When she'd turned to him, he was struck speechless by the change in her. Her eyes carried the same wisdom that had always made her seem older than her years, and now there was an emotional maturity to match the previous intellect. She was still petite, but since graduation she had lost the last of her teenage roundness and now appeared fit and toned.
Will had never been one of those professors who chased students, or any other women, for that matter; he'd loved his wife, or was at least always committed to their marriage. But it was impossible, with a bevy of young college students passing through his classes each year, to not notice them empirically. At the time, if he'd been asked, he would have described Eve as cute. Now she could only be described as stunning. Sultry.
She wore her hair long; deep brown with subtle bronze streaks, it hung several inches below her shoulders, thick and wavy. The kind of hair that invited fingers to be run through it. Her eyebrows were thick but precisely angled, accenting her soulful eyes. She had startling hazel eyes that changed constantly, seemingly in every color from pale grey to a smoky forest green. Her olive complexion was so light that it made her skin appear golden, her full lips were a deep rosy pink. He couldn't remember when he'd seen such a beguiling mouth, and involuntarily wondered how soft they would feel when he kissed her.
Her exclamation of recognition came just as this thought popped into his head, thankfully jarring him back into reality. Forever grateful he had splurged on the portable battery, he tried to help with her car without acting like a lovestruck college boy.
Looking down, he saw he had finished the dishes and was just standing there with the water running. Shaking his head, he dried his hands and stopped in the bathroom to check his appearance. He rolled his eyes and immediately left the room. He looked as he felt: old and tired. Of course she wouldn't want to join him on the road. Fool, he told himself, walking to her car.
-
Eve got in her car and turned it off, her hands resting on the keys as she thought. Join him, she repeated to herself. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to, but she didn't know how she would manage to not completely embarrass herself in his presence. He was so damned handsome and intelligent and just as dreamy as ever.
She was still sitting in her car, staring blankly ahead, when he approached.
"Um, so should I just - follow you?" she asked stupidly.
Will stopped short in surprise and didn't speak for several seconds.
"You're coming?" he asked.
"Sure," she said, smiling. "Why not?"
"Great!" he said enthusiastically. "Well - maybe we could hitch your car to the RV so we can talk while we drive."
"You know how to do that?" she blurted out, then blushed. "I mean -"
"Yes, I read a book that explained everything," he deadpanned.
Eve rolled her eyes and laughed, opening the car door. He placed one hand on the door and the other on her elbow to help her out. She looked away, smiling, unsettled by the electricity charging through her at the simple touch. Will suggested she gather Maggie and whatever she might need while he moved her car to the motor home. She remained outside, admiring him as he quickly hitched her car.
"There," he said, walking over to her. "We should make it at least five miles before we lose the car."
He grinned at her giggle, then opened the door to the RV for her. Maggie bounded inside as if she had always lived there and Eve shot Will an apologetic look.
"Sorry, we're still working on training - she's a little bossy."
"I'm glad she seems comfortable," Will said, following her in. "How long have you had her?"
"Almost three months - she belonged to some friends. They've been bugging me to adopt her since she was born but it wasn't until I was planning the road trip that I decided to take her. It seemed like a dog would be good company."
Will stopped to pet Maggie while Eve settled her small bags under the table.
"What breed is she?" he asked.
"We're not really sure - her mom is part Border Collie and was pregnant when they adopted her so they never saw the father. Maggie's probably got some Labrador and who knows what else," Eve replied.
He was nodding slowly, watching her put her things away and she glanced up awkwardly. He blinked and smiled.
"Should we get started?" he said, gesturing to the front of the RV.
"Sure," she said, her chest fluttering.
-
Will settled himself behind the wheel and Eve moved to the passenger seat, handing him a bottle of water and opening one for herself. He gave her a pleased smile, touched by the simple gesture.
"She's a great dog," Eve mused, turning to look at Maggie who was on her dog bed, chewing a bone. "I've never had a dog before, so we're learning together." She snickered. "My mom hated the idea of my taking this trip, but I think knowing a dog is with me makes her feel a little more comfortable with it. I haven't told her that Maggie is a big pansy and not at all a guard dog."
