Textbook Kisses: Lessons in Romance Series, #2

By Lexy Timms

Life is the most difficult exam….

 

The hottest guy on campus wasn't the head of the football team or the class president. He was the teaching assistant assigned to my art history class. I knew it was wrong to get involved, but I couldn't help myself. I never met anyone who could talk about all the great painters with such passion. Looking deep into his eyes, I felt like I met my soulmate.

 

The only problem was the university's policy against teaching assistants and undergraduates dating. And my brother, who hated the idea. And my sister, who wanted to date my crush. Oh yeah, and my parents and his parents and the world in general. Basically everyone we knew had some reason they wanted us to stay away from each other.

 

Flying in the face of all rational arguments, Liam and I knew we were meant to be together. It didn't matter how much trouble we would get in. But when he buckled under pressure from the dean and called things off, I suffered the worst kind of betrayal. He was in my heart and in my mind even though I wasn't allowed to be with him. And then my brother invited him to share Christmas with the family, so he was literally right down the hall. This would end in nothing but heartbreak.

 

Lessons in Romance Series

• Book 1 – Passing Notes
• Book 2 – Textbook Kisses
• Book 3 – Academic Love

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Shadow Publishing
• Release date: Jun 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227223821

Lexy Timms

"Love should be something that lasts forever, not is lost forever."  Visit USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, LEXY TIMMS https://www.facebook.com/SavingForever *Please feel free to connect with me and share your comments. I love connecting with my readers.* Sign up for news and updates and freebies - I like spoiling my readers! http://eepurl.com/9i0vD website: www.lexytimms.com Dealing in Antique Jewelry and hanging out with her awesome hubby and three kids, Lexy Timms loves writing in her free time.  MANAGING THE BOSSES is a bestselling 10-part series dipping into the lives of Alex Reid and Jamie Connors. Can a secretary really fall for her billionaire boss?

Book preview

Lessons in Romance Series

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Book 1 – Passing Notes

Book 2 – Textbook Kisses

Book 3 – Academic Love

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Textbook Kisses Blurb

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LIFE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT exam....

The hottest guy on campus wasn’t the head of the football team or the class president. He was the teaching assistant assigned to my art history class. I knew it was wrong to get involved, but I couldn’t help myself. I never met anyone who could talk about all the great painters with such passion. Looking deep into his eyes, I felt like I met my soulmate.

The only problem was the university’s policy against teaching assistants and undergraduates dating. And my brother, who hated the idea. And my sister, who wanted to date my crush. Oh yeah, and my parents and his parents and the world in general. Basically everyone we knew had some reason they wanted us to stay away from each other.

Flying in the face of all rational arguments, Liam and I knew we were meant to be together. It didn’t matter how much trouble we would get in. But when he buckled under pressure from the dean and called things off, I suffered the worst kind of betrayal. He was in my heart and in my mind even though I wasn’t allowed to be with him. And then my brother invited him to share Christmas with the family, so he was literally right down the hall. This would end in nothing but heartbreak.

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Contents

Lessons in Romance Series

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Textbook Kisses Blurb

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Lessons in Romance Series

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Chapter 1

Liam

THIS IS MY DAD, FELIX said, as we walked in the door.

Sir, I replied, shaking the hand of the man responsible for raising both my best friend and my secret girlfriend.

And my mom, Felix continued, pointing to the sweet-looking woman in a pink cardigan.

I offered her my hand, but she brushed it aside, choosing to give me a hug instead. I laughed, feeling already like I had come home for Thanksgiving. My own parents wouldn’t have given me the time of day, but Felix’s mom and dad were ready to welcome me into their home.

A tiny voice inside my head warned me that I was being too harsh on my mother. Of course, she would welcome me home. But since we couldn’t seem to stop arguing about my course of study, I just wasn’t interested in spending the holidays with her. Better to go somewhere they didn’t care whether I studied law or not.

This is my sister Brittany, Felix said, as his mom let me go.

I turned to greet the next person in the room and got quite a shock. Brittany was about a year younger than I was, and she must have been stunning before the accident. But her neck was wrapped in a tight bandage, and she was perched on crutches, making it difficult to ignore the effects of her car crash.

Felix told me she had been studying in Japan. I thought I remembered that she was a poly-sci major, something to do with international relations. And she had been riding in a cab when the taxi was side-swiped, and all three passengers were sent to the hospital. He warned me that she looked pretty bad, and I had to reluctantly agree.

I’m so sorry about your accident, I said.

Thank you, Brittany responded.

