a platter, I sat down, ready to dig into the salad. At least that looked reasonably normal. That’s when I heard a yelp and saw Greg’s head dash across the kitchen window.

“Greg?”

There was a loud squawking followed by a high-pitch screech and he zoomed past the window again.

The front door slammed, and he rushed into the kitchen, yelling, “Make it go away! It’s attacking me!”

“What’s after you?” I asked as I watched Greg run around the table, his arms flailing.

He quickly hopped on one of the kitchen chairs and snatched a knife. “That . . . that thing.”

He jabbed the knife at something beneath his feet.

“Look at its beady eyes. It wants to kill me.”

I looked around the floor and saw a flash of feathers as something scurried past my feet. Yelping, I jumped up onto my seat. “What the hell is that?”

“Penny, what did I say about you coming into the house?” Rainbow scolded as she bent down and scooped up the creature. She ran a palm across its tiny head. “You naughty girl.”

“Is that a . . .?” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “What is that?”

“Pass me the barbecue sauce and that’s dinner,” Greg said.

The chicken squawked.

Whoa! A pet chicken. Was that a Texas thing or Rainbow thing?

“Now, now, Penny, he didn’t mean that. He was just joking,” Rainbow crooned.

“No, I’m not,” he mouthed.

Penny’s beady eyes glared at him, keeping an eye on the knife.

“I didn’t know you had any pets,” I said.

“Penny belongs to my life partner, Meadow. She’s backpacking through Tibet. You’ll meet her in a few weeks when she gets back. Greg, you can put the knife down. Penny won’t peck at you. Right, Penny?”

Greg narrowed his eyes watching Penny as Rainbow carried her back outside. “I’ll be watching you.”

“You do realize you were threatening a chicken with a butter knife, don’t you?”

Reaching over the table, he grabbed a faux-hot dog and slapped it into a bun. “And I’ll do it again if I have too. You didn’t see her, Nicole. I was minding my own business and this brown bullet darted right at me. It was like she smelled the chicken teriyaki I had for lunch. And that beak hurts. Now, I have little red dots all over my ankles. I was planning to lay out by the river tomorrow after class.”

“You big baby. And don’t you know too much tanning is bad for you?”

“For you maybe, Ms. Red Lobster.” He tapped my cheek and grinned. It wasn’t fair that he had that nice golden tan that made him look even more handsome. All I had to look forward to was peeling. Eww.

“Hey, this actually looks good.” He heaped a scoop of sweet relish onto his hot dog. “So I need to tell you about what happened with Travis. I was getting some intel, for you of course, because it’s been a while since you’ve been on a real date and—”

He stopped abruptly, his face turning almost as green as my salad. He spat out the hot dog onto his plate.

“Gross! Greg!”

“What the hell did I just eat?”

“Oh, you’ve tried the Tofurky,” Rainbow said, walking back into the kitchen. “It takes a little getting used to—”

“A little?” He made a face as he searched the table, his tongue hanging out. Spotting a napkin, he swiped it repeatedly over his tongue, gagging.

“It tastes much better with tofu chili. Want me to whip you both up some?”

“No!” we cried.

Rainbow took out a pitcher and poured yellow liquid into his glass. “Drink this, you’ll like it.”

He looked down at the glass skeptically. “What is it?”

“Lemonade.”

“Oh.” He took a swig. “Ah, much better.”

She ruffled his hair. “I’ll make a vegetarian out of you yet. Oh that reminds me.”

She reached into the pocket of her dress and handed me a slip of paper.

“My friend, Lou, owns the coffee shop across from campus, Jitters. He said he could use some help. He’s in Tucson taking care of family business, but will be back in a couple of weeks. You can talk to him then.”

I looked down at paper. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”

“Not a problem. Now Lou can be a little off, and he tends to forget things sometimes. But he’s a sweet man. You’ll like him.”

Like him or not, I was desperate for a job. I stabbed my fork into the salad, feeling much better now that the job situation was settled. Now all I had to do was survive Cooper’s class.

Chapter Seven

“Ms. Ashford!”

