Fake Marriage Box Set

She smiled, a real, genuine smile. “Okay, I understand. You don’t want to commit, yet, but I really need to know by the beginning of next semester, if you could. You’re doing a great job from what I can see. The students seem to be warming up to you, and the faculty likes you as well.”

Nodding, I tried not to blink too fast. Or too slow. My guilt was turning me into a giant wimp. I couldn’t form words or keep my features relaxed. Clearly, I would be horrible in an interrogation.

“I will,” I managed to say. Clearing my throat, I regained some of my composure. “I mean, at this point, I don’t see anything that would prevent me from staying on another year.” As long as she doesn’t fire me.

“Good,” she said. “That’s great!” She stood up from the horrible chair. “Well then, I’ll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing. Please, let me know as soon as you’ve made a decision. I simply wanted to let you know the job is yours if you want it. I’ll have a formal contract drawn up next week. We can negotiate salary terms a bit if that is what’s holding you back,” she added.

I hadn’t even thought about it, but now that she brought it up, hell yeah, we were negotiating.

“Thank you for stopping by,” I told her, quickly jumping out of my chair and opening the door for her.

Once she left, I shut the door, leaned against it and exhaled a long breath. That was close. My mind was completely muddled. I stared at my desk, knowing there was no way I would be able to concentrate on anything. Tessa had been on my mind since she left last night. Now, the dean’s little visit was in there crowding things up. I couldn’t focus. I needed to get away from the school and clear my head.

Once in my car, I realized I needed some groceries. I’d planned to go shopping yesterday, but something far better came up. Thinking of groceries and Tessa, I realized I wanted to cook for her again. I loved cooking, and when I could serve her a delicious meal, it made it even better. If she did that for pizza, what would she do with something far better?

Just the thought had an erection forming, as I imagined the many ways I wanted to have sex with her. It wasn’t just sex. I wanted to worship her body in every way. The woman was a seductress. One look from her and I was ready to abandon everything in favor of fucking her mindless.

I had no idea what type of food she liked. I pushed my cart up and down the aisles of the grocery store, hoping to be inspired. It wasn’t working, and no answer was coming to me.

“Jake,” I hastily said, when he picked up his phone on the third ring.

“What?” he asked, a little too abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, realizing I probably interrupted him at work.

I heard a giggle, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why he was by my phone call.

“Sorry, man. I assume that’s Maria,” I said, hoping it was.

“Yes. What do you need, Ian?”

I fought back a laugh. He was clearly in the middle of something all right.

“Ask her what Tessa’s favorite foods are. What does she like for meals?”

I waited while Jake relayed the question, straining to hear Maria’s response.

“Spaghetti and meatballs, steak, or chicken fettuccine alfredo,” he said, still with an irritated tone, and just that quickly, he ended the call.

I didn’t get upset by his rude dismissal. Why in the hell had he answered the phone in the first place?

I used my phone to pull up recipes for each meal and quickly grabbed the ingredients I would need. I had no idea if or when she would be coming to my house and sticking around for dinner, but if she did, I was going to be ready. Wine. I needed wine to round out the meals. I couldn’t take her out to a fancy restaurant, so I would have to recreate the ambiance in my home. Candles—I needed to find some candles as well.

With my cart filled, I headed for the checkout. Now I was all set and ready to wine and dine Tessa. Now, I just had to get her back to my house.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Tessa

Was it too much? Talia was the risk taker. I have always been the one to play it safe. What I was doing with Ian was actually unlike me. I was pushing boundaries. Maybe it was some kind of grief thing. I had seen movies where somebody goes off the deep end in order to feel alive or something stupid like that. I wasn’t planning on jumping off a bridge with a rope to catch me, or swan diving

out of an airplane.

Nope. Definitely not that crazy. I did a little self-analyzing. Ian was dangerous but irresistible. The attraction between us was well beyond anything I have ever experienced. But, I’ve never had sex with one of my teachers. And definitely never had sex with a guy twelve years older than I am.

It wasn’t hard to diagnose my crazy attraction to Ian. It was risky. It was our dirty little secret, and that’s what made it so fucking hot. Only I knew what he was thinking when he looked at me, and his eyes closed just a bit. Only I knew he wasn’t sleepy, just the opposite. He was thinking of the many ways he wanted to fuck me, and I don’t even care if that makes me sound like a ho. I liked being with him.

“I’d ask what has you smiling like that, but I already know,” Maria said, sipping her coffee.