Jason casually scanned the room, pretending to admire the party, but making sure his gaze passed through wherever Natasha was. And she was everywhere, talking to everyone, laughing, smiling, charismatic and content, and cheery. Everyone seemed enchanted by her. She had a way of grabbing attention. If she wanted, she could keep the interest of all the people in the room at the same time, effortlessly.
Most guys kept glancing at her, desire written all over their faces, especially on Cohen’s—a fact corroding his insides. He wasn’t the violent type, but for some reason he wanted to punch the guy.
“How is your project going?” Aidan asked. “I bet the game is gonna take a long while to be released, huh?”
“You know how the gaming industry is.” He forced his focus back to his student. “They haven’t even revealed the name of the game yet. Don’t expect it to come out the next year. Or the one after that.”
“Mr. Stone, nobody gave you a drink,” Natasha said, stopping beside him, and he grimaced upon hearing his formal name coming from her red lips. “What can I get you?”
“Are you playing hostess?”
“I’m helping.”
“Then a Coke, please.”
One of her brows cocked up.
“Seriously. I don’t drink.”
Shaking her head, she disappeared into the kitchen.
To his surprise, he found Aidan had moved three steps away and was talking to another group. Taking advantage of the sudden solitude, he walked to a corner with a small bookcase filled with used college books, mostly about math and physics. Boring stuff.
Natasha returned and handed him a glass with his beverage. “Here you go.” She had another glass of soda for herself.
He eyed the drink. “Coke?”
“I think it’s better if I don’t drink tonight.”
Why, so she didn’t throw herself at some guy, or was there another reason? He fought the urge but ended up glancing to the other side of the room, where Cohen still ogled her.
The conversation around them was loud, but even so, he lowered his tone and asked, “Doesn’t it bother you?”
“What?”
“Being at a party where there’s a guy ready to…I don’t know, attack you or something.”
She glanced to the floor. “I try not thinking about it.”
“Why not?”
She seemed unsure about answering him. Finally, she stared into his eyes. “Because everywhere I go, there’s a guy who looks at me as if I was some sort of prey. If I let myself think about it, I would never leave my room.” She turned to the bookcase and fingered the books’ spines. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t me.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jesus, he had to blow everything. He raised his hand to comfort her in some way, pat her back or maybe touch her skin, but he stopped himself before the situation became more awkward. “I had no idea you felt that way. You never gave me that impression.”
She smiled, and though it was weak, it didn’t stop his heart from doing a somersault. She was too damn beautiful.
“Sorry, I’m the one who shouldn’t be this honest.”
“I like you honest—”
Her finger stopped midair from one book to another, and he realized what he had said.
“I mean, I like it when you’re honest.” He cleared his throat. “I thought you were always honest when we talked.”
She leaned against the bookcase. “I am, but maybe I omit some parts. I know you know about my reputation and how people seem to think I’m some kind of love goddess around here, but I didn’t really want you to think that badly of me.”
They stared intently at each other. His heartbeat slowed for two seconds before going into overdrive.
He was losing the battle.
Chapter Three
Heat spread through her cheeks before diving low, under her belly. As much as she fought against it, she wasn’t immune to his charms.
Once again, Natasha hadn’t seen her professor or her friend in Jason’s eyes. And once again, he’d pulled back before she could discover what
Most guys kept glancing at her, desire written all over their faces, especially on Cohen’s—a fact corroding his insides. He wasn’t the violent type, but for some reason he wanted to punch the guy.
“How is your project going?” Aidan asked. “I bet the game is gonna take a long while to be released, huh?”
“You know how the gaming industry is.” He forced his focus back to his student. “They haven’t even revealed the name of the game yet. Don’t expect it to come out the next year. Or the one after that.”
“Mr. Stone, nobody gave you a drink,” Natasha said, stopping beside him, and he grimaced upon hearing his formal name coming from her red lips. “What can I get you?”
“Are you playing hostess?”
“I’m helping.”
“Then a Coke, please.”
One of her brows cocked up.
“Seriously. I don’t drink.”
Shaking her head, she disappeared into the kitchen.
To his surprise, he found Aidan had moved three steps away and was talking to another group. Taking advantage of the sudden solitude, he walked to a corner with a small bookcase filled with used college books, mostly about math and physics. Boring stuff.
Natasha returned and handed him a glass with his beverage. “Here you go.” She had another glass of soda for herself.
He eyed the drink. “Coke?”
“I think it’s better if I don’t drink tonight.”
Why, so she didn’t throw herself at some guy, or was there another reason? He fought the urge but ended up glancing to the other side of the room, where Cohen still ogled her.
The conversation around them was loud, but even so, he lowered his tone and asked, “Doesn’t it bother you?”
“What?”
“Being at a party where there’s a guy ready to…I don’t know, attack you or something.”
She glanced to the floor. “I try not thinking about it.”
“Why not?”
She seemed unsure about answering him. Finally, she stared into his eyes. “Because everywhere I go, there’s a guy who looks at me as if I was some sort of prey. If I let myself think about it, I would never leave my room.” She turned to the bookcase and fingered the books’ spines. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t me.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Jesus, he had to blow everything. He raised his hand to comfort her in some way, pat her back or maybe touch her skin, but he stopped himself before the situation became more awkward. “I had no idea you felt that way. You never gave me that impression.”
She smiled, and though it was weak, it didn’t stop his heart from doing a somersault. She was too damn beautiful.
“Sorry, I’m the one who shouldn’t be this honest.”
“I like you honest—”
Her finger stopped midair from one book to another, and he realized what he had said.
“I mean, I like it when you’re honest.” He cleared his throat. “I thought you were always honest when we talked.”
She leaned against the bookcase. “I am, but maybe I omit some parts. I know you know about my reputation and how people seem to think I’m some kind of love goddess around here, but I didn’t really want you to think that badly of me.”
They stared intently at each other. His heartbeat slowed for two seconds before going into overdrive.
He was losing the battle.
Chapter Three
Heat spread through her cheeks before diving low, under her belly. As much as she fought against it, she wasn’t immune to his charms.
Once again, Natasha hadn’t seen her professor or her friend in Jason’s eyes. And once again, he’d pulled back before she could discover what
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