Devil's Kiss (Sunset Cove #2) (4 page)

Before Jordan could get out the words to tell him to take a seat, He-Man crossed his arms over his chest in a move that dared Jordan to make a big deal out of it. Obviously, he hadn’t wanted to draw attention to himself earlier, hence the sunglasses, but now that Jordan had inadvertently outed him, he wasn’t backing down for anyone. His attitude oozed agitation and his stance was defiant. All in all, he was pissed, and it was because Jordan had read the signals wrong.
 

Great. Off to a fantastic start with this one.
How was I supposed to know he had a whopping great bruiser on his face? I wasn’t. So no harm. No foul. Act cool.
 

“Okay. Go ahead.”

He-Man swiped his tongue over his surly lip and then slipped his hands into his pockets. “What most interests me about the class?” he repeated.
 

Jordan nodded and watched He-Man give a careless shrug, as if he didn’t give a shit, which he probably didn’t.
 

And
why
is it that this kind of guy always floats my boat?
 

“Not much, really. I don’t see what history has to do with the degree I’m actually aiming for, but it was either this or physics, and I figured I was less likely to fall asleep in this one. So there’s that.”

Jordan’s lips pressed together at the sarcastic response just as the guy’s friend let out a disbelieving laugh. He slid his eyes to the blond in time to see him whack the huge thigh of the smartass standing beside him, and Jordan could feel his face flushing with annoyance.
 

No wonder he has a black eye. He thinks he’s hot shit. Karma,
you
are one fickle bitch.
 

As if the guy knew he’d pissed him off, the side of He-Man’s mouth quirked, and Jordan could feel the heat from his irritation bubbling under the surface.
 

“As for what I want to get out of it? A passing grade so I don’t have to retake the class seems like a good goal right this second.”

“Derek!”

And now I have a name…
 

“Derek, is it?” Jordan asked, and when Derek nodded once, he continued. “I, too, hope you pass this class, though for reasons I’m sure differ from your own. Why don’t you take a seat before you land on a shitlist beyond mine, which you have successfully taken the number one spot on within”—he glanced at the clock on the wall then back to his student—“ten minutes of being in my class.”

Deciding he needed to move on and have this exchange be over, Jordan turned his back on Derek and let his eyes rove over the other students watching with a mixture of incredulity and mirth on their faces.
 

For the rest of the class he didn’t call on Derek Pearson—yes, he soon learned his last name—but Jordan felt his gaze on him every time he spoke.
 

It wasn’t the scowl from earlier, or the curious interest of a student. No, it was something much more dangerous. Something he’d never been able to resist in the past. It was something that was going to make teaching this class much more difficult than he ever could’ve anticipated.

That look was bold and daring, it was in your face, and somehow Jordan knew he’d just met his “challenge.”

CHAPTER THREE

WHEN THE HOUR was over and class was let out, Derek shoved his sunglasses back on and got to his feet, more than ready to leave. But Finn was taking his sweet-ass time packing his notebook and pens away, so it allowed him a moment to look at the man now standing behind the podium.

It hadn’t escaped his notice that Devaney had been keeping a close eye on him throughout the rest of the class. The guy was trying to be cool about it, but Derek had been watching him with such a tenacious stare of his own, and each time their eyes met, Devaney paused for a second as though he lost his train of thought.
 

Oh yeah,
he’d definitely gotten under this guy’s skin, and Derek was slightly stunned by how much that discovery pleased him.
 

The professor was unlike anyone he’d ever met. His exuberant attitude had remained as he went into detail about what they’d be studying this semester, and it seemed as if the guy’s excitement grew with every word out of his mouth. It was contagious, and the class had responded with interest.
 

He
, on the other had had responded with the hard-on he was currently trying to calm the hell down.

“You ready to head out?” Finn asked, breaking his concentration. Derek looked back at his friend, who was getting to his feet and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

“Sure, let’s go.” He went to step forward, and when Finn didn’t move, Derek spotted his somber expression.
 

