Olivia waited for me, removing any chance I had to try and talk to Callum. I’d hoped to at least exchange numbers, but I couldn’t do that with her by my side. Frustrated, but accepting having to wait another day, I packed my things and stood to go.
“Miss Derringer.”
His smooth voice stroked across my skin, and I had to fight the heat rising from my chest, trying to seep into my cheeks. Cool, calm, and collected. I needed to remain cool, calm, and collected.
“Yes, Dr. Pierce.”
“Can you please come by my office later to discuss your appointment time?” When he didn’t look up from packing away his stuff, my lungs deflated under the pressure of what it could mean for him to avoid looking at me. Had I read it all wrong? Was he going to have me come up to his office and tell me what a mistake all of it was? Was he mad I’d come to class like this? Were we right back to where it all began with the back and forth? Him running hot and then cold?
All of it rushed through my head and created a dull buzz in my ear.
“Sure. I should be able to stop by this afternoon.” My words sounded hollow, lacking any excitement that I’d had earlier. I wanted to cry as I turned to leave. When I looked back one more time over my shoulder, he was watching me.
And he gave me a wink.
No, he wasn’t regretting anything. He was just better at hiding his emotions and needs than I was.
I wanted to give a sexy smirk back, but I was too giddy that he wasn’t going to brush me off. Rolling my lips between my teeth, I fought my smile, trying to hide my excitement from Olivia. The last thing I needed was for anyone to know what was going on between me and Dr. Pierce.
My time in the biology department dragged, the minute hand taking twice as long to make its rounds around the clock. But soon, it was lunch and I had to fight from running through the halls to get to his office. I made myself walk at a normal pace when I reached the hallway and forced a neutral smile for Donna when I walked in, but she wasn’t there. No one was.
Except Dr. Pierce.
I snuck into his office and shut the door, locking it, ready to set my plan in place. I knew what I’d wanted to do, but I hadn’t known how it would be executed. Being able to sneak into his office undetected was perfect.
“Oaklyn, what are you doing?” Callum asked with wide eyes. He’d been looking at papers and didn’t notice my presence until the click of the door. “I think people will be concerned to know a student went into a teacher’s office and locked the door.”
“No one saw me come in, and it’s not so uncommon to lock your door during lunch.”
Biting my lip, I fought to contain my smile and still take deep enough breaths to keep my heart rate under control. It beat so hard, I was sure he could see it from his seat. He slid his glasses off and cocked his head to the side as he watched me approach. I held his stare until I’d rounded his desk and worked my way between him and the desk, leaning back against the hard wood, then I let my eyes drop to his lips.
The silence screamed across my skin, bringing it to life. Nerves sparked through my body, and I almost began to talk myself out of it, but I needed to try. For him. I wanted it for him.5
He groaned when I slicked my tongue across my lips.
“Kiss me, Dr. Pierce,” I said on a whisper.6
He stood and framed my face in his hands. Every touch was gentle and soft, so I was surprised when his lips touched mine how rough he was, how desperate his kiss tasted. His tongue pushed past my lips, and I met him half way, eager to have every part of his desire. When we needed to catch our breaths, we barely separated sharing the air between us.
“I missed you when I woke up and you were gone,” I admitted, hating the insecurity that tinged my words.7
“I’m sorry,” he answered, avoiding eye contact by shifting his head to the side, as though he was hiding.
His reaction worried me. Had something more than his meeting pulled him away? “What happened?” He shifted a step back, but I held on to his arms, keeping him close. “Talk to me. Please.”
“I . . .” He paused, the muscles in his jaw ticking, and I smoothed my hand up and down his arm, giving him time to process his words. “I overreacted when I woke up.”
“Callum.” I hated that something bad had happened, and I hadn’t woken up with him. Guilt hit me at asking him to stay and causing whatever pulled him from my bed that morning.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to drag you into it.”
I hated how ashamed he sounded. Hated everything about the situation.
“Cal,” I said, my tone hard to pull his attention to me. “Don’t apologize. I want to be here for you.”
Those were apparently the words he needed to hear because his light blue eyes darkened with desire and he attacked my mouth, kissing me harder than before. His hands gripping my hips to put me on the edge of the desk where he could step between my legs. Dragging his palms up my sides under my sweater, he cupped my breasts, massaging them, flicking his thumbs across my sensitive nipples. I groaned at the sensation, and he pulled back to drag open-mouthed kisses down my neck and across my collarbone. I became lost in him, letting my hands travel up his thick arms encased in the soft material of his dress shirt, loving the way they flexed as his hands moved over me. One hand slowly worked its way up his neck and into his hair, giving him plenty of time to pull back or stop me. His movements paused for only a split second before he continued his assault on my body.
But I needed to remind myself of what I came there to do. I needed to try to put all my research to work.
