Chapter 47
GRADY
I sat there, stunned, my mind reeling from everything that had just happened.
The room was still buzzing with murmurs, but it felt like I was hearing it from afar.
Like I wasn’t actually part of the noise.
My hands were gripping the edge of the table so tightly my knuckles had turned white.
I couldn’t believe what Cece had just done.
She’d risked everything to defend me. And she’d done it with a level of courage and conviction that left me speechless.
She was passionate but professional. Calm.
Strategic. And so fucking hot I didn’t have words to describe it.
I glanced up, expecting to see her standing there, maybe waiting for me to say something, to thank her, to…
I don’t know, do something. But she wasn’t there.
My eyes darted around the room, searching for her, but I didn’t see her.
Current and former students filled the room. That shocked the hell out of me.
Lina smiled as she approached me. “I would hug you, but we don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea.”
“Thank you for speaking up,” I said. “That took a lot of courage.”
“It was the right thing to do. I’m sorry I was such a pain in the ass.”
I shrugged, but my mind wasn’t really on Lina. I was searching for Cece. I had to talk to her. “All is forgiven.”
“Professor Stone, I’m not as brave as Cece, but… I have to tell you something.”
For some reason, that got my attention. I looked at her, and for what was the second time since I had met her, she looked nervous. “What is it, Lina?”
“Dean Carver, uh, well, she also told me you slept with students. So I thought I could catch you for her.”
It didn’t take a genius to hear what she wasn’t saying. Lina had been a plant too. “I see.”
“You’re hot and all that, but—” She crinkled her nose. “You’re a little old for me. She said she would make sure I got the grades I needed in my other classes if I reported back to her.”
I had to laugh. It was so fucking stupid. “You were coming on strong because you were hoping I would take you up on the offer.”
“Sorry.”
“Well, thank you for being honest,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Go get her,” she said with a bright grin. “She kicked ass.”
“Yeah, she really did.”
I stumbled out of the boardroom like a man waking from a nightmare. My head was still spinning with all of the stuff that had been revealed. The dean was a bitch. She could fuck off. But that was for later. I needed to find Cece. There was no way she did all of that and ran.
I pushed open the doors and squinted against the sun.
There she was. I felt a sense of calm wash over me.
She was waiting for me, but as usual, she was discreet.
Even though everyone knew we’d been busted in our birthday suits, she was still doing her best to maintain some distance between us.
I took a second to look at her as she sat on a bench under a tree. She looked calm, at peace.
I let out a breath and made my way to her. She looked up and smiled at me. I sat on the bench beside her. Not too close, but I could smell her. Sweet, sweet vanilla. And I just happened to be the guy that knew she tasted as good as she smelled.
Cece slid her hand into mine. “How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.
“Like I could walk through fire and come out unscathed,” I admitted. “I can’t believe it.”
She squeezed my hand. “I can. I told you I wasn’t going to let her get away with it.”
I shook my head, still dazed. “Shit. You’re a genius, Cece Monroe. That tape? That was brilliant. When did you record the dean?”
“When she called me into her office before this whole thing, I wanted to make sure I could prove to you what she did,” Cece said.
“And then she started saying all the crazy stuff. I made the recording because I wanted you to know I never reported to her. I never gave her anything. And honestly, I knew I never would. I let her believe I would but that’s not who I am. ”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have doubted you. I should’ve trusted you from the start.”
“You had every reason to doubt me,” she said quietly. “I should’ve told you about the dean from the beginning. I just… I didn’t know how. I was scared you’d think I was using you.”
“I was an idiot,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair. “I let Carver get in my head. She’s been gunning for me for so long, I started to believe her bullshit. But you saw through it. You stood up to her when I couldn’t.”
She smiled faintly, her blue eyes shining. “I wasn’t going to let her destroy you, Grady. Not after everything you’ve done for me. For all of us. You’re a good teacher. The way you talk is engaging. I wish I could have taken your classes. I probably would have learned a lot more.”
I shook my head, still in awe of her. “You didn’t have to do that, Cece. You didn’t have to risk your own future to save mine.”
“Yes, I did,” she said firmly. “Because you’re worth it. You’re worth fighting for.”
Her words knocked the air out of me. I stared at her, my mind racing, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. “Did you know about Lina?”
“I didn’t know she was going to say anything.” Cece smiled. “I think all of those people wanted to say something on your behalf.”
“No, not about that. Lina told me the dean had her spying on me too. Not spying, but she was a trap. She said Carver promised her better grades if she got the proof. Apparently, she was supposed to seduce me or something.”