I blinked, shocked that Professor Cooper was calling on me. It’d been weeks and not once had he even looked at me.

“Wake up, Nicole,” Greg hissed.

“Uh, aluminum fluoride.”

Several students chuckled.

“Sweet,” Travis muttered under his breath, laughing. Even when he was laughing, he looked like the perfect golden boy and was annoyingly handsome. Even more annoying was the way Greg looked up to him. His face all enamored with Travis. He laughed even harder, elbowing Travis, joining him.

I scowled, and he choked back a laugh.

Yeah, he knew better than to get on my bad side.

“I’m sorry, you were saying?” I turned back to face Cooper and took a really good look at him for the first time since the beginning of the semester.

Big mistake.

He stood in front of the lectern, thick arms folded across his massive chest. My eyes slowly crawled up, taking in every inch of his muscular body, the square jawline thick with scruff until they reached fiery gemstone blue eyes.

Good God. Why couldn’t he look like a normal guy? And why did he have to be so annoyingly sexy? I twisted in my seat uncomfortably.

“I, uh, you asked a question?”

Yeah, there was a reason why I’d kept my head down during class. One look and already my brain was in stupid mode. I quickly averted my eyes to the back of Gianna’s head.

“If you can manage to utilize the functions of your frontal lobe, Ms. Ashford, I asked to have a word with you after class.”

I had no idea why he’d want to see me. I hadn’t made a peep since the beginning of the semester. Knowing my luck, he was probably going to give me a bill for his dry cleaning.

Gianna turned, gazing at me briefly. She leaned over to Red and whispered something in her ear and giggled.

I clenched my hand into a fist. I was tired of being used as Cooper’s punching bag. The man needed to get over the little coffee incident. He wanted to see me after class? Fine. I wanted to see him too—to give him a piece of my mind.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ooh, you’re in trouble,” Greg said in a sing-song voice when Cooper released the class.

“Knock it off.” I slowly gathered my things.

After most of the class left, I stood a couple of feet from Cooper, waiting as he talked to a few students who had questions about the class assignment.

“Excuse me.” Gianna sauntered past me as she went to him.

“I just wanted to tell you I’m learning so much. The extra tutoring you’re giving me has been so helpful.” She placed a possessive hand on his muscular arm then threw me a hateful side-glance.

What was her problem? She was acting like we were in competition or something. It wasn’t like Cooper liked me. If anything, he’d probably be relieved if I dropped out of the class.

Oh, crap! That was it. He was kicking me out of class.

“And I love this color on you.” Gianna’s manicured fingers slid seductively over his black pinstripe shirt.

I zoomed in on her hand. From out of nowhere, I had the urge to rip her arm off. I stiffened in surprised by my intense and totally irrational reaction. What did I care if she wanted to boink Cooper? It wasn’t any of my business.

“I have some questions about today’s lecture.” Her hand slowly drifted down his arm before wrapping it around her book. Stroking the text, she continued. “Maybe I can come by your office again?”

He studied her for a moment. “I’m not available today. Send me an email and we can schedule a time to meet next week. Ms. Ashford.”

He turned to me, holding out his hand, directing me to the back door of the auditorium.

Biting my lip, I held back a smug smile. Man, oh man. The shocked expression on her face was so photo worthy. If only I could whip out my cellphone to take a picture.

As he guided me down the hall, I felt a light pressure on the small of my back. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at his touch.

An image flashed. I groaned. The freaky-deaky daydreams were happening again. Permed hair and mullets, bright neon-colored leggings, and headbands flashed through my mind.

I clenched my fists, straining to keep the strange visions out of my head as I stepped into his office. I tiptoed around the piles of books and knee-high stacks of papers on the floor. The walls were lined with shelves of more books and dozens of awards. A large desk littered with papers and a computer sat against a large window.

I placed myself in front of his desk, the only clutter-free spot in the room. I caught a glimpse of a stack of graded papers marked with so much red you’d think the paper was bleeding. I’d never seen so many thirties and forties.

