Chapter Fourteen
~Xander~
I stride into the classroom, head straight to the podium, tossing my case on the desk as I pass, aware I’m a bit late, but thank God it’s Friday. This has been the longest damn week, and knowing I would be forced to endure Summer sitting in front of me for the next ninety minutes, didn’t make it any easier.
I open my mouth to address the class, but freeze in place, my jaw dangling wide, my gaze riveted on the very person who’s been haunting my nights.
She’s in the process of removing a long sweater, revealing what she’s wearing, or a more fitting description would be, what she’s not wearing; a very short black pleated skirt that is no longer than mid-thigh, black Mary-Janes with pink bobby socks, and a fitted pink cashmere sweater that exposes most of her midriff. And her hair. She’s got it braided in two pigtails. She’s wearing goddamn fuck me handles.
She’s attempting to come off as completely blasé, but I know her far too well, her flushed cheeks giving away her discomfort. She tosses the long sweater over the back of her chair before taking a seat, her lashes lifting as her focus lands directly on me, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a slight grin. She sweeps her tongue between her full lips, accentuating the pink gloss already shimmering over them. My brow kicks up. Maybe she’s not as trepidatious as I think. At least the smirk she’s giving me would indicate otherwise.
This little vixen knows exactly what she’s doing. It becomes all too clear when instead of crossing her legs, she spreads them slightly, her fingers tugging the hem of the skirt up just high enough for me to glimpse white cotton panties. My cock stiffens into a hard length, and I thank all that is holy that I’m standing behind this podium. I’m not sure what kind of game she’s playing, but this round definitely goes to her. I want nothing more right now than to shred every scrap of clothing from her body and bury myself deep inside her.
I shift, hoping my discomfort isn’t obvious to the whole damn class, noticing at the same time that Davenport’s tongue is practically hitting the top of the table. God, I hate that fucking guy. He needs to keep his dirty thoughts off my girl.
Whoa . Do I actually have feelings for this girl? I gulp at my own revelation. Why else would another man looking at Summer make me so unreasonably pissed. Jesus, if I wasn’t fucked before, I truly am now. She lets out the smallest giggle, her hand leaving her skirt to cover her luscious lips, making me want to take her over my knee and spank her. She knows what this is doing to me and she’s enjoying every heinous second.
I close my mouth, realizing it’s still open, and glance to the back of the room to see if my teaching assistant is in the class. As if the universe decided I needed one thing going in my favor, I spot him sitting at one of the tables. I give him a discreet nod, hoping my intentions are clear. He rises and starts walking in my direction so I proceed.
“Good morning, class.” I try so hard not to, but find myself shooting another glance in Summer’s direction. She has the end of her pen in her mouth, her lips closed around the tip, as she pushes and pulls it lazily in and out. I blink, startled by her brazenness, and wonder what kind of monster I’ve created.
I clear my throat, shifting behind the podium again, and look away from the magnet she’s become to me. I smile gratefully when Tim moves to stand next to me. “My T.A., Tim Mathers, will be instructing today’s class for you. He’ll review the requirements for the first lab you’ll be expected to complete by the end of next week.”
I hold my hand out to Tim, which he shakes in a firm grip. “It’s all yours.”
He gives a curt nod, and begins to address the class as I turn abruptly to make my escape out the rear door, not chancing even a parting glance toward the flame that seems to have ignited into an inferno.
I bang on the door to her room with a closed fist for the second time, wondering if she’s there and ignoring me, or if she’s really not home. After waiting for a full minute and hearing nothing but deafening silence, I exhale a hot breath and conclude she must be out. I jog back down the steps and thrust the door open, the cool night air doing nothing to dampen my temper, still seething and hot after the stunt she pulled in class earlier today.
Where the hell could she be at seven on a Friday night? My step falters as Blake Davenport’s face invades my consciousness. Which does nothing to stem the heat already boiling in my veins. She better not fucking be with that twat.
Without thinking, I yank my cell from my pocket, find her number and press call. I’m shocked when I hear her voice on the line, not believing for an instant she would actually answer.
“Hi Professor.” Her tone is coy, like she had been waiting for me to phone.
“Where the hell are you?” I grind out, my patience at an all-time low, skipping any niceties.
“What, no hello?” She lets out a small laugh. “What’s got you so wound up, Professor?”
“Not even a little bit funny, Summer.” I growl, making it clear I’m in no mood to joke around. “We need to talk. Where are you?”
“Ugh.” She grunts. “Talking is so over rated. Can I suggest something way more fun?”
