Chapter 10 Dante
DANTE
This was so fucking wrong, but Alex felt incredible. His lips were soft. His mouth tasted like coffee, and I wanted so much more. I could kiss him all day.
I shifted, widening his legs with my knee and pressing him into the counter so I could rub my cock along his.
“What were you doing at my bedroom door?” I asked.
“I had a bad dream. I… I know it was wrong, but I went to your room to see… And I heard… I was thinking about you.”
“Good. Kiss me again.” He did, and I lost myself in the heat of his mouth.
A knock on the door startled us both, and I stepped back, trying to catch my breath.
“The doctor?” Alex asked, voice shaky.
I nodded. “Go to your room. Get yourself together. I’ll answer the door.”
“Like that?” I looked down at his hard cock tenting his running shorts.
“Just a minute!” I called and hurried to grab my robe.
Alex stepped into the bathroom as I came out of my room, tying the sash. He shook his head. “That’s not much better.”
It would have to do. I hurried to answer the door and did my best to make my expression neutral. “Good morning, Roseline.”
She raised her brows. “Good morning. Am I interrupting something?”
I shook my head a bit too enthusiastically. “No. I just got back from my run.”
“Right. And my patient?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Alex, the doctor’s here.”
“You’re not fooling anyone.” When Alex stepped out, she looked at him, then back at me. “Be careful.”
“What?” Alex asked.
She smiled at him. “Nothing. I’m Roseline. Come have a seat in the kitchen where the light is good, and I’ll take a look at your face.”
“I’m Alex. Thank you for coming here to see me.”
“It’s no problem.” She sucked in her breath as she looked at the cut. “That must’ve hurt.”
“Yeah. It did, but I was kind of in shock and didn’t really feel it. It hurt a lot more later.”
“I don’t doubt that. What happened?”
“I…”
“You can tell her anything,” I said. “She’s very discreet.”
Roseline huffed. “You could take a lesson from that.”
“I’m not the patient here. I don’t need any advice.”
“You’re wrong about that.”
Alex glanced between us, and when the doctor gestured for him to talk, he gave a brief explanation. “I got into a fight with one of my frat brothers. He smashed a bottle and slashed my face with it.”
She showed no reaction. She heard worse every day. “And the person who stitched you up—did they clean it out thoroughly?”
He winced. “Yeah, that part hurt.”
“Well, they did a good job with the stitches. I want you to take this antibiotic.” She set a pill bottle down on the counter along with a tube. “And use this scar cream once the stitches have dissolved. Twice daily, every day for three weeks, and it should heal up well.”
“Wow. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“If you have any problems, call me.” She handed him one of her cards, which had only her first name and a number.
“I will.”
“And be careful.”
I laid a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “I’ve made sure the situation is taken care of.”
“I expected you would. But the two of you…” She looked between us. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“This isn’t… We’re not…” The blush on Alex’s cheeks gave me a warm feeling in my chest. He acted so arrogant in class, but that wasn’t who he really was. We were both putting on a facade. Except he was pretending to be a worse person than he was, and I was pretending to be better.
Roseline shook her head. “I’ve been trained to be particularly observant, and I don’t need any of my training to see that that’s not the case. Just don’t do something you’ll both regret.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” I said. “I’ll show you out.”
I knew she meant well. She was giving me good advice—advice I’d been trying to make myself take. But the kiss had seemed inevitable from the day Alex walked into my class. We were both drawn to each other, but I’d indulged myself, and I couldn’t do it again.
“You should leave now,” I told Alex, after Roseline left.
“If you’d rather me wait until I can sneak out more easily, I will. I don’t want to make you lose your job.”
“No, I think you’re trying to make me lose my sanity.”
He grinned. “If that means I get more of what just happened, then yeah, maybe.”
“You have my number from where I texted you. Use it if you’re in trouble. But otherwise…”
“It’s a professional relationship only?”
I nodded. “That’s how it has to be.”
“Are you sure I don’t need to stay here again?”
I was so fucking tempted to say yes. “That would be a terrible idea.”
“Would it?”
“Yes.”
