Saving Face (Mount Faith Series: Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

woman—maybe she was a teenager. The thought made him get up hurriedly. His first day of school and he was attracted to an undergrad, teenager.
    He needed to get a life.
    "Dr. Jackson," she said ruefully. She was looking at him now. When she stood up he noted that she was tall, and shapely. She looked lean and toned like one of those native statues that were displayed at the front of the art's building.
    He blinked, when her voice intruded on his thoughts.
    "I was wondering, have you chosen a student worker yet?"
    Taj shook his head. He found his gaze wandering to her cropped top. She had raised her hand and he had gotten a peek at her belly button. His lower anatomy instantly switched to red alert.
    He cleared his throat. "Follow me to my office if you will, Miss...er..." he pretended that he couldn't remember her name.
    "Natasha," she smiled, "Natasha Rowe."
    "Okay," he spun around and walked briskly to his office with Natasha in tow. Anne Carter was at her desk, a phone to her ear. She glanced up at him and then to the girl behind him and a smile broke out on her face.
    "I know you," she said.
    "Yes Mrs. Carter we met this morning," Taj said.
    She laughed at that. "Not you Dr. Jackson-- her." She pointed at Natasha. "What's your name again?"
    "Natasha Rowe." Natasha was smiling at her.
    "We'll talk later," she said to Natasha and went back to her phone conversation. Taj let himself into his office, leaving the door opened for Natasha to follow him.
    "So you know my secretary?"
    Natasha grinned. "Yes Sir. She used to live in my old district in Parottee."
    Taj nodded. "I've heard of that place, that's near the sea, right."
    Natasha nodded again. "Yes, mostly fisher folk are from that end of the island."
    "So your parents are into fishing?" Taj asked interestedly. He sat at his desk and put down his briefcase.
    "Yes Sir, my mother is a fish vendor and my father a fisherman. Well he was. He died three years ago."
    Taj leaned back in his chair. "How old are you?"
    "Er..." Natasha fidgeted a bit. She and Harry had agreed to be as honest as possible with their basic information; they were always better off that way. "Twenty-seven."
    Taj's eyes widened. "You don't look it and usually I am a pretty good judge of ages. So, what are you doing here at Mount Faith University?
    "Psychology." Natasha said easily. She had done Anatomy and Physiology when she did Forensic Psychology.
    Taj grunted. "I am not sure this is the right place for you, Natasha." He steeled himself to say it because he found her extremely attractive. If she worked for him he would see her everyday, even when they didn't have classes together on Mondays and Wednesdays.
    "You are probably better off over at Social Sciences. That's where you would most likely get the best out of assisting a professor."
    Natasha shook her head. "Please Sir. It is only for the semester."
    Taj looked into her big, limpid brown eyes and realized something. She was using her sex appeal on him.
    She was playing with him. But why?
    He decided to play along. "Okay. You got the job. We'll be spending quite a bit of time over at the new Psychiatry Center though. I hope that doesn't interfere with your class schedule."
    "No." Natasha shook her head vigorously.
    Taj's phone rang and he picked it up. It was Ryan Bancroft's secretary, Sarah Gnomes.
    "Dr. Jackson, just calling to confirm your appointment with Dr. Bancroft at nine."
    "Oh, yes," Taj said, "tell Dr. Bancroft I will be at his office, promptly at nine."
    He hung up the phone and looked over at Natasha.
    "Okay Miss Rowe, I guess the job is yours. I have a meeting with Dr. Bancroft tomorrow, which means if we get the official seal of approval we are going to have quite a bit of work laid out for us."
    Natasha nodded eagerly. "I am looking forward to it. Are you by any chance related to Dr. Bancroft?" She asked innocently. "It's just that you two resemble quite a bit."
    Taj raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "No, we are not. Then