“WHO CAN TELL ME something about Jan Van Eyck and Peter Bruegel?” Ransom prompted his class. It was his last for the day and he was looking forward to getting home. When he’d dropped Dani off at her apartment, which was thankfully not located on campus, he’d promised to return later so they could have a night of dinner and Netflix. Nothing so simple had ever sounded so appealing. She was that down-to-earth kind of girl who didn’t feed on glitz and glamor but…well, movies in and dinner with her lover.
Lover. He liked the sound of that. His thoughts got tangled around memories of her lush body writhing beneath his as he made love to her repeatedly throughout the night and well into the morning, until they both ended up being late to work.
And he’d do it again if it meant never having to take his hands off her.
She was…incredible. Sensational. He couldn’t get enough.
“They were Netherlandish artists during the 15th and 16th centuries, respectively,” one of his students answered, jerking Ransom back to the present.
As inconspicuously as possible, he shifted his hardened cock from behind the privacy of the lectern. “Correct. What else?”
“They both painted in Renaissance style,” the same young man answered.
“Thank you, Brian. That is also correct, but let’s be more specific. Who else besides Brian can tell me what part of the Renaissance these artists depicted.”
The answer wasn’t forthcoming, so Ransom handpicked a quiet girl who liked to hide in the back row and busy herself with video games on her phone. “Miss Powell, would you like to answer the question?”
Her coal-lined eyes lifted from behind a fringe of dyed black bangs and seemed to burn a hole right through him. He stared her down, unintimidated. “Early and Late Renaissance. Respectively,” she bit out, as if being forced to answer the question was really putting a cramp in her day.
Holding onto the sides of the lectern, Ransom leveled her with a polite smile. Kill ‘em with kindness. Although she was more likely to flat out kill him, judging by that murderous glare. “Good, Miss Powell. But let’s go a step further. Can you tell me which time frame those can be attributed to?”
Huffing, her fingers flew across the keys on her phone while she spit out her answer. “Eyck was Early, and Breugel Late.”
Stunned that she had actually been paying attention to the course work, Ransom turned to the Power Point presentation on the overhead and continued on with his lecture. “I’m sure you’re all familiar with the Arnolfini Portrait…”
***
RANSOM WAS IN GOOD spirits by the time class let out. He had been pleasantly surprised to find his students so knowledgeable about the day’s topic, proving they had been following the course syllabus. He was also pleased to find them—even Miss Powell, however far removed she appeared to be—invested in his presentation. He hadn’t slept a wink the night before, too wired in between lovemaking sessions to close his eyes. So he’d spent some time working, inspired by some unknown force for the first time in what felt like ages.
Oh, who was he kidding? He knew that Dani was the force behind it all. She’d gotten under his skin, reviving him with her easy nature and loving attitude. She’d breathed life back into his sorry existence.
His phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he reached to retrieve it. Speaking of the little minx. Grinning, he swiped his finger across the screen and held the phone to his ear. “Hey, pretty lady. I was just thinking about you.”
“Good things I hope,” she said with a smile in her voice.
“Very good things.”
Her breath caught, and Ransom’s grin turned into a full-blown smile. It felt good to know that he could get to her like that.
“Last night was…”
“Amazing?” he provided.
“Yes.” The word hissed through her teeth, as if she were remembering every single second just as clearly as he was. “I know I called for something…Oh, I totally forgot you were in class today. I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“I just dismissed them,” he assured her. “What did you need?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to let you know that I’m headed home and I was thinking of just ordering a pizza or something. It’s been a long day and I’m not really in the mood to cook.”
“Whatever you want, babe. I’m good with pizza.”
“Are you sure? I feel bad for not cooking.”
“So do it next time. Tonight, we’ll take it easy, do pizza and a movie, and I’ll even rub your feet for you.”
“Mmm, that sounds heavenly.”
“The way I do it, it is. And if you need anything else rubbed,” he said, a dark, sultry edge to his voice, “I’ll take care of that too.”
She hummed thoughtfully. “You’re a dangerous man. I can hardly concentrate on the road with your sexy voice in my ear.”
“You’re driving?” Ransom asked sharply, his mood shifting on a dime.
“Relax, I’m on Bluetooth. But with the way you’ve got me all worked up with these…salacious promises of yours, I should let you go before I launch into a spontaneous orgasm and drive off the road.”
As much as he enjoyed the thought of her coming from his voice alone, he didn’t like the rest of that mental picture at all. “Hang up, and I’ll meet you at your place.”