I heard a familiar laugh and glanced out the window. Greg and Travis were walking across the quad. Travis was checking out a group of girls. Greg didn’t seem to care; he just kept on talking.

I sighed. When Greg had a man crush, nothing could convince him that the guy he’d set his sights on didn’t play for his team. He would just have to find out the hard way later, and I’d be there to pick up the pieces like always. It was hard sometimes. He deserved to find someone who loved him for the sweet, quirky guy he was, even if he was annoying some times.

I looked down at the desk again and saw his name scribbled on one of the papers. Next to it was a ninety-nine.

I rolled my eyes. He was going to do his happy dance and flaunt that grade the entire semester.

The door slammed shut and I froze.

Even with my back to him, Professor Cooper’s presence overwhelmed me. I could feel his eyes boring into my back. I took a shaky breath trying to calm myself. I moaned when I smelled a seductive scent of leather and musk. That was so not helping.

I licked my dry lips nervously. I might as well cut to the chase and speak first before I lost my courage to tell him off. Keeping my eyes glued to the window, I said, “I know why you called me in here.”

Waiting for his response, my heart thrummed against my chest so hard I swore he could hear it in the silent room.

Minutes passed. Nothing. I shifted uncomfortably. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

Taking a bracing breath, I turned to face him.

My breath hitched at the expression on his face. It was like he was another person. The stern expression he had in class was gone. His eyes were soft pools of blue that I could drown myself in forever. They were so beautiful. It was like seeing sunshine for the first time.

I stepped forward, feeling that pull to him again. His lips parted as he sucked in a breath. Then he stiffened and shrunk back as I closed in the space between us.

His eyes hardened, warning me to keep my distance. Crossing his arms across his chest, he said, “Are you saying you can read my mind, Ms. Ashford, a mind that has garnered millions in NIH grant funding? Or maybe after one psychology course you now consider yourself expert in the human psyche?”

Yeah, that was the Cooper I was used to. A sexy arrogant ass who liked to torture me, but was nice to students like Gianna, who would throw her panties at him in class if she thought she could get away with it.

“How do you know I’m taking psychology?”

He blinked, looking like he’d gotten his hand caught in the cookie jar. “Just an assumption. Most freshman take that course for an easy ‘A.’ Though I’m puzzled why you’re taking my course.”

“You don’t think I have what it takes to pass chemistry?”

“Not according to your last assignment grade.”

“I’m not going to quit.” I jerked my chin up, ready for a fight.

“I’m not asking you to drop the class. Although it would be in your best interest.”

“Why, because you’re going to fail me?”

“No, Ms. Ashford. Because I won’t fall for your plan to ace the course.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I took another step forward, ready to take him on. I was already about to get kicked out. I had nothing to lose.

He sucked in a breath and gritted his teeth. “Stop that.”

My eyes widened at his reaction. “Stop what? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

His shoulders tensed as his eyes roamed over my body. “You’re not the first student to try to seduce a professor for a better grade.”

Was the man insane? I looked down at what I was wearing. It wasn’t even remotely sexy. I had on a light blue tank top with one of Greg’s oxford shirts thrown over it and a pair of knee length shorts.

Yeah, Birkenstock sandals just screamed, “Do me!”

“I would never do that,” I snapped. “I admit I’m struggling a bit with the class, and it’d be nice to actually get some help, but I’d never do what you’re insinuating.”

“Oh really, Ms. Ashford.” He took a step forward. I gulped at how big he was. His shoulders were so broad. “I suppose you accidentally managed to run into me and press your body against mine suggestively earlier this semester.”

“That was an accident. Besides, I didn’t even know you were my professor.”

“I’m sure. And I’m also sure it was an accident that you watch me with those wide eyes of yours, playing with your hair, crossing and uncrossing your bare legs in class.”

He was pissing me off. He made me sound like I was Gianna. I placed my hands on my hips. “You’re mixing me up with someone else. You may have other girls in the class panting after you, but I’m not one of them.”

