Chapter 1

As usual, the slender woman tore into our classroom in a swirl of dark hair. After racing across town from her job, the pretty brunette always arrived second. Since I worked on base, my commute to the education center, host of our evening graduate classes, was a grand total of two blocks, and even on a night like that, foul Midwestern weather blustery and threatening, I occupied my normal front-row seat.

“Hey, Brittany,” I said, pausing my tenth stab at comprehending a dense business finance chapter for a quick scan of her.

After yanking the jacket of a shiny charcoal suit from her shoulders, she flopped into the chair beside me and huffed, tugging out her tablet. Despite everything about her screaming high-speed businesswoman, a hot-pink leather case wrapped the device. Yep, that was Brittany. In her mid-thirties, she possessed an understated but noticeable allure snug in a tight veneer of propriety.

Blessed with remarkable, iridescent purple eyes and a model-like visage, she hid slight, but impressive, curves with austere work apparel. Yet, despite obvious exhaustion after a long day working downtown, she always managed to, I dunno, look amazing.

“How are you this fine evening, Evan?” By that time, we’d grown so accustomed to each other, I could sense her eyes on me.

“Good,” I replied, focused on the lesson.

“Cool.” Just then, the muted blasts of the tornado warning siren sounded from outside. “Uh-oh, class may be delayed.” When I looked up at her, eyebrow lifting, she chuckled. “Yeah, I know, Queen of the Obvious.”

“Um-hmm. More time to study.” Pen in hand above my notes, I returned to the book. “We’ll be fine. This building is a shelter-in-place location.”

Although we sat in silence for a while, the distinct impression of something bothering her nibbled at me, and a silent clock counted down somewhere.

Tick.

Tock.

“Know how many classes we’ve had together, Evan?”

“Um, no.” My pen scribbled, noting a key term.

“Three. One in each semester so far. In the first class, I sat right behind you.”

Okay, that was weird; usually she talked about work. After lifting the pen, I looked at her. “Huh, really?”

“Yes, really.” At the flash in her eyes, the confusion within me grew. “Know why I sit next to you?”

“Hmm, no.” I shrugged. “Funny, maybe? Sometimes I make you laugh.”

“You do.” Although a slim grin appeared, she lowered her gaze to the pink-clad tablet. “And, um, thanks for that. It means a lot.”

Once she’d started the device, silence again stretched, bar the soft clicking of her nails on the screen; that stormy evening, they were the sparkly red she most often wore.

“Perhaps I, um, also help?” I offered.

“Help?” Her typing stopped.

“Yeah, you know when you’re stuck on something.”

“Evan”—perfect eyebrows tightening, she looked up—”any idea why I rush in here all the time?”

“Nope. You’re always the second student here.” I scanned the large classroom; most of its chairs would remain empty, evening classes being nowhere near as full as the daytime ones. “There’s plenty of seats.”

“So that I’m the one getting the spot beside you.” A quiet but lengthy sigh escaped her. “Have you really never noticed the women in here, heard what they say about you?”

“Uh, no.”

Despite lifted eyebrows, I tried focusing on whatever words were in that chapter. However, they were bouncing off my skull and, at that point, I should’ve abandoned the effort.

“Single guy like you. What do you think?”

“Like me?”

“You pulling my leg?” An even louder breath left her, sending warm air over my arm. “God, you’re maddening, Evan. That magical mind of yours, plus you’re a stone-cold hunk. You’ve got to have heard that before?”