"Is your mother worried about you getting yelled at by burly truck drivers?" he joked.
"You saw that?" she asked, her cheeks turning pink. "I've never been in an accident, I can't believe I scraped his car like that."
"It happens," Will said, shrugging. "You seemed to handle him pretty well."
"Yeah, well - I'm used to yellers, I guess," Eve said absently.
Will glanced at her curiously but she was looking straight ahead. Who had yelled at her so regularly that she was unphased by it? His stomach clenched slightly at the thought of someone treating her badly.
"It should be just a couple of hours to South Bend," he said, changing the subject.
"How long are you planning to stay there?"
"Probably not more than a day. But, I'm trying not to make plans, if that makes sense."
"It does," she said softly.
He glanced at her again and found her turned toward him with her head resting on the seat, watching him with a smile.
"How did you decide to become a professor?" she asked suddenly.
He surprised them both by chuckling.
"Honestly?" he said, embarrassed. "It just seemed like what I was supposed to do. I wanted to study literature and there didn't seem to be a lot of other options with an English degree. Fortunately I found right away that I was well-suited for it."
"You are," she agreed. "You're terrific at it."
He gave her an appreciative look, seeing her cheeks flush slightly as she looked out the window.
"What did you plan to do with your degree when you started college?" he asked curiously.
"I didn't have a plan," she admitted. "I just loved literature and reading and writing. It was the only thing I wanted to do. I don't think I'm cut out to be a teacher, which is why I've been rethinking grad school." She looked at him sheepishly. "It's too bad I can't make a living reading and studying."
"You could make your living writing," he told her.
She snorted. "Right."
"Eve," he said reprovingly.
She faced him, looking startled by his tone.
"You're an excellent writer," he said decisively, staring at the road. "Have you kept up with it since you graduated?"
"Some," she murmured, looking pleased and embarrassed by his praise. "I have a hard time getting motivated to set aside time for it. My jobs have been so dull they seem to suck all the life out of me. I have been keeping a blog about my road trip, though," she added shyly.
"Good. I'd love to read it," he said. "If you decide against grad school, will you still move to Boston?"
"Hold on, now. You're getting ahead of my carefully structured not-a-plan plan," she joked.
"Right," he said, grinning. "My mistake."
She giggled and his heart jumped at the sound. She seemed to shift constantly from girlishness - those giggles and impish teasing - to womanly, with her insightful comments and throaty, sexy laugh. He felt off kilter, as if he couldn't keep up. Not that it mattered; he was fascinated by all of it.
There was a comfortable silence during which she pulled her phone from her pocket and started typing. She glanced at him self-consciously.
"I'm just looking for a dog park in South Bend," she explained. "I like to give Maggie the chance to burn off some energy whenever I stop for the night."
He nodded, relieved that she didn't appear to be like so many of his current students who couldn't seem to put their phones down for more than a minute.
"Does it put a damper on traveling? I imagine you can't leave her alone in hotel rooms to explore," he said.
"You'd be surprised," she said, dropping the phone onto her lap. "Most places are dog-friendly, if you ask nicely and have a well-behaved dog. I get food to go or eat on restaurant patios so she can be with me. If I want to go to a museum or something like that, I find a vet's office or kennel to board her for a few hours."
She looked through her phone quickly before returning it to her pocket.
"The Smartphone is a godsend," she remarked. "It's funny to think of the road trips we'd take in college, where we had to use actual maps or search things online before we left. Or in high school when had to make sure we were following our friends' car so we wouldn't get separated because none of us had cell phones to keep in touch," she added, laughing.
"Yes, you really had to rough it," he teased. "But nothing compared to my day when we walked five miles uphill in the snow to school every day."
"Good point. Tell me, was it difficult to learn how to write with a pen after so many years using a stone tablet?" she said innocently.
He let out a surprised laugh and looked at her admiringly. She settled back in her seat, grinning.
They began discussing Chicago, where he had gone to graduate school, sharing stories and discovering what had changed in the decades since he lived there. When he asked why she moved to Philadelphia, she paused and looked out the window.
"We don't have to talk about it," he said gently.