In three quick strides he jerked me to him, and I slammed into his muscled chest. I sucked in a breath as lightning surged through me, awakening parts of me that had been sleeping for a long time. He lowered his head, stopping right before his lips touched mine. Simmering eyes dropped to my mouth. “This is what you want, isn’t it, Ms. Ashford.”

Yes.

“No.”

He smirked. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”

“I told you I wasn’t—”

Savage lips attacked mine, and my body ignited into fire. My hands flew up, gliding over his rock-hard biceps and around his neck. I clutch him closer, deepening the kiss.

His stubble rubbed against my tender skin as his tongue devoured my mouth. Searing lips traveled down my throat. His rough chin grazed the tops of my breast. I moaned, arching my hips into his lower body.

My mind warred back and forth with what was happening, how turned on I was, and how much I wanted him to take me right there in his office, on his desk.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

Oh god yes, don’t stop.

This is wrong. He’s my professor.

Yes, more. I need more.

No.

Yes!

“Do you want me to continue?” His deep voice rumbled, making me quiver even more as I leaned against his hard body.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. His tongue flicked the top of my breast and I gasped.

“Yes!” I moaned.

His lips hungrily devoured mine. Then he reached down, and in one swoop he hitched me up and my legs were immediately around his waist as he placed me on top of the desk. My core throbbed as he pressed himself against me, grinding against the thin covering of my shorts.

Something overcame me at that moment. It was raw, carnal. It was like the animal in me had come to life, and I didn’t even know who I was. All I knew was that I was desperate to feel his skin against mine.

Pushing him back, I ripped his shirt open. Buttons flew, scattering onto the floor. He was magnificent. Every inch of him was pure muscle.

I pressed my lips on his chest, letting my tongue work its way over every single muscled crevice. When I flicked his hardened nipple, he hissed and his hands speared into my hair. I craved every inch of him. He was right. I wanted him just as much as every other woman in his class.

I tugged my shirt off, throwing it aside. Fiery blue eyes drank in my heaving chest before he ducked his head, kissing the tops of my breast. In one swift move, he jerked the cup of my bra down and devoured a nipple, sucking it hard into his hot mouth, his tongue lashing it back and forth.

Moaning, I rolled my head back, drowning in the exquisite mix of pain and pleasure as he bit and sucked my nipples even harder, marking me with his savage kisses.

Throbbing, I tugged at the waistband of his pants desperate for him to fill my aching need. My hand slid down his taut abs down to his hard bulge and moaned at his size.

He growled at my touch, and within seconds my shorts and panties were flying through the air, and his pants dropped to his feet. I was soaking wet, ready for him. His thick length slid against my thigh, teasing my entrance, making me drip with desire.

“Please,” I moaned.

He weaved his strong hands into my hair. Fisting it, he tugged my head back. Blazing eyes held mine as he whispered, “Nicole.”

Then he plunged into me.

Chapter Eight

I gasped and bolted upright, naked and covered in a light sheen of sweat.

Sunlight filtered into the dim room. Clutching the cool sheet against my chest, my heart raced as I looked around the room confused.

Where am I? Why am I naked, and where are my panties?

My eyes adjusted, and I saw my reflection in the familiar floor length mirror.

I was in my bedroom. It was a dream. Thank god!

I stumbled out of bed, my brain still in a fog, and looked for my clothes. I finally found my panties and T-shirt wedged in the corner of the bed between the mattress and sheets. That was weird. I’d never taken off my clothes while I was sleeping before. It must’ve been some dream.

A delicious sensation throbbed between my legs, and then it suddenly hit me what had happened.

No way. No. Freakin’. Way!

I had wet dream.

About Professor Cooper!

Snatching a fresh change of clothes, I marched down the hallway to the bathroom totally and utterly disgusted with myself.

How could Cooper pop into my dreams like that? And of all people, why that arrogant ass? Yes, he was hot, but, still, I wasn’t like the other girls in the class, fawning all over him. I wasn’t attracted to that man at all, and he obviously hated me.

Then why did you dream about him? A small voice in my head whispered.

Shut up!

Great. Now I was arguing myself.

