Without a supportive family when he was a teenager, Charlie's Tourette syndrome and anxiety had become too overwhelming and he ended up dropping out of school. He always promised himself he'd earn his GED before he turned thirty, and now he's running out of time.<br><br>With only four months to go, he gathers his courage and enrolls in a night class for adults. He knows it isn't going to be easy, but he certainly didn't expect to fall for his teacher.<br><br>Owen Talbot is everything Charlie's looking for, but he needs to focus on passing the test, not studying the teacher, no matter how much he wants the man. When Owen offers Charlie a personal tutoring session, he isn't sure it's a good idea but he takes the teacher up on the offer, anyway. Spending one-on-one time with his sexy teacher won't be a problem, right?

Studying the Teacher

Charlie wasn’t following. He furrowed his brow. “Mistake?”


“I wasn’t thinking about the fact that most of you haven’t been in a classroom for years, even decades, and the first thing I do is ask you guys to talk in front of strangers. I shouldn’t have done that, Charlie. I’m really sorry.”


Owen was apologizing. To Charlie. “Wait…how did you know my name?”


Owen grinned, revealing dimples in each cheek. “I already checked in everyone else. Your name was the only one left.”


“Oh.” He stood rooted to the floor, feeling a little silly. So now what—should he go back in? The silence stretched as he tried to think of something to say.


“I’d really like you to stay. I promise not to ask you any questions in class.”


“How did you know that’s why I left? That it was because of you asking us to talk?”


“I saw the expression on your face—sheer panic. I won’t put you through that again. I promise.”


Chapter 4