Oh God, here we go…
 

“You’re going to tell me what happened this morning, right?”

Running a hand through his hair, Derek sighed. “Just the same old shit that always happens, Danny boy. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Come on, Derek. This is me you’re talking to. He hasn’t done that for a long-ass time.”

“Yeah, well, guess he got lucky this morning. Didn’t he?”

“What the fuck happened?”

Derek ground his teeth together and shot a glance over his shoulder to the front of the room. This time, he saw that Devaney was once again focused on them where they lingered.
 

“Do you think we could have this little heart-to-heart away from strangers’ ears?”

Finn’s eyes drifted past him to the inquisitive ones watching them. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”

They headed for the aisle and then down the stairs toward the front door, then Derek heard a soft cough. Finn stopped first and Derek halted behind him, clutching the strap of his bag.
 

Aww hell.
He’d hoped Devaney would let him go, considering he was having a hard time looking at the guy.
Hard being the operative fucking word.
But it seemed he wasn’t about to get off that easy.

Finn looked over his shoulder with his brow raised in a
want me to stay?
expression, but Derek gave a shake of his head. It was going to be difficult enough to hear whatever his professor wanted to say to him without having Finn sitting in the peanut gallery watching. “I’ll meet you outside.”

“You sure?”

He nodded and watched Finn push through the door. Derek pivoted around to find his professor now standing in front of the lectern.

“Derek. If you think you can manage to stay awake for five more minutes, I’d like to talk to you.”
 

Fuck, this is gonna be awkward as hell,
he thought, as he let his bag slide down his arm so he could hold it in front of his idiotic cock. Was it serious right now? Damn thing had a mind of its own. This guy was likely about to hand him his ass on a platter, and here he was getting a goddamn erection.
 

“I think I can manage.”

“I’m so delighted to hear it,” Devaney said as he gestured to a seat in the front of the room. “Won’t you take a seat?”

Jesus, couldn’t they just get this over with and move on?

“Don’t see why not.”

 
With way more attitude than he’d usually adopt, Derek walked over to one of the seats and decided there was no way he was going to be able to conceal what was going on between his legs much longer, and instead dropped his bag by his feet and sat down, deciding,
screw it,
he couldn’t control who his dick liked. He wasn’t the one standing there demanding a private showing. Although…he didn’t hate the idea of Devaney giving him a real live strip show.

Derek allowed his eyes to travel up the man’s legs and torso before studying the face looking down at him. When he’d first seen Devaney he’d thought he was the TA, and that was for good reason—he was young. If Derek had to guess, maybe mid-twenties? He was fucking hot, too. Not overly tall, he stood at maybe five ten or eleven at best, and he had sharp, angular cheekbones, and a sculpted jaw that came to a haughty point at his arrogant chin.
 

“You know, Derek. I don’t have too much practice doing this, but I’m always the first to admit when I’m wrong. And I want to apologize to you for earlier.”

Oh…wow.
Unsure of what was expected of him, Derek sat there silently. He really hadn’t been expecting that.
When it became obvious he had nothing to say, Devaney slid his hands into the pockets of his skintight pants, and that had Derek’s eyes drifting to them.
 

Damn, they were tight. So tight he wondered how the professor had gotten into them that morning. Did he lie on his bed and wiggle his ass into that stiff fabric? Or did he bend at the waist and pull them up—
 

“Derek? Did you hear me?”

* * *

GOD SAVE ME from men like this.
That was all Jordan could think as he waited for a response from the unreadable Derek Pearson. The guy had his shield firmly back in place, and though Jordan knew why the glasses were now there, he wanted to demand that Derek take the blasted things off so he could see where he was looking.
 

He had a feeling it was directly at him. Or maybe his package, considering how nicely wrapped and in Derek’s face it was right that second. But hell, it wasn’t his fault the guy was eye level with his cock now that he was seated. It
was
his fault, however, that the thought of unzipping and really giving him something to stare at briefly,
ever so briefly
, flashed through his mind.

