Chapter 15
chapter fifteen
patrice
The knock on the door came a second before the holler from the hallway.
“Are you ready, Professor?”
I just laughed, because for a guy who looked like he’d be right at home at the Cornell Club, Easton Archer could holler. I grimaced at the racket he was making then remembered he owned the fucking building, so we were probably okay.
“I’m coming.” I could barely keep the humor out of my voice, because that was my permanent state these days.
I walked around happy as hell, smiling at people and asking about their dogs and shit.
It was like fucking with Easton Archer had turned me into a…
happy person. I opened the door, digesting that new development with a grin on my face, knowing what my current state of nothing but sweats on would have on Easton.
He didn’t even say hello; he just got a look at my chest and jumped me.
I stumbled backward, laughing my ass off as he did his best to get this tongue down my throat.
“This is not right.” Those eyes looked up at me like I was everything he’d ever wished for.
I exhaled and nuzzled his neck. “Your eyes make me think of the semester I spent in Edinburgh. Whiskey and moss.”
He groaned as he backed me up against the nearest wall. “Why do you hate me? Here I am trying to be suave. Trying to woo you, so that you don’t think I’m just after your dick, and you start telling me my eyes are like all Scottish and drugging?”
I couldn’t help it; I busted up and tightened my arms around his waist. “You trying to woo me, Counselor?”
He ran his hands over my bare shoulders and the possessiveness there made me grin again.
When he answered, his voice was strong. “Yes, and we’re going someplace we can’t run into anyone.
Last time I thought you were going to rip Brad’s head off.
” He tried to make it humorous, but I seriously wanted to pop that fucker on the mouth.
It really pissed me off that Easton was so used to people talking to him like Brad did.
I could only imagine the type of shit he dealt with from his father for him to be practically unbothered by a prick like Brad talking down to him.
I vowed right then and there that I would never be one more person in Easton’s life who didn’t let him know what he was worth.
Easton’s tongue clicking brought me back and his face was a mix of serious and horny. “You feeling some type of way, Professor?”
He thrust his hips toward me and I could feel his hard cock brushing against me.
“You letting Tyren teach you words again?”
He laughed and pressed closer. “No. You just looked really serious. But I’m having trouble staying on task right now. It’s hard not to get hot and bothered when you make that face. I’m only human; how can I be expected to resist six feet four inches and two hundred plus pounds of—”
“Pissed off Haitian?” I asked, biting the side of my face to keep from smiling.
“I was going to say of gorgeous, broody man.” He wrapped his arms around my neck and looked up.
“I almost want to cancel this outing. It’s too cold today anyway.
” His tone told me that he was a lot less concerned with the temperature outside and lot more with increasing mine.
He was also bundled up in jeans, snow boots, and what looked like a few layers under his parka.
I shook my head as I dislodged his arms from my neck.
“Nuh uh, we said we were going to do stuff together,” I said as I went to grab my socks.
“Fine.” His pout was too fucking cute. “But I think not staying indoors while you’re so close to being fully naked is a really wasted opportunity.”
I dipped my head once, biting back the smile that seemed to be permanently ready to come out whenever Easton was around.
Despite the tension that had been going on with the stops, things seemed to have calmed down.
Easton had said his meeting with the sheriff had gone as expected.
He didn’t elaborate other than to say he expected things to quiet down for now.
I was still working with some groups organizing a “Know Your Rights” teach-in in town, and that was a priority.
But I was trying to make a go of things with Easton and I could not put every shitty thing that happened in town on him to solve.
“Okay, what are you thinking about?”
I shook my head, trying to focus on the moment. “I was thinking I need to put on at least four more layers so we can begin our romantic adventure.”
He rolled his eyes at my obvious lie. “Are you still worried about the meeting with the dean?”
That reminder I could’ve done without. I’d been called in for a meeting, which coincidentally came the Monday after Easton and I had our run-in with Brad.
It was supposed to be a “check-in” but when I asked Ted, he’d told me that was unusual.
