One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 16

Audery

My face instantly paled upon hearing Edwin's proposal.

"You can stay with me tonight."

Without meaning to, I took a step back and quickly shook my head. "Not" I blurted out, "I can't. —"

"Relax, kid" Edwin finished stirring the pasta and tapped the wooden spoon on the side of the pot, then reached over to saule the garlic and spices in the pan. "I didn't mean is like that. I have a spare room here you can use

My mouth worked uselessly for a moment as I watched him work. A thousand refusals reached the tip of my tongue, but they all died there,

I didn't have much of a choice, Linda was waiting outside my dorm to get revenge, and besides...

Dinner was ready.

The guest room that Edwin showed me to was small, just big enough for a twin-

sized bed, a side table, and a dresser. He flicked the lamp on, casting the little room in a cozy amber glow as he began stretching

the clean sheets over the bed. In the far corner were some piles of cardboard boxes and plastic bins.

"Sorry for the mess," he said as he worked. "I've basically only been using this room for storage."

"It's okay." I helped him tuck the sheets in, carefully avoiding his gaze, I didn't want to admit it, but I actually felt a little disappointed; I supposed that a part of me, maybe the same part of me that had had that er bed.

And

turned. He pulled open one of the drawers in the dresser and rifled through it for

pajamas, you can wear this," he

the soft, clean shirt. Our fingers brushed as I did, that all-too-familiar current running through my hand and up my

that sensation roll around in my chest, that unmistakable yearning heating up inside of me. This close, with our rooms right next to one another,

just as quickly as it came. Edwin lowered his hand and turned, heading for

know where the bathroom is," he said, seemingly oblivious to my turmoil. "I left a clean towel in there for you. Feel free to use whatever

down the hall. Clutching the shirt to my chest, I scurried toward the bathroom, where I turned on the water and jumped A little while later, I stepped out of the bathroom wearing Edwin's shirt. It fell almost to my knees because of our disparity in size, practically becoming a nightgown on me. But it smelled like him, and

saw what was waiting for me on the

throat as I stepped forward, observing the gesture. Slowly, I reached out to touch the warm

to pull back abruptly and whirl armand when I heard a floorboard

his shirt, his expression betraying nothing, before he nodded to the snack. "I know it's late, but I was having some myself he said, leaning against the doorframe I swallowed and east my

um-That's very kind of you,"

"Are you sure? You look like you

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Chapter 16

tears back. "No, it's..

my words. Slowly, haltingly, he took a few

I nodded and

night. She'd tell me bedtime stories and tuck me in, too. But... She's gone now." 1 cringed at the thought, my mother had died years ago. I could still reme

meant something, but when he stepped back and I saw the stony look on his face, I knew that that tender touch had been devoid of all desire; more of a soothing gesture than anything rom "There," he

my head and turned to hide the disappointed