19. Karolina #3
I should be alarmed, but I’m too swept up in my lust-addled haze to feel anything but a rush of feminine gratification.
“Then do it,” I pant, tipping my head back. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
He groans. “Such a greedy little thing. How can I deny you?”
He crushes his lips to mine. At first, the kiss is feral: a clash of tongues and teeth. There’s no finesse or slow seduction. Our simmering chemistry ignites, and I’m consumed by raw need.
I can’t get close enough to him. My back arches, and I tug against the tie that restrains me.
He doesn’t break contact, but he manages to reach up and unknot it so my hands are free.
“Hold on to me,” he whispers against my lips. “Don’t let go.”
My arms twine around his shoulders, and I pull him into me. He strokes the fine lines of my features like he’s memorizing me.
It’s reverent and desperate, and I’m completely lost in his need for me.
My fingernails bite into his back through his shirt, clinging on tight.
I fall out of time.
I have no idea how long we indulge in our savage kiss, but eventually, his lips turn softer on mine. Harsh nips of his teeth turn to soft caresses of his tongue.
I explore his mouth with equal hunger. I’m drunk on his taste and the feel of his muscles flexing beneath my touch. All that power, harnessed by my weaker hands.
I’ve submitted to him, but he’s making himself completely vulnerable to me. He dropped to his knees and worshipped my pussy before begging to claim my lips.
The rush is unlike anything I’ve ever known.
Finally, we give each other space to breathe.
He pulls away just long enough to tug my pants back up my legs and button them in place. The slightly rough sensation of my jeans against my bare cunt makes me shiver with a little aftershock of pleasure.
He carefully lifts me off the desk and settles down on his office chair, arranging me over his lap.
I close my eyes for a while, simply enjoying the sweet sensation of him stroking my hair.
“How did you know?” I ask when I’m capable of speech again.
What we just did was mind-blowing, and he seemed to know exactly how to handle me to draw out my submission. And my orgasms.
“How did you know that I would like this?” I clarify.
“Like what?”
“You being mean to me.”
He ruffles my hair and gives me a lazy smile