Chapter 1: 30th September

Bella Swan

I was the first to arrive in the lobby of the Faculty building on the first day of Michaelmas Term, so I could get some coffee and avoid all the freshers blocking up Oxford's streets on their new bikes. Professor Banner, the Head of the Biomedical Sciences Faculty, laughed when he saw me sat under the noticeboard. Prof Banner knew me fairly well as he was one of the tutors at Lady Margaret Hall, my college.

I was re-reading my research proposal, ready to discuss with my supervisor. I already knew who I was working with, Professor Gerandy, but the email instructions from Prof Banner's office had been to attend the lobby noticeboard for information on changes to supervisions, lecture timetables and essay deadlines.

"Eager as usual, Miss Swan?"

"Of course, Professor."

"Good summer?"

The best." I smiled to myself as I thought of my three months at Harvard, the amazing experience I'd had with Professor Cullen and all the new friends I'd made.

"Excellent. Now, I need my morning coffee before I can face all you keen beans!"

"See you shortly, sir."

By the time he returned, the lobby was crowded with final year students, as well as several lost freshers. It was quite the melee, but in the midst of it, I was happy to see my friend Angela, looking tanned and happy from her summer in St Tropez.

I barely had a chance to speak to her, when Professor Banner appeared with the info. As soon as he left, the crowding began. I reaped the benefits of being early by getting to the information early, and I was just about to move away and escape to Professor Gerandy's lab, when I spotted my name on the supervision list.

University of Oxford Faculty of Biomedical Sciences:

Supervision Arrangements for Third Year Undergraduates

Department of Neurosciences:

Professor JW Hale: Tyler Crowley

Professor ED McCarty: Eric Yorkie

Professor EA Masen: Isabella Swan

Uh-uh. No, that couldn't be right.

"Holy shit, Bella!" Angela exclaimed. "You're working with The Fox!"

"'The Fox?'"

"Professor Masen. They call him The Fox."

"I don't understand. I was supposed to have Professor Gerandy this year. We had a project planned out and everything."

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what? I only got back from Boston two days ago. I organised all my tutorials and collections by email."

"Professor Gerandy had a heart attack in the summer. He's fine, but he's been forced to take early retirement."

"Shit."

"How was Harvard, by the way?"

"Amazing. My internship in Carlisle Cullen's lab was a great experience, and Boston's a fabulous city," I told her. "What's 'The Fox' like anyway?"

"Apparently he's brilliant, but he's a bit of a hermit, doesn't talk much, totally workaholic ... oh, and he's got sort of auburn hair like ..."

"A fox. So instead of cuddly, grandpa Gerandy, I get a reclusive, antisocial ..."

"Bella, you should see it as an honour." Angela patted my shoulder. "Professor Masen doesn't usually work with undergrads, just PhD students."

"How do you know so much about him?"

"I couldn't decide between requesting a neuroscience research project or microbiology, so I did some asking around before deciding that micro is far less complicated. To be frank, I just want an easy life, to get my degree, and start working."

"Mmm ... this could be a potential disaster."

"It won't be. You'll wow them all." I glared at her sceptically. "Look, did I mention that he's hot? Really hot. Total PILF."

I sighed. I couldn't think about whether he was hot or not right now. Your final year research supervisor could make or break your academic career.

"If you're really unhappy about the assignment, maybe you could talk to Professor Banner, to see if he'll reassign you?" Angela suggested.

"No, it'll be too late now. All the good projects will be taken," I sighed. "I guess I'd better get up there and introduce myself. Catch you later?"

"G&D at four?" she suggested, referring to our favourite local ice-cream café.

"Sounds great."

The labs were eerily quiet as I approached. I continued through to the end of the hallway, where I heard faint voices.

"... it's just so bloody inconvenient!" I heard an exasperated, deep, smooth male voice cry from behind the last door. "I haven't any time to be babysitting, Jazz! I'm at the point of a real breakthrough! Damn it, why did John have to have a heart attack?"

"I'm sure he's very sorry to have inconvenienced you, Edward," another male voice drawled sarcastically. "But you agreed to take on all his responsibilities, including his undergrad student."

"Fuck, I know. I'm an ass. John reassured me that she was the top of the class, but ..."

Shit. He really didn't want to supervise me. My day was going from bad to worse. How was I supposed to develop a meaningful mentorship with someone who was only working with me through reluctant obligation? Chickening out of talking to him until I had some strong coffee, I backed away, but promptly stumbled over my stupid feet and went flying backwards, knocking over a 'Caution, Wet Floor' sign with a loud clatter.

"What the …" The door opened and suddenly two men were hovering over me. Both were tall. One had shaggy blond hair a la Kurt Cobain, and a big smile. The other … the other … fuck me! He looked like an angry Greek God, all angular face and lean, hard body. Blue-green oceans for eyes and luscious floppy, coppery, red-brown hair a girl could lose her hands in, with just a hint of silver at the temples. Reddish-brown hair … scowling … The Fox. The Fox! The delicious, handsome, gorgeous, completely-off-limits-because-he's-my-supervisor Fox.

"Sorry! Sorry!" I cried, still on the floor. "I was looking for Professor Masen."

The Fox held out a large but elegant hand to help me up. I took it, hoisted myself up and nearly fell forward again as the most delicious goose-pimply tingles shot up my arm from where our hands met. I didn't want to let go.

