“It’s a number two situation,” I reply through clenched teeth.

It’s a lie, but my embarrassment is real. My face is hot, meaning it must be redder than a tomato.

Robbie’s eyebrows arch. “Oh. Then go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

I hurry to the restroom and hide inside a stall until I’m alone. Then I apply a damp paper towel to my cheeks to try to get rid of the redness. The few minutes alone with my thoughts only work against me though. My asshole brain starts to conjure up the worst possible scenarios to why Alistair wants to see me. Maybe he changed his mind. After the way I reacted in his class, he probably realized I’m a liability he doesn’t need.

Depressed, I head to his office, trying my best to look innocent. There’s nothing wrong with a student going to see her teacher in his office. I hope my face isn’t showing the mess of emotions that’s making my heart beat faster when I knock on his door.

“Come in,” Alistair says.

He’s not at his desk but standing in front of a bookshelf, looking for something. He turns once I close the door with a soft click.

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Walsh?”

He raises an eyebrow and smirks at me. “Is it terrible that I love when you call me that?”

Okay, he’s definitely not breaking up with me, not with the way his eyes are devouring every inch of my body.

His gaze makes me feel powerful and beautiful, and I’m taken over by recklessness. I don’t know why Alistair wanted to see me, but I do know what I want to do to him now that I’m here.

Looking over my shoulder, I find the door’s dead bolt. Perfect. I lock it before moving closer.

His eyes narrow.

“Hmm, it depends,” I say.

“On what?”

“On whether you’re planning to do something about it.” I stop in front of him, as close as I can get without our bodies actually touching.

I’m teasing, but I don’t expect him to take the bait, not here in his office anyway.

To my surprise, he pushes me against the bookshelf and kisses me with a passion that I’m beginning to realize only Alistair can summon. I’m taken over by lust-induced madness when I maniacally work his fly. He seems to be caught on the same crazy train. His hands find their way under my skirt before he lifts me off the floor. I wrap my legs around his hips, and before I know it, my panties are pushed out of the way and he’s inside me.

Holy shit, this is the hottest thing I’ve ever done.

His mouth devours mine without mercy while his thrusts become more relentless. The bookshelf starts to shake behind me, and a few books fall to the floor. Neither of us cares.

To avoid crying out when the most intense orgasm hits me, I bite his shoulder. Alistair comes soon after amid his muffled grunts of pleasure.

Another minute goes by before I unlatch myself from him. The reality of what we did hits me hard when the evidence of Alistair’s release drips down my legs.

Fuck. We totally forgot a condom.

Clarity returns to his eyes, and guilt sneaks in them as well. “Chiara, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

I place a finger over his lips. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m on the pill and one-hundred-percent healthy.”

He touches my face affectionately. “It’s not only that. I didn’t ask you to come here so I could ravish you. I just wanted to ask if you were okay. You spaced out in my class today.”

“That’s only because I was remembering your visit yesterday.”

“Oh.” He sounds genuinely surprised.

Shoving my insecurities aside, I say, “I think we need to talk, don’t you?”

He walks to his desk, returning a second later with a Kleenex in hand. “Yes, we do.”

I make a grab for the tissue, but Alistair drops to his knees and does the job for me. When his hand brushes near my sex, I pry the tissue from his grasp; if he touches the sensitive spot now, I might come again.

“Are we a couple?” I blurt before I lose my nerve.

Alistair smiles as he unfurls from his crouch. “Yes, Goldi. We are.” A wave of relief rushes through my chest until he continues, “But we can’t be out in the open. Not until this semester is over.”

I try to hide my disappointment by looking down. “I know. That means coming to my apartment is probably too risky since a lot of DuBose students live there.”

“Yes, I’d say so.”

“How are we going to see each other, then?”

“You can come to my place if we’re careful.” He rubs my lips with his thumb.

I grin. “Hmm, a covert operation. I like the sound of that.”

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I hate seeing other guys coming on to you.”

“Oh, are you referring to Phillip? That was just a silly act. It meant nothing.”

Relief is evident in his expression. He captures my face between his hands and places a soft kiss on my lips. “Good.”

“What about you, Alistair? Who does your heart belong to?” I sound pathetic and desperate asking the question, but I have to know.

There’s only a brief pause before he replies, “It’s yours, Goldilocks. Mangled and bruised, but it’s all yours.”

29

Chiara

After our impromptu hookup in Alistair’s office on Wednesday, we didn’t dare take any more risks. We were both busy during the rest of the week, which meant I didn’t get my booty fix. Friday, I was supposed to go over to his place, but he had to cancel it last minute on account of having dinner with his lawyer. And today, I have Robbie’s mom’s birthday party.

I’m about to order an Uber when Valerie texts me asking if I want a ride.

She arrives thirty minutes later, driving a freaking yellow Ferrari. My jaw is still hanging when I slide into the supple leather seat.

“Nice car.”

“Thanks. It was a gift from my sugar daddy.”