Love and Mistletoe Read Online Free PDF Page B

perfume teased his nose, and electric awareness skittered over his skin every time her arm brushed against his when she reached down for her bag. He exhaled sharply and tried to focus on the lecture. Thankfully, the professor was a compelling speaker and the material was interesting. The rest of the hour flew by.
    He was finishing typing his notes when he felt Sharon’s thigh press against him, jerking him out of the academic world of forensic psychology and back to the uncomfortable—not to mention hardening—awareness that he fancied Sharon MacCarthy.
    “Not bad, eh?” She gathered up her stuff and shoved it into her shoulder bag. “Dr. Leech is less boring than most of the old geezers around here.”
    As if on cue, Dr. Leech’s bombastic voice boomed through the microphone. “Just a minute, if you please. We’re not finished yet. The semester project is to be completed in pairs. If you look at the following slide, you’ll see I’ve matched each of you with another course participant. Wherever possible, I’ve paired people with different majors. I’ve also tried to take into account where you live so that you can more easily meet to study. Please consult your class list for your partner’s contact info and get in touch with them between now and next week’s lecture.”
    With a sense of foreboding prickling up his neck, Brian scanned the list until he found his name.
Oh, hell on wheels. No, no, no!
    Sharon hooted with laughter. “Well, would you look at that? We’re research partners.” She leaned in close, wafting perfume and sex appeal in equal measure. “Looks like you’re stuck with me until December.”
    ***
    Sharon slung her book bag over her shoulder, shoved her phone between her teeth, and balanced a cardboard takeout tray containing two hot beverages. She backed against the study center’s door, pushed it open, and maneuvered herself inside.
    The study center was a new and welcome addition to the campus. Linked to the library via a small tunnel, it was designed to provide students with a comfortable space in which they could discuss their group projects without disturbing people studying in the library proper.
    At a small table by a window, Brian was already hard at work on his laptop. A look of intense concentration creased his forehead, and his pen was poised to take notes. Her heart skipped a beat. He looked adorable and utterly kissable. Sharon smiled to herself. Her vow to avoid men this academic year had fallen to the wayside the second she’d clapped eyes on Brian across the crowded lecture hall. She’d had a crush on him for years, but he’d never regarded her as anything more than a criminal and a nuisance. This was her chance to prove him wrong.
    “Well, hello there, Garda Glenn,” she said in what she hoped was a sultry tone.
    He glanced up from the screen, startled. “Hey.” Shoving his chair back, he relieved her of the cardboard tray.
    “I thought we could do with a hot sugary drink to aid our studies.”
    “Ah, thanks.” He was eyeing the Styrofoam cups with suspicion.
    “The one on the left is yours.” At his wary expression, she added, “They’re not poisoned. I swear.”
    He took a cautious sip from his cup, then blinked in surprise. “You got me tea.”
    “Yeah. You don’t like coffee, right?”
    “Right.” He smiled, the first heartfelt smile he’d ever directed at her. Sharon’s heart beat a little faster, and her legs went wobbly. Served her right for wearing towering high heels. She dropped her bag to the floor and slid into the seat opposite Brian’s.
    “So…,” she said, unpacking her stuff. “What did you think of the research topic ideas I e-mailed you with?”
    “They’re good, yeah, especially the one on internet stalking. But we’re going to need to narrow our focus.”
    She took a sip of coffee. “Okay. What do you suggest?”
    “Given that we need to examine the psychology behind the issue, I think we should either focus on stalkers