But nothing was going to stop either guy from approaching.
As Jeremy stood, I reacted before my brain could fully process what I was planning. I hurried to Mason. “Professor McGonagall,” I gasped. “Thank God I ran into you.”
Yes, I know I used a Harry Potter character for him, and a female one at that. But it wasn’t as if I had a whole lot of a time to concoct a foolproof strategy. I was working straight from the hip here. And doing just fine if you ask me.
Besides, Jeremy had never once cared about my Harry Potter craze. He wouldn’t know the difference. The clueless Muggle.
Rushing to unzip my bag, I said, “I know it was due last Friday, but I finished my paper and I would really appreciate it if you’d reconsider accepting it late.”
As I yanked my graded Wife of Bath essay from my bag—which had received an A; boo yah!—I finally dared to look up into Mason’s face.
Biting the inside of my lip, I prayed he would play along.
He blinked once, okay, twice. Then he said, “I told you no late assignments, Miss Randall.”
God, I loved him. He fell right into line with my act perfectly. Then again, by the amused twinkle in his eyes, he probably thought this was some kind of kinky naughty schoolgirl foreplay.
“But I worked on it all weekend.” The little hitch in my voice—because I was all keyed up about seeing Jeremy—sounded classic. Hmm. Maybe I should drop virology completely and take up acting.
Mason lifted an unimpressed eyebrow. “All weekend, hmm?” The twist of his lips told me he knew otherwise. “On a paper you were supposed to be working on all semester?”
Jeez, did he have to play it quite this good?
I almost glowered at him. But I was still too freaked out about my psycho stalker ex hovering a mere ten feet away, listening to every word we said.
“Please,” I rasped, the fear filtering through me until his expression finally sparked with concern. “Could you just give it a look?”
He nodded with a resigned sigh. “Okay, fine. But this is the last time I’ll make allowances for you.”
When he tried to take the paper from me, I jerked it back. “Wait. I…I need to sign my name.”
My hands shook so hard that when I fumbled my way into my backpack, a tear actually dripped from my cheek.
Mason had mercy on me. “Here,” he said, holding out his own pen, his brows wrinkling as if he was finally figuring out this was not a playful, bantering game.
“Thanks.” I took it from him and lifted my knee to scribble Jer is here right below where my name was already typed onto the sheet.
I handed it to him and he barely glanced over what I’d written.
“I see.” His eyes flashed to me. “You know, maybe we should go to my office and discuss this in more detail. I have an idea how you can make up some extra credit points.”
“No.” I shook my head. I needed to get him as far away from me—and therefore as far away from Jeremy—as possible before Jeremy realized who Mason really was. I took a step back. “No, I need to get to my next class.”
Mason—damn him for caring so much—wasn’t about to let me go anywhere by myself. “Reese.” He grasped my arm. “Where?” he asked so quietly, only I could hear. He didn’t even move his lips as he spoke.
Before I could answer—not that I was really going to tell him where Jeremy was—a familiar, super creepy arm slithered around my waist.
Jeremy’s potent aftershave gagged me as he tightened his grip.
“There’s my Reese’s Pieces,” he murmured in my ear, cuddling in close. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you, baby.”
My entire body went rigid against his, and I could only imagine how white my face was as I gaped up at Mason.
I decided right then and there, I’d never seen him truly mad before. His jaw popped before he turned his attention to Jeremy and looked pointedly at the other man’s arm wrapped around me.
Jeremy hitched his chin in greeting. “So, you’re one of Reese’s professors, huh? You look kind of young to be a teacher.”
“That’s because I’m not,” Mason answered, his voice hard and tight. When he jerked his bag off his shoulder and tossed it to the floor by his feet, both Jeremy and I glanced down at it in confusion.
Neither one of us saw the fist that came streaking out of nowhere.
But seriously, Mason hitting Jeremy in the jaw was flat out amazing. He moved so fast, I had no warning until the slap of flesh and crunch of nose cartilage made me scream out a startled yelp. Jeremy’s grip left me, and he toppled over backward, landing on his ass in the middle of the hallway.
“You hit him,” I said in utter shock, blinking at Jeremy on the floor before I looked up at Mason with the same stunned gaze. “I can’t believe you just hit him.”
That hadn’t been in my plans at all. But I liked this new turn of events. A lot.
“He tried to kill you,” Mason argued with me as if he thought my shock was from disapproval. “Hell, yes, I hit him.”