Stepping into the shower, I turned on the knob full blast to the coldest setting and pushed the insanity to the back of my mind. It had to be the damn pills I’d taken last night. They were messing with my head again.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I tilted my head into the stream of water, forcing the remnants of the dream out of my head.

So maybe hate was too strong of a word. After the disastrous first day of class, Cooper was polite, giving me a nod of greeting just like he did with the other students. Though he never looked at me. Over the past few weeks, the man avoided eye contact. But when it came to Gianna, he was a sweet as pie and had no problems ogling her.

Okay that wasn’t fair. Cooper treated her the same as the other students. And the only time he looked at her was when she planted herself in front of him, which she did . . . a lot! He took his time when students asked him questions and one time he almost smiled. But why did he look at everyone except me?

Man, why did he have to be nice? Life would be so much easier if he was actually like the arrogant bastard in my dream.

To make matters worse, he was an excellent teacher. I actually understood the course content. I’d even gotten a “B” on my most recent assignment. Greg was Mr. McPouty because I outscored him by twenty points.

Laughing, I shut off the water. Yeah, I should’ve known it was a dream the moment I’d seen the ninety-nine on Greg’s paper. He wasn’t doing very well in Cooper’s class, and it was driving him bonkers.

I slipped on a clean T-shirt as I thought about the way Cooper stated to eyeball Greg lately. It had happened the day after Greg and I ran into him in the quad. Greg was acting his usual silly self, his arm entwined in mine when Cooper stepped out of the chemistry building. When Greg waved, Cooper had given him a curt nod and stared at Greg’s arm before he swiftly turned away. He didn’t even bother to acknowledge my presence. It was like I was invisible or something.

Pushing the thought of Cooper aside, I padded into the kitchen, my stomach rumbling at the mouthwatering smell of bacon. Rainbow was probably out again on her early morning bike ride. As much as I tried, I just couldn’t do the vegetarian thing. And driving to campus passing at least half a dozen barbecue joints didn’t help either. The smell of barbecue stayed with me, and I was hungry all the time. Yeah, I caved.

Greg didn’t even last a day. After the Tofurky hotdog incident, he’d hauled me to the grocery store, tossing every single meat known to man into the cart, mumbling, “I didn’t kick evolution’s ass just to eat leaves and twigs.”

Rainbow was sweet and didn’t complain or make us feel bad about it. Though the last time Greg had cooked bacon she’d gagged at the smell and turned green.

“You see this. I know you can see it,” Greg said as he stood in front of the stove, waving an egg at the kitchen window.

Penny sat on the windowsill. Her beady eyes narrowed and head tilted, watching him.

“Yeah, who’s the one crying now?” Cackling, he cracked the egg against the pan.

“What on Earth are you doing, Greg?” I asked.

“Showing Penny who’s boss.”

Greg’s baby blues locked with Penny’s black eyes in a showdown.

“You’re torturing a poor chicken. You realize that, don’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just minding my own business and making breakfast.” He cracked a second egg. It sizzled when it hit the pan. “And if it puts Penny in her place in the process, well, good for me.”

“You can be so crazy sometimes.” I poured a glass of juice and took a sip.

“Yeah, but you love me for it.” He plopped a plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me. “Besides, I’m the only one who’s willing to put up with your moaning and groaning.”

I coughed, spitting juice everywhere.

“WHAT?”

“I’m all for self love, but can you keep the moaning down? Some of us need our beauty sleep.” He stabbed a fork into his eggs. Looking at Penny with an evil grin, he waved a forkful before sticking it into his mouth and smacking his lips.

She squawked.

“Last night? I wasn’t—” My face heated at the memory of Cooper’s lips sucking on my—

“I had an upset stomach.”

“Uh-huh, yeah, sure. So you weren’t riding the two-finger cowboy?”

My eyes flicked down, and I was suddenly very fascinated with my breakfast. “I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

“You know, buttering the biscuit.”

“No.”

“Feeding the beaver?”

“I said no.”

“Double clicking the mouse? Polishing the pearl?”

“Greg, would you—”

“Teasing the tuna taco?”

“Eww.”

“Dialing ‘O’ on the pink telephone?”

