UNEXPECTED compile
Page 8
"Ms. Eriksson. Mr. Mackenzie. Is there something you would like to share with us?"
“Not really,” she replied. “But thank you for asking.” Snorts of amusement twittered through the room. The hard wooden back of the theater seat bit into her spine as she shifted to meet his stare.
"Please. I insist. Enlighten us with whatever is so very entertaining.” Karly shook her head. “No? And how about you, Mr. Mackenzie? Care to share?”
“We were discussing the underlying themes of homoeroticism found throughout Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” he said without missing a beat.
“Were you now?” Professor Marks lifted a wooly eyebrow in surprise. “I see you’ve done your homework, Mr. Mackenzie.” He shifted his gaze back to the students at large. “Would anyone else care to chime in on this topic?”
"Nice save,” Karly whispered. Randy shrugged his broad shoulders as one corner of his mouth quirked. "It's not funny," she chided and bit her lip to hold back her own smile. "He doesn’t like me. I don’t need to give him any more reason."
“Have you been a bad girl, Ms. Eriksson?” The dark eyes glittered with mischief.
“I have been a paragon of virtue, Mr. Mackenzie.” Their eyes met and they shared a smile. Despite the sour ending of their previous encounter, she felt the pull of attraction, an instant reminder of why they hooked up in the first place. The warm feeling turned ice cold when his gaze flicked down to her chest and his face flushed. He frowned and looked away before pointing a finger at his own massive chest.
"Umm...I think you’re having a wardrobe malfunction." He lowered his eyes to his desktop. She glanced down. The center of her blouse gaped open, the center button set free from its closure during the struggle with her coat, baring the exuberant swells of her breasts and the neon green bikini top serving double duty as a bra. With a groan, she buttoned up the blouse.
“Going swimming later?” Randy asked, eyes still averted. “It’s a little cold out, don’t you think?”
"Laundry day," she replied. They both chuckled.
Professor Marks scowled and slammed his hand on the podium. "Ms. Eriksson! Mr. Mackenzie. I will not ask you again. If you cannot be quiet, please leave my lecture."
“Sorry.” They both replied in unison and lowered their gazes to their desktops.
As Randy twisted in the seat, looking for a more comfortable position, the snug fabric of his brown shirt bunched and stretched over his chest and abs. The lazy tension in his movements, like a spring coiled for release, flustered her composure and ruined any chance of concentrating on the lecture. After his shoulder bumped hers a few times, he turned toward her and placed his arm over the back of her chair. The brush of his arm hair against the nape of her neck brought a flurry of butterflies to her stomach.
From beneath her lashes, she stole an admiring glance. Did memory fail her or was he better looking now? Dark auburn hair in need of a trim curled softly over the collar of his shirt. Her fingers twitched with the urge to touch the glossy locks. As if sensing her scrutiny, he cast a sideways glance in her direction. The corner of his mouth twitched as if amused.
Karly jerked as her cell phone dinged with an incoming text message. She fumbled in her backpack to silence the ringer and saw the text from her little sister Emma. With a flick of her thumb, she opened the message to find a picture of an adorable little girl with round blue eyes and reddish pigtails holding a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
*It’s peanut butter jelly time. Smooches, Em*
A huge grin spread over Karly’s face with an incredible feeling of warmth. Eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had been Emma’s favorite meal as a toddler. Karly’s smile saddened. She missed her. With a sigh, she shoved her phone into the backpack before Professor Marks caught her and focused her attention on the lecture.