Rey rushed into the lecture hall and almost fell over her own feet. She stared at the rows of students laughing and whispering at her.

'Late again Rey?' Came the disapproving voice of Professor Solo.

Rey winced. Professor Ben Solo's temper was legendary within the university's walls. His long-standing feud with the tenured classics professor Luke Skywalker was well known to the faculty and students alike. She had heard so many rumours of their heated discussions turning violent, she assumed the story she heard about him trying to take a meat cleaver to Professor Skywalker's arm was just nasty slander though.

'Sorry Sir.' Rey managed to squeak. She made a mental note to smack Finn later. It was all his fault, he just couldn't live without his McDonald's breakfast. If only she could learn to say no to him but her primary school play mate would always have a special place in her heart and he knew it, the ass.

Professor Solo was staring at her intently, she recognised that look, it was the one that made her feel completely naked. She shivered and he looked pleased. Figures he would enjoy making her squirm.

'Take a seat.' He drawled as he turned back to the whiteboard.

Rey trudged up a few rows and pulled out a chair. She opened her notebook and found her favourite blue pen, it was old and she had chewed the lid up bad, but she loved it all the same.

She focused her attention on what Professor Solo was discussing,

'Over the next four lectures and seminars we will be discussing how literature has often brought conflict into focus, we will be looking at the poets and authors who use their writing to shine a light on the atrocities they see around them in current literature. We will also be examining the popular view point that literature can and should contribute to peace building in our time...'

Professor Solo was renowned for his lectures. He spoke with such passionate intensity that even the most jaded of students couldn't help but be enthused. He gestured wildly as he spoke, meaning he frequently had to push his dishevelled hair away from his forehead. A lot of people said he had a stern face but Rey would describe it as interesting and he rarely smiled, but when he did and it reached his eyes he was almost hand...

'Rey? REY?' His voice pulled her out of her daydream.

'Yyyyes sir?' She stammered.

She realised that everyone was putting on their coats and collecting their things. Had it really been an hour already?

'Rey please make sure you collect a handbook on your way out, you need to do the reading before the seminar.'

'Yes Sir.' She agreed and headed for the door.

'Oh and Rey?'

'Yes Sir?'

'Try not to be late for the next seminar.' He walked towards her, 'If you are late for one more teaching session, there will be repercussions.'

'Yes Sir.' Rey could feel his eyes on her as she exited the classroom, she swallowed hard. She was going to have to tell Finn to get his own breakfasts from now on.

Finn and Poe tried to persuade her to go out for drinks that night but she refused. She didn't want to risk not getting up in time for Professor Solo's nine am seminar.

The house they shared off campus was quiet without the boisterous boys and Rey seized the opportunity to do some studying in peace. By ten, she was struggling to keep her eyes open so she dragged herself off to bed hoping the boys wouldn't be too loud when they finally returned home.

'Rey,' Professor Solo boomed.

She was in the lecture hall again but this time they were completely alone.

'You're late...again'

'Sorry Sir.' She pouted and looked down. She noted she was wearing a plain white blouse and a pleated plaid skirt and knee length white socks? Her old St Augustine's school uniform? Why would she be wearing that?!

'Your behaviour is not satisfactory. I expect you to improve.' He cautioned her with a disapproving tone.

'I will Sir.' She eagerly agreed.

'Do you promise?'

'Sir?' His tone had changed, it was almost playful and she found it disconcerting.

He came to stand before her, towering over her tiny frame,

'Do you promise to be good?'

She noticed his eyes swept over her body as he spoke.

'Yes Sir, I promise.' She agreed with wide eyes.

He smiled at her then, and her heart thudded in her chest. He really was handsome when he smiled.

'I am pleased to hear that,' he I should hate to have to punish you.'

'Wwwwhhat?' Rey asked.

Professor Solo lowered his head to place his mouth to her ear,

'If you are late for my class once more, I shall put you over my desk and spank you, do I make myself clear?'

Rey didn't respond. She stood in shock not from his words but from the effect his words had had on her. Hot, heavy arousal clouded her senses. The thought of him lowering her over his desk, standing behind her, slowly pushing up her skirt and taking off his belt...

'Rey!' The sing song voice of her best mate interrupted her dream and the heat that had flooded her body moments before fizzled out .