"I'm Professor Masen," he replied, his voice taking on a weird, strained quality. Great. He hates me. "Isabella Swan, by any chance?"

"Yes. Please call me Bella."

He glanced at our hands, still entwined, and, looking at me oddly, he pulled his free. Every cell in my body demanded I touch him again.

I didn't.

"I suppose we should discuss your project, Miss Swan. Follow me."

-cc-

Edward

Ah, the undergrads had arrived for Michaelmas Term. The streets of Oxford were full of nervous freshers carrying new book-bags and looking up at the famous spires in wonder. Students clogged up the roads with their poor cycling etiquette, delaying my journey into work and testing my patience. Needless to say, I was in a vile mood by the time I walked through the doors of the Faculty building, and it was made worse by seeing about a hundred students milling around in the concourse, being loud and getting in the way. Most were crowded around a noticeboard.

Irritated, I pushed through them to get to the Neurosciences labs, which was on the top floor. In desperate need of coffee and chocolate, I went past my office and straight to the coffee room, where Jasper Hale, my colleague and very close friend, had already arrived and put the coffeemaker on.

"Man, what's got your goose this morning? You look super-pissed."

"Ugh, I just had to fight my way through two miles of irresponsible freshers on bikes and then a hall full of undergrads to get here. I'd forgotten that it was the first day of term."

"Well, you'd better get used to it. We'll have our undergrads arriving here later."

That was when it hit me. I was getting an undergrad student too.

"Oh, shit! I'm supposed to be taking on John's student, aren't I?"

"Yep. One, Isabella Swan, who, at some point this morning, will be turning up here to begin her project."

Professor John Gerandy had been the Head of the Neurosciences department, until this July when he was forced to take early retirement, a stalwart of Oxford's Biomedical Sciences faculty and the world Neuroscience community. He had suffered a massive heart attack over the summer; it had wrecked his left anterior descending artery and he nearly died. When I visited him in the hospital, he was extremely concerned about his lab, and his management and teaching commitments, to the point that he was talking about discharging himself against medical advice. Therefore, I promised to take them on. But as it was July then, I was caught up in research and running the department, so I promptly forgot about the undergrad coming in September.

Gah! My day was turning to utter shit, and it wasn't even 9.30am. I just didn't have the time to look after some clueless undergrad and manage my research, taking over John's lectures as well as the supervision of his doctoral student and two of my own.

As I was prone to do, I started ranting.

"For fuck's sake! It's just so bloody inconvenient! I haven't any time to be babysitting, Jazz. I'm at the point of a real breakthrough. Damn it, why did John have to have a heart attack?"

"I'm sure he's very sorry to have inconvenienced you, Edward," drawled Jasper, unable to keep the much-deserved sarcasm out of his voice. "But you agreed to take on all his responsibilities, including his undergrad student."

"Fuck, I know. I'm an ass," I agreed. It was true. I don't know how they put up with me. "John reassured me that she's top of the class but..."

Our conversation was interrupted by a loud, clunking, clattering sound and a soft, feminine cry from outside the coffee room.

"What the …" Jasper and I opened the door to the corridor.

There, on the floor, was the supine form of a slender girl with a mass of dark mahogany-brown, wavy hair. The floor was slightly damp, and a 'Caution, Wet Floor' sign was lying to one side. The girl flipped her hair back suddenly and looked up.

Fuck me sideways! She might just be the hottest, sexiest, most beautiful creature that ever did walk the Earth.

Staring back at me were the biggest, chocolate brown eyes I'd ever seen, framed by long, fluttering lashes. She had a cute button nose and a pouty, sexy, pink mouth, with bee-stung lips that could rival Angelina Jolie's, set in a heart-shaped face with a clear, creamy complexion. On seeing Jasper and me, she blushed deeply. I couldn't help but glance over the rest of her figure. Tight was the first thing that came to mind. She wore extremely tight jeans on her relatively long legs, curvy hips and a narrow waist, with a high cleavage emphasised by a dark blue t-shirt that skimmed her curves.

"Sorry! Sorry! I was looking for Professor Masen," she explained in a sweet, crisp, lilting voice, coloured by embarrassment. I had to suppress a shudder at the way my name rolled off her tongue. She was gorgeous, but young. So bloody young, barely twenty-one.

My mind was starting to wander to dark, dirty places, something that would only continue while she was on the floor. I held out a hand to help her up. Heat shot through me as her skin met mine. I took a deep breath, which was a mistake as all I could smell was the sexy, sweet magic scent this beauty emanated. The shudder I'd been trying to suppress broke free. She wasn't very tall; her head was just about level with the top of my chest, but that only made her more appealing.

Fuck, I am in trouble!

"I'm Professor Masen," I told her, but I think she already knew. She barely looked at Jasper. "Isabella Swan, by any chance?"

"Yes, but please call me Bella," she replied. We hadn't let go of each other's hands. She must have been waiting for me to do it, so I quickly pulled mine free, and immediately missed the contact.

I can't call her Bella! Way too familiar!

My groin was tightening. I could only speak through gritted teeth.

Shit. Bugger. Damn. Fuck.

"I suppose we should discuss your project, Miss Swan. Follow me."

-cc-

*Michaelmas Term: The first academic term of the year at Oxford. Starts at the end of September/beginning of October

Thank you for reading. I'd love to hear what you think!