Moonshade (Vampire Conclave: Book 1)
Page 31
“Yes. Do you have a lab partner yet?”
My heart sank a little. Even though I would rather have Brand as my partner, I knew I had already promised Michelle I would be hers.
“Michelle and I are supposed to be partners.”
“Oh,” Brand said; a definite note of disappointment in his voice. “I was hoping to get the smartest girl in class all to myself.”
“You give me a lot of credit for being smart. For all you know, I could be a complete idiot.”
He chuckled softly at my self-deprecating statement, looking at me with his beautiful laughing eyes.
“I seriously doubt it. I’m usually right about things.”
“Well, it must be nice to know everything,” I teased.
Normally, I would have been more sarcastic in my statement, but he seemed so sincere. I didn’t want to tease him too hard. I didn’t know him well enough to be my snarky self around him yet.
“It’s just as well,” he sighed in resignation over his loss. “If you were my partner, I’m not sure how much work we would actually get done.”
How did he do that, just say something and make me feel like I was melting inside? And it wasn’t just the accent, though that didn’t help matters much. The only other person who had ever affected me like this was Will.
Will. Darn it; why did his name have to enter my head at just that moment? Hadn’t I pined and cried over him enough the last couple of years? It was obvious he was never going to have the same feelings for me that I had for him. I needed to move on, and Brand seemed to be a willing candidate to help me repair my broken heart and pride.
“Do you have a class you need to get to?” Brand asked.
His question brought me out of my reverie. I glanced at my watch and noticed I was ten minute late getting to work in Dr. Barry’s office, and the building was completely on the other side of campus.
“No; in fact, I’m late for work.” I grabbed my books and purse, getting ready to make a hasty departure.
“Let me drive you over there.” Brand motioned to Rose Marie and Carl, still standing guard by the door. “Would you mind cleaning this up for me? I appreciate you both coming out here for this.”
“No problem at all, Mr. Cole,” Rose Marie said, making a point of not looking at me. “Glad we could help.”
Brand placed his hand on my elbow again and led me in the direction of his car. It was then I realized Brand was, indeed, filthy rich.
His car was a brand-new silver Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet convertible. It was the most beautiful car I had ever seen in my life. The top was down, and I could see the sumptuous tan Italian leather interior seducing me to take a seat. It was a far cry from the ten-year-old Toyota Corolla I had purchased just before coming to college. I’d used some of the money my mom gave me, and made up the difference with money I had saved since I was sixteen from working in a convenience store.
Brand opened the car door for me. When I sat in the passenger seat, I knew Heaven had to exist somewhere. The seat seemed to meld with my body, enveloping me in complete comfort.
Luckily for me, there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the university streets that afternoon. It only took us a few minutes to reach the science building.
Without even asking if I wanted him to, Brand got out of the car and escorted me up to Dr. Barry’s office.
“Well, I don’t want to make you any later than you already are,” he said when we stood outside her office door.
Before I knew it, he’d leaned down and kissed me on the forehead.
“I’ll see you tonight, Lilly,” he promised, leaving before I was able to collect my senses and make a reply.
It may have just been a kiss on the forehead, but it was like a match lighting every nerve in my body on fire. I tingled in places I didn’t even realize had nerve endings. Forcing myself to breathe again, I walked into Dr. Barry’s office, filled with a new sense of determination to find a way to make it until lab that evening.