“Greg!”

“Okay, okay. No shame, girlfriend. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve had any ‘bow chicka wow wow’ with anyone.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“So it was a dream. Don’t try to hide it, babe. I know you too well.”

“Fine. I had a dream.”

“Sweet.” He grinned. “It’s better than having one of your nightmares.”

It was better. Last night was the first time I didn’t feel like my heart was being torn to shreds.

“So,” he leaned forward, studying me, “who’s the guy? Anyone I know?”

I moved the eggs around my plate, avoiding his eyes. I had to be really careful with Greg. He was a human lie detector.

“No.”

He arched an eyebrow.

Crap!

He clicked his tongue and then proceeded to name every guy in our chemistry class that he thought was hot.

“Sean.”

“Epstein? Uh, that would be a no.”

“Rick.”

“I told you it’s not anyone you know.”

“Kellan?”

“Seriously? You think Kellan is hot?”

“Clean him up a bit. Get rid of those dreadlocks. Yeah.” He munched on his toast, thinking. “Okay, not Kellan. Hmm. Travis?”

“No!”

“Why not?” He looked insulted. “He’s sex on legs. And I happen to know that he likes you.”

And probably every single girl on campus.

Everywhere he went there was a girl hanging off his arm. The only time he didn’t was when he was hanging out with Greg. Although I’d been relieved to see that Greg had finally gotten the hint about Travis, I was surprised that I didn’t have to peel him off the floor. Now here he was, trying to hook me up with his man-crush friend.

“He’s cute if you go for that Brad Pitt look. But I didn’t dream about him.”

“Yeah, you go for the more intellectual type, like Cooper.”

My hand froze in midair. A piece of egg plopped into my orange juice.

“It’s Cooper! You had a wet dream about Cooper!”

“I didn’t!”

“Did too.”

“Not.”

“Too.”

Penny squawked.

“See, even Penny knows you have the hots for Cooper.” He went to the window and pressed his fist against the glass. “Don’t leave me hanging, Penny.”

I laughed as Penny’s claw tapped against the glass. “Did you teach her how to do that? I thought you didn’t like her.”

“Penny and I have a special love-hate relationship. You know like you and Cooper . . . without all the sex.”

“There is no sex, Greg. And there was no dream.”

“Uh-hum, yeah. I believe you.”

“Can we please change the subject?”

“All right, all right. You’re no fun.” He went to the counter and poured coffee into two mugs. “Are you at least sleeping better at night? Be honest.”

He placed a mug in front of me then lightly touched the dark circles under my eyes. “I worry about you.”

Taking ahold of his hand, I smiled. He was such a sweetheart. It was hard to stay mad at him. “I took some last night. And I slept pretty well, relatively speaking.”

“Ooh, maybe I should take some.”

I glared.

“Just kidding! Seriously, you should take them every night, get them into your system.”

I shook my head. “I took them every night last week, and I could barely concentrate in class.”

I’d kept nodding off in my afternoon classes, especially in my philosophy class. The professor was so boring with her countless Powerpoint slides. She basically regurgitated the week’s assigned readings through the entire lecture. It was hard to keep my eyes open.

“I don’t think I’ll take them anymore. They’re giving me weird side effects.”

“You mean the orgasms?”

“Greg! That’s not what I meant.”

The odd feelings I’d had during the first day of the semester didn’t go away. They actually got stronger. I’d walk into a classroom or a building, and a chill would sweep over me. My palms would sweat and my heart would pound faster. It was like I was having a panic attack. It was strongest when I was in Cooper’s class. But the moment he walked in, a peacefulness would sweep over me like a warm blanket.

What was even more bizarre was that I felt like I was being watched in his class. At first, I thought it was Travis. But when I’d look in his direction, he was always goofing off with Greg. And for one totally insane moment, I thought Cooper was watching me. I’d tossed that thought out of my mind because like I said, the man avoided me like I was the plague.

“You know you can talk to me about anything right?” Greg’s face was serious. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He was worried that the pressure to perform well in my classes was getting to me as well as my money problems.