in the class as well as Dr. Carmichael, who cast a disapproving glance in their direction.
They muttered their apologies, and Maya scanned the room. Abby’s plan to nap in the back was thwarted because the back rows of the small lecture hall were already occupied, and they were forced to sit at the very center of the front row.
They took their seats and Dr. Carmichael resumed his introduction of the guest lecturer. “Now that you’re all here,” he said, glancing at Maya and Abby. “Ladies and gentlemen, I know that your time here is drawing to a close and you’re all busy studying for finals, but today I invited someone to come in and talk to you, perhaps to inspire you on your paths in business and in the hospitality industry. The remarkable young man you are about to meet has done so much since he was my student, including becoming one of the most successful businessmen in his industry as a, how do the papers put it, nightclub mogul?” The professor laughed to himself. “Students, please welcome the owner of Swerve nightclubs, Jamie Sellers.”
The professor got Maya’s attention at his mention of Swerve Nightclub, and her eyes sharpened. But her mouth completely dropped when she actually got a good look at the man walking into her classroom. Jamie Sellers. The man she had kissed the night before. The owner of the damn club. The man who had paid for their many, many drinks and, if it was possible, looked even more gorgeous than he had the night before. Maya cast a quick look at Abby, whose eyes were as wide in shock as Maya’s, and she silently hyperventilated in her seat. In an act of desperation, she took a look under her desk. Is there enough room to crawl under there and die?
Maya watched Jamie’s acute eyes survey the class until they settled on her, sitting front-row center. Their eyes connected and she nearly trembled under his scrutiny. How could she be expected to sit still for fifty minutes with him in front of her? Mortification and sudden desire made her flush and she could feel her temperature rise.
Their eyes held for a beat too long, and Maya held her breath. She was relieved when his gaze roamed elsewhere. He cleared his throat. “Hey, guys. I don’t normally do things like this, but when Dr. Carmichael asked me to come in, how could I say no?” He cast an affectionate glance toward the professor. “Because I don’t believe that I would be the person I am today if not for him and his intervention.
“You see, I wasn’t always a ‘nightclub mogul.’” Jamie smiled and made air quotes around the phrase with his fingers. “I was a punk kid, my parents were never around and I just barely graduated from high school. I got into trouble quite frequently. But I met Dr. Carmichael one night while I was working as a busboy.” Jamie briefly described his history with Dr. Carmichael, and Maya admired how far Jamie had come in such a short amount of time. “He showed me that if you have a passion for something, no matter what’s standing in your way, you should go for it, and that doesn’t just apply in business, but in everyday life, as well.”
Jamie spoke with an enthusiasm to which Maya could relate, and she smiled, seeing a lot of herself in the man before her. She admired him already. As he told them the story of shedding the weight of a troubled upbringing and his transformation to successful business-owner, she held on to his every word.
“I wasn’t going to make a splash just washing glasses for a decade.” He laughed, as did many of the people in her class. “Although, as the boss, I fully appreciate each and every employee under me, from the busboys and waitresses to my club managers and executives. It is a team environment, and you should never forget that it is the people that matter most. If your people are happy, they’ll be motivated and make your customers happy. If you’ve got happy workers and happy customers, the profit won’t be far behind.”
Everything Jamie was saying made perfect sense to Maya, but it was when he looked at her that it seemed she could barely think straight. When his eyes connected with hers, she couldn’t hear what was going on around her or what he or anyone else in the class was saying. She could hear nothing but the sound of her heart beating in her ears. When his gaze connected with hers, she could only manage to fidget with her fingers, her pen. She straightened some papers on her desk, and then she straightened them again. Anything so she wouldn’t have to look back at the man in front of her. The man who seemingly made her cheeks flush and her skin tingle with a single stare.
* * *
AFTER ONE OF the most uncomfortable hours of his life, Jamie said goodbye to the class and wished them luck in their future careers. He shook Dr. Carmichael’s hand and quickly left the classroom. He stopped in the hallway outside to pull out his phone to see how many calls, texts and emails he had missed. There were many of each. He sighed. Once again, he thought of the empty assistant’s desk in the corner of his office and remembered that he had to get on with hiring someone new. Martin wasn’t coming back, no matter what price Jamie offered him.
Jamie put his phone to his ear, when he felt the soft touch of a hand on his arm. He turned and saw her. Maya Connor. The woman from the bar last night. The woman who had been sitting front and center during his talk. How many times was he forced to tear his gaze from her, only to have it roam, out of his control, back in her direction. How many times had he tripped over his own tongue when he thought of her arms around him and her body pressed against his? More than once the blood that fueled his brain, his speech and any logical thought he’d formed surged south. Luckily, he’d worn dark pants, so his innermost thoughts and desires remained secret to the class. But the fact that he couldn’t seem to control his hormones, as if he were a horny teenager, bothered him right in the control-freak tendencies.
Last night he’d watched her from the staircase leading up to his office, and he had to hold himself back from going to her. He had spent the rest of the night watching Maya from his office through the window that let him see what was happening in his club. No matter where she was in the crowd, he had always seemed to be able to find her. Like a siren in the fog, she drew him in whether he liked it or not. On the dance floor, she’d moved effortlessly to the beat of the music. He had pondered arranging a VIP table for them, but he remembered the frightened look in her eyes after she’d kissed him, and he thought better of it. He wouldn’t want to scare her off, and he certainly wanted to see her back in his club again.
Jamie knew that he had to be careful. Thankfully, he hadn’t seen any pictures or videos posted of their kiss. He’d spent the morning scouring the worst of the online tabloids, especially Montreal Secrets, run by John Power, which had been decidedly poor in their treatment of him since he’d opened his first club.
In this case, he’d gotten lucky. He couldn’t afford any bad press as he was about to embark on one of the most daunting projects of his life, and he certainly didn’t have time to be in a relationship, or even just casually see anyone. Every bit of focus had to be put toward his work.
“Listen, Mr. Sellers,” Maya said, interrupting his thoughts. She averted her eyes and was clearly embarrassed. He enjoyed the way her brow creased and the way she brought her bottom lip between her teeth.
Jamie was watching her mouth, wishing that his lips, teeth and tongue were there, joined with hers. So he didn’t realize that she was still speaking and he had to force his eyes back to hers. The beautiful, dark, almond eyes he recalled from the previous night. He was lost.
“I’m really sorry about last night,” she stammered. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was inappropriate, and it was—”
“It’s okay,” he said, assuring her with a smile.
“It’s really not,” she insisted. “It’s just that my friend Abby dared me to do something reckless, and I’d had a bit too much to drink. Oh, and can I assume you paid for our drinks?” He nodded. “It was sweet, but really not necessary. Here, let me pay you back.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe you? I made sure