I held out my hand and she shook it awkwardly. But there was something about the way she looked at me that gave me pause. It was almost as if she was trying to flirt with me. She smiled and winked, and I had to check with Felix to see if I was imagining it.

He didn’t seem to notice, and simply moved aside to follow his dad into the television room. Felix’s mom peeled off to go back to the kitchen, leaving me and Brittany alone beside the stairs.

I glanced down at the overnight bag in my hand. I guess I should go put this down.

Hurry back, Brittany said, making the whole thing uncomfortable.

Without being invited, I hurried upstairs to try to find the guestroom. I knocked on the first door I came to and didn’t hear any response. So I opened it up to find Felix’s room. I knew it was his immediately because it had a bunch of chemistry-themed things lying around. I shut the door and moved onto the next.

Knocking, I thought I heard someone call out to me. I pushed the door open and found Allie, the one woman that I truly cared about, sitting on her bed. She gasped, hopping up and dragging me inside.

She shut the door and planted a kiss on my lips. I returned the favor, dropping my bag so I could circle her waist with both hands. She felt so good after the long car ride. No one knew we were an item, and we both wanted to keep it that way.

I was technically still Allie’s TA in her Art History 101 course. That alone was a good reason to keep our relationship a secret, but there was another, equally compelling consideration. Felix himself would be livid if he knew. He disapproved of TAs getting involved with undergraduates. Disapproved was too light a word—he despised it. He thought it was manipulative and showed a genuine lack of character. So even though both Allie and I were consenting adults, we chose not to reveal our feelings for each other.

The kiss deepened, and I started to feel my pants growing tight. I stepped away before my animal urges could take over. Allie looked at me with a depth of longing that made me remember the one time we’d dared to make love.

It wasn’t that long ago. We converged in Felix’s apartment, and when he left to drive a friend to the airport, Allie and I took advantage of the situation. But then her sister was in a car crash and she had to rush home.

The Thanksgiving break was right around the corner, so Allie stayed with her parents. Felix came back to school because he was also a TA, although not in the same class as me. And when I mentioned that I was going to be all alone for the holiday, he strong-armed me into coming with him.

I didn’t get a chance to tell Allie about Brittany. I thought I heard someone on the bottom of the steps, so I reached for the door. Yanking it open, I pretended that Allie and I were just catching up.

How was the ride? she asked loudly.

Pretty good, I answered. Not too much traffic.

Hey, guys, Felix announced himself, reaching the top of the stairs.

Hi, I said quickly. I was looking for the guestroom, but I found Allie.

Let me show you, Felix replied, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I stooped down to retrieve my bag, giving Allie a secretive smile. I followed Felix across the hall to another door, and stood back as he opened it up. Inside, the guest bed was a little too feminine for my tastes. A pink and white quilt was draped over a queen-sized bed that had four wooden posts at each corner. There were at least a thousand pillows, although I obviously didn’t take the time to count them all.

A bedside table held a lamp that had some kind of frilly shade, and the curtains on the windows were made of lace. It looked like Allie’s mom was the one in charge of the guestroom. Not that it mattered, I could still sleep there. And I knew that the only thing I would be thinking about was Allie across the hall. It was going to be torture.

There’s a game on, Felix informed me.

I followed him downstairs reluctantly. Football wasn’t really my thing. It wasn’t Felix’s thing either, but it was a Thanksgiving tradition. It would have looked suspicious if I decided to hang back to talk to Allie. So I picked a team to cheer for and did my best to enjoy myself.

Brittany came around, lowering herself awkwardly into the chair beside me. I smiled at her, but tried to make it clear that I wasn’t interested at the same time. She didn’t seem to take the hint. Instead of focusing on the game, she kept staring at me.

Time to set the table! Felix’s mom announced, saving me from the glare of Brittany’s attention.

I’ll help! I said, standing up and walking out of the room before anyone could protest.

So kind, Felix’s mom observed, showing me where the plates were.

Felix got up to help as well, and between the two of us, we had the table set in no time. We helped plate some of the side dishes and carry them out to the dining room. When it was finally time to eat, Allie came down from upstairs and Brittany and their dad came in from the living room.

We sat around the table like a regular family. I’d only been there for a few hours, but I already felt comfortable. This was so much better than my own family dinners. At home, I would never hear the end of how I was throwing my life away by studying art, and how generations of family lawyers would be upset with me.

I tried not to think about it. Of course I missed my parents on Thanksgiving. But we couldn’t have a civil conversation at the best of times. I would just have to be thankful that Allie’s family decided to take me in.

