Chapter 6 Old Men

Audrey The classroom burst into ripples of low laughs and chuckles at Edwin’s words: “No need to hide, Audrey. I believe we met last night.” I knew that no one really knew his implication other than me, and that they were likely laughing nervously to ease the tension, but there was no helping the way my cheeks turned a bright shade of pink beneath his gaze. For a few tense moments, Edwin merely stared at me while I busied myself with staring at my feet. I could practically feel the tension radiating off of him despite his casual demeanor, or maybe it was simply my own that I was sensing. Either way, this was hell. Of course my professor would be the man who had taken my virginity. Of course I would have to spend the remainder of this semester staring down at the man whose gray eyes had stared up at me when he had gone down on me last night. Even just thinking about it made me shift uncomfortably. What had I done to deserve this? Suddenly, the idea of being blacklisted out of working on campus sounded like a blessing more than a curse. “Sit, Audrey,” Edwin finally said after several long moments, waving his hand good-naturedly. “We’ll chat after class.” Chat, I thought to myself with an inward groan as I retook my seat and watched his broad back return to the podium. I didn’t want to chat. I wanted to throw myself off the top of the central hall. Besides, what could we possibly chat about? I certainly wasn’t going to talk about last night, and… Well, Professor Edwin certainly seemed to be all business today. Somehow, I doubted that he would want to talk about sleeping with his student and teaching assistant either. Couldn’t we just sweep it under the rug and be done with it? How could I, though? How could I be done with it when those broad shoulders and that chiseled, slightly stubbled jawline would be staring at me every morning throughout the entire damn semester? Fortunately, class seemed to go by smoothly as far as first days go. Edwin took the liberty of handing out the syllabus himself, carefully going over each bullet point—every exam, every essay, every detail of the final project. He spoke fluidly and easily in front of all of these students, a trait that I admired. No wonder he was the CEO of my dream company. And Goddess, he was handsome in that tweed jacket— No, I kept having to tell myself. I couldn’t be thinking like that. What was done was done, but I couldn’t have these thoughts anymore. He was my professor, an Alpha, the CEO of Brooks Designs. Besides, Max’s words kept playing back through my head. “A lowly human like you could never become a pack’s Luna. Have your fun with him, but you’re nothing but a plaything for him.” Max was right; nothing would have ever come of it anyway. Not that I really expected it to, but… still. The thought was a deterrent from letting my mind wander toward the impossible. Throughout class, though, I couldn’t deny the way that I felt Edwin’s gaze on me. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I swore I could feel his eyes land on me every time he turned around, even if only briefly—as if I was the standard point of interest in the room. Sinking a bit lower in my seat, I began toying with the end of my hair and the front of my sweater. I glanced down at myself, wondering if some ink had gotten on my skin, but there was nothing. Linda hadn’t managed to cut my hair, all thanks to… Who had that been in the storeroom, then? And why had he been looking for me? It was clearly the same man from the picture Tina had shown me. I would have to figure that out, if only for a bit of peace of mind. Hopefully I hadn’t offended that man by mistaking him for Edwin. Once class was finally over an eternity later, I felt a soft breath of relief escape my lips. Students were already flocking to the podium, and I figured that perhaps I could take the opportunity to slip out—pretend that I had forgotten or that something had come up. Anything to get out of talking to Edwin. “Oh my god. The professor of this class is the one I slept with,” I typed out in a text to Tina as I stood and began gathering my things. “I’m going to drown myself in the river, I swear.” Not even moments later, a text from Tina returned: “Hey, maybe you two could still hit it off! It’s like a meet-cute. Besides, there aren’t technically any laws prohibiting you from being romantically involved, right?” I nearly laughed out loud as I typed back my response. “Not happening. I’m not interested in older men.” “Ahem.” I literally jumped at the sound of Edwin’s voice coming from behind me, my phone slipping out of my trembling hands. I spun around, my mouth parted in shock, as my phone tumbled to his feet—screen side up. With all of my messages displayed in glaring colors right in front of him. Part of me hoped that he would do the polite thing and not look, but I had been a fool for thinking that. His gray eyes immediately darted down, reading the texts instantly whether he really meant to or not. “P-Professor Brooks, I—” “Edwin. I think it’s safe to say we’re on a first-name basis now, don’t you think?” With that, he stooped down and picked up my phone, holding it out to me with a steady hand. I quickly took my phone, feeling a shudder run down my spine as our fingers brushed. Quickly slipping my phone into my satchel, I cleared my throat, although my voice still cracked a bit as I spoke. “What you saw—I didn’t mean—It’s not—” “An old man, huh?” he asked, leaning back on the desk behind him with his arms folded across his chest. “I thought I hid my age pretty well last night.” My face turned an even deeper shade of red, if that was even possible. It was only now that I realized that the lecture hall had emptied out, leaving just the two of us. At least that was one good thing. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said softly. Edwin didn’t reply for a few moments, his gray eyes simply searching my face. Even now, in the wake of everything happening, I could feel that pull between us—that heat spilling outward from my groin, that yearning to feel him again. For a moment, I allowed myself to picture it: right here, on the desks. But we couldn’t. I wouldn’t. And neither would he, it seemed. Because finally, with a huff of breath, he pushed away from the desk and stood to his full height again. “Come to my office later, once your classes are through for the day,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and casually descending the steps to the podium once again. He paused a few steps down, momentarily glancing at me over his shoulder. A tuft of his black hair had come loose from the knot, framing his face in the most casually handsome way I had ever seen. “I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”