She punched her pillow in frustration. God, what a dream! How on earth has she developed a crush on the gruffest Professor at UCL! She laughed at the absurdity of it all.

'Finn! She screamed, 'some of us are trying to sleep!'

'Well you're up now aren't ya? So come and have some pizza with us!'

Rey rolled her eyes. It was impossible to stay mad at Finn. She dragged herself out of bed and padded bare foot to the living room.

Beep Beep Beep Beep! Her alarm demanded her attention.
'No!' Rey moaned, scrunching up her nose and burying her head in her pillow.

'Rey!' Finn popped his head around her bedroom door.

'Don't you have to be in class at nine!'

'Yeah but it's just gone seven!' She shot back.

Rey knew she had set her alarm to wake her at seven.

'Wrong! It's 8:40 and you are going to have to be late for Professor McStuffypants if you don't get a move on.'

Rey jumped up,
'Oh god! He is going to kill me!'

She rushed around the room, grabbing a hair bobble to put her unruly hair into a bun, and throwing on yesterday's clothes. She ran like the wind through the streets, onto campus and into the building. She arrived just as the clock stuck nine and breathed a sigh of relief, panting and sweating profusely but she had made it. She silently congratulated herself.

Time moved slowly, images from her dream kept invading her mind and she couldn't bring herself to look Professor Solo in the eye. To make matters worse he kept calling on her and the questions seemed particularly tricky. She figured he has decided it was pick on tardy Rey day. Luckily, she knew the material well and he seemed satisfied with each of her quick responses.

While she was packing up her things, he called her over and her heart went into overdrive. She tried not to look at his desk.
'Rey I'm afraid your last essay wasn't up to your usual standard, 42% is barely scraping a pass.'
'But it's still a pass.' Rey suggested optimistically.
Professor Solo lifted an eyebrow at her,
'Your capable of so much more Rey.' His compliment touched her but then he ruined it by continuing,
'Perhaps it's the company you keep? Are they perhaps leading you astray? Finn and Poe are hardly the scholarly types, just coasting by on football scholarships I hear.' He said with distain.

Rey's mouth fell open, how did he know who her friends were? And why was it any of his business who she hung out with? She bristled,

'Perhaps my grade is the result of your substandard teaching Sir?' She suggested.

What are you doing?! Her mind screamed at her, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth,

'Perhaps you should first examine your own teaching methods and question why you are failing your students before you start pointing fingers at my friends, Sir.'

His eyes flashed at her, he was livid and she was the cause. It should have scared her but instead she felt the same arousal running through her body as she had when she was dreaming. Equal parts of bravado and insanity seemed to be invading her mind.

'You forget your place Rey,' he warned stepping closer to her. She could smell his aftershave now, a rich blend of exotic spices. She swayed a little. Why did he have this effect on her! She tried to focus, she has to get a handle on this crush before she got into serious trouble! She rubbed her temples.

'Are you alright Rey?' He looked concerned. The change in his demeanour was endearing and helped to cool her temper.

'Sorry Sir, I don't know what came over me. I'll study harder. It won't happen again.'
She mumbled as she flushed from head to toe.

'See that you do.' He frowned at her and then his expression softened,
'I really meant it when I said you are capable of more Rey, you remind me of myself when I was a student.'

Rey smiled, 'Thank you Sir.'

They looked at each other for a few moments. His eyes really were so beautiful...shit. I'm in over my head here... Rey thought.

Then he cleared his throat and looked away,

'Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Rey.'

Was it just her imagination, or had his voice fluctuated slightly when he said her name? Seriously Rey? Get over yourself!

'Yes tomorrow, goodbye sir.'

She left the room, and put her back to the wall in the corridor.

'Oh my god!' She mouthed to herself putting her hand over her heart.

What the hell are you doing? Ben reprimanded himself as he packed up his bag. Get a hold of yourself she's a student for god's sake. Think of your position.

It had been little things at first, he had noticed how bright her smile was or how she looked as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear while reading.

Then he noticed the similarities in her work which reminded him so much of his own. He began to think that she would benefit greatly from some individual tutoring, he had even considered making her his protege and the thought had pleased him greatly, and as suddenly as that he had realised that she was becoming a problem.

Rey was filling his thoughts more frequently, and try as he might, he couldn't shut her out. He was going to have to do something about it and soon.