Chapter 30
DANNY
“Okay everyone,that’s it for today.”
The students set down their sketch pads and glance up at me standing in the front of the classroom.
“We’ll pick this back up on Friday.” I gesture to the pedestal where I’ve set up a vase of flowers and bowl of fruit for them to sketch. “Then we’ll start our unit on sketching the form model.”
As the students file out of the classroom, I grab my phone and try to draft a text to Eden for the millionth time.
I fight back a cringe. I know I’ve been a standoffish jerk to her. There’s no excuse for it either. I needed some time to myself to process meeting up with Cruz and lying to his face, but I could have told Eden that. She would have understood. Instead I texted her one-word answers every time she checked up on me. I’m a prick.
And now I’m trying to figure out a way to start a conversation so I can apologize to her for how I’ve acted. But whenever I pull her up in my phone, I have no idea what to say. Everything I think of seems like the wrong thing.
Almost anything would be better than total silence, you insensitive dickhead.
I fall into my desk chair and slump back, grateful that the class is gone and I can have a quiet moment of self-loathing.
“Hey.”
I glance up and my eyes go wide at the sight of Eden in the doorway of my classroom. My heart leaps to my throat. God, she looks amazing. She’s wearing jeans that hug her perfect hips and the black leather jacket she wears when it’s chilly but not super cold. Her worn suede messenger bag hangs across her body, across the ample curve of her breasts.
My mouth waters.
I take in her lethal frown, which is a jolt to my brain. Oh right. She’s here and she’s pissed because I’ve been avoiding her.
“Hey,” I say, standing up from my chair.
“Why are you ignoring me?” she asks, her tone on the edge of a bite.
Shame heats me from the inside out. “I guess I just needed some space. Hanging out with Cruz made me feel really guilty and I wanted some time on my own to process it.”
“That’s fine,” she says sharply. “You could have told me that. I would have understood.”
I take a few steps toward Eden. “I’m sorry, Eden. I was a jerk to ignore you.”
“You were absolutely a jerk.”
I start to smile, then quickly purse my lips when I notice her frown etch deeper.
“I like you, Danny. A lot. But I’m not going to put up with being treated like this, not even from you.”
A knot sinks into the pit of my stomach. That same wave of panic that hit me when Cruz talked about how she could take off at any moment rattles me once more.
I walk up to her, stopping short of touching her when she shakes her head slightly.
“I’m so, so sorry, Eden. You’re right, I’m an asshole for ignoring you the past two days. I swear, it won’t happened again.”
She hesitates. “I want to believe you, Danny. But we only just got together and if this is how you’re acting when we’ve been a couple for just a few days, I don’t see how things can work out between us.”
That knot in the pit of my stomach morphs into panic. Just the thought of losing Eden makes me crazy. I can’t lose her, not like this, not because of something foolish that I did.
I grab her hand in mine. “You have every right not to believe me, Eden. I deserve for you to walk out on me. I’d hate it—it would absolutely kill me. But I deserve it.”
Her gaze softens at my pained tone.
“But if you have it in you to give me another chance…” I swallow through the strain in my throat. “Please give me another chance, Eden? Please?”
Her gaze softens. I swear I can hear the gears grinding in her mind. I stand there, her hand in mine, my heart pounding, waiting for her to say something, anything.
“All you have to do is tell me what you’re feeling, Danny. If you need space, I’ll give it to you.”
I slink my arm around her waist and pull her against me. “I don’t need space, not anymore.”
The corner of her mouth quirks up. “That was a quick turn-around, considering you were ignoring my texts fifteen minutes ago.”
“I’m used to closing off and working things out on my own, but I realize now how hurtful that is. That was really shitty of me not to explain that you to. I’m so sorry.”
Her expression eases. “I understand.”
“I won’t shut you out again, Eden. I swear.”
“Please don’t. It really, really sucks.”
I press a kiss to her forehead. She relaxes into me, and that panicked feeling inside of me starts to fade.
She’s giving me another chance. I don’t deserve it, but she’s giving it to me. I close my eyes, savoring the feeling of her sliding her arms around my waist, hugging me back. Fuck, I’m so lucky.
She lets out a soft, satisfied moan, like she’s happy to be with me again. It makes me want to hold her forever.
I lean back and gently grip her chin in my hand, tilting her face up to look at me. I hold her burnt umber gaze.
I whisper another, “I’m sorry” before kissing her. We sink into the familiar rhythm, and she murmurs as she grips my arms and my chest.
It’s not long before our kiss kicks up in intensity. She starts to slide her hands up my shirt, but I stop her.
“Hold on,” I say softly.
I move us away from the open doorway and shut the door. I pull the shades over the window part of the door, then turn back to her.
“I don’t want us to get caught,” I say.
She flashes a beautiful smile. “Good call.”
She drops her bag on the ground and takes off her jacket. I close the space between us and grab her by the waist, pulling her against me.
When I sink to my knees and lift her shirt to dust kisses across her stomach, she chuckles.
“This is getting to be a pattern.”
“What do you mean?” I ask with my mouth against her skin.
