Professor

Her eyebrows were pulled down, and confusion filled her expression. And then her eyes widened. “Professor Goode? As in our Professor Goode from class?”

I nodded and licked my lips. It would only get stranger from here for her, I was sure. “Sherry, Professor Goode wrapped his hand around his neck and said something to him, something that scared the hell out of the guy who’d been grinding up on me.” My throat felt so tight, the words spilling from me almost foreign. “Like he all but ran out of there.”

“Oh my God,” Sherri said softly.

We sat there for a long moment in silence, the weight of what I’d just said hanging between us. It sounded frightening, I knew that, but the truth was, seeing Lucian handle a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer had made me feel something intense, pleasurable.

“What happened after that?” She leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “Like, I can’t even imagine Professor Goode in a club let alone handling your would-be assault asshole.” She whistled under her breath, and although I thought she would be horrified by what I’d just said, she seemed almost … pleased. “Wish I would’ve been there to see him kick the asshole in the nuts.”

I looked down at my hands, which were twisted together on my lap. “That’s not even all of it,” I finally said as I looked back up at her. She lifted a brow and leaned forward, seeming very intrigued.

“Well, if this is going where I think it’s going, you have my full attention.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sex, yeah, that’s a no-go. But he did take me back to his place.” Sherry sucked in a breath. “That one drink had really fucked me up.”

“God, Gracie, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten you that drink.”

I waved off her concern. “It was so not your fault, so don’t go there.” I smiled. “I woke up this morning in his bed, with him making me breakfast.”

“Um, what the fuck?” She sounded amazed. “He was making you breakfast?”

I nodded. “Yeah. It’s almost like he tucked me in, made sure I was safe, and then left me alone.” I knitted my brows, a part of me thankful he’d done that, but another part wishing I’d woken up right next to him, his body wrapped around mine.

“So, he brought you to his house to sleep off being drunk, let you stay in his bed alone, and then made breakfast for you in the morning?” I nodded. She leaned back again. “Huh. What was he doing at the club to begin with?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” I didn’t know why I was so nervous, but saying these words out loud to another person was frightening. “He said he was there because of me.” The thickness in the room became almost unbearable. “He’d overheard us talking about going there when you were at the coffee shop with Craig.”

A confused look crossed her face. “He was at the coffee shop?”

I nodded. She stayed silent for a moment as if she were thinking about what I’d just said, replaying it in her mind over and over.

“So, he’s been stalking you?” Her eyes widened as if that very thought was insane.

And I supposed it was, but a part of me really liked the fact he’d been so enamored with me that he couldn’t stay away. “I don’t know if stalking is the right word. Looking out for me? He wanted to make sure I was okay?”

She snorted. “Um, no, sounds like stalking, just worded differently. I mean, I’m glad he was there, but it’s kind of weird that he followed us. Don’t you think?”

I didn’t respond, because I could see it from her point of view. But she also didn’t know my deepest secret. She also didn’t know the rest of what Lucian had told me.

“I feel like there’s more to the story you’re maybe not telling me?”

I nodded. “Yeah, a little bit more.” I took a deep breath. Little was such a broad description when it came to this. “Well, when I sat with him at the table eating breakfast, he told me that he’d wanted me for a long time, that I was his and he wasn’t going to walk away. He said he was done waiting.” The silence in the room was deafening, heavy, and I felt like it was hands wrapped around my throat, squeezing.

“Um” was all Sherry managed to say.

The look Sherry gave me was of shock, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. She closed her mouth, opened it again, yet no words came out.

“I love him, Sherry. I’ve been in love with him but kept it to myself.” I felt my cheeks heat after I admitted my deepest secret.

“You love him? As in you’re in love with our professor?”