A small smile slips from my lips, and I choke out a cough to cover up a laugh. “Well, how’d you feel if one of your professors saw you and stared at you for an hour?”
“I thought they weren’t staring?” she quips, arching a brow. “Plus, if it’s a professor as hot as him, then I’d feel aroused, sweaty like my loins were on fire and he was the only one capable of putting them out.”
“Oh God. I just threw up in my mouth.” I snort. I lower my head even more, embarrassed at how she’s talking about him. I know it’s not a secret how good looking he is, but he’s so much more than that to me. He always has been.
I start to notice students nearby are looking at us. I give Ellie a side-glance that tells her she needs to keep it down.
“Sorry,” she whispers with a devilish smile.
We manage to get through class without any more outbursts of laughter. I purposely pack my things away slowly, waiting for the rest of the students to file out. Ellie stands around waiting for me, but I find an excuse to get rid of her.
“Oh, I have to ask him something real quick. I’ll catch up with you.”
“I don’t mind waiting. My ex-boyfriend and roommate finally moved out, giving me the freedom to basically have no life at all.” Her lips purse together, and I can see she’s still struggling with the breakup. She found him in bed with her roommate, Rachel, and acted as if she was supposed to join their little party. She was devastated and has now been covering up her feelings about it since.
I nod instead of arguing. “It’s okay. I’ll ask him later. It’s no big deal.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’ll walk out with you.” I pull my bag over my shoulder, and we head out down the hallway.
I ask her about her ex-boyfriend, Chad, and if she wants to talk about it. She rambles on about how she gave him all her best years. She’d been hoping they’d be engaged soon and planning a wedding for after graduation.
“You’re too young to want to be tied down,” I say. “You have plenty of great years ahead of you.”
“I’m an art student who spends my nights painting and reading. When I’m not at work, I’m studying or crying over fictional men who’ll never appear in real life.”
“What you need is a girl’s night,” I declare. “I have a couple friends who’d love to go out if you’re interested. Maybe this weekend?”
She shrugs, her eyes low to the ground. “Sure, maybe. Can I bring my friends, Kindle and Chocolate, with?”
I shove my shoulder into hers and laugh. “No. You’ll have to break the news to them that they have to stay home and keep your bed warm for you instead.”
She finally cracks a smile. “All right, fine. I guess I can manage one night out.”
“Trust me. Kendall and Zoe are my sole reason for getting through this past year. You’ll love them,” I reassure.
As soon as we walk out, I pretend to have left something back in the room. I tell her I’ll chat with her Thursday about this weekend and say my goodbyes. It’s my chance to quickly head back in and see Morgan.
The hallway has already cleared out. Most of the students bail as quickly as they can after night classes. I don’t expect to see anyone, but as soon as I walk past a dark room, a hand grabs me from behind and covers my mouth, pulling me back against their chest and into the empty room.
I’m ready to scream and elbow punch whoever it is when I hear Morgan’s voice in my ear. “It’s just me.”
He releases his hand and spins me around. “You scared me half to death!” I whispered loudly, slapping a hand to his chest.
A warm smile forms on his lips. “Sorry, I just needed to kiss those lips. And maybe this neck. And…”
He pulls me against his chest and covers his mouth over mine. I wrap my arms around him and lean into him, soaking up every forbidden second we have before one of us has to leave.
“That felt so awkward,” I say as soon as he releases me.
His brows furrow. “The kiss?”
“No.” I laugh. “Being in class with you. Ellie kept asking why I was acting weird, which I hadn’t realized I was. Did you think I was?”
“I don’t know. I was trying hard not to focus on you.” He cracks a smile, and I laugh again.
“We’re so bad at this.”
“It’s going to be fine,” he promises. “We’ll have a whole week off for spring break and then just half a semester left to go.”
I groan. “That’s a long time.”
“Trust me, I know. It’s how long I’ve been waiting to feel those lips against mine…” He smirks. “But it’ll fly by. Don’t worry. Just act normal in class. Participate as usual. Ask questions. Undress me with your eyes if you feel the need.”
I nod and flash a mocking sneer. “Sure, no biggie. Just pretend I didn’t have my professor’s cock in my mouth. No problem.”
He covers my mouth with his hand again and shushes me with a quiet laugh. “And learn to talk quieter.” He makes a face and releases his hand.
“No one is even here. Relax.”
“You never know. I could have a stalker waiting out there for me.”
“Well, for your sake, I hope so. You could use the distraction from constantly staring at my chest.”
“Only when you wear shirts like that.” His eyes purposely glance down to the low V of my shirt.
“And what about when I wear short skirts and heels?” I prompt.
His eyes widen his lips form a firm line. “You better not,” he threatens. “Jeans and turtlenecks are the only things you’re now allowed to wear in my classroom.”
I snort, shaking my head at his exaggerations. “I don’t even own a turtleneck.”
He groans, throwing his head back. “Lord, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? Punishing me for kissing my student and now you want to punish me while she sits in my classroom half naked and untouchable?”
“Good way to test your willpower, Professor.” I wink, lean in, and give him a chaste kiss before heading out of the classroom first. “Feel free to follow me home though.”
MORGAN
God, I wish I could.
I wouldn’t wait until we were back to her place, though. The elevator, maybe. But it’d be a challenge.
I pick Natalia up from my mom’s and she nearly passes out as soon as I get her in the house. We talk a little before her eyes flutter closed, and I give myself a mental note to ask about her night at breakfast in the morning.
I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face as I walk through the house making sure doors are locked and lights are turned off. Aspen’s consumed my mind for so long that it seems impossible that I finally have her.
I just need to make sure I can keep her without the board finding out. Jeopardizing both of our futures would be the worst thing that could happen.
But I can’t not have her. Having my heart ripped out again would be the end of me. She fits me so perfectly, it’s as if we’ve been two broken puzzle pieces all this time just waiting to find the other piece to connect to—to finally feel whole.
I change clothes and settle in bed with my laptop. I’ve been behind on updating grades, so I know I have to enter them in tonight for midterms before students leave for spring break.
After a half an hour, I hear a soft knock on the front door. I walk down the hallway and gasp as soon as I open the door and see Aspen standing there.
“Hi…” My eyes light up shocked to see her. “What are you doing here?”
She starts unbuttoning her long trench coat, slowly walking toward me. “Came to surprise you,” she drawls out, her voice sweet and laced with seduction. “Thought since you couldn’t come to me, I’d come to you.” She sweeps her tongue across her lower lip, and I’m about five seconds away from peeling the rest of her coat off along with all my clothes.
I grab her hand and pull her all the way inside the foyer. She shuts the door with the back of her heel and molds her body against mine. I feel my cock hardening at the way she rolls her hips against me, teasing and taunting me before I even have a chance to do anything about it.