“You on your knees as an apology.”
I unzip her jeans and slowly slide them down. “Is that a problem?” I kiss the wet spot on her cotton panties, relishing her sharp inhale.
“I just…don’t want…an apology…to be…the only time…you do…this…”
Her words are broken up by moans and pants. I slide her panties off, licking and kissing her clit until her legs are trembling. When her moans amp up in volume, I reach up a hand to clamp over her mouth.
“As much as I love it when you’re loud, we have to be quiet here,” I whisper, looking up at her. “There’s a class down the hall.”
Eden nods. I lower my hand, and she takes over covering her mouth with both of her hands.
“And you don’t have to worry, Eden. I love doing this to you. I’ll be doing this to you a lot—with or without an apology.”
I return my attention between her legs. I move my tongue over her clit slowly this time, slower than our first time together. Eden seems to like it, judging by the muffled noises above me.
She tugs her hand through my hair. “Oh my god, Danny,” she says through a breathy whisper. “This feels…your tongue…holy…”
I slide my index finger inside of her, keeping up the rhythm that seems to drive her wild. A minute later I hear her inhale sharply. Her legs are shaking as a muffled yelp echoes in the room. I grip my free hand around the outside of her thigh, holding her in place as she rides the wave of her orgasm.
When her body movements begin to ease, she pulls my face away from her. I look up, giddy to see that drunken smile playing on those beautiful plump lips.
“Professor Darden, that was mind-blowing.”
When I stand up, she palms the rock-hard bulge in my trousers. “I think we should do something about that.”
I take her by the hand over to my desk and bend her over it.
“Oh my god,” she lets out a chuckle. “This is like a fantasy come true. Hooking up with my hot professor.”
I swallow back a growl as I unzip my pants and shove them down. I grab my wallet from my desk, pull out a condom, slide it on, and push my cock into her pussy.
Eden yelps. I bite back a groan. Fuck, she feels incredible.
I reach forward and cover her mouth with my hand. She starts to twist around, and I catch her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
I lean forward and lower my mouth to my ear. “Can you be a good girl for me and stay quiet while I fuck you?”
A whiny muffled “yes” is her answer.
I glide slowly at first. My cock throbs at how tight and wet she is.
“Fuck, Eden,” I growl softly. “Your pussy feels like heaven.”
She whimpers against my hand.
I thrust harder.
“Is this how you like it, baby? Slow and hard?” I rasp. She nods.
Her pussy tightens around my dick, and she moans. Pleasure rockets through me. I slow down for a bit, just so I don’t come too fast.
I make sure to keep my hand over that beautiful mouth the louder she gets. Heat and pleasure collide in my chest. All the muscles in my body are tense as I keep a steady rhythm. Her top half is now lying flat on my desk and she’s clawing at the wood as the intensity between us builds and builds.
My cock is throbbing, begging for release. There’s just something so hot seeing the woman I’m crazy about struggle to keep quiet while I’m inside of her. Like it feels too good—like I feel too good.
She moves her arm down and starts playing with her clit.
“Oh, fuck…” I mutter, pressing my eyes shut. I’m not going to last for much longer if I have to watch the hottest woman I’ve ever seen touch herself while I fuck her.
I ease my pace until I’m certain I won’t blow. Just then I feel Eden’s other hand wrap around my wrist.
She pulls my hand from her mouth. “I’m close. Fuck me hard and fast, okay?”
And then she pushes my hand back over her mouth and holy shit, if that wasn’t the sexiest move ever.
I push myself into high gear, going harder and faster as the heat in my abdomen burns hotter and hotter. That tell-tale shake starts in Eden’s legs, which I’m grateful to see. Because I’m not going to last. This feels too good. She feels too good.
When she thrashes against my desk and screams against my hand, that’s when I finally let myself go. The heat inside of me bursts as I unload, shaking against Eden. When I finish, I fall on top of her. Despite the fabric of my button-up shirt and her t-shirt, I can feel how hot her skin is. It makes my own hot, sweat-soaked skin tingle.
After a minute, I stand up and pull out of her, discarding the condom in a nearby wastebasket.
I help her up and cuddle her into my chest.
“It’s settled. I’m signing up for your class,” Eden says.
We laugh before getting dressed.
“Be prepared. I’m gonna work you hard in my classroom.” I wink at her as I tighten my belt.
She steps to me and slinks her hand up my chest. “I don’t think you’re prepared for just how hard I go, Professor Darden.”
Just then my phone buzzes. I check and see a date request from Isabella, the woman who I was on a Dream Guy date with the night I confessed my feelings to Eden. I smile to myself and hit “accept.”
“What’s that look about?” Eden asks.
I pull her to me. “Another Dream Guy request.”
She slinks her arms around my neck. “I love that my boyfriend is an in-demand Dream Guy.”
I still, relishing how good it feels to hear Eden call me her boyfriend.
“Is that okay? That I called you my boyfriend?” she asks, her eyes shy.
I answer with a kiss that leaves her wobbly on her feet. “More than okay. I fucking love it.”