"No, it's okay," she murmured. "I met my ex-boyfriend in Chicago and we went to Philly for him to go to med school."
Will nodded, searching his mind for another topic since she seemed uncomfortable. Eve surprised him by continuing.
"I was kind of the classic dumb girl, Doc - Will," she corrected herself. "I helped support him while he finished school, took care of everything around the house so he could focus on school. The plan was for me to quit working and start grad school once he was done, but when that time got closer he...didn't seem interested in that plan anymore."
She kept staring resolutely out the window.
"Then when my dad -" she stopped and took a shaky breath. "When my dad died - well, let's just say he was less than supportive, emotionally."
"Sounds like you're better off," Will said harshly. "Sorry," he added, meeting her eyes.
"No, you're right," she said, smiling faintly. "I just feel like an idiot that it took me so long to see him for who he was."
"You're not an idiot," he said firmly. "Though," he continued with a sigh, his mind drifting unwittingly to his wife. "I understand why you'd feel that way."
He could feel her sympathetic gaze and was grateful when she shifted the conversation to Shakespeare. They amicably debated Shakespeare's version of Richard III in comparison to their opinions of the real king for the last thirty minutes of the drive to South Bend.
"Okay, he had a spinal problem of some sort - probably scoliosis - but he wasn't a hunchback," Eve was saying with a laugh. "And for sure he didn't have a withered arm."
"But we don't know for sure, do we?" Will asked.
She tilted her head speculatively. "I can't tell if you really believe Shakespeare's version is accurate or if you're just in Professor Mode where you enjoy challenging me or forcing me to defend my position."
He laughed. "Well, don't expect me to tell you which it is. I have to maintain some of my mystery."
She rolled her eyes playfully as he pulled in at a rest stop. They sat at a picnic table with Maggie exploring as far as her leash would let her and Eve looking up a pet-friendly hotel on her phone. He had to stamp down the urge to offer the RV. There was a convertible sofa in the kitchen area but that seemed improper; he just wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to her even if it was just for the night. Biting his tongue, he instead studied her, transfixed by the sight of her hair tumbling over her shoulders and the way she absently chewed on her bottom lip.
"Done," she said suddenly, looking up.
Will blinked, wondering if it was obvious he had been staring.
"I booked us a room," she went on, putting her phone on the table.
Us? Will's mouth dropped open. She called Maggie to her and bent her head down to kiss the dog between her ears and Will felt his cheeks get warm. Obviously she meant her and Maggie as 'us,' idiot, he thought.
"So I'd like to check in to the hotel," she said thoughtfully. "And grab a shower. Then maybe we could get dinner, if you like." She glanced at him.
"Sure," he said weakly, trying not to think about her in the shower, naked, wet.
"Does your RV have a shower?"
"Uh - yes," he said hesitantly. "Such as it is," he added, chuckling as he thought of the tiny shower stall.
"I was going to offer you my room if you needed one," she suggested.
Their eyes met and locked for a long moment. His pulse sped up, making him momentarily light-headed. He told himself firmly that she meant nothing by it.
"Oh, that's okay," he said.
She watched him for a second. "Will, when's the last time you had a shower that wasn't in the RV?" she asked mischievously.
"I haven't even been on the road for a week," he said.
"Ugh, still too long, if you ask me. A good shower can work wonders," she said, her eyes a bluish grey and twinkling.
He lost himself in the mysterious shifting colors of her eyes, then noticed the playful expression in them. Sure that she was not at all serious, he decided to tease back.
"Why Miss Cortes, are you trying to get me into your hotel room and rid me of my clothes?" he asked coyly.
The amusement left her face immediately as her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. He caught the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks before she looked away. He was unable to stop the hearty laugh bubbling out of his mouth. She flashed him a self-conscious smile.
"That's what I get for trying to be nice," she said haughtily.
He was still chuckling when they left the rest stop to drive to the hotel.
"For God's sake," she muttered, clearly trying to hide a smile.
He grinned broadly as he drove. He felt freer than he had in a long time, overpowered by a kind of heady intoxication at how the day had turned out. What the hell, he thought, making a snap decision.
"You know what? A decent shower does sound invigorating," he said. "If the offer still stands," he added, looking at her.
