Chapter 10
ASHER
I can barely focus on what Nikki’s saying, some inane story about her day in the ER.
She should be everything that I should be interested in.
For starters—she’s my age. She’s successful, and not one of my students.
This is our second date, and I can tell she’s into me; she’s come up with multiple excuses to touch my arms, my legs, and my chest. I probably could’ve taken her home on our first date, and I know that I could cut this date short and invite her back to my place, and she’d say yes. But none of that sounds appealing.
Not when she’s not a petite blonde, with whiskey colored eyes and soft golden skin.
Why the hell can’t I take my eyes off Summer?
Matt is making his way back over to her with two waters, and I begrudgingly appreciate the gesture.
Her last drink seemed like she just needed an excuse to go to the bar so that she could speak with me.
He says something as he hands her the water, and she giggles again.
His returning smirk makes me want to hit something.
Preferably him.
I was halfway through my first beer and having a lovely conversation with Nikki when Summer walked in wearing one of those fucking skirts, though this one has a dangerously high slit up the side. I swear she knows what they do to me and is just wearing them to torture me.
Summer flips her hair over her shoulder and bats her eyelashes at the tool in front of her before her gaze briefly drifts over to me.
She’s fucking with me.
She’s not the first female student to try and flirt with me… but she is the first to get a reaction out of me. Not that I can let her know that. I ball my hand up into a fist and try to refocus on Nikki.
“I’m so glad we were able to meet up tonight. I’m having a lot of fun.” She trails a finger along the back of my hand, drawing circles. “I really enjoyed our last date as well.”
A small trickle of guilt drips down my spine, making me want to squirm in my seat.
I can admit to myself that when Nikki texted me asking if I was doing anything for Halloween, I wasn’t originally planning to go out.
But I did suggest we come to this bar for trivia, hoping Summer would be here.
If Summer got jealous of seeing me with Nikki, well, that was just a bonus.
But after watching Summer flirt with someone else, I’m starting to feel like a douchebag. If she feels even half of what I’m feeling, any sense of victory has ebbed away.
“Yeah,” I say to Nikki. “It’s been fun.”
“I’m glad Jared thought to introduce us.” Her smile widens.
Yet another reason to feel like a dick. She’s Jared’s friend, and he had set us up, and I didn’t even have the decency to be honest after that first date.
I should’ve told Nikki that I hadn’t felt any sort of spark and that we shouldn’t continue.
Instead, here I am stringing her along. Why?
Because I wanted to make Summer feel even a fraction of the jealousy that I feel when I see Matt flirting with her in class?
Because I think that I should be with someone like Nikki instead of fantasizing about one of my students?
Another laugh from Summer carries across the room and grates against my ears. I dig my fingernails into my palms, willing myself not to look in her direction.
Summer is smart, too smart to be giggling at whatever stupid comment that douche is making.
I don’t like the way he looks at her, like she’s an easy mark.
He looks at her like that in class, when he walks her down the hall, and even now in the bar.
She’s better than that and deserves better than that.
She’s too smart to be dumbing herself down and giggling whenever the boy makes a half-assed joke.
I could tell she was intelligent on the first day of class, even before reading her papers, just by the way she spoke when answering questions.
I’ve never heard her giggle like she has been since Matt sat down.
I’ve read his papers; he’s nowhere near her level.
She puts her hand on his arm and laughs again. I grit my teeth.
“Is everything okay?” Nikki asks hesitantly. “You look…” Her words fade away as Matt and Summer continue to flirt with each other.
He leans in and whispers something in Summer’s ear before she smiles up at him and nods. I watch as she excuses herself and makes her way toward the corner of the bar where the bathroom is.
Don’t.
Don’t fucking do it.
Fuck.
“I just need to go to the restroom, excuse me,” I say to Nikki, cutting her off and leaving her sitting alone, looking put out. I quickly walk toward the bathroom and round the corner where Summer is waiting, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.
She smirks at me.
I clear my throat. “I thought you were going to the restroom.”
Her knowing smile widens as she points to a closed door across from her. “It’s locked… but thanks for making sure I made it here safely.”
“The men’s room is open.” I nod toward the open door.
