My Professor(91)

Suddenly, she turns to look up at me, taken aback.

“Dunlany…” she repeats slowly.

I nod, having a hard time suppressing my smile. “Yes. It’s time we paid it a visit, I think.”

She merely blinks, trying to keep up as I continue, “You’ve expressed your desire to see the castle fixed up. I don’t see the point in delaying the project any further since it will take quite a while to complete. Though to that end, I’ve already started to formulate a construction schedule that would allow us to occupy a portion of the house sooner rather than later while we continue work elsewhere. I know quite a few good conservation teams in England that would be willing to take on the project. Banks and Barclay would consult from the States, of course, but I think it makes sense to have a—”

She presses up onto her toes and kisses me before I can finish my thought. It’s so passionate and sweet, like she’s gifting me a part of her soul.

As she pulls back, her hand squeezes mine tightly. I understand the significance for her. We’ve talked so much about her past, and though I can’t rectify it, I’d like to give Emelia this small piece of her childhood back. I’d like to help heal the wounds inflicted on a young girl who assumed all sorts of things about a father who was never there, a young girl who mourned the loss of a mother all too soon. Kathleen factors into this as well. She’s the person who protected and cherished Emelia above all else. To her, I owe a debt of gratitude. Dunlany is a start.

The work will be daunting and endless, but I’m excited to get underway, especially knowing Dunlany will be a place we’ll visit as a couple, and in a few years, as a family.

“I’ve been in contact with Mr. Parmer. I’ve reinstated him as the groundskeeper, and he’ll also serve as a liaison during the build, someone who’ll have eyes on the project at all times.”

Her bottom lip wobbles.

For a moment, she almost looks troubled.

“Are you happy, my love? I didn’t mean to go over your head.”

She nods but doesn’t speak.

I know she’s overwhelmed and perhaps I could have found a better time to tell her the news, but I couldn’t wait. I’ve been keeping the secret too long as it is. I wanted to tell her as soon as the plans were set in stone.

My hope is to propose to her at Dunlany this spring. We’ll start to plant life there, new memories to overshadow the old.

“Thank you,” she finally whispers.

There are tears hiding in the corners of her eyes.

Now, and on occasion, she reminds me so much of the girl outside my window at Dartmouth, the girl who never failed to capture my attention. Emelia is still a contradiction, buoyed by youth but weighed down by old pain. She carries so much of her past, residual coping mechanisms and fears, and I’ve only begun to understand the nuances of her moods, the subtle shifts in her expressions.

She’s as intoxicating now as she was then, when I’d study her through my office window. Someday, I’ll share the truth with her, the story of the first time I laid eyes on her. Love at first sight, I’ll proclaim. She’ll blush and try to downplay the significance, but I know the truth.

We were meant to be, Emelia.

“We’ll restore Dunlany together,” I promise her now, keeping tight hold of her hand.

“All right then,” she says, swiping away tears before gifting me a soul-crushing smile. It lights up her features as she tilts her face up for another kiss. “Together.”





I hope you enjoyed MY PROFESSOR. Continue reading for a sample of LOVE THE ONE YOU HATE, another irresistible romance by R.S. Grey.





SYNOPSIS


Nicholas Hunt is the man I hate.

For good reason.





* * *



His opinion of me is tainted by prejudice even before my arrival at his grandmother’s estate, and my first impression of him is just as abysmal.





* * *



His arrogance and icy demeanor make it clear that he’s the type of man who’s best handled at a distance.





* * *



Fortunately, space shouldn’t be an issue inside this Gilded Age mansion and its lush gardens. If I stick with the servants and he keeps to his sailboat and vintage Porsche, we should hardly cross paths at all. Unfortunately, at Rosethorn, I find that all roads eventually lead to Nicholas Hunt.





* * *



Sparks fly as we spar at the dinner table. Fighting words are flung in the shadows of the palatial halls.





* * *



We hang suspended in our hatred of one another, painfully oblivious to the heat and tension that build with every moment we’re left alone. We’re liable to kill one another, I think…right up until my eyes land on his lips and a new feeling grips hold of me: lust.





* * *



What’s worse?

He knows it.





* * *



They say you should keep your enemies close, but when Nicholas tightens his grip on my waist and draws me near, I’m not sure if it’s out of loathing or love.





* * *