A beaming smile forms on my face, and for a moment, I can forget all about the heartaches of this world.
Even if it only lasts for a moment. That moment is one I’ll cherish.
Present
Why am I doing this again?
Oh right, because I stupidly thought college was a good idea.
It would’ve been, if the dude I slept with wasn’t my fucking professor … and staring at me every other minute.
Every time he drops a question, bam, he gives me that intense look again. And each time, I blush like hell. I swear I can see him smile when I do. It’s like he thinks it’s funny. And you know what? I’m embarrassed as fuck, but I can’t keep my eyes off him either. That cocky smile just does something to me, makes me remember all the dirty things he did to me. And then I swoon all over … over a guy I can’t have.
God, this is fucked up.
But I can’t leave either.
Not again.
That would be even more embarrassing, so I stick it out until the class is over.
I pack up as quickly as I can, trying not to look at him as I get up from my seat.
But then his voice rings through the auditorium. “Oh, Hailey Walters … I still want to discuss something with you.”
I freeze in place as the other students pass me.
“I’ll see you later then,” Lesley mouths at me before walking out.
I wanted to grab her, but she was too far ahead for me to beg her to stay.
Fuck.
Now, I’m all alone with him.
I spin on my heels only to be met with a smug smile and a stare. He’s still sitting behind his desk, his hand placed firmly on the wood like he knows he’s got me cornered. Damn him.
“C’mon,” he says, beckoning me.
I step down the stairs slowly, not taking my eyes off him because I feel like he could just appear in front of me if I did. I stand in front of his desk as he looks up at me with discerning eyes that almost demand attention.
“Why so nervous?”
I swallow. “I’m not nervous.”
“I can see you fiddling your fingers.” He points, and I look down, then hide my hands behind my back, feeling caught doing something I didn’t even know I was doing.
“I just wanted to talk.”
“About what?” I ask.
“About us.”
The way he says it makes all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up … in a good way.
He leans on his desk and gets up, his chair scooting back inches from the imposing stance. “Let’s just get this out of the way, shall we? Do you want this to be awkward?”
“No, not really.”
“Me neither.” He steps away from his desk, and I instinctively turn to face him as he walks around to me. “Which is why I wanted to talk. I just want to know we’re on the same terms.”
“Depends on what those terms are,” I say, folding my arms.
“The terms being that you are my student and I am your teacher, and we are to behave accordingly.”
“Right.” I don’t understand where he’s going with this.
“We should act professionally,” he adds, nodding, as he paces around. He looks up at me as if he’s looking for an answer.
“Yes. But—”
He walks toward me, and then past me, circling around like a vulture stalking its prey. “And neither of us will talk about our private time together with anyone else. Agreed?”
“Okay … but that doesn’t mean I’m going to forget.”
As he passes me, I swear I can see him narrow his eyes. “Neither will I, Miss Walters. I could never.”
Suddenly, I feel a rush of hot air on my neck … and a quick brush of his finger on my back, tingling all the way down my spine.
Thomas
I don’t know why I touched her.
I saw her standing there with her sassy attitude, and all I could think of was putting my hands on her. So I did. It just happened. I couldn’t stop myself.
I should have.
But for some reason, I don’t want to; even though I know it’s wrong.
She’s not just the girl I fucked now. She’s a student, and I should behave properly. Too bad my mind is so fucking dirty when I’m around her; I’m anything but proper right now.
I can feel her body stiffen from just a stroke of my finger. I know she feels it too … The effect I have on her. How she gets me all riled up just by looking at me. Maybe that’s why we keep running into each other. We can’t stay away … and maybe that’s also why we’re fighting it so damn hard.
“I just want to know …” I say. “Will you be missing more classes?”
“What? Um … I don’t know,” she says, quickly recapturing herself.