her fingers tried to curl into a fist, but she forced them straight, not wanting to give herself away any further. “Thank you, I will. And you can call me Professor May.”
He didn’t say anything to that, but that almost smile deepened a fraction, making something warm and liquid coil way down low in her abdomen.
“I’ll catch you Thursday, Professor.” Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the lecture theatre.
Goddamn.
Eleanor shook her head and went back to putting her laptop away.
And tried to put Lucien North from her mind.
Chapter Two
Luc sat in the student café with his back to the wall, which he preferred. Another habit the army had bred into him. Even though he knew no one was going to suddenly get out a knife or a gun and shoot him in the back here, he couldn’t quite break himself of the habit.
The only exceptions being Eleanor’s classes. For her he’d sit with his back to the rest of the class, so he could be down in the front and look at her.
He turned his head a little, watching the group on the other side of the café without seeming like he was staring. Another old habit.
Eleanor sat there with some of the other faculty members, talking about something that was clearly very interesting because she was leaning forward with her elbows on the table, making small, elegant movements with her hands as she spoke. Her face was alight with interest and intensity, as if she was trying to get a very important point across.
I look at people who aren’t paying attention…
A bullshit lie, offered with a cool, impersonal smile. And yet when she’d taken his hand, he’d seen the telltale stain of color on her cheekbones. She’d hidden it well, but he’d had a lot of practice watching for people’s reactions. Seeing below the surface of a person. It had been a skill he’d had to develop in order to survive Inza’s army and it was one that continued to be useful.
He had the feeling that he could look all day at Eleanor May and he still wouldn’t be able to see the woman she was underneath. A pain in the ass since that thought only made him want to find out even more.
Christ, he shouldn’t have approached her yesterday after the lecture. He should have walked out with all the others, and yet he hadn’t. What had he been thinking? He’d been obsessed by that split-second reaction he’d seen in her eyes. And now the feeling of her cool fingers in his had only wound that obsession tighter.
Beside him, Maddy was saying something. She had one hand on his thigh, a proprietary gesture he didn’t much like. They’d been sleeping together on and off—a casual thing, they’d both agreed. But that didn’t mean he was hers, like she wasn’t his.
He shifted his leg subtly and her hand fell away.
Across the room, Eleanor laughed her amazing laugh. Dirty and low. He could hear it even in the hum of the café, the sound in stark contrast to that cool, sophisticated image of hers. She wore another of her pencil skirts today, light charcoal. One knee was crossed over the other under the table, leaving the heel of one of her stilettos dangling off her toes.
Such a little thing to notice and yet he did, fascinated by the dichotomy of her. The way she could be cool, not a hair out of place, one minute, then laugh like a phone-sex worker and dangle one heel off her foot the next.
“Hey, Luc, are you listening to me?”
“Not really. Sorry.”
“Who are you looking at?” Beside him, Maddie craned her head and he forced himself to look away from Eleanor, focusing his attention on the woman beside him.
“You,” he said and smiled at her.
The smile had its usual effect. Maddie rolled her eyes, but he knew she wasn’t offended. “You’re impossible.”
Across the room he could hear Eleanor laugh again, but this time he didn’t look. He didn’t need to. He already knew how her face lit up.
Why were you looking at me?
He’d told her he was looking at her because she was the lecturer,
He didn’t say anything to that, but that almost smile deepened a fraction, making something warm and liquid coil way down low in her abdomen.
“I’ll catch you Thursday, Professor.” Then he turned on his heel and walked out of the lecture theatre.
Goddamn.
Eleanor shook her head and went back to putting her laptop away.
And tried to put Lucien North from her mind.
Chapter Two
Luc sat in the student café with his back to the wall, which he preferred. Another habit the army had bred into him. Even though he knew no one was going to suddenly get out a knife or a gun and shoot him in the back here, he couldn’t quite break himself of the habit.
The only exceptions being Eleanor’s classes. For her he’d sit with his back to the rest of the class, so he could be down in the front and look at her.
He turned his head a little, watching the group on the other side of the café without seeming like he was staring. Another old habit.
Eleanor sat there with some of the other faculty members, talking about something that was clearly very interesting because she was leaning forward with her elbows on the table, making small, elegant movements with her hands as she spoke. Her face was alight with interest and intensity, as if she was trying to get a very important point across.
I look at people who aren’t paying attention…
A bullshit lie, offered with a cool, impersonal smile. And yet when she’d taken his hand, he’d seen the telltale stain of color on her cheekbones. She’d hidden it well, but he’d had a lot of practice watching for people’s reactions. Seeing below the surface of a person. It had been a skill he’d had to develop in order to survive Inza’s army and it was one that continued to be useful.
He had the feeling that he could look all day at Eleanor May and he still wouldn’t be able to see the woman she was underneath. A pain in the ass since that thought only made him want to find out even more.
Christ, he shouldn’t have approached her yesterday after the lecture. He should have walked out with all the others, and yet he hadn’t. What had he been thinking? He’d been obsessed by that split-second reaction he’d seen in her eyes. And now the feeling of her cool fingers in his had only wound that obsession tighter.
Beside him, Maddy was saying something. She had one hand on his thigh, a proprietary gesture he didn’t much like. They’d been sleeping together on and off—a casual thing, they’d both agreed. But that didn’t mean he was hers, like she wasn’t his.
He shifted his leg subtly and her hand fell away.
Across the room, Eleanor laughed her amazing laugh. Dirty and low. He could hear it even in the hum of the café, the sound in stark contrast to that cool, sophisticated image of hers. She wore another of her pencil skirts today, light charcoal. One knee was crossed over the other under the table, leaving the heel of one of her stilettos dangling off her toes.
Such a little thing to notice and yet he did, fascinated by the dichotomy of her. The way she could be cool, not a hair out of place, one minute, then laugh like a phone-sex worker and dangle one heel off her foot the next.
“Hey, Luc, are you listening to me?”
“Not really. Sorry.”
“Who are you looking at?” Beside him, Maddie craned her head and he forced himself to look away from Eleanor, focusing his attention on the woman beside him.
“You,” he said and smiled at her.
The smile had its usual effect. Maddie rolled her eyes, but he knew she wasn’t offended. “You’re impossible.”
Across the room he could hear Eleanor laugh again, but this time he didn’t look. He didn’t need to. He already knew how her face lit up.
Why were you looking at me?
He’d told her he was looking at her because she was the lecturer,
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