Bennett - Milly Taiden Page 0,11
it would be like to be a badass cop with rippling muscles. A man who could command power and control with a single look or by merely being there.
He vowed to do some research on how to increase self-confidence and masculinity the second he got back to the lab. Maybe he could even write a research paper for it.
That would be a trick and a half.
He would either be praised by his peers or laughed at for not being satisfied with his high IQ, multiple degrees, and professorial tenure. Those things were great, and he was proud of his accomplishments, but they didn’t keep him company or warm at night.
Not like Dakota’s smile could.
“You know that I’ve never done this many times?” He broke the silence, feeling the need to be close to Dakota. “Sat around to leisurely watch television?”
She laughed. The sound of it was warm and clear. Could a laugh be beautiful? He was sure hers was.
“Oh, if I had a quarter for every hour of my life I’ve leisurely spent watching television, I would never need a job again. And I could resume watching television.” She gave him a smile that made him blush.
How many times had he pushed up his glasses in the last hour? Probably way too many. They were fine, sitting on his nose just as they should be. But his fingers were itching to push the frame up. They needed something to do before he decided to reach out and touch her cheek.
That would be a creepy thing to do. He knew that. The last thing he wanted was to be the weird dude who reached out a hand to her. This wasn’t a date. She had been sent by a protection agency to keep an eye on the house and on his safety.
He had to remember that. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t take the time to get to know her. After all, they would be in the same house for the next seven days. He could ask a few questions, here and there. If he found out she had a boyfriend, well then, that would be fine. If he discovered she was single? That would also be all right. It might even be preferable.
Not that he was going to hit on her or anything so pedestrian. He was only going to develop a relationship with his temporary housemate. A platonic relationship. With a quick nudge of his fingers, his glasses were as high as they could possibly go on his nose. He opened his mouth, intent on asking her something.
No matter what he thought of asking, it seemed silly. He had to find the right topic to engage her in a conversation. How did humans talk again? He was a human, too, damn it! Why were social interactions so difficult for him?
“Can I ask you a question?” Dakota’s voice was shy and tentative.
Bennett turned his head to better see her.
“Of course!” He wanted to kick himself for sound so earnest.
“What did you mean when you said that the educational system really isn’t geared for everyone?”
Crap. Why had he said that? He hadn’t meant to upset her. Quite the contrary. He cleared his throat.
“Well, I’ve got limited experience in the school system. I wasn’t there for very long. I’ve got a few friends who had similar experiences to mine. We had to fight very hard to move at our own pace, which is to say, on a fast track to our high school diplomas. We were all lucky to have understanding parents and teachers who didn’t mind bucking against the system. But if we had been in other situations, we might have been made to follow along the designated path.”
“You mean, do every school year as it’s intended?” Dakota asked.
He nodded. “I would have been bored and bullied within an inch of my life, I know that. Or my thirst for learning would have been groomed out of me. The system is made for the medium student. They can excel or coast along. It’s built for them. For the ones who test well, too. Those of us who need more guidance or more help? Or more challenges? We’re often slipping through the cracks before anyone can take notice. I know for a fact the education system is trying very hard. There are many systems in place nowadays to make sure that doesn’t happen. It wasn’t really like that before.”
Dakota was frowning, and Bennett feared he had insulted her further. “You know you’re