I turn to face him, keeping my internal grimace off my face when I see him stuff the material back into his pocket. God only knows the last time he washed that thing. The portly man is a wonderful teacher, but goddamn, handkerchiefs are disgusting and unsanitary. I keep the book in my hands so he doesn’t try to shake one.
“Mr. Newman?” I prompt.
“Nathaniel, your report you turned in last week was astounding, and so I turned it in for a scholarship contest. You’ve been chosen as a finalist, and I just wanted to let you know they’ll be selecting the winner next week!” he tells me, and I give him an obligatory smile, even though I’d rather him just go away so I can have this private moment with my woman.
“That’s amazing news,” Evie says, picking up on exactly what I’m thinking and filling in the words for me so I don’t have to lie and act happy that he interrupted us.
Mr. Newman nods. “You’re going to do great things, Mr. Black.”
And I hear Evie giggle for a split second before she covers it with a super fake-sounding sneeze.
“Oh, bless you, dear. The second floor can get pretty dusty. Next time I run detention, I’ll send the little buggers your way, and you can put them on cleaning duty,” he tells her.
“Thank you, sir,” she says, and I look at her with a raised eyebrow, jealousy making my nostrils flare. She glances up and sees it, and she jerks her head Mr. Newman’s way, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. “Uhh… is there anything else?” she asks him.
“Nope, that’s it. Guess I got my cardio for the day!” He chuckles and lifts his arm high in order to pat me on the shoulder. And I barely refrain from wiping off where his sweaty palm had touched me.
“Thank you, Mr. Newman. See you tomorrow,” I tell him, and he waves over his shoulder as he’s already heading back down the aisle. When we hear him make his way down the stairs, I put the book back on the shelf where it goes then turn to face Evie.
I don’t even have to say anything before she’s fidgeting. “My parents raised me to be polite. You can’t go getting all… puffed up and growly every time I call a male elder ‘sir.’” She’s so flustered it’s adorable.
“Puffed up and… growly, Ms. Richards?” I smirk.
“Well… maybe not. But you would’ve been if we hadn’t been at school.” She punctuates the end with one nod, and I have to fight not to laugh at her haughtiness.
“God, you’re so fucking cute when you try to be mad at me,” I tell her, and she pushes up her glasses once again and then balls her little fists at her sides.
She whispers, “We’re really going to have to figure this out.” She shifts on her feet. “You seem to like when I speak my mind, but other times….” She doesn’t finish that sentence. “It’s very confusing. I don’t know what I’ll be punished for or when, and it’s… it’s not good for my….” She pulls out the buttoned collar of her blouse, her face flushing.
Seeing she’s really rattled, I close the distance between us, uncaring if anyone were to see us if my woman is really starting to panic. She comes first. Always. Everyone else be damned, even myself.
“Baby,” I murmur, cupping her jaw, and she relaxes fractionally. “How about, for now, we keep the punishments and such for the weekends? Once we really get a grip on this thing between us, we’ll hash it all out and make up our own rules. I’m sure that’s something Doc will be able to help us with, right?”
She nods, relaxing further. “Right.”
“Very good,” I tell her. And I glance around and behind me before sneaking in a quick kiss then letting her go.
Back in my seat, I spend the rest of the hour following Evie around with my eyes, like I’ve always done. Only instead of doing it to fuck with her, now it’s to admire the graceful line of her body as she works. It’s to watch for the smiles she gives few and far between, when she gave them to me readily all weekend. It’s to give her a little smirk when she glances my way, letting her know I caught her looking. It’s to watch her expression change when she gazes off into space, and I know she’s thinking of my cock inside her from the way her face flushes crimson.
When the bell rings and everyone files out, I no longer slam in their left-out chairs with a murderous look in their direction. I push each one in and keep my eyes on Evie while she watches me with a dreamy look on her perfect face.