He leaned against the counter and looked down at me. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear. The tabloid you read that interviewed my ex wife, these detectives...they have other motives. I don't want to fight with you every time something like this happens. And it happens more than I'd like. It comes with the territory."
"The rich, successful, eligible bachelor territory?"
"Minus the eligible bachelor." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm taken."
I smiled at him. "I'm sorry. The detectives just made it seem like they were so sure that you had done it."
"I mean, if you were told you had to make up a story about your male professor doing inappropriate things, wouldn't you just automatically go to sexual favors in exchange for good grades? It's not even clever."
"Right. So they're lying. But why?"
"Maybe they hated me? I could be rather distracted in class. Sometimes I was so focused on you that I'm pretty sure I was an awful professor."
"I don't think anyone hated you. Especially in Comm. At least all the girls loved you. Oh." I looked up at him. "Maybe they're just jealous you didn't choose them. Maybe they think you'll notice them now?"
"By dragging my name through the mud? Smart."
"Well, I don't know. I'm not them." I put my hands on either side of James' face. "I'm sorry I doubted you."
He put his hands on the small of my back. "If a bunch of pricks in suits told me that you had been doing stuff behind my back, I think my reaction would have been a lot worse than yours."
"My reaction was bad with the detectives too. I'm pretty sure I threatened to kill them."
James laughed. "Wait, really? You can't threaten a cop, Penny."
"I know that now."
He laughed again. "You're full of surprises." His hands had pushed my shirt up slightly, and I could feel his fingers against my skin.
"Am I?"
"Mhm." He placed a soft kiss against my lips. His hands slowly pushed my shirt up even more.
"Would it surprise you if I told you that alcohol tends to make me incredibly horny?"
"Incredibly horny? That's quite the predicament." He grabbed my ass and lifted me up, setting me down on the kitchen counter. He put his hands on either side of the counter and looked at me. I didn't recognize the look he was giving me.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"You defended me to the detectives even though you doubted me."
"Of course."
"But why?"
"I'll always defend you. I love you."
He lowered his eyebrows slightly. He seemed confused by my response. I remembered the relief in his eyes when I grabbed his hand at my parents' house. And when he woke up yesterday morning before the meeting with the dean. He had been surprised that I was still lying next to him. He wasn't used to someone having his back. It didn't seem like he ever had anyone that he could count on. I wanted to be that person for him. Maybe I already was more than anyone else before.
"I swear to you that I didn't do what they said. I've been completely consumed by you. All I ever do is think about you."
"I know. I've been completely consumed by you too."
His smile returned. "I can't believe how lucky I am. Now, about that predicament. I think I can probably assist you with that." He lifted off his t-shirt and dropped it onto the kitchen floor.
I'd never get tired of seeing him like this. He wasn't the lucky one; I was. I ran my fingers down the crevices in his abs. I still felt that spark of electricity run through me every time we touched. I thought it might go away once we didn't have to hideour relationship anymore. The sneaking around, the excitement, the forbidden dynamic. But it was still there. And I wasn't sure that I wanted it to ever disappear.
He leaned forward and kissed me. Softly at first and then more passionately, sending shivers of desire down my spine. I clasped my hands behind his neck as he pulled my ass to the edge of the counter.
