Page 6

Having Olivia in my class…is both a blessing and a curse.

My initial attraction to her only grows as I watch her take thoughtful notes, smile at my nerdy jokes, and bite her lip. And that big breath she took, it had the naughtiest thoughts swirling in my head.

Just like now. I tapped her desk and asked her to stay behind, and she’s taking her time packing up as the other students file out.

She’s dressed in a smart top that shows just enough of her skin, a triangle of chest that dips tastefully along an inch of her cleavage. The freckles there. They’re calling to me. I want to spread my mouth across her flesh. To see if she tastes as good as I’ve been imagining this last week.

To see if that top is as silky as it looks.

God, I want to touch her.

Olivia doesn’t stand until the small lecture hall is nearly empty, and her approach is slow. Those sleek slacks do her all sorts of favors.

She cocks a hip to the side and crosses her arms under her ample chest as if she can read my thoughts. I’m certainly not trying hard enough to hide them.

“Yes, Professor Salazar?”

“Nick,” I insist. I don’t want my being her professor to break the rapport we had before. The teasing, wanting one. She already knows I’m attracted to her. Does the rest really matter?

Her mouth quirks to the side. “I’m not sure about that.”

Shit, her resistance to be familiar with me shouldn’t be so appealing. I smile at her. Small. Intimate. Knowing. “We’ll work our way back there then.”

She shifts, lifting her brow in a silent question of why I’ve asked her to stay.

“Are you headed to the center?”

Olivia tilts her head to the side, analyzing me. “I am.”

She draws the two words out like she doesn’t already know where I’m going with this. She’s far too smart for that. I hold her gaze, testing her resolve. Olivia has no give.

“Did you need a ride?” Because being closed up in my Jeep together might be the start of something that seems inevitable.

Her plump mouth quirks to the side again, and the way she gives me a once-over—for what, the fourth time now?—and blinks slowly.

I will stand under her scrutiny all day.

“I planned to walk.”

That prompts a new smile from me. “I’ll walk with you then. And maybe this time, I can get an answer to my previous inquiry.”

She hums, turns, and grabs her bag.

I stuff my notes back into my briefcase, ready before she can bolt on me. Not that I mind the chase. Not at all, sweetheart.

I’m down to play.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she doesn’t wait for me, leading the way with a confident sway of her hips, those slacks cupping her backside perfectly.

We’re silent as we descend the stairs, when I open the door for her, when the sunshine hits us, when we hit the sidewalk that will bring us to the center within ten minutes at this crisp clip.

I clear my throat, earning a look from her.

“Whenever you’d like to start, I’m all ears, Olivia.” My disarming smile doesn’t seem to have its desired effect on her.

Her eyes narrow, dissecting my intentions. Don’t you know already, sweetheart? We’re not so subtly dancing around my attraction, my mere enjoyment of being around her, battling with her verbally. Flirting.

“Does the professor tone usually work for you?”

And there it is, the exact kind of response I’ve come to expect. The kind I crave. The kind that makes me work for it.

“You’d be surprised.” Although I’m usually using it to shut this kind of behavior down, not encourage it.

“Mmm. Not as much as you might imagine. But, fine, I’ll tell you.” Olivia takes a deep breath, testing the tensile strength of that silk top again. “I’m studying the effects of exercise on overweight and obese individuals with sedentary lives.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Her eyes roll toward me. “What? You want to hear more?”

“I want to hear all of it.”

Finally, I get to see her features soften as she understands that she can take me seriously. That, yes, I’m flirting with her, but I am also genuinely interested. It’s not my fault I’m a bit over the top with her. She’s exactly my type.

Exactly.

I’ve always had a preference for bigger women, even though I didn’t marry one.

But look how that turned out. Lisa left and tried to take my daughter with her. Threw an absolute tantrum when Ruby chose me instead. And the guilt trips about how a girl needs her mother. How she could give Ruby more than soccer games and surfing. Like that’s all I have to offer.

I bite the inside of my cheek and refocus on Olivia, silently begging her to give me more.

“Well, my ultimate goal is to prove that being fat isn’t the only defining factor of someone’s health.

That we’re worth more than being told to lose weight for every ailment we seek medical attention for.

To do that, I want to test how regular exercise, how regular movement, can be used to improve one’s health. ”

A small fire builds in me. Yes, I work primarily with athletes and sports teams, but their body types are not the norm. Her thesis hits on a topic that is very close to me. Why didn’t I get the chance to sign off on this? Why not seek me out to be her advisor? It’s my field. My niche.

Did she know that?

“Who’s your advisor?” I try to keep the jealousy out of my voice. It’s a good thing I’ve had a lot of practice modulating my tone.

“Dr. Wright.”

“Waylen Wright?”

“Yes.” Olivia gives me the side eye again, like a challenge.

“Mmm.” Not at all who I expected her to say. Not someone who’s forward-thinking in that arena. I mean, I only have to look at his dating history to know he values the overly idealized body type for his women. Not that I’ve ever heard him fat-shaming someone.

“What does mmm mean?”

“It doesn’t sound like something he would sign off on, but he’s fair as far as I’ve dealt with him.”

She makes another face. “Yeah, I’ve gathered that most of the faculty and staff think my thesis is a waste of time, but that’s not a deterrent for me.”

“If you ever need an ally, I’m here.” And I truly mean that. If I can help her find the proof needed to make a dent in the long-standing medical bias against bigger people, I will.

She finally gives me one of those breathtaking smiles. “Thanks.”

After another few steps, she adds, “And I chose him because I knew if I could convince him, I could convince anyone.”

That has me laughing. She pegged him right.

Too soon, we’re walking up the path to the center. I could turn to my small, shared office, but I follow her all the way to her lab. It’s good recon, knowing where she’s stationed without having to go snooping for it.

I linger by her table, watching as she sets up her space. “If you’re around later, the cafeteria is serving harissa chicken. You should grab some.”

“With you?”

I shrug, but she’s reading my mind again. “I’m usually there around one when the rush dies down.”

She smirks. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

I take that as my dismissal, trying to keep myself from flirting too much, but it’s harder than I expected.

When I turn to leave, I see Britney hanging nearby with Jeremy.

Well, shit.

I take a deep breath, preparing for the onslaught of sexual innuendos and obnoxious flirting, although I’ve already politely rejected her more than half a dozen times.