I didn’t get to sit next to her though. I was on the opposite side of the table, with Felix. The two girls were facing us and the two parents were at the ends. Allie’s dad said grace, and we began to pass the food around. I saw that Allie had to help Brittany get some of the dishes, especially the hot ones. I had been so focused on getting away from Allie’s older sister that I hadn’t noticed one of her arms was in a splint. I knew the car crash was bad, but it looked like she suffered broken bones all over her body. If she wasn’t so uncomfortably attentive, I might have been concerned.

As it was, I couldn’t look at her without receiving a smile or a wink for my troubles. That made me determined to look at her as infrequently as possible. I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. I wasn’t actually available, though I obviously couldn’t tell her who I was dating.

Let’s go around the table and say something that we’re thankful for, Allie’s mom suggested.

You go first, Felix instructed.

I’m thankful that all of my kids are home for the holidays, Allie’s mom replied.

And Liam, Allie added.

And Liam, their mom agreed.

I’m thankful that Felix is almost done with school, Allie’s dad said. Just four more years for Allie and we can stop paying through the nose.

The family laughed.

Felix said he was grateful for the chance to take a break from his work. Brittany said she was grateful to meet me, a sentiment that I didn’t share. And when it was finally my turn, I had to scramble to come up with something appropriate.

I wanted to say that I was thankful for Allie. She was nearly perfect from what I could tell. Such an adventurous spirit, she’d been all over the world during a gap year and had seen so many more works of art than I could ever imagine. I’d never met anyone as passionate about paintings as I was. We could talk for hours about theme and composition, never getting bored. And the sex was amazing—what little of it we’d had. Most of our relationship had been spent hiding from everyone and second-guessing ourselves. But that was all in the past, except for the part about sneaking around.

I’m grateful that you invited me over to celebrate the holiday, I said truthfully. It was an answer that satisfied everyone, even Brittany.

I locked eyes with Allie across the table and raised my glass. She smiled, and for one split second, we were almost like a regular couple. But then Felix raised his glass and his parents followed suit. Brittany gave me a sappy grin, as if I had been talking about her instead of Allie.

The moment passed, and we moved on to other topics of conversation.

This bird is delicious, I said, digging into my turkey.

Thank you, Allie’s mom replied. It’s an old family recipe.

You’ll have to teach me some time, Allie said.

I would if you decided to step foot in the kitchen, her mom teased.

Not me, Brittany announced. I have no interest in learning how to cook.

Everyone glanced at Felix, waiting for him to weigh in. I wonder if you could cook a turkey with nitroglycerine, he replied.

No, their mom denounced. I’ll just cook it myself next year, thank you very much.

I snuck a glance at Allie to see how she would react to her mother’s declaration. She was smiling so warmly, it made my heart leap. I couldn’t fathom how I had managed to live without her for so long. I was desperate to get through the rest of the semester so that she could pass my class and we would be free to date openly. I was sure her parents would accept me as an official boyfriend, once the cat was out of the bag. We just had to get through a few more weeks, and we would be home-free. But those few weeks were going to be much longer than either of us expected.

Chapter 2

Allie

IT WAS ALL I COULD do not to glare at Brittany. Throughout dinner, I started getting vibes that she was hitting on my man. They only got worse as every time I looked over, she was grinning across the table.

What on earth was she doing? Yes, she was a beautiful woman, but she had a neck brace and a splint on her arm for goodness sake. She was in no shape to put the moves on anyone, especially not my boyfriend.

Of course, I couldn’t tell her to knock it off. That would only open up a floodgate of unwanted questions. She would demand to know why I didn’t want her to hit on Liam, and there was no good reason I could come up with. So I just remained silent.

At one point, I met Liam’s eyes and he raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. It was a subtle move, one that was ignored by everyone at the table. But I understood. He was hip to what Brittany was doing and he didn’t like it any more than I did.

I tried not to laugh into my gravy, and it came off like a snort. Everyone glanced at me, and I struggled to contain my emotions.

Something went down the wrong pipe, I lied.

Slow down, honey, Mom said.

I nodded, shifting my focus to my plate to avoid making eye contact with anyone. I could feel Felix staring at me, and he was the last person I wanted to confront. I was deathly afraid he would figure out that Liam and I were in love. I didn’t know exactly what he would do if or when he discovered our relationship, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

I continued chewing on my green beans until the moment passed. Then I snuck another look at Brittany and found her fawning over Liam again. I rolled my eyes. She didn’t have any shame. I would have been way too embarrassed to pursue someone in her condition. She should be focusing on recovering from her accident, not trying to get into Liam’s pants. But of course, I couldn’t say that over dinner.

I struggled to keep my eyes from wandering throughout the meal. It was best not to