“Hey.”
Silas suddenly appeared before me, his anxious expression revealing that he too had heard Finn’s news.
“I talked to Finn,” Silas stated and closed the door behind him. “Can I sit down for a sec?”
“Of course.”
Silas sat in the chair across from me, and I noticed that his hands were shaking. Instead of staying where I was, I got up and rounded the desk, taking the chair beside him.
“You all right?” I asked as I drew close, our knees brushing.
“No. Finn’s news brought back memories of my mom,” Silas admitted. “She went so fast. She had inflammatory breast cancer that was misdiagnosed. Within a matter of months, she was gone.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I feel for him, Damien. If his mom has cancer?—”
“I know,” I whispered. “I lost my father to leukemia when I was twenty-six. It was horrendous to watch him go through that battle. And it went downhill fast. Trust me, I know.”
“I’m sorry, too.”
“All we can do is hope for the best when it comes to Finn’s mom,” I added. “And we’ll support him whatever the outcome.”
Silas nodded and reached for me, cupping my face. I didn’t have the strength or the heart to pull away. Shivers wracked my body, my breath quickening.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day,” he admitted, his callused thumb tracing my lips.
Was I worried someone would come barging into my office?
“Everyone else is gone,” Silas offered, as if reading my thoughts.
I turned my face into his palm and kissed it. He inhaled sharply and the flare of heat in his eyes was unmistakable.
“It took every molecule of control I have to stay professional out there,” I confessed. “And I don’t know if I pulled it off.”
“I think we both deserve a trophy for our performance today. No one suspects a thing.”
“That being said, Saturday can’t come fast enough.”
By way of agreeing, Silas pulled me close and took my lips in a scorching kiss, his tongue seeking mine, sucking on it, teasing me until I forgot where I was and why this was a bad idea. But I couldn’t stop. Kissing him was now my complete obsession.
“Let’s not wait another sixteen hours to do that,” he whispered against my lips.
“It’s been seventeen, but who’s counting?” I replied with a grin. “Still, we need to be careful on campus. There’s always the risk that someone could catch us. Even in the quiet of summer.”
Silas nodded and leaned back, licking his lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening. For talking. And most of all, for that sexy kiss.”
“I should be thanking you.”
“There’s always Saturday.”
He gave me a knowing grin, and I was about to say fuck it and reach for him, when there was a third knock on my door.
“What was I saying?”
