I’m still half the hallway-length away from her when a guy in a football jersey suddenly pulls away from the stream of student walking past us and drapes an arm heavily over her shoulders.
I frown, feeling my jaw tense as I see it.
Jesus, of course there’s a guy. I mean a girl that looks like that, out on her own at college? Yeah, no shit there’s a boyfriend.
Ted; the name pops into my head from some other lecture I have with this piece of shit in it. One of those kids with zero business being at a school like this but gets in because they know how to hit people on a football field. Yeah, I played football too, but I didn’t coast on it like this asshole.
I’m rolling my eyes at my own ridiculous horny fantasy about this girl and that perfect body when another movement catches my eye. He’s got her cornered against the wall of the hallway, but it’s the way she’s shaking her head and trying to push him away that has me growling inside as every muscle in my body tenses.
I see the emotion flare in her eyes and the way her her whole body tenses up at his touch like she’s scared, and all I want to do is murder this guy. My eyes narrow as I march right towards them.
“Look, just quit being such an up-tight prudish bitch and-”
“That’s enough.” My voice booms out far louder than I intended it to, but the effect is perfect. Ted immediately drops his hand from it’s grip on her arm and whirls towards me, a scared look on his face that has me grinning to myself.
“It doesn’t really look like the young lady wants your hands on her, does it?”
“Oh, yeah, we were just talk-”
“Where I come from, ‘talking’ doesn’t involve grabbing a girl by the arm and stopping her from walking away.” I glance quickly at Ellie, who’s biting her lip as she looks at me with big, wide eyes.
Ted smirks, and for a second, I have to remind myself the consequences of putting my fist through his fucking face. “Listen, Mr. Mar-”
“Professor Martin,” I growl, and as I take a step towards him, he suddenly cowers a little and takes a step back.
Little punk.
“Yeah, sure, professor.”
“‘Yes sir,’ will do,” I say with a low voice. “And if I ever see you with your hands on a girl like that again, we’re going to have fucking problems. Do I make myself clear?” My eyes are locked on his, my hand in a fist at my side.
He nods quickly. “Yes, sir.”
“Move.”
He shoots one quick last look at Ellie before turning and skulking away.
I turn my attention back to her, still looking at me with those big eyes, her mouth hanging open. “Look, I hope I wasn’t putting my nose where it doesn’t belong.”
And immediately, I can think of a few other things I want to put where they don’t belong with this girl.
She smiles at me, that same grin from outside the coffee shop, and I can feel my cock twitch a little in my jeans. “Oh, no, that was…” She trails off and bites her lip. “Thank you,” she says quietly.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” she rolls her eyes, her cheeks flushing pink. “He’s just a jerk.”
Her eyes dart up to mine, and I can see her breath catch a little in her throat. “Look, Professor Mar-”
“You should have said something,” I say, cutting her off and holding those big blue eyes with my own.
I don’t know why I say it, especially since I’m already probably crossing some sort of line by intervening with whatever drama that just was with Ted. These are adults, after-all, and this isn’t high school or anything. But really, she should have said something. I mean she stood there letting me hit on her, clearly not realizing who she was with those damn shades and that fuckin’ hat on.
Clearly not realizing she was my damn student.
And for a second, as roaring hard and single-mindedly turned on I am for her, that little fact starts to sink in. She’s my student. I could technically lose my job over this shit if she decided to report me for harassment or something. You hear horror stories of some flirty young coed accusing a non-tenured professor of “offering to change her grade” or some sort of bullshit, and the guys career is ruined even if he never laid on a hand on her.
She’s quiet, chewing on her bottom lip as that flush creeps over her cheeks and her big wide eyes locked on mine.