The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.
He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my scowling as checking him out.
When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straightโtelling him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.
You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend–smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.
He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he’d done.
Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.
Only it turned out, the man I’d just told off wasn’t the right guy.
Oops.ย My mistake.ย
Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.
I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?
Thatโs what I thoughtโฆuntil I walked into class the next morning.
Well, hello Professor West, Iโm your new teaching assistant.
Iโll be working under youโฆfiguratively speaking.
Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thingโworking under Professor West.
This was going to be interestingโฆ
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An excerpt from Beautiful Mistakeโฆ
The class was completely empty. I wasnโt even sure he knew I was still in my seat. If he did, he was good at ignoring me as he packed up his laptop.
โContrary to the rumors youโve probably heard, I donโt bite.โ
I jumped when he spoke. Now that the lecture hall was no longer filled with students, the acoustics of the large space bounced his deep voice all over the walls.
I stood and began my walk of shame down to the front of the classroom. There was no doubt I owed the man an apology, even if he wasnโt a professorโa professor who would be my new boss for at least the next fifteen weeks. I wanted to kick myself in the ass for not apologizing last night before I left the bar. Now it would seem like I was only doing it because of the situation I was in.
Which was true, donโt get me wrong, but I didnโt want it to seem that way.
I took a deep breath. โIโm so sorry about last night.โ
His face was unreadable. โI figured you might be, right about now.โ
โI obviously thought you were someone else.โ
โSo I assumed. You thought I was the asshole. The one with the big dick, was it?โ
I shut my eyes. For the last ninety minutes, Iโd replayed the entire exchange from last night over and over in my head. I thought Iโd remembered everything I said, but apparently I hadnโt. When I reopened my eyes, Professor West was still watching me. His stare was pretty damn intense.
I started to babble. โMy friend Ava went out with this guy Owen for a month or so. He was full of shit from day one, but she didnโt see it. Actually walked up to her when she was leaving work one night and said, โDo you mind if I walk you home? My mother always told me to follow my dreams.โ She fell for it, the entire act, from the first day. Then one Saturday, he was supposedly out of town on business, and she was across town running errands for her mother. She took a shortcut through Madison Square Park on her way back from the grocery store and ran into him. He was with his wife and kids.โ
โAnd you thought I was him, apparently?โ
I nodded. โShe came in during my shift and started drinking Long Island iced teas. When Owen walked in, she pointed to where he was standing and said he was the one in the blue shirt.โ
โAnd we were both wearing blue shirts, I take it?โ
I couldnโt help but smile, thinking of Ava last night. โActually, no. Avaโs not much of a drinker. Turned out she was more sloshed than I thought. Owenโs shirt was brownโnot even black that could be mistaken as navy or something.โ
I saw Professor Westโs lip twitch.
โAnyway, Iโm really sorry. I barely gave you a chance to speak, and then when I realized what had happened, I was so mortified I didnโt even stop to apologize.โ
โI accept your apology for last night. Even though you shouldnโt be approaching a man in the hallway to tell him off alone, your intentions were admirable.โ
I should have shut up and been grateful heโd accepted my apology. Should have. โWhy canโt I approach a man in the hallway?โ
He leveled me with a stare. โBecause youโre five foot nothing in a loud bar, and no one would have heard you if Iโd dragged you into the menโs room and locked the door.โ
I folded my arms over my chest. โI can take care of myself.โ
โI didnโt say you couldnโt. I said you shouldnโt put yourself in those situations.โ
โBut you insinuated that I couldnโt by making that statement.โ
He zipped his leather bag closed. โMs. Martin, I just accepted your apology for calling me an asshole last night. Would you like me to retract that acceptance?โ
God, I really was an idiot. Being around this man seemed to turn me into a psychopath. โNo. Iโm sorry. I acted like a jerk, and Iโd like to start over, if thatโs possible.โ
He nodded. โEverything prior to this morning is forgotten.โ
โThank you.โ
โBut this morning is not. I wonโt accept lateness. Donโt let it happen again.โ
I swallowed. โIt wonโt.โ
He lifted his worn, brown leather laptop bag over one shoulder. โMeet me here at five tomorrow. Weโll go over the syllabus and the classes youโll teach, as well as my grading rubric.โ
That was smack in the middle of my shift, but Iโd figure something out. โOkay.โ
โAre you done for the day?โ
โI am. I actually have to get to work. Iโm covering Avaโs shift because she isnโt feeling too well after last night. We both work at OโLearyโs.โ
โYou waitress there?โ
โWaitress, bartend, occasionally tell off patrons.โ
That earned me a full smile from Professor West. God, he should do that more often. No, forget that. He definitely shouldnโt.
โIโll walk out with you.โ
We walked through the halls together and out to the parking lot. When we arrived at my car, I stopped. โThis is me. Soโฆfive oโclock tomorrow?โ
Professor West looked at my beat-up old Subaru. โYouโre parked in a spot reserved for the Provost. You got a parking ticket.โ He squinted. โActually, it looks like you have two parking tickets. Was your inspection expired or something?โ
Crap. โUmmโฆno. I keep an extra ticket in the glove compartment and stick it on my windshield when Iโm forced to park illegally.โ
His brows shot up. โInventive.โ
โObviously it doesnโt always work.โ
โObviously.โ
โThey need more parking. When youโre late, itโs impossible to find a spot.โ
He studied me. โLateness is a frequent occurrence for you, I take it?โ
โUnfortunately, it is.โ
โThen I should clarify something I said earlier.โ
โOh, no, thatโs not necessary. I wonโt be late for your class.โ
He took a step closer and leaned in. โIโm glad to hear that, Ms. Martin. But thatโs not what needs clarification.โ
I swallowed. God, he smells good.
โEarlier I told you I didnโt bite students.โ He smiled, and I felt the wickedness from it shoot down to some interesting places. โI donโt. But I make no promises about not biting feisty TAs.โ
โ โ โ โ
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Vi Keeland is aย #1ย New York Timesย Bestselling author. With more than 1.5 million books sold, her titles have appeared in over eighty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in sixteen languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
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