Bad Professor (An Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) Read Free Page B

close quarters of a train would be no problem at all if
Clarity was riding with me. The thought sent me marching towards the front of
the house. I hadn't felt a kick of attraction that strong since high school. That
girl dumped me flat right after I enlisted and I'd been keeping it simple ever
since I’d returned to civilian life. Clarity was the only exception I'd run
across, and all I could think to do was get far away from her.
    "Ford,
is that you? What are you doing skulking around in the roses?"
    I
skipped the stepping stones and jumped onto the sidewalk to join my friend. "Jackson,
thank god you're here. Just the breath of fresh air I was looking for."
    "Speaking
of fresh air," Jackson said, "Alice and I want you to meet her
friend. I think you two would really get along."
    "Nice
talking with you, Jackson, see you on campus." I veered away from the
front steps and headed to my car.
    "Come
on, Ford; it can't be that bad," Jackson grabbed my arm and hauled me
back.
    "What
is this obsession with setting me up?" I asked.
    Jackson
grinned. "I can't help it. After Alice and I got married this summer, I
just want other people to feel the same happiness. And I wouldn't be bugging
you with blind dates if you'd just find someone yourself."
    "I'll
let you know when I find someone interesting enough to date," I said.
    We
walked back through the front door and I caught a glimpse of Clarity heading
over to greet Jackson. She stopped suddenly when she saw me. Her green eyes
refracted a vibrant light right through my chest.
    "Whoa,
what is going on there?" Jackson asked, slack-jawed.
    Before
he could say anything else, I slipped past the math professors and caught up to
her before she disappeared into the kitchen. "So, just out of curiosity,
what are your plans for Thanksgiving break?" I asked.
    A
delicious pink hue touched her cheeks and I was tempted to feel the heat of her
blush with my lips. She blinked up at me and I couldn't read the shifting
forest shades of green in her gaze.
    "What
exactly are you asking?" Clarity asked.
    "No
pressure, I know it's crazy, but all I'm saying is that we'd have enough time
to get to know each other, get out on the West Coast, and fly back before break
is over." My mouth belonged to someone else, clearly someone who had not
asked out a woman in a very long time. I had skipped the safe drinks
suggestion, bypassed shared meals, and went straight for a couple’s vacation. She
was going to think I was crazy.
    "That's
crazy," Clarity said.
    "I
know you're going to say 'but.' Come on, you know you want to." My chest
jittered, unaccustomed to the heady mix of recklessness and excitement. It had
been way too long. "Dean Dunkirk, I'm sure you have a few great
suggestions for places to go in California."
    Clarity's
creamy skin went pale as the Dean of Students joined us. She swayed back a bit,
so I wrapped an arm around her waist. Suddenly my suggestion didn't seem so
insane. She fit against me so perfectly, I knew I needed her there.
    Dean
Dunkirk smiled, too engrossed in his own advice to notice me pulling Clarity close.
"Personally I'd head right to Napa Valley. The wine country there is
something to see and there are great, hidden towns to stay in while you
explore. My daughter has always wanted to go there. Isn't that right,
Clarity?"
    "Clarity?
Your daughter?" My words weren't coming out right. I dropped my arm from
around her waist. "You're Clarity Dunkirk?"
    "Beautiful
name, isn't it? One of the only things her mother and I agreed on," Dean
Dunkirk said.
    Beautiful,
and I knew the moment she marched up to me that she wouldn't hesitate to
challenge me. It was something about her that I felt with certainty and knew I
needed.
    My
mind switched into tactical mode, determined to work around the obstacle and
complete my mission. Why Clarity was a top priority mission didn't matter. It
felt good to want something again.
    And
I liked Dean Dunkirk. The Dean of Students was easy to talk to, full of
practical