Professor Lee talked so freaking fast.

I typed furiously on my keyboard, trying to keep up between getting all the notes down and desperately trying not to stare at him. Walking around the front of the class with his biceps bulging against his tight dress shirt, dark brown scruff, and those piercing hazel eyes that I couldn't look into without warmth spreading through my core, he was the epitome of any greek god we were learning about this semester.

When I chose to attend Arcane University, it wasn't because of the hot professors, but that was definitely a plus. I wasn't complaining, but... I figured that I wouldn't retain much this semester, even though I so desperately wanted to. Mythology was my favorite subject, like ever.

"I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early," Professor Lee said, crossing his huge arms over his chest and looking oh-so-fine. "Don't forget about the readings. Pages three through eighteen in your textbook."

After typing the last of my notes, I glanced up to see the rest of the students already either heading out the door or forming a line in front of Professor Lee to introduce themselves. My advisor told me that I should introduce myself to my teachers, but... I was always so nervous around people.

I told her that I wasn't going to, but Professor Lee kept glancing over me during class. Part of me wanted to go over to him to at least apologize for bumping into him earlier. I didn't know what possessed me to do something so out of character, but I found myself lingering at the very back of the line, letting people cut me to talk to him first, because my stomach was in knots.

When the last student said her goodbyes to him, she walked out of the auditorium and left me there alone with him. Alone with a hell of a man who I couldn't stop gawking at. He stared at me with a pair of hazel eyes and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi, I'm Bria..."

I shifted from foot to foot, not knowing what to say. I didn't have anything planned to say, I didn't even have plans to come up here and introduce myself to him. If I did, I would've practiced in front of the mirror in my dorm room, until I knew I didn't look so awkward and stupid.

"I wanted to, uhm..."

He leaned against the front of his desk and thrust his hands into his pant pockets, full lips set in a small smile. "Bria," he said, my name rolling off his tongue so naturally that it did something to me that it really freaking shouldn't have.

Warmth gathered in my core, my heart racing just a bit faster. "Bria."

I repeated my name like a dumbass, completely absorbed in how attractive my classics professor was. He had to be at least in his early forties, his dark scruff decorated with silver specs and a crease between his brows. And I was just an eighteen year old kid who went to college to run away from her family.

"Sorry," I said quickly, cheeks flushing. "I'm... I, uh, just wanted to say that I'm looking forward to classics. I've been obsessed with mythology since I was like five, so I'm excited to read some more this semester." With his intense gaze on me, I looked down at my feet and scrambled to hike my backpack up my shoulder. "I should get—"

"Which is your favorite?" he asked quickly, kicking himself off the desk and moving a couple inches closer to me.

My breath caught in the back of my throat, my heart pounding in my chest.

"My favorite?" I asked, almost in a whisper by how close he was.

"Favorite story, favorite god?"

"Oh, uhm, Hephaestus isn't my favorite god, but I've reread stories about him a couple times."

"Any particular reason?"

Cheeks flushed, I teetered on foot to foot and tried hard not to gaze up into his hazel eyes that seemed to look right through me. I sucked in a breath and found myself staring anyway, the tension between us growing by the moment. He was close, and I couldn't get myself to move away, and I didn't want to either.

"I don't know," I whispered.

He paused and arched a hard brown brow, lips curling into a smirk. "Well, you have all semester to figure it out. Everyone gravitates toward a story or a person for a reason." He lifted his finger, and I thought he was going to push a strand of hair behind my ear. But, instead, he stopped midway and drew his fingers across the scruff on his face.

"What's your favorite story?" I asked.

After a moment, he paused and cracked another breathtaking smile. "You'll find out with time, Bria."

When he said my name, tingles rushed through me. "Anyway..." I glanced down and tried hard to ignore them. "Sorry for bumping into you earlier. I'll be more careful tomorrow." I took a couple steps backward. "Bright and early."

"Bright and early," Professor Lee repeated.

After giving him one last smile, my cheeks flaming hot, I turned on my heel and hurried up the auditorium stairs, careful not to trip again. "Get yourself together, Bria," I whispered to myself once I started up the walkway toward the exit. He was my classics professor for fuck's sake, and it was the first damn day of college.

It was forbidden.