Then she makes a whimpering sound in the back of her throat that reminds me of Mother.
I loosen my grip around her neck, letting her feet fall to the ground.
Dr. Raring stares up at me through watery eyes and coughs. “You need to get your head checked.”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “I’ll take that under advisement.”
I step back, sweep my arm to the side, and gesture for her to leave. “Ladies first.”
She bares her teeth and hisses. “You’re no gentleman.”
“It would be so easy to craft a witty retort, Dr. Raring, but your company is tiresome. Get out of my sight.”
She teeters past, having lost the composure to walk in those heels. I fold my arms across my chest and watch her hurry away. Not because I’m admiring her hourglass figure—far from it. I want to ensure that she leaves before I return to the café to retrieve Phoenix.
Dr. Raring glances over her shoulder at me, presumably to check if I’m admiring the view. I hiss at her through my teeth, making her quicken her pace.
She’s either traumatized or Great Britain’s finest actress. For the sake of the mission, I hope it’s the former.
Once she’s disappeared behind the main building, I wait a minute to see if she will double back. She doesn’t, so I make my way to the café’s front. This part of my plan is nebulous. Dragging Phoenix away with a quarter of the campus watching could be problematic. At least not without an excuse.
My hand slips into my pocket, and I’m about to call her when she staggers out of the building.
Phoenix doesn’t see me, but I clap a hand around her mouth, wrap an arm around her waist, and lift her off her feet.
She struggles for a second and makes a muffled protest, but one glance over her shoulder into my eyes has her relaxing against my body.
“That’s it,” I murmur into her ear. “You’re coming with me.”
As I steal her away, Phoenix rubs her ass over my crotch, awakening my cock.
“Stay still,” I hiss.
She wiggles even more and moans, sending a surge of blood southward.
“Little brat.”
I bend my head and curl my body around hers, so it doesn’t look to whoever might be watching the security footage that a man in black has just abducted a female student.
Thankfully, Phoenix slumps and allows me to bundle her into the front seat of the car.
She’s more intoxicated than I thought.
“You disobeyed me,” I say.
“Why were you on a date with Dr. Raring?” she asks, her words slurred.
“She gatecrashed, not that it’s any of your concern.” I glance in the rearview mirror to check that nobody saw us.
“So you’re dating Dr. Xander, now?”
“Yes, as it happens.” I lean over her to reach for her seatbelt.
Before I can even buckle her up, Phoenix launches herself across the front seat and straddles my legs.
“You’re such a dickhead.”
“And you’re begging for a spanking.”