Bennett - Milly Taiden Page 0,10
in physiology. I finally settled with a Ph.D. in biochemistry.”
“You’re a genius, then.” There was an edge to her voice. He was light-years ahead of her college-dropout ass.
He bristled, looking uncomfortable with her choice of words. “No. I mean, theoretically speaking, yes. But it’s sheltered me from a lot over the years. I missed the quintessential high school experience and college life. I was too focused on learning to have friends and go out to learn social skills.” He cleared his throat, brow furrowed. “I’m not sure why I said that. How embarrassing to admit such a thing.”
“It’s okay. I’ll even out the playing field. I barely graduated high school. I managed to get into community college, but I dropped out after a couple of months.”
He pushed his glasses back up. “The educational system really isn’t geared for everyone, sadly. They’re doing the best they can, I suppose.”
Well.
That had been the last thing Dakota had expected to come out of his mouth. Usually, she got a pitying look and even some pretty painful questions. Bennett seemed genuinely understanding.
It made her heart take notice of him even more. That was saying something, considering her tigress was already busy naming all of the litter they would have together.
He didn’t make her feel dumb or inadequate. She had never had that kind of understanding from her family.
At least, if he had been rude, it would have done wonders to stamp down her tigress’s attraction. No such luck.
She was in so much trouble.
Chapter Seven
Bennett
Bennett pushed his glasses up his nose for the trillionth time since he sat down beside Dakota. He knew it was a nervous tic, but still. Did he have to be utterly flustered by the beauty that Dakota was? He had no luck of appearing suave and interesting.
Not after the way they had met.
He knew she had completely heard him when he had asked himself if he was hearing voices.
Then he had asked for her blood. What kind of awkward social maniac was he? He could feel the skin of his neck heating up from the embarrassment.
Why had he told her about his degrees? And the boy genius thing? That was not a way to win over the heart of any woman. Even the girls he had gone to school with had been weirded out by the fact that he could do complex math in his head.
At the very least, the guys would be there tonight, and they would help him ease down on the awkwardness.
Not that he even thought he had a chance with Dakota.
He had thought Blake, Gray’s fiancée, was hot.
He had been very wrong in his assessment.
Dakota Alcott redefined what hot was. There was something about the way her dark brown hair draped over her tanned shoulders. A glimmer in her insanely blue eyes. It all pulled him in. Bennett had the constant urge to lean over and kiss her full, pink lips.
He couldn’t. Wouldn’t.
He had never been a forward sort of guy. He waited until the woman made it very clear that he wouldn’t be rejected. Then he would make a move. Maybe. If he wasn’t too nervous or too sweaty.
Dakota probably had a boyfriend anyway. There was no way she was available. Not with those curves and sexy legs. He cleared his throat.
“It’s your first job with the company, right?” He could try to have a decent, normal conversation with her. If only he could stop playing with his glasses and stop replaying the earlier scene from the lab in his head.
“Yeah, it is.” She sighed heavily before shaking off whatever heavy emotion his question had woken in her. “I can’t mess it up, so don’t be trouble.” Her smile was full of mischief, and it went to a part of his anatomy that wasn’t usually so easily stirred.
He laughed. A full belly laugh he hadn’t been expecting. “Me? Trouble? I can promise you that I have never been associated with trouble. Ever.” Should he smack himself for sounding so uncool?
“Good,” Dakota replied. “That is all I could hope for. I don’t know how I would call the boss man if you were to blow up the lab or something.” Her smirk made Bennett’s skin heat.
He racked his brain, trying to find something funny or interesting to say. He came up empty.
Not just in that moment, but over the next thirty minutes while they waited for the guys to arrive. Bennett tried to say a few things but always thought better of it. He imagined what