“But I…”
“You’re my student, and I’d like to keep my job. Besides, you’re too young for me anyway.”
He sniffed. “You’re what? Ten years older than me?”
“Eight, but—”
He frowned. “Did you graduate early?”
“I did.”
“You’re so smart, so together.”
I did not need him thinking I was some paragon for him to worship. “Smart, yes. Hardworking, yes. Together… There’s so much you don’t know about me.”
“Then tell me, show me.”
Doing so would put his life in danger. “That wouldn’t be wise.”
Alex sighed. “Do you always have to be wise?”
“Someone does.”
“Not me?”
“You should too.”
He grinned. “You’d have to see me more to know if I’m taking care of myself.”
I was not going to let him derail me. “I need a shower. I’ll see you tomorrow in class. Eat some breakfast and go home.”
“What do I do? Walk out the front door? Should I wear a disguise or sneak out through some underground tunnel?”
“If I had an underground tunnel, I would send you out through it.”
“I don’t get the feeling you’re usually one to follow the rules, especially considering you sent someone to make sure Randall doesn’t come near me again.”
“You should find someone your own age. Someone who isn’t the kind of person who has the type of resources I do.”
He scowled at me. “But that’s not what I want.”
“And you’re used to getting what you want?”
“When it’s something I have control over, then yes.”
“You’re an adult, Alexander. You have control over your own life.” I knew how ridiculous that statement was when I said it, and he glared at me.
“You know that’s not true. If you really are connected with the Theriot family business, then you have to know that.”
“Take care of yourself, Alex. Use the kitchen door and leave through the back fence.”
“Yes, Professor.” He said the words in a sultry voice, tempting me all over again.
I walked into my room and closed the door behind me before I sagged against it, wondering what the hell I was doing and how I was going to keep myself from touching him again when I would be seeing him at least twice a week.
Rafe called while I was getting dressed. I was surprised to hear from him at that time of day. Maybe he was still up from the night before.
“How’d it go last night?” I asked.
“Good. I had the little bitch pissing his pants. He’s a fucking coward, just like most bullies.
I hardly even got to have any fun with him.
But he kept saying he didn’t drug Alex. He swore it.
He said he didn’t know what I was talking about, and he didn’t have any drugs. Then he started crying like a baby.”
“Do you believe him?”
A moment passed before he answered. “My inclination would be to say no, that Randall would say anything to get out of being hurt or paying any price for what he’s done. But something about the way he was acting made me inclined to. Is there a chance Alex was just really drunk?”
Was there? “I’m pretty sure he’s very familiar with how that feels, so I’m going to say no.”
“Then if somebody else drugged him, who was it?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell going to find out.” I heard the back door close and almost wished I hadn’t sent Alex away.
“All right, now it’s time for you to give me details. What’s the story with this guy?”
I started the shower so the water could warm up. “I’ve got to get ready for class. I don’t have time for this now.”
“Just one question, then. Would you kill for him?”
“Yes.” I gave the answer without any hesitation.
“I like it. You and Lorenzo—”
I growled. “Not a word to him about this.”
“So you’re not denying it now? You’re hot for this guy?”
I hung my robe on the back of the door and stripped out of my running shorts. “I’m protecting him.”
“With your dick?”
Seriously? “No.”
“You mean not yet.”
I wanted to deny it. I should deny it. But I didn’t. “Go cause trouble for someone else.”
“Got anyone else for me to rough up? Because I’m ready to go.”
I sighed. “Have you been to bed?”
“No.”
“Then get some sleep.” I wandered back into my bedroom to pull out clothes for the day.
“Sleep is boring.”
“Dammit, Rafe.”
“Hush, I’ll sleep in a little while.”
I tossed clothes on the bed. I really needed to get moving. “Get something to eat first. And don’t—”
“Say anything to Lorenzo. I know. Somehow you can have your nose up his ass about who he’s fucking, but if he wants to know about you—”
“Rafael.”
“Bye, big brother. Have a good day.”
“Asshole.” At least I knew he’d keep his mouth shut. I’d kept plenty of secrets for him over the years.