Why are you still talking? Just pretend to go to the bathroom and leave.
She shrugs before pushing off the wall and brushing past me.
“Ever the gentleman.” Her heels click against the floor, and her hips sway enticingly as she waltzes into the bathroom.
Her silk skirt hugs her legs and ass, leaving little to the imagination, while her corset top shows the delicate dip in her waist before highlighting perfect breasts.
Don’t.
Don’t. Fucking. Do. It.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek and taste blood. Summer disappears into the bathroom but doesn’t close the door behind her.
Screw it.
Without thinking, I barge in after her and slam the door behind us.
She slowly turns to face me and takes a daring step forward, stopping an inch away from me.
Her breath fans across my face, and she lifts a hand.
I close my eyes and take a steadying breath.
She reaches past me, and I hear the bathroom lock click into place.
Then there’s nothing but deafening silence.
Her eyes look like melted caramel as she gazes up at me, a seductive smirk playing along her delicate pink lips.
“Couldn’t wait?” she asks.
“Not a second longer,” I breathe before crushing my lips to hers.
Fuck me. She tastes like apples.
My fingers run through her hair and down her back before gripping her waist to pull her tightly against me. I groan at the feel of her.
She sucks in a sharp breath as I harden against her. She tries to scrape her nails against my back through the material of my clothes, and a low growl rumbles through my throat.
I trace my tongue lightly along her bottom lip, requesting entrance.
She parts her lips on a sigh, and I drive my tongue eagerly forward.
I walk her backward as my tongue battles hers for dominance until her back meets the door.
She grabs a handful of my hair before yanking, and I hiss at her.
I am met with a devilish smile before she leans forward and licks up the column of my throat.
She’s going to be the death of me.
I slam her back against the door and let my hand rest against the delicate skin of her throat. Her pulse picks up excitedly. “Is this okay?” I breathe against the shell of her ear.
She eagerly nods her head. “I like being choked a little,” she responds eagerly. A blush washes across her cheeks, but her pulse thrums against my fingers.
“Tap my shoulder twice if it’s ever too hard,” I growl, tightening my hold on her slightly. I gently tilt her head to the side and scrape my teeth along her exposed skin before clamping down on the soft spot between her shoulder and neck.
She moans, and I nearly come undone.
I let my hands drift down until I hit the fabric of her top.
I trace the edge of her corset and can’t help myself.
I need to see more of her. If I’m going to hell, I want to live in this sinful moment for as long as possible.
I should never have followed her in here, and I make myself a half-hearted promise never to put her or myself in a position like this again, but now that we’re here, I can’t stop.
I feel like if I stop—if I let her go—I’ll never know happiness again.
I have never, in my life, felt infatuated with someone until Summer Nyx, and I have the awful feeling that I never will again.
I let my fingers slowly find their way into the top of her corset, and I tug, but it doesn’t budge. A frustrated growl escapes my throat, and she lets out a breathy laugh. “It’s a corset. Sam tied me in so tight I can barely breathe.”
“How do I get it off?” I plead.
“Once this thing comes off, it is never going back on,” she responds with another laugh.
“Fine by me.” I smirk.
I watch her resist the urge to roll her eyes. “And what do you think I’d wear out of this bathroom?”
“I’d give you my shirt.”
The image of her in nothing but my shirt makes my cock so hard it aches.
She loses the battle against rolling her eyes. “Stop talking,” she says before pulling me back to her.
Her fingers deftly unbutton the buttons on my shirt as I bite her lip for a second time.
She pushes both my shirt and jacket off my shoulders, where they land in a crumpled heap on the bathroom floor.
Under any other circumstance, I’d be appalled with my clothes touching the undoubtedly dirty floor, but right now, I couldn’t care less.
Her hands slip under the Superman T-shirt—borrowed from Jared—and the soft pads of her fingers trace the planes of my abs, making me shiver.
Her hands run up to grasp my neck, pulling my mouth firmly against hers.
I moan into her mouth as she scrapes her fingernails against the bare skin of my chest and stomach.
My hands trail along the curves of her ass, the silk fabric of her skirt cool and slick against my grip.