“When will you be leaving?”
“I’m packing up my things now and will be heading out shortly.”
“Okay, well, see you in a few then.”
“See you.”
Ending the call, Ransom propped his hands on his hips and dropped his chin to his chest, concentrating on his breathing. In. Out. Repeat. He couldn’t believe she’d called him while driving. No matter if both her hands were on the wheel or not, she was still distracted. If she got in an accident because of him, he’d never forgive himself.
Stuffing the rest of his papers in his messenger bag and making sure his desk drawers were locked up tight, Ransom flipped off the lights on his way out the door. Just as he was locking up, he heard someone call his name.
“Ransom Scott, I’m glad I caught you.”
Looking up, Ransom saw the university’s dean heading his way, his rotund belly leading the charge. Although he wasn’t a large man by any means, his labored breathing hinted at his lack of overall good health, as were his plump, ruddy cheeks set against pale skin. Ransom met his black dots that served as eyes and gave him a friendly, welcoming smile.
“Dean Goodwin, nice to see you. Have you lost weight?” He appraised him for a moment, garnering a robust laugh.
“You flatter me, Scott, but that’s why I keep you around. You’re good for my ego.” He patted his stomach. “My fiancée has me on one of those new age diets. It’ll probably kill me, but I think I’ve lost a couple pounds at any rate. At least I’ll make a good looking corpse. Anyway, glad you noticed.”
“Good for you. Never too late to get in shape.”
“Round isn’t a shape?”
Ransom chuckled and decided it best to steer the conversation in a different direction. “So, tell me, Robert, what can I do for you?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, I wanted to speak to you about a dinner. My fiancée, as you know, is spritely and she’s planning a dinner party of sorts. I’ve been tasked with inviting all of my friends and colleagues along, and since you fill both roles…”
Ransom eased some. Ever since his relationship with Josephine, he’d been silently waiting for someone to call him out on dating one of his students. And while he liked and respected the man, and knew the feeling was mutual, if push came to shove, he knew his job would be history. Had his relationship with Joe worked out, the job would be secondary, but they hadn’t and he wasn’t eager to lose what little he had left.
Relieved he wouldn’t have to dodge that bullet, he accepted the offer. “I’d be honored to come. When is it?”
His eyes glazed over. “Right, seems I forgot to stick around long enough to ask.” Laughing, he said, “What do you say I text you the information later tonight?”
“Sounds perfect. Well,” Ransom said, making a show of checking his watch, “I have somewhere I need to be.”
“Hot date tonight?”
He couldn’t stop from grinning. “Something like that.”
The dean clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s nice to see you in good spirits again. Whoever the lovely lady is, she’s doing you well. So, from one man in love to another, go, enjoy yourself.”
“Love?” Ransom questioned, snagging on that one words and puzzled as to why he’d say such a thing.
With an open palm, the dean circled the air around his face. “It’s in the eyes. Have a good evening, Ransom.”
Slowly, Ransom walked out to the parking lot and climbed into his car, unable to get the dean’s words out of his head. Twisting the rearview mirror toward him, he tried to see what he meant about this so-called love reflecting in his eyes, but all he saw was nothing out of the ordinary.
Annoyed that he’d allowed himself to get sucked into such nonsense, Ransom slapped the mirror back into place and scrubbed his fingers over his eyelids until starburst colored his vision.
“Ridiculous,” he muttered to himself as he drove out of there. He’d been in love before—only once, and with a woman he could never have. If he were in love now, he’d know it. There was no mistaking that heart-pounding desperation or the flood of elation whenever the prospect of seeing them arose.
Yet, as Ransom drove, that’s exactly how he felt. Every song on the radio seemed to be about Dani. And when the guy in the red Camaro cut him off, nearly sideswiping him, his rage was tempered by thoughts of Dani’s smiling face. Not to mention, the closer he got to her place, the better he felt. By the time Ransom parked the car, he was completely calm again.
When he stood outside her door, he found himself straightening his tie and finger combing his hair. And when she opened the door, looking positively edible in a knee-length gray cotton jersey shirt and men’s knee socks, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and not a stitch of makeup on her porcelain perfect face, everything just seemed to fall into place.
Dani lit up a room, and in her wake, every problem he’d ever had just melted away, leaving behind a tremendous warmth and happiness he’d never known he was missing.
Reaching to take his hand and pull him inside, the simple touch shot currents of electricity through his palm that traveled straight to his heart, and as she rose up on her toes to kiss him, it clicked.
Robert Goodwin was right. He was in love.