So I was expecting to be called out on the carpet for something that had nothing to do with the job I was actually hired for.
But that was another thing I didn’t want to get into right now.
“Nah, I’m trying not to worry about it until it happens. There’s nothing I can do about it at this point.” I lifted a shoulder before turning around and going up the stairs to finish getting dressed with Easton right behind me.
“I hope this isn’t Brad being a petty asshole, but this would be very in line with his M.O.
Fucking with people because he can’t deal with rejection.
” I stopped as I got to the mezzanine and looked over my shoulder at him.
His angry expression made me wonder what that little prick had done to fuck with him.
But before I could even ask, he just shook his head and waved his hand as if asking me to forget about it.
“That was a long time ago. I don’t indulge in grudges about petty shit people do.
” The way his mouth flattened and his face blanched made it pretty obvious it was not just some petty thing.
Easton liked to maintain that unaffected facade, he kept it cool, calm, and collected everywhere.
Except I could tell he minimized how things that people said and did hurt him.
He acted like his dad’s slights didn’t affect him.
How much it hurt him to be dismissed. But I’d seen it when I’d done it to him.
I pulled a t-shirt and then a sweater over my head, trying to figure out how to let him know he could trust me, while Easton acted like a fool, fake swooning and fanning himself. He was so extra, but fuck if I could stay mad with him around.
I walked up to where he was leaning against the dresser and tightened my arms around his waist. Again taken aback by the way he just made me forget to be pissed at shit that usually infuriated me. “You’re a clown.”
He preened like I’d given him the best compliment of his life. “I think you like it though.”
I shook my head, my mouth itching to break out into a grin.
“I’ve had to learn to live with the constant bullshit you’re on.
I’m also curious about this romantic date.
” My voice was serious but that little flame of excitement in my belly came back to life.
No matter how much of a grumpy bastard I pretended to be, being the object of Easton Archer’s attention was apparently one of my new life goals.
He pushed up to kiss me and then pulled my hand as he started going down the metal spiral staircase. Once we were downstairs, he started wiggling like he was so excited about this date, he could barely contain himself. “Well, I don’t want to brag, but it’s pretty amazing.”
I went to grab my coat as he flashed me those perfect teeth. “I don’t even know when you would’ve had time. You’re in the middle of a trial.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it because the light in his eyes went out completely.
“We’re trying to take one day in the week to recharge.”
Fuck, now I’d made him feel guilty. I hurried over to him as it sunk in that seeing Easton unhappy even for a second had now become unbearable for me.
“Of course, you should take a day. I’ve seen all the late nights you’ve been pulling.
” I bent down to kiss him, sliding my tongue with his, that immediate and complete connection powerful as always.
Sometimes it felt like we’d been giving each other comfort forever.
When he pulled back, he had that addled look he got sometimes, the one that made me feel ten feet tall, and I decided to say exactly what was on my mind.
“I’m honored you’d want to spend your day off with me. ”
He lifted a shoulder then, a cheeky smile on his lips. “Well, everyone else was busy, so I figured I’d take you.”
I walked by him to the door and smacked his ass. “Come on, let’s go get your plan to sweep me off my feet on the road, Mr. Archer.”
Easton
“So what other books have you been reading? What Chris Hayes is breaking down isn’t exactly light reading,” Patrice asked as we drove to the stable where I’d arranged our date.
The closer we got, the more concerned I got that the frigid weather was going to mess up my plans.
So I turned my attention to Patrice’s questions.
He’d been surprised a few minutes earlier when he tried to put on some music and ended up hitting play on A Colony in a Nation, which I’d been listening to.
I kept my eyes on the road, not sure I wanted to see his reaction to my reading choices.
I didn’t want him to think I was only doing it to impress him or something.
“I’ve just been thinking there are things I need to get some perspective on, so I asked Pri to recommend some books. You know she has every opinion on everything.”
I looked over and saw him nod. “I was just surprised. I mean clearly these are topics that are important to me. I’m happy to talk about them with you any time.”