“Let me take you to dinner, Grace. Let me show you how it can be with us, how much I mean everything I said.”
I could see how rapidly her pulse was beating beneath her ear, wanted to soothe her, let her know that there was nothing to be nervous about. I was here for her, in this for her.
Now that I had finally opened myself up, allowed my emotions and feelings to come forth, a physical declaration of what she meant to me, there was no stopping it. There was no turning back.
“Let me take you out,” I said again, lower, gentler.
“Okay,” she all but whispered.
Pleasure surged within me at her acceptance.
I held my hand out. “Let me see your phone.” I was trying to be gentle, not so demanding. She didn’t hesitate as she handed her cell over. I punched in my number and handed it back to her. I didn’t bother telling her I already had her number, that being a professor at the university gave me access to student files. I didn’t tell her because I knew how it would sound.
“Now you have direct access to me,” I said, and knowing she could contact me privately at any given time had me feeling even more possessive.
She didn’t say anything as she messed with her phone, and a second later I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I knew without looking at it that she’d sent me a text … so I’d have her number as well.
“Now you have mine,” she said softly.
I smiled, wanting to touch her, to run my fingers over her soft skin, to part her lips and slip my thumb between them and make her taste me. God, she drove me wild and all she had to do was sit there.
I knew I could come off as hardened, apathetic even. But when it came to Grace, she held all the cards, even if she didn’t know it.
When it came to her, I was putty in her hands.
* * *
Grace
I shut my bedroom door, leaned against it, closed my eyes, and rested my head back on the wood. As soon as I’d gotten home, I’d guzzled a gallon of water and headed straight to the shower. I’d hoped the heat and steam would help me feel a little better, but being so unused to drinking had really kicked my ass.
My heart was thundering, and my headache was still going strong.
All I could do was keep replaying everything Lucian had told me. God, it sounded so weird saying his name. He’d always just been Professor Goode to me, and those two words put together, spilling from my mouth, felt right.
Saying his first name felt extremely personal, erotically intimate, as if we were closer than we really were. But then again that’s exactly what he wanted.
All the things he’d told me had been crystal clear. He wanted me as his, only his and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Not that I would’ve declined.
I was just confused, overwhelmed. I wanted him, had for longer than I could even admit.
Although all I wanted to do was go to sleep, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Sherry’s number. I’d worried her enough for one day.
She picked up on the first ring, and her sharp exhale told me I’d pissed her off. I couldn’t blame her though.
“Hey,” I said a little shyly. I sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off my shoes, moving my toes around and closing my eyes.
“She lives,” she sarcastically teased. “You do realize how scared you made me just ghosting like that? How nervous I was?” She had the tone of a disapproving mother.
“I shouldn’t have just left, but I did text you.”
She snorted.
“I’m sorry.”
“What in the hell happened? You got that drunk off one drink?” Before I could answer, she was talking again. “You know what, don’t answer that. I know your tolerance and I should’ve known better.”
“Yeah that one drink really messed with my head. And I didn’t eat so it made it ten times worse.”
“You’re feeling okay now?”
I groaned, and she laughed. “That answer your question?”
She laughed again. “Yeah, those Long Islands are potent. Sorry about that.”
I brought my hand up and rubbed the side of my head, my eyes still closed, my head still pounding. The aspirin had helped a little bit, but what I really needed was to sleep. “Listen, I’m gonna try and get rid of this hangover, but do you want to do dinner tonight at my place? Maybe a movie and pizza?”
She was quiet for a minute as if she were thinking it over. “You got ice cream?”
I chuckled, which only made my head ache worse, but I couldn’t help smiling. “Yup, a pint of Häagen-Dazs and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. You can pick which one you want.”