Princess and the Professor

by Serenity King

  Mocha Memoirs Press Presents

  Beauty & the Geek:

  Princess

  &

  The Professor

  Serenity King

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright© 2010 Serenity King

  ISBN: 978-1-257-37394-9

  Editor: Stephanie Parent

  Cover Artist: Nancy Grayson Donahue

  Proofreader: Novellette Whyte

  Published by Mocha Memoirs Press, LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Due to copyright laws you cannot trade, sell or give any e-books away.

  Dedication

  All of my readers and fans

  Acknowledgements

  My family, my readers, and all of the ladies in my Yahoo Group. You Ladies, Rock!

  Other Works by Serenity King

  Let’s Ride

  Simply Beautiful

  Diamond’s Seduction

  Through the Fire (coming soon)

  Shara Azod’s Flavor series: Peaches and Cream

  Shara Azod’s Vampire series: Memories Unleashed

  Rainforest Series: Claiming Sydney

  Caress My Body: Interracialerotica.net

  Chapter One

  Yes! Princess Montgomery was a happy woman. She’d just purchased a Marc Jacobs handbag, an authentic Louis Vuitton bag, and had put her order in for a Minaudière Bijou evening bag. Her bank account was ten thousand dollars lighter, but all in all it was turning out to be a good day. She loved coming to these pocketbook expos. They were great.

  Princess had arrived with her sister, but she’d lost sight of her a half hour later. Oh well—Tonya would call her cell if she needed her. As if on cue, Princess’s cell phone vibrated. Transferring her packages to one hand, she used the other to lift her cell from its clip at her waist.

  “Hello.”

  “Princess, where are you?”

  “I’m over in the LV section, Tonya. Where are you?” Princess yelled into the receiver while simultaneously looking out into the crowd, trying to locate Tonya.

  “Liz and I are over by the hobo bags. We’re on our way back to the office. Do you want to meet up for dinner?” her sister yelled back.

  “Sure. I’m going to grab some lunch and head back to the hotel.” Princess practically screamed into the receiver, attempting to be heard over the noise.

  “Okay, call me at my office when you get back to the hotel. We can make arrangements to meet for dinner later.”

  “Sure. ’Bye.” Princess disconnected her call and placed her cell back on its clip. She’d come to Atlanta to spend time with her sister along with attending the show, but so far she’d mostly been on her own. She had two days left here in Atlanta, and already she was thinking about leaving early. She’d come back at a later time when her sister wasn’t so busy. If Tonya wasn’t working, she was hanging out with her new man-friend, Nick. Rather, Nicholas Napolitano.

  Princess snickered when she thought of the big Italian whom had her sister on a very short leash, so to speak. Oh yeah, he definitely had Tonya’s number. Tonya was used to getting her way. She’d only had one serious relationship in her life, and that one had ended badly. Since then, Tonya never stayed in a relationship. If she even suspected a guy was getting serious, she’d find a way to break it off.

  However, Princess had a feeling her sister would not be getting rid of Nicholas that easily. The looks Nicholas gave her sister had Princess booking herself into a hotel the first night he’d stopped by Tonya’s place. Evidently Tonya had been avoiding the Italian, and he’d come to get his woman. Princess laughed outright just thinking about it, which earned her a few stares from passersby. When Nicholas stopped by, the look on Tonya’s face had been priceless and had Princess and Tonya’s friend Liz cracking up.

  Princess had been surprised when she’d met her sister’s new “friend.” Not Tonya’s usual type. But he was perfect for her. Tall, handsome, filthy rich, and he didn’t take any nonsense from Tonya. Nicholas was the perfect brother-in-law material. Princess sighed deeply. If only she could find that special someone who could light her fire, the way Nicholas had for her sister. Unfortunately, for the past three years she’d been so busy trying to get her design business off the ground that her sex life was seriously lacking. Her long-term boyfriend had decided he didn’t want to wait for her while she made her business a success and had broken it off with her almost a year ago. To be exact, it had been nine months. At the rate she was going, her coochie would grow cobwebs by the time she found a “real” man.

  Princess fought her way through the crowd to the front entrance and out the door. Once on the sidewalk, she used her hand to shade her eyes from the sun, then looked from left to right, trying to decide where to have lunch. It was so crowded she had to strain her neck in order to see.

  “Hmm, looks as if something big is going on at the hotel across the street. Wonder what that’s about?” she mumbled to herself.

  Princess noticed a little diner-like luncheonette across the street that didn’t have too many people standing in front of it. Good, because she was starving and didn’t much feel like waiting too long to eat. As if on cue, her stomach growled. “Geez, I hear you. It appears I will be eating at the luncheonette.”

  Heading in the direction of the eatery across the street, Princess hummed to herself. She was so focused on getting across the street to eat that she never noticed the stares she got as she walked—particularly the one from a patron sitting in the same place she was headed.

