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Chapter one

Ben

The breeze from thelake drifts through her chocolate-brown hair as the sun lights it up with a kaleidoscope of colors, from golden brown to deep caramel, matching her golden tan skin. Her normally pale skin is now sun-kissed from the hours she has spent on our shared dock, tempting and teasing me into madness in that tiny string bikini.

It was challenging enough to have her as a student in all my classes at Mountain State University over the past four years. I maintained a professional relationship with her, even though I was tempted to pull her into my arms and kiss her, especially when she called Mr. Darcy a fool for his behavior in the book Pride and Prejudice. While all the other girls in class swooned over him, Emma swore she could never fall for someone like the fictional Mr. Darcy.

What about me?

I wanted to ask her that question a million times, but each time I held back, knowing she wasn’t meant for me. I might only be six years older than her, but with her still in college, it felt like a world between us.

Graduation was less than a month ago. Once I saw her walk across the stage and receive her diploma, I thought I would be able to spend the summer at the rented lake house and bury myself in my murder mystery thriller and forget about her and how much I want her.

Not only am I a college English professor, but I am also a world-renowned author. Under my pen name, I excel in the literary world. At Mountain State University, I’m just another professor shaping the minds of young people.

I pull my eyes away from the front window facing the lake and focus on the scene I’m writing. But each day, it becomes harder to concentrate, until today, when the words for the thriller won’t come to me. Instead, my mind is filled with images of a Siren of the lake with sun-kissed hair and skin, wearing a tiny bikini, beckoning me to follow her into the depths of the lake to be claimed by her forever.

My phone rings, luckily breaking the hold of the Siren over me before I do something stupid, like claim the young woman who’s innocently tanning herself on the dock.

“Hello, Mrs. McCaffrey,” I say after checking the caller ID on my cell phone.

Mr. and Mrs. McCaffrey own the larger lake house, where Emma is currently staying, and the slightly smaller one I have stayed in over the past three summers. Usually, they spend their summers in the larger house, but Mrs. McCaffrey has been dealing with some health issues, so she decided to rent it out this year. Little did I know Emma would be the renter.

“Hello, Ben. How’s everything at the lake? Have you met my granddaughter Emma yet?”

Granddaughter?

I haven’t been this shocked since I caught Mr. and Mrs. McCaffrey skinning dipping at midnight the first summer I was here.

“Yes, I met her a few days ago.” I’m not sure whether to tell Mrs. McCaffrey the truth about knowing her granddaughter for four years or act like I don’t know her. I wish I knew if Emma had told her grandmother about me.

“She’s such a sweet girl. She attended college to earn her degree in business, like her parents and siblings. However, something changed along the way, and now she wants to pursue a career in teaching. English, I think she said.”

My heart races. Could it really be true? Does Emma want to teach English like I do? I wonder how her parents feel about that, since it would go against family tradition.

“She’s lucky to have understanding parents who support all their children in chasing their dreams. The poor girl is still upset about the decision. That’s why I let her have the lake house all to herself this summer so that she can reflect on her life. You’ll look after her, won’t you, dear?”

Emma is not the only one who needs to reflect on life choices. I’m not sure why I felt Emma was out of reach when I thought she was going into business. But now that I know we share something as valuable as the love of teaching English, I need to reconsider my feelings for her.

“I’ll definitely watch out for her. We are actually having dinner together at my house tonight.” I could kick myself. Why did I tell Mrs. McCaffrey that? I don’t want her to get the wrong or right idea about my intentions for her granddaughter.

“Good, good. I’ll let you go so you can get ready for your date.” She ends the call before I can tell her it’s not a date.

Setting my phone next to my laptop, I glance out the window just in time to see Emma walk in front of the window in that tiny scrap of material she calls a bikini.

With a smile and a wave in my direction, she continues to pass by my house to hers. I can’t help but watch her hips wiggle with each step she takes. That’s the moment I realize I’m head over heels in love with this young woman.

Chapter two

Emma

The past few dayshave been terrible. Being so close to Mr. Simpson, I mean Ben, and not being able to tell him how I feel has been rough. But all that changes tonight.

After tonight, I’ll either find out if Ben feels the same way about me that I feel about him, or I’ll realize it’s time to let go of my crush and move on. Even though I know it’s more than just a schoolgirl crush.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I arrived at my grandparents' lake house and saw Ben sitting on the dock. I knew my grandparents had rented out the small lake house, but they said it was to a famous writer who mostly kept to himself. I had no idea it would be my college professor and that he had a secret identity.

The string bikini was a gift my grandmother left at the lake house, along with a bunch of other sexy dresses and lingerie I wasn’t expecting. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad she bought it for me. I just didn’t expect my grandmother to play matchmaker.