"As long as you don't use up all the hot water," she warned.
He was still laughing and turned to see her face the window, a bright smile on her face.
The hotel was pretty basic, but the room was nice and spacious. Eve said she was going to take Maggie to the dog park nearby while he showered, but he asked her to wait so he could join them.
"You want to go to the dog park?" she repeated, her brow wrinkling. "It'll be dirty and smelly -"
"And full of happy dogs and their people - full of life," he interrupted, wondering just how much of a fool he sounded like.
She gave him a delighted smile, a dimple appearing in her left cheek.
"Okay," she said happily. "But why don't we go now before we get cleaned up - we can shower after."
Her face seemed to freeze in shock and she immediately bent over her dog, fussing with the leash. Will swallowed, knowing what she meant by the phrasing but instantly picturing them in the shower together, his body immediately responding to the scene.
The dog park was a few blocks away so they walked, talking benignly as Maggie raced around the park and rolled around in the grass. They strolled along the fence line, deciding what to see the next day, before hunger caught up with them and they returned to the hotel.
"Why don't you shower first," Will offered when they entered the hotel. "It'll probably take you longer to get ready than me."
"Oh, is that so?" she teased. "You think I'm one of those high-maintenance women, do you?"
"I meant nothing by it," he protested. "But if you look this pretty without needing a lot of time to get there, I'm impressed."
He had been admiring her again - enjoying the way she walked, each step of those shapely legs made with such precision, the alluring swish of her hair as she moved, the healthy glow of her cheeks - and spoke without thinking. Hearing his words, he pressed his lips together and tried not to roll his eyes. She stopped and turned to him in surprise.
"Oh. Thanks," she said softly. "Um, I'll take you up on that - I'm feeling grimy from the road," she said awkwardly.
"I'll just grab a coffee," he said, making a fumbling gesture toward the cafe in the hotel lobby.
"Here," she said, giving him the second room key. "Just come up whenever. I won't be long."
Their eyes met and held as he took the key, his long fingers grazing her hand.
-
Eve hurried in the shower, but made sure to shave everywhere. Just in case, she thought, then immediately blushed. She kept hearing him call her pretty and as much as she told herself that it didn't mean anything, she couldn't help wondering if it did. After slipping on a bright blue A-line skirt and fitted black top, she turned and inspected her reflection. She couldn't tell if he'd come back to the room while she showered, but she applied a little makeup before leaving the bathroom on the off chance that he was there.
He was standing at the window, his hands clasped behind his back, and she paused in the doorway to watch him as he rocked back and forth on his heels, his butt flexing with each movement. She gave a pleased, inaudible sigh, which Maggie must have heard because she started thumping her tail on the bed. He turned at the sound, his gaze traveling the length of her before meeting her eyes.
"It's all yours," she said, walking out of the bathroom, her voice wavering slightly.
He picked up a small bag, nodding. They met near the bed and she stepped aside so he could pass, so close she could feel his body heat.
"I am impressed," he said softly.
She glanced up quickly, her cheeks hot. His height, especially at this close proximity, made her tilt her head back to meet his eyes and she felt slightly dizzy. Though that could be from his comment - was he flirting with me? She could only manage a smile.
Eve pulled a chair over to the window, propping her feet on the sill, and drummed her fingers on her legs anxiously. Trying not to think about him stripping off his clothes and stepping into the shower. Her words from earlier - we can shower after - made her blush all over again. Despite the air-conditioned room, she felt unbearably warm.
Her phone chirped and she smiled at the text from her friend Katie in Chicago, who had been checking in with her daily during her road trip.
You will never guess who I'm with, Eve typed.
OMG please don't tell me it's Patrick.
Eve shuddered at the thought of her ex-boyfriend, able to feel Katie's scowl through her words.
God no - yuck. It's Will Hammond.
Who's that? Wait - DOCTOR Hammond?
Yes.
What do you mean with him? Like, WITH him with him? OMFG.
LOL. NO! Ran into him at a gas station - my car needed a jump. He's going to Sturgis & asked me to join him in South Bend on my way Chicago.
What? STURGIS?!
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