  Chapter Two

  Bradley Thornton, Brad to his friends, couldn’t believe his luck. He’d been attending the annual NASA conference, which was just ending. The astrobiology lecture had been really interesting, and he’d wanted to stay and listen to the others but had agreed to meet with his longtime friend, Nicholas Napolitano. He now sat in the luncheonette, waiting for his friend and business associate and looking out of its glass-plated window at the beauty fighting with her packages and cell phone. In fact, she was now walking across the street in the direction of the luncheonette. Oh, please be coming here, he thought.

  Nicholas wanted Brad to install a new security and computer system for his companies. Nicholas had offered enough money for Brad to resign from his government job of three years, which involved traveling all over the world installing new software and operation systems, and participating in training and development. He’d left his professor position at Georgia Tech to take the job with the government, and now here he was at age thirty-three, going out on his own. Brad was beyond intelligent, but as far as running a business went he didn’t have a clue. Mainly interested in the bottom line, he knew his people skills were seriously lacking. He would rather be fooling around with his computer or building his mathematical video game. That was why Nick had hired him on as a consultant for his company. Brad knew his friend just wanted to make sure no one took advantage of him. Considered a geek by everyone who knew him, Brad didn’t care much what people thought of him, but Nick and his other friend Thomas Reid did.

  Despite his lack of social skills, Brad had a pretty good sex life. Most of the females he came into contact with wanted to sleep with him just to see how sleeping with a “geek” would be or just to tell their friends that they had. He’d learned that in high school and in college. At first his partners’ superficiality had hurt, but after a
while he’d stopped caring. They got what they wanted, and he got what he wanted—sexual release.

  Brad squinted through his glasses, straining his head farther toward the window to get a closer look at the woman who’d caught his interest. She lost her footing, and Brad nearly jumped out of his seat when she did, thinking that she’d fall to the ground. She quickly recovered, not falling at all. Brad hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he released a soft sigh. The sigh turned into a deep, guttural growl as the woman bent down to readjust the strap of her shoe, giving him and a few other people a perfect view of her shapely backside. Didn’t she know her skirt was too short to be bending over like that? Come to think of it, why was she wearing something so obscene? The skirt was way too short for his liking. Brad’s frown deepened. And why wasn’t she wearing pantyhose? Granted her legs were long, shapely and beautiful from the view he had of them, but shouldn’t women wear pantyhose with skirts and dresses? Brad had been in the company of enough females that he could tell when they weren’t wearing pantyhose. It had never bothered him before, so how come it did now?

  As she got closer, Brad’s frown lines deepened. She looked familiar. Like he’d seen her before? He couldn’t have, though. He would have definitely remembered her. Or would he? Brad knew he could be self-absorbed when he was working on something, which was always.

  “Brad, are you okay, my friend?” he heard Nick ask.

  Brad jumped at the intrusion and stared blankly up at Nick. “Wh—what?” he stammered.

  “I asked if you were okay,” Nick said again with a smile.

  Brad cleared his throat. He didn’t appreciate his friend’s intrusion on his view of the lovely lady. Brad peeked out of the corner of his eye to get another glimpse of the beauty. She was no longer in his view. Oh well—maybe next time. Sighing deeply, he looked up at this friend. “What are you smiling at, Nick?”

  “Hmm, you seem a little preoccupied, Brad. You sure you’re okay?” Nick asked.

  “He sure does, Nick. No doubt it’s some mathematical equation or computer program that we mere lowly people wouldn’t understand. Right, Bradley?” Thomas Reid chimed in.

  Brad winced. He hated when Tom called him that. Brad hadn’t realized the man was even standing there.

  “Tom, when did you get here?” Brad asked.

  “The same time as Nick here did. You were otherwise engaged, Professor?” Tom chuckled.

  When he realized he’d been caught, Brad’s face reddened. He did the first thing he could think of to keep the two men from teasing him: he changed the subject. “I didn’t know you would be here too, Tom. When did you get into town?”

  “Last night. I’ll only be here for a day or two, depending on how long it takes for me to close this real-estate deal. Then I’m off to Chicago.”

  Brad nodded. Tom was a very successful real-estate investor. He bought and sold properties almost as often as other people changed their underwear. All three friends came from meager beginnings, but they were all very wealthy men now. Both Nick and Tom owned Fortune 500 businesses. Brad was nowhere near as wealthy as the other two, but he held his own, and with Nick’s constant badgering and help Brad’s portfolio was growing by leaps and bounds.

  “Not to sound like a snob or anything, but is there any reason why we’re eating in this place?” Tom asked. “It’s a nice little eatery but not the norm for you, Nick. Nor you, Professor.”

  Brad had been wondering the same thing. This was just not their normal place to eat. Granted he could have eaten here because he was attending the conference nearby. But for Nick to want to meet him here for lunch was odd. They’d all had stories of how little they ate growing up because of lack of money, so when they started making money they always dined at the finest places. It was Brad’s one vice. Nick, Tom, and their other friend Richard Jones all had cooks. Brad, a good cook himself, ate out most of the time or had room service from whatever hotel he was staying in. Cooking for one had lost its appeal a long time ago. He’d always stayed in the finest hotels when he worked for the government, sometimes paying for them himself. He didn’t know Nick’s reasoning for wanting to meet here, but he was glad he’d chosen the place. Otherwise he would never have seen the beautiful woman. She appeared to be a woman who’d never be interested in the likes of him, but she certainly was easy on his eyes.