Where in the world had my timid little country mouse gone? I had apparently taught her way more than I realized. “Summer, I’m serious.”
“Yes, I know. Way too serious for your own good.” Her tone biting. “I don’t need another lecture about consequences, so if that’s what you have to say, I’m not interested.”
“Just tell me where you are so we can meet.” I demand. “What’s happening in class needs to stop.”
“Who-“
Her sentence is cut off by a short cry, and then a loud thunk, and I pull the phone away from my ear to see if she hung up on me. She didn’t, so I lean into the phone and call out to her.
“Summer?” I push the phone tighter to my ear and can just barely hear her.
“Here! Take it! There’s no money though, just cards.”
My heart races as I realize she’s being mugged.
“Summer!” I shout into the phone. “Tell me where you are!” All I can guess is that she dropped her phone, because we still seem to be connected. I don’t know if she can hear me though. Why didn’t she tell me where she was!
I try to listen for any clues, but all I can decipher is someone yelling at her. “Give me those earrings too! Hurry up!” I hear what sounds like a thud, and then a shriek before sobs. Sobs that I know are coming from Summer.
My chest feels like a herd of Mustangs are galloping through the desert, my hand gripping my hair as I shout into my phone again. “Summer, tell me where you are!”
I hear another smack, and then footsteps thundering and then more sobs. “Summer! Summer, are you there? Can you hear me? Find your phone, baby! Tell me where you are!”
I just keep yelling out, hoping she’ll hear me, as I run frantically down the street, not sure which direction to go in.
“Xander?” Her voice, finally, on the other end.
“I’m here.” I confirm. “Are you okay? Where are you?”
For a moment all I hear is crying, and a surge of anger so intense has me seeing red. I will kill whomever did this to her. “Summer, baby, can you tell me where you are? I’ll come and get you.”
She exhales loudly, hiccuping between a sob. “I was at Butler Library, and then I went to Stroko’s to get a salad, and I cut through their alley to get to my street.”
“Are you in the alley, then?” Christ, that’s right down the street from her building. I wasn’t more than a thousand feet away! I switch directions and run towards Amsterdam Ave. “I’m coming, Summer!”
“Hurry, Xander. I’m scared.” She whimpers. “Don’t hang up.”
“I won’t.” I promise. “I’m almost there. Hold on.”
I turn and bolt down the alley, skidding to a halt when I see her crumpled on the ground up against a wall. I slide down beside her and gather her into my arms, pulling her close. Her body begins to shake as she melts into me, her sobs vibrating against my chest.
“I’ve got you now.” I murmur into her hair, tugging her onto my lap and off the cold cement. “Shhhh, it’s okay.”
I hug her closer to me, rubbing my hand in small circles on her back until she seems calmer. Her head is tucked under my chin, her breathing regulating against the bare skin at the open neckline of my shirt. “How you doing now? Any better?”
She peers up at me, her lashes wet with tears, my jaw clenching when I see the red, swelling of a punch under her eye. I lift my fingers to feather them over her cheek, lifting her face to see where else she may have been hit. “Where else are you hurt?”
“After they hit me, and I fell to the ground, they kicked me in my ribs.” She moves her hand to show me where. I lift her shirt, and can see an imprint of a bruise already forming on her side. I grimace, my teeth gnashing together as I hold back every dark thought running through my head.
“They?” I inquire softly. “Was it more than one person?”
“No, it was just one.” She shakes her head. “But they had on a baseball cap and a hoodie. I couldn’t see what they looked like.”
“It’s okay.” I kiss the top of her head. “You’re safe now.”
“I’m so stupid. I should have never gone through the alley.” She shakes her head under my hold. “I just wanted to get home and eat. I was so hungry. And I wasn’t paying attention because I was talking to you on the phone.”
“All that matters right now is that you’re okay.” I scoff. “Relatively speaking.”
“They took my bag. It has all my stuff.” She pulls back from me, her brow scrunched with worry. “My laptop, my credit card, my I.D.’s. My keys!” Her face becomes a shade of white. “They will know where I live!”
“Can you stand?” I check, and she nods. “Come on, let’s get up then.”
We both rise, her legs shaking under her as we do, so I wrap a hand around her waist to steady her. “I have a friend who’s dating a detective. I’m going to call her and have him help us, okay?”
“Okay.” She replies meekly.
She leans against me, quiet as I call Gabby and explain what’s happened. I end the call a few moments later and update Summer.
“Gabby and Cameron are on their way. We’re lucky, Cameron was just picking up Gabby up from work at the hospital, so they’re close.”