Shame (Ruin 3)

But sex wouldn’t be surrender to her.

It would be submission.

And until it was something more I refused to push that limit. Especially considering she wasn’t anyone harboring dangerous secrets. I just wasn’t sure anymore how or when I’d reveal mine.

The more time I spent with her the more I refused to acknowledge that I’d come there for a reason.

I watched her hurry into her dorm and made sure that the door closed behind her before I drove off.

Not really paying attention, I almost ran over a kid on a bike in front of me. He turned and glared.

It was Jack. My stomach knotted, but I had no idea why my body would react to his presence; he was just a student in my class. Just… something about him bothered me.

The minute he saw that it was me, his eyes narrowed. I had sunglasses on, and my windows were tinted, but I was probably the only professor on campus who had an array of cars from a decked-out Ford truck to a Tesla — and I just happened to be driving the Tesla.

I sped by and decided to run home and switch cars. I needed to anyway if I was going to follow through with my plan.

Operation Save Lisa.

Funny how it had started as Operation Redeem Taylor.

Funny how one person can change your mind, your heart, your soul so completely that you forget what you were fighting for in the first place. Consumed with thoughts of her, I sped all the way home with a smile on my face. It wouldn’t be subtle; then again, that word had never really been in my vocabulary.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“You know I love you, right?” I whispered into her ear.

She shivered in response and tried to pull away. “Yeah.”

“No, really.” I tugged her closer.

She fought me. Her body was tense, but it was always tense.

“Let me show you how much.”

I tried to remove her shirt. She stiffened at my touch, and I was so damn angry. I’d done that to her, but it was her fault for allowing me to. It was her fault for being so weak. It was my fault for being so strong.

“Lie down,” I barked.

And just like that, she submitted. And the world was right again. —The Journal of Taylor B.

Lisa

I BARELY HAD enough time to shower and get ready for the day when a knock sounded at the door. I grabbed my bag and keys and made sure my straightener was off then ran toward the knocking.

“I’m coming!” I shouted. Geez, if it was Gabe, I was going to kill him.

I swung the door open. Jack stood there leaning against the doorframe. “So…” He tilted his head. “How was sleeping with the professor?”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be an ass. I didn’t sleep with anyone.”

“You didn’t come back.” Emotion clouded his eyes, almost like he was hurt. “Last night, I mean, I was worried, so I came looking for you.”

“Worried?” I walked past him and locked my door. “Why would you be worried?”

“One.” He held up a finger. “Because I heard about your break-in. Actually, I think the entire campus heard about your break-in. And two.” He held up two fingers. “One of the guys I worked with at the pizza shop totally got the shit beat out of him last night outside this dorm.”

“What?” I stopped in my tracks. “What do you mean?”