Temptation (The Hunted, #1)(41)

"When did these come?" I didn't even realize that flowers could be delivered that fast.

"Just a few minutes ago. So, who are they from?"

I laughed. "You expect me to believe that you didn't read the card?"

"I didn't!" she protested. "But I confess that I did read who they were from. James. So what did you do to earn those?" Melissa asked.

"Nothing." I made him angry.

"You are one lucky girl then."

I leaned in and smelled the roses. I'm so lucky. I thought about the date he was planning. I like pi?a coladas and getting caught in the rain? And the feel of the ocean and the taste of champagne? What the hell was I thinking? I was basically asking Professor Hunter to get me tons of illegal drinks.

"So what are you doing here anyway? Don't you usually just grab lunch and go to class?"

"Pro..." I coughed. Shit. I almost said Professor Hunter! I took a deep breath and tried to think of a quick recovery. "Probably gonna skip it." Who the hell talks like that?

Melissa stared at me. "Skip what? Lunch? We can go to the dining hall together real quick if you want."

"No, I'm going to skip my class."

"I can't even imagine you skipping a class. You never break the rules." She paused. "Are you feeling alright? Does your stomach hurt again?"

"No, I'm fine." I was tempted to tell her that I was about to go on a date with a professor. I knew how to break the rules too! But of course I couldn't. I could mention James though. "James had some free time this afternoon and I didn't want to miss getting to see him."

"He's turning you into quite the bad ass."

If only she knew.

"So where are you going?"

It was a beautiful, warm September day. And if we were going early, it was probably because the destination was far away. I eyed the new bikini in my closet.

"He didn't really say. But he dropped some hints. I think he's taking me to the beach."

"It's good that we went shopping last week then."

"I know. Thanks for helping me pick out a new bathing suit. I always appreciate your fashion advice."

"Mhm. So tell me more about him. I want all the juicy details."

"Well. He's spontaneous."

"Obviously. Last minute beach trip. But I mean like...what's he like?"

"He's funny, but serious. There's just something about him that's so intriguing." I stopped talking. The more vague I was, the better. "I honestly don't know him all that well. Hopefully I'll find out more about him today." I did have a lot of questions for Professor Hunter. It was true that I barely knew anything about him.

"So I guess that means you didn't do much talking on your last date then?" Melissa gave me one of her challenging looks.

I felt myself blushing. I knew what she was hinting at. And she was right.

"I've never seen you this flustered before, Penny! So when exactly do I get to meet this mystery man?"

I laughed awkwardly. "I'm sure you'll get to meet him soon." I changed into my new bikini and pulled on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. I rummaged around in my closet until I found a canvas bag. After mentally checking off a beach towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hoodie, I was ready to go.

"Well, have fun. I can't wait to hear all about it. Being whisked away to the beach sounds so romantic."

"It really does." So romantic.

"Oh! And you better take a picture with him today. Because I need to see what he looks like. He sounds so dreamy."

"Yeah, definitely," I lied. I grabbed my bag and headed out of my dorm. "See you later!"

I only had to wait a few seconds before Professor Hunter pulled up in a red convertible with the top down. His hair was mussed up and he was wearing aviators. He smiled as he leaned over and opened the door for me from the inside. He was wearing khaki shorts and a polo. His legs and arms were tan and muscular.

I took a deep breath as I got in. "New car?" I asked. It still had that new car smell.

"No. But I haven't driven it much."

I grabbed my sunglasses from my bag as he sped off. The wind rushed through my hair. I had never been in a convertible before. I pictured people in the movies standing up in their seats, spreading their arms wide, and screaming at the top of their lungs. I felt like I was already experiencing that feeling just by being next to Professor Hunter.

"So, where are we going?"

"I think you can probably guess."

"Well, it's not raining, so I'm not sure where we could get caught in the rain. But we've been caught in the rain before, so maybe you're skipping that portion. Which means you're probably going the feel of the ocean route. So I'm guessing that we're heading to the beach!"

Professor Hunter smiled at me.

"You should have warned me though. What if I hadn't worn a bathing suit?"

"I was actually hoping you would forget it."

I lightly pushed his shoulder as I laughed. He pulled onto I-95 and the noise of traffic filled my ears. Professor Hunter was now speeding past all the other cars on the road.

"You're going to get a ticket!" I yelled over the roar of traffic.