  Brad was brought out of his musings by the soft, feminine voice addressing Nick. The silky sound caused the hairs on his forearms to stand and his skin to grow goose pimples—in a good way. It figured she’d know Nick, or even Tom for that matter. They were both very good-looking men, and as far back as he could remember, they’d never lacked female company. So a beautiful woman recognizing one or the both of them was not out of the norm.

  Brad glanced up and was caught by surprise. The woman addressing Nick was the same woman he’d watched out of the window. Brad’s stomach plummeted. She was interested in Nick. Not wanting his face to show the disappointment he felt, Brad focused his attention on a spot just above Nick’s head and tried his best to tune out the conversation.

  Chapter Three

  “Uh, Brad? You still with us, buddy?” Brad heard Nick calling his name.

  Shaking himself, Brad looked at his friend. “I’m sorry, Nick, were you saying something?”

  “Yes, I was trying to introduce you to Tonya’s sister, Princess. Princess Montgomery, I’d like you to meet Professor Bradley Thornton,” he heard Nick saying. He also noticed the smirk on Nick’s face as he spoke.

  Oh brother—his friends knew him all too well. They knew he was trying not to look at the woman. Turning his head slightly to the side, Brad slowly looked up into the most beautiful face he’d ever noticed before. He was dumbstruck. She might not have been picture-perfect beautiful, like the faces he often saw on magazine covers, but to him she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her caramel-colored skin gleamed with one of the biggest and brightest smiles he’d ever observed, which reached all the way up to her eyes. Her dark eyes sparkled with laughter. Her naturally curly hair was cut short and accentuated her high cheekbones—and they also held something very rare: dimples. Brad knew he was staring but couldn’t help it. When the beauty transferred her packages from one hand to the other and reached out to shake his hand, he had no choice but to take her outstretched hand in his.

  “Nice to meet you, Professor Thornton,” she said.

  Brad still didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. Loving the silky feel of her soft hand, he tightened his hold. He could hold her hand forever, and her voice, oh man, her voice sounded even better directed at him.

  Brad heard either Nick or Tom clear his throat. He wasn’t sure which one it was, and right now, he didn’t particularly care.

  “Uh, can I have my hand back, please?” the soft voice asked.

  Brad yelped in pain at the feel of someone kicking him under the table and quickly dropped the hand he held. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

  “No problem,” she said with a smile.

  Brad didn’t know what to do or say next, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked.

  “Excuse me? As hot as it is outside, why would you ask me if I’m cold?” Princess asked with a frown.

  “It’s just…your skirt…is…so short,” he said in a rush.

  “Oh hell!” Nick murmured.

  Brad glanced over at him and saw he was shrinking down in his seat, while Tom was trying not to laugh. He was failing miserably if the rise and fall of his chest was any indication. What? Did I say something wrong? Brad wondered. Why’s she looking at me like she’s angry? What’d I do? Brad adjusted his glasses just to make sure he was reading her correctly. Peering up at her through his glasses, he realized she was indeed furious.

  “My skirt is NOT too short. It’s the perfect length. Any longer and it will be down to my ankles,” was her tight-lipped reply.

  “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to offend you, it’s just that my mom�
�s skirts are never that short, and yours is short plus it shows off all of your attributes,” he said sincerely.

  “Oh, hell, did he just say his mother?” Nick asked.

  “Yes he did. He also said something about her attributes,” Tom said around his laughter.

  “Unhh,” Nick groaned. “Please don’t let him say anything else.”

  “Let him. Haven’t seen our boy this flustered since…actually, I’ve never seen him this discombobulated over a woman—Interesting,” Tom whispered.

  “You would find this amusing. Remember, her sister is my lady love,” Nick whispered back.

  “Yeah, and if she’s anything like you say her sister is, this should be very interesting, so be quiet and enjoy the show,” Tom said, tickled.

  “You—your mother,” Princess stammered. “So you’re saying I should be wearing a skirt your mother would wear? Am I hearing you correctly?” Princess straightened to her full height.

  “No…no. I just meant that…uh…never mind,” Brad mumbled. He couldn’t continue to stare at her. She must not have noticed, but one of the buttons on her blouse had come undone, which gave him a glimpse of her caramel-colored breast encased in a white lace bra. He really should tell her that her blouse was opened, but considering how mad she seemed over his mentioning that her skirt was too short, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Despite himself, he continued to stare at her chest. She must have noticed, because her eyes followed the direction of his, and her face reddened; she dropped her packages and went to work on her button.

  “You know, a gentleman would have told me that my shirt was open,” Princess fumed.

  “Who said I was a gentleman?” he murmured, still looking at her. He heard her gasp and averted his eyes from her breast to glance up into her eyes. Her expression was one of shock as she stared back at him.