“A sandwich is perfect. Why don’t I bring the food? I’ll meet you there, that way you don’t have to waste any of your time.”
“Why?” The question exited my mouth before I could rethink it.
“Why save you time?” His eyebrows drew together.
“Why do you want to have lunch with me? Surely you have more important things to do.”
“Well, I like your company for one thing.” He leaned a little closer. “And you underestimate your importance. I’m starting to think you’re very important.”
I didn’t know what to say. What could I say to that? There was no mistaking it this time. Alex was definitely flirting with me and I felt like a fish out of water. I was a terrible flirt, too blunt and not coy. And I blushed. Like I was doing right now.
“I make you nervous, don’t I?” His gaze turned thoughtful. “And not because of my rank. That doesn’t seem to faze you at all.”
“A title is a title. It doesn’t define the type of person you are.” I closed the notebook with the quizzes and took a deep breath.
“Very true.” Reaching out, he brushed a stray strand of brown hair that had escaped my ponytail back from my face. I froze and our gazes locked before I remembered the cameras. I looked over to where the students had been standing, but no one was there.
“We’re alone. Duvall and Becca saw everyone out and are watching the door.”
We’re alone. His words sent a shiver through my soul. Images of him and me on the desk filled my mind and my blush deepened. His fingers traced my jawline briefly before he stood up and gave me enough space to breathe again.
“Do you have a preference for lunch?”
“No mustard.” I stayed in my seat, feeling safer there.
“No mustard. I can manage that.” He turned and walked down the steps. I couldn’t stop my eyes from following his backside as he went.
“My office, it’s on the second floor.” I cleared my throat. “I share it, so there will be other people there. They might pester you.” In fact I was sure Mary would pester him.
“I’ll find it.” He smiled over his shoulder at me.
Chapter Seven
Chaos on Campus
—College Daily
“Unless you can tell me the number of toes a bird has, you have accidently wandered into the wrong class.” I put my hands on my h*ps and glared at the students. “And that means you need to drag your hung-over self out of your seat and go find the correct room. Now.”
I waited while half the room got up and left in an explosion of noise. Some people took pictures of me with their cell phones before they ducked out of the door, others laughed like it was all a big joke. When it finally quieted down, I looked up from my desk and tried to not groan. There were still too many people in the room, but at least a good portion of them had left. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and started the last lecture of the day.
By the time I was finished, I barely had any patience left. I had been asked if I was a princess, if I was really a teaching assistant, if I knew the Queen of England. People had taken my picture and recorded my lecture. Nothing had been accomplished in the lesson. I should have just canceled the class and hidden in a broom closet somewhere.
“Lady Rousseau, let’s wait to move until the room has cleared and there isn’t as much traffic in the hallways.” Becca glanced at me over my desk with a look of pity.
“Can you just kill me? Carry me out in a box?” I looked up at her. “Do you even have a gun?”
“What kind of bodyguard would I be if I needed a gun to kill someone?” Becca smiled at my expression. “Besides, it could’ve been worse.”
“That’s not comforting.” I leaned back in my chair and groaned. “Thank God I don’t have any more classes today.” I grabbed my notes and shoved them into my bag. My stomach was in knots and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the classes or the fact that I was supposed to go eat with Alex.
“Ready?” Becca asked.
“Yeah.” We left the room and headed for the back stairs. There were still people in the halls, but for the most part they moved out of our way. When I got to the office, Alex was leaning against the wall next to the door, a bag of food in one hand and a tray with drinks in the other. His head was against the wall, his eyes closed. I felt guilty that he looked so tired. He must’ve been up late to see to my truck and get me those notes. As we approached, one of the men in his detail said something quietly. He tilted his head to look at us and smiled. His gray suit made his blue eyes look almost silver and I felt my mouth go dry. Just being near him felt like something in my gut was tugging me to him. He was perfect, right down to the light stubble on his chin.
“No mustard.” He held the bag up in victory and I laughed. He looked so proud of himself I couldn’t help it. Some of my nerves melted away and I felt a bit more relaxed.
“C’mon.” I opened the door so he could walk in and almost melted in relief when no one else was inside. I had been dreading the stares and awkward conversation. “That’s my desk.” I pointed at the one near the window and he stood next to the chair Becca had used earlier. I checked the message board, watching him from the corner of my eye before going to find some paper towels.
“Thank you.” He sat down when I handed him the napkins. “I hope you like red meat. I have a weakness for hamburgers. The bigger the better.”
“You’re in luck. The hamburgers from the cafeteria are great.” I spread the fries onto a napkin so we could both get to them. “So tell me. How did you manage to go in the cafeteria and come out alive?”
“Many years of practice.” He took a bite of his burger and groaned. “Ah, now that is good.”
“Why not just send someone else for them?” I took a bite of my food and mentally agreed with him.
“I was hoping it would draw away some of your fake students.”
“You mean you prostituted yourself out to the masses? To draw them away? That was… sweet.” He choked on his drink and coughed roughly. I set down my sandwich and slapped him on the back.
“I hadn’t thought about it that way.” He chuckled. “But it was worth it if it helped you.”
“Well, thank you.” I picked my sandwich back up and smiled at him. “For lunch and for pimping yourself out.”
“I told you I wouldn’t throw you to the wolves.” He winked at me, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him about all the people who had still crashed my classes. “Did you have a chance to look through the notes I sent?”
“A little.” I pushed some of the fries toward him. He seemed to like those just as much as he liked the hamburger. “I have to admit I’m interested in the specialist you listed.”
“There is a great deal of information online, too much to print out.”
“Thanks. I’ll look it over before I talk to Dad.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and checked for new text messages. Still nothing from my father, so I texted the lady that came to check on him twice a day. Patricia was a neighbor who had been good friends with my mother. She wouldn’t let me pay her, and honestly, I have no idea how I would have anyway. But knowing she went to check on Dad to make sure he didn’t need anything was a huge relief.
Patricia: He’s got one of his migraines today and is sleeping. I’ll let him know you’re coming over later.
I sighed in relief and told her thank you.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Dad hasn’t texted me since yesterday and I was getting worried. He gets terrible headaches sometimes.”
“But he’s fine?”
“Fine as can be.” I chewed on some fries and thought about it. “A family friend checks on him a couple of times a day to help out. She said he was sleeping.”
We didn’t say anything else for a little while, just munched on our food and watched the light snowfall. It was going to be a cold afternoon. At least I wouldn’t be in the truck. The heat took forever to warm up. Which reminded me…
“Thank you for seeing to my truck. Tell me how much the repairs were and I’ll get the money to you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was happy to see to it.”
“Alex, I appreciate it, but I don’t feel right letting you pay for it. It’s not your fault the starter died.” I set my sandwich down and looked at him. The thought of someone paying for me didn’t sit well. Especially someone I had only met the night before.
“If we hadn’t invited you out, you likely wouldn’t have been stranded. It is my obligation.” Alex leaned back in his chair as if amused by my obvious disapproval.
“In which case it wouldn’t have started this morning and I would have been late for class. Arguing when it happened is silly. It’s my car, my responsibility.”
“Fine. You can pay me back after you’re granted your lands and title.”
I thought it over for a minute before I realized what he had done. He’d given me one more reason to go to Lilaria. I narrowed my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my mouth. “You’re sneaky.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.” I liked his laugh. There was something free and honest in it. I shook my head and picked up my food again. I’d let it slide for now until I figured out what I was going to do.
“So, what are you doing after this?” I looked at Alex, curious. I tried to squash the hope that was bubbling in my stomach. Being around him made me feel like I wanted more.
“Well, that depends. I have some phone calls to make and we were invited to dinner at the mayor’s house, but I have a few hours free.” He shook the ice in his cup before taking another sip. “I’d like to see your birds. I have to admit, I miss being around them when I travel.”
“Well, you’re welcome to come with me but it’s going to be pretty cold. And there will definitely be people there.” I looked around the room. “I don’t know how we got lucky for lunch. Normally everyone is here about this time.”
“Lucky that you got me all to yourself?” Alex smiled and my face turned beet red.
“I just meant that Mary wouldn’t have left you—I mean us—alone with all her questions.” Good Lord, I was going to inflate his ego to unbearable proportions if I wasn’t careful.
“A man named David sent everyone out of the office. I think he was worried about this Mary, too.”
“Mary isn’t a bad person; she just takes some getting used to.” I shook my head. “I’ve known her for two years now and she still shocks me.”
“I’m glad it worked out this way. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to spend some time with you since you turned me down for drinks last night. Free time is often hard to come by.” Little creases of amusement appeared at the corners of his eyes as he laughed at my expression. “From the shock on your face, I can tell I wasn’t being obvious enough.”
“I just thought you were being polite.” I looked down at my food and tried to calm my racing heart. His warm fingers lifted my chin so that I was looking him in the eye. His face had turned very serious, his eyes intent.
“Wanting to spend a few hours getting to know a beautiful woman isn’t about being polite.” His thumb ran over my bottom lip and my breath stuttered. “I shouldn’t chase you, Samantha, but I’m not sure I can help myself.”
I didn’t know what to say. Why shouldn’t he chase me? Because I’m from diluted nobility? Or because I have enough going on to keep me busy? Did I want him to chase me? I did and I didn’t. I wanted him, the man staring at me right now. But I didn’t want what that included: the cameras, the politics, and who knows what else.
As I tried to sort out my thoughts, there was a knock on the door. I had been leaning forward, pulled in by his eyes, so sat back quickly. “Come in.”
Becca stuck her head in the door and smiled. “Ma’am, someone named Jess is here.”
“Oh, let her in.” I shook my head as Jess walked through the door. Today was possibly the weirdest day of my life. Well, after yesterday, anyway.
“Heard your classes were crazy.” She set her bag down and swiped a few fries from my desk. “Hello, Your Majesty.” She looked embarrassed for roughly one quarter of a second and I had to assume it was because of her word vomit last night.
“Hello, Jess.” Alex gave her a friendly smile. I wondered if she was breaking some kind of protocol by being so informal. He didn’t look bothered, even if she was.
“Word is you had to shoo people out.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“You could say that.” I frowned at her. I didn’t want Alex to know I’d still been swarmed with strangers.
“Yeah?” She sat on the desk next to me but on the opposite side of Alex.
“Yeah. It was weird. Normally I have to worry about most of the class not showing up for the eight o’clock block.” I snorted. Not the problem today.
“My prof gave a pop quiz. I think he was really offended that people might have skipped his class ‘just to see some royals.’” She made air quotes with her fingers. “No offense, Alex. He’s a stick-in-the-mud.”
Jess was a teaching assistant for Dr. Woodrum, one of the most boring teachers you could get. Then again, the thought of premed classes made me squirm. Animals were one thing, but I didn’t want to change any bedpans or give rectal exams.
“What class is it?” Alex asked.
“Beginner’s Biology.” Jess grabbed another fry. “Long story short, Woodrum hates all college students but knows the basics better than anyone.”
“And he is your advisor?”