5. Salem
I wondered if Professor Hall would really go back to the way that she had been before I showed up at her art class.
The next morning, I arrived early for her class, which was my first class of the day.
I only had two other classes after hers, and my day would be over.
I had eight more months to go before my twenty-sixth birthday, upon which everything would fall into place for me financially.
I headed down the hall and spotted her standing outside of her class, talking with another professor, Professor Jimenez. As I approached, I noticed how she began fidgeting with the cross that she wore around her neck. She had noticed me. Good.
I wore a navy and white tracksuit that matched my gym shoes, and I could see her taking in my attire from head to toe. I shifted my backpack to my other shoulder as I approached her and Professor Jimenez.
“Morning, beautiful ladies,” I greeted with a smile that was big enough to make sure that my dimples flashed.
“Good morning, Mr. Gates,” Professor Jimenez greeted with a flirty smile. “Well, I see your students are arriving. We will finish this discussion later, okay?”
“Sure,” Professor Hall replied in an unusually high-pitched voice as I made my way past her, and Professor Jimenez walked away.
I turned around to see Professor Hall walking into the classroom behind me. “You smell good. What are you wearing?”
“Princess. It’s the newest perfume in Chris Perry’s line.”
I nodded. “It goes with you very well.”
“Thank you.”
She headed to her desk as I headed to my seat and dropped my backpack onto the floor. I headed down the aisle and walked toward her desk. She had already made it there by the time that I did.
When she looked up from grabbing her coffee cup and saw me, her eyes widened.
“How may I help you, Mr. Gates?”
“Will you drop that shit when it’s just the two of us?”
“I’m afraid that if I do, then I might forget when it’s more than just the two of us.”
I smirked. “I’d love to hear you call me that under different circumstances.”
“Such as?” she challenged.
“In my bed, underneath me, on top of me, in front of me. However you want to do it, baby girl.”
She blushed and dropped her gaze to the floor. “Salem.” Her voice was breathless when she called my name.
“What?”
“Last night was a mistake, the kiss.”
“There was no mistake, sweetheart. Everything that I did was intentional. You can sit here and make all the excuses that you want to, but your body’s reaction was pure and honest.”
“It was lust. The atmosphere was ripe for it. Sitting there drawing you in the nude was bound to bring back memories. That is what you experienced out on the street last night. My reaction to the energy vibing between us because of the situation; nothing less and nothing more.”
“Are those the lies you want to keep telling yourself?”
“I’m not telling myself lies. Listen, I love a great romance just like the next woman. And this would be a beautiful love story if it weren’t for the fact that I’m placing my job in jeopardy by even entertaining these conversations with you.”
“What happened between us was long before I knew you would be my professor.”
“Now we do know, so there can be no excuses, Salem.”
“Let me tell you something. Your body remembers the way I made it feel. That mouth of yours loves to break all the rules, and that pussy has scandal written all over it.”
She blushed and jerked the cross rapidly back and forth on its chain again.
“Stop,” I demanded as I reached out and grabbed her hand. Our gazes met and locked as her lips formed an “O.”
“Sorry. It’s a nervous condition.”
I smirked. “I make you nervous.”
Her eyes flashed with fire as she replied. “You know that you do.”
“I want you to admit one thing, Pisces.”
“It’s Koi. Koi Hall, or in this case, Professor Hall.”
“I like Pisces. I prefer it. That woman was real, honest, and raw. She was bold, and she knew what she wanted.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and briefly closed her eyes.
“I love it when you blush. You’re simply beautiful.”
The blush deepened, and with her head bowed, she smiled at me from underneath her lowered gaze. Her fingers went to her necklace again.
I boldly reached out and clasped the cross at her neck. I tugged it gently back and forth on its chain. She glanced down at my hand but didn’t make a move to stop me. Her eyes kept watching my hand.
I licked my lips and watched her gaze fly up to meet my hungry one. She swallowed and laughed nervously. Her fingers reached out and touched mine. I knew she wanted the chain back, but she held onto my fingers for a moment before she released them.
“You’re taking advantage of touching what doesn’t belong to you, Mr. Gates.” She scolded me with a smirk and a naughty laugh.
“Nah, that’s not what I’m doing.”
“What then?”
“I’m simply staking my claim, for what will belong to me.”
I confidently made my claim and held her gaze for several seconds. I instantly felt the shift in her energy as she took several steps back and cleared her throat.
“Are you ready to make your presentation today, Mr. Gates?”
I chuckled, winked, and replied, “I’m always ready.” I turned around to what I suspected had occurred. Students were starting to file into the room. Four female students flocked together, and I knew they could be trouble: Tiffany, Jada, Trista, and Emory.
“Salem,” Tiffany called out. “We’re going for drinks this afternoon. You want to join us?” she asked as I walked back to my seat.
“I’m gonna have to pass today.”
Her friend, Emory, slipped her arm through mine. “That’s too bad because the four of us were thinking about having some fun together tonight. You would be the perfect addition to that,” she remarked with a wink and licked her lips.
I smoothly removed her arm from mine and apologized sincerely. “Sorry, baby girl. Lemme get a raincheck.”
“Aww, that’s too bad,” Tiffany moaned.
“Badass princesses like us don’t stand a chance when desperate bitches are giving away A’s in exchange for dick tossed their way,” Trista murmured. I mugged the shit out of her.
“Watch that shit,” I warned, hoping that Koi didn’t hear her.
When I turned back around, I noticed that Professor Hall watched us over the mug of her coffee, but I didn’t think she heard what was said.
I wondered what thoughts flowed through that pretty little brain of hers.
I was satisfied that for a few minutes I had her undivided attention.
For those few minutes, she was able to drop her guard and be confident.
It was just a matter of time before she would be mine.