Jordan shoved that aside, though, figuring he’d screwed up with this student enough for one day. Instead, he patiently waited for a response to his apology. Well, he tried to wait patiently, but it wasn’t exactly his strong suit. “Derek. Focus. Are you okay?”

Derek raised his chin, and though Jordan couldn’t see his eyes, he knew that they were now focused on his face.
 

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s no biggie. I’ve had worse.”

As Derek’s answer registered with him, all other thoughts Jordan was having vanished. Those words did not sit well with him at all. They gave the impression that whoever had done the damage to his face was someone Derek knew, not just a random fight, and that was disturbing.
 

Jordan wanted to ask more. He had an unexplainable need to know who had hurt this man who seemed larger than life…indestructible. He racked his brain trying to come up with an excuse to dig for details, but nothing was coming. He couldn’t just demand answers. Derek didn’t know him from Adam, or likely trust him. So maybe his best course of action would be to extend an olive branch. He needed to somehow reach Derek Pearson and let him know that he was there. That he would listen—even if he seemed the most unlikely choice of a confidant at that precise moment.
 

After walking over to where Derek was seated, Jordan took the spot beside him, thinking it might be easier if he didn’t have to look at him. Swallowing back his pride, Jordan said, “I really shouldn’t have focused in on you this morning, and I’m—”

“Then why did you?”

Huh…?
Jordan almost said aloud, tripping over his own words. But luckily he caught himself at the last minute. “Excuse me?” he asked instead.

Derek readjusted his posture and turned his large frame in Jordan’s direction. That was when he realized what a monumentally bad idea it had been to sit down next to Derek.
 

Derek’s size and pissy attitude was like a bright neon warning sign flashing:
Danger. Danger.
And it was like a rush of blood to his head, and not the one on his shoulders.
 

“Why
did
you single me out?” Derek asked again.
 

Damn. The guy lacks subtlety, that’s for sure.
 

“I just—” Jordan stopped himself right there and got to his feet so he could get some much-needed power in this exchange.
How utterly ridiculous,
he scolded himself.
Do not act unsure for one second.
You’re the adult here. Don’t forget that.
 

“I thought you were wearing your sunglasses as a sign of disrespect to me.”

Without missing a beat, Derek got to his feet also. Jordan didn’t dare move away, even as he had to crane his head up to meet where the guy’s eyes would be.
 

“Why would you think that? I don’t even know you.”

“Well, your attitude was less than…than…” As Derek stood there waiting for him to finish, Jordan’s words trailed off and his eyes narrowed.
Hang on one damn minute, how did this turn into my issue?
They were supposed to be talking about Derek, and there was no way on God’s green earth he was about to admit any insecurities to this guy. One of his students. He was fucking fabulous and he wasn’t about to let
Derek
believe he’d had any effect on him. So instead of finishing his thought, Jordan held up a hand and shook it in a
forget it
kind of way. “How about we agree that we got off on the wrong foot, and move forward from here.”

Derek cocked his head to the side and then removed his sunglasses. His eye looked swollen and painful, and Jordan was alarmed by how much he wanted to reach up and gently run his fingers down the side of his face to make sure he was okay. But really, as if this guy needed coddling.

“Okay.”

“O
kay
?” Jordan asked, taken off guard by Derek’s easy acquiescence.

“Yeah. It is what it is. Whatever. Is there anything else?”

Jordan wanted to offer his ear should Derek need someone to talk to
.
But at the same time he wasn’t one hundred percent convinced it was his good intentions and not his cock doing the offering, and for that reason all he said was, “No. That’ll be all.”

Derek picked up his bag and as he walked to the door Jordan spun away and shut his eyes, trying to calm himself.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. My.
God
. Talk about a first-day impression.

“Oh, and Professor Devaney…” Derek’s voice had him slowly pivoting to see him standing at the door—all six foot whatever-he-was of him.