Cece’s eyes widened for a moment. Then she burst out laughing. The sound was so unexpected, so full of genuine amusement, that it caught me off guard. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle it, but it was no use. Her shoulders shook with laughter.
“Oh my God,” she managed between giggles. “I should’ve known. That explains so much.”
I raised an eyebrow, still trying to process her reaction. “Explains what?”
“The way she was always throwing herself at you,” Cece said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I mean, I thought she was just… you know, kind of loose. But this? This makes so much sense. Not that you’re not hot, because I would and have rocked your world, but she was laying it on thick.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle along with her. “I’m not sure if I should be offended.”
“You’re not offended and we both know it. The dean was desperate. She was willing to do anything to get you in trouble.”
“It’s insane. I knew she didn’t like me, but this? This is next-level crazy. She was out here actually scheming. It’s enough to make a man paranoid.”
We sat quietly for a few minutes, watching campus life.
He sighed. “I know there’s still a chance I’ll lose my job because of what we’ve both admitted to, but I want you to know I really appreciate what you did.”
“You’re not going to lose your job. Those people know they have no reason to get rid of you.”
“I like your confidence.”
“When you know you’re in the right, it’s easy to be confident,” she said.
There was a pause, then I cleared my throat. “Cece.”
“Yeah,” she said.
“I like you.”
She laughed softly. “Good, I like you too.”
“That didn’t come out right. I mean, I want to see you. I need to see you.”
“As in… dating?”
I shrugged. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“I think it’s calling seeing someone.”
“Okay. Can we see each other?”
“What about your job?”
“Like you said, it’s not actually against the rules,” I said with a shrug. “Maybe we go easy at school. No need to poke the bear and keep stirring the pot.”
“No PDA. Agreed.”
“But when we’re alone, I want lots of PDA.”
She rolled her eyes. “Contradictory statement.”
“Okay, I want to get you naked and fuck you until both of our toes curl and we are seeing stars. What’s the acronym for that?”
I saw a flash of surprise and heat in her eyes. Her tongue darted out and licked her upper lip. Oh yeah, I knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Okay. That works for me. But why don’t we start with dinner tonight? I promised Sophie we would have a picnic on the beach before the weather turns.”
“You want me to tag along?” I asked.
“If we’re going to be seeing each other and we can’t see each other when we’re at school, then it’s going to be at my place or yours. And I do have a kid that I only get to see a few hours every evening, so if you want to hang out with me, sometimes it’s going to be a package deal.”
“I’d like that.”
“Are you okay with the fact I have a daughter?”
“I am,” I said. “I want you, Cece.”
“I have to go. I am picking up our picnic meal. Mom has been busy all day and I’ve been wrapped up with my work, so, lazy picnic.”
“Can I come with you?” I asked. “Turns out my schedule is clear for the next few days. And if this doesn’t go the way I hope, I’m going to have a lot of free time.”
“It’s going to be fine,” she said. “I know it.”
“Then I am going to believe you.”
We stopped at a grocery store and bought fried chicken, potato salad, and a fruit platter. I added soda, bottles of water, and cupcakes.
When we got to the house, Granny was loading up the car with folding chairs and a blanket.
She stopped what she was doing and looked from me to Cece. “Did you win?”
“I just got the text,” I said. “Cece saved my job.”
“You got the news?” Cece asked.
“Yep. Seraphina Reese texted and said she’s looking forward to seeing me on Monday.”
We all climbed into Granny’s car. Cece and Granny insisted I sit in the front seat because I had the longest legs.
We carried all the gear down to the beach and got set up.
It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t hot. Sophie was wearing a pink bathing suit and immediately grabbed her bucket and tools to build a sandcastle.
I watched Sophie dig into the sand and had the thought that she was a natural-born archeologist. Cece sat beside me on the blanket, her legs tucked under her, a soft smile on her face as she watched her daughter.
Sophie looked up at me with a bright smile. “I’m making a castle. Wanna help?”
“Absolutely,” I said, scooting closer to her. “What’s the plan? Moats? Towers? A drawbridge?”
“All of it!” she declared, handing me a plastic shovel.
I got to work, digging a trench around the castle while Sophie focused on the towers.
Cece started to spread out the food. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air, and my stomach growled in response. “Sophie, it’s time to eat.”
Sophie chattered on as we ate. Granny asked a few questions about the hearing.
Initially, I got the impression she didn’t care for me, but she seemed to be warming up.
I couldn’t give a shit what the board thought.
My concern was getting Granny and Sophie to approve of me.
Their opinions mattered. I didn’t know where this thing was going, but with Cece, it felt different than it had with any other woman.
And I wouldn’t let her go.