see someone she knew, and then start talking for a while.
At the fourth glass, Troy decided he wouldn’t be ignored. “You’ve talked to a lot of people tonight, and you never introduced me to any of them.”
She lifted the amber drink like she would really down it this time. Troy took it from her hand and placed the full glass on a table. In the light, she appeared more gorgeous than he remembered. He’d dated African-American women before. None this stunning or intelligent.
“Dinner should be soon.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks.”
Troy put his hand to the small of her back and tried guiding her to a secluded area in the ballroom. “Why don’t we talk a little? I have a feeling you’re just a big bundle of nerves.”
Ava glanced around him. “I just feel a little foolish and powerless right now.”
Good. She was talking instead of drinking or ignoring him.
“I don’t know. You seem to have a strange power over me.” He cocked a smile at the corner of his mouth.
This time when she smiled, it lit up the room.
“You’re being very kind.” The way she said it sounded like an apology.
“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m with a gorgeous, smart woman who I’m sure is completely repulsed by me.” Troy wouldn’t sugarcoat the situation.
He caught her tone each time she attempted to call him an escort. He wasn’t. He shouldn’t have even had to explain that to her. He was a person and he wanted her to understand that first. Regardless of his perceived profession, he was a human. On another level, she was a woman and he was a man. It should have been that basic.
“I’m not repulsed by you.” She scanned the area around them. “Not completely.”
“Let me get you some coffee so that you can stop pretending that you’re drinking champagne.” He needed some separation from her.
As soon as Troy turned to retrieve a steaming cup he felt a vise-like grip on his arm. He glanced down and had to blink when he saw that the hard hold came from Ava’s delicate hand.
“Wait.” The fear in Ava’s eyes didn’t match the tough-as-nails woman he’d met a couple of weeks ago in her office and the one who ran his class like a five-star general.
Troy returned to her side. “Okay, let me in on where the scary monster is,” he whispered.
Ava nodded. “Anson Vartinucci. Doctor Anson Vartinucci. He’s the—”
“University dean,” Troy said, cutting her off.
Ava stared at him with wide eyes.
“What? When I do anything, I like to know everything about it. So I researched the school.” He’d also done a search on the woman in front of him.
He found out that she went to Princeton to get her degree. She’d even gotten an award for a paper she’d written for a psychology journal magazine.
“Is that why you came to my office before class started?” She wrung her hands around her purse.
“Yes. I like to get a feel for my professors.” Saying that conjured images of him with his hands roaming Ava’s perfect body. It was a bad time to think about sex right now. “So why does this guy make you nervous?”
“Dr. Wunderlund, the head of my department, will be retiring soon.”
Troy nodded. Getting nervous about a boss’s decision propelled Troy to start his own business so that he wouldn’t have to answer to anyone. He didn’t understand why Ava would be nervous. From what he could tell of her, she epitomized competent, organized, and take charge.
Her breathing increased. “If I can get through this party, I can show them that I’m a team player.”
“Really? I would think that other traits would make you a frontrunner.” He stopped a waiter and requested some coffee for Ava anyway.
“Like what?” She stopped wringing the purse in her hands.
“Being an excellent educator. Organizing educational events.” He would leave out the part about having a great ass and nice round tits. If those were the criteria, she would be a shoo-in.
“There’s something else,
At the fourth glass, Troy decided he wouldn’t be ignored. “You’ve talked to a lot of people tonight, and you never introduced me to any of them.”
She lifted the amber drink like she would really down it this time. Troy took it from her hand and placed the full glass on a table. In the light, she appeared more gorgeous than he remembered. He’d dated African-American women before. None this stunning or intelligent.
“Dinner should be soon.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks.”
Troy put his hand to the small of her back and tried guiding her to a secluded area in the ballroom. “Why don’t we talk a little? I have a feeling you’re just a big bundle of nerves.”
Ava glanced around him. “I just feel a little foolish and powerless right now.”
Good. She was talking instead of drinking or ignoring him.
“I don’t know. You seem to have a strange power over me.” He cocked a smile at the corner of his mouth.
This time when she smiled, it lit up the room.
“You’re being very kind.” The way she said it sounded like an apology.
“Why shouldn’t I be? I’m with a gorgeous, smart woman who I’m sure is completely repulsed by me.” Troy wouldn’t sugarcoat the situation.
He caught her tone each time she attempted to call him an escort. He wasn’t. He shouldn’t have even had to explain that to her. He was a person and he wanted her to understand that first. Regardless of his perceived profession, he was a human. On another level, she was a woman and he was a man. It should have been that basic.
“I’m not repulsed by you.” She scanned the area around them. “Not completely.”
“Let me get you some coffee so that you can stop pretending that you’re drinking champagne.” He needed some separation from her.
As soon as Troy turned to retrieve a steaming cup he felt a vise-like grip on his arm. He glanced down and had to blink when he saw that the hard hold came from Ava’s delicate hand.
“Wait.” The fear in Ava’s eyes didn’t match the tough-as-nails woman he’d met a couple of weeks ago in her office and the one who ran his class like a five-star general.
Troy returned to her side. “Okay, let me in on where the scary monster is,” he whispered.
Ava nodded. “Anson Vartinucci. Doctor Anson Vartinucci. He’s the—”
“University dean,” Troy said, cutting her off.
Ava stared at him with wide eyes.
“What? When I do anything, I like to know everything about it. So I researched the school.” He’d also done a search on the woman in front of him.
He found out that she went to Princeton to get her degree. She’d even gotten an award for a paper she’d written for a psychology journal magazine.
“Is that why you came to my office before class started?” She wrung her hands around her purse.
“Yes. I like to get a feel for my professors.” Saying that conjured images of him with his hands roaming Ava’s perfect body. It was a bad time to think about sex right now. “So why does this guy make you nervous?”
“Dr. Wunderlund, the head of my department, will be retiring soon.”
Troy nodded. Getting nervous about a boss’s decision propelled Troy to start his own business so that he wouldn’t have to answer to anyone. He didn’t understand why Ava would be nervous. From what he could tell of her, she epitomized competent, organized, and take charge.
Her breathing increased. “If I can get through this party, I can show them that I’m a team player.”
“Really? I would think that other traits would make you a frontrunner.” He stopped a waiter and requested some coffee for Ava anyway.
“Like what?” She stopped wringing the purse in her hands.
“Being an excellent educator. Organizing educational events.” He would leave out the part about having a great ass and nice round tits. If those were the criteria, she would be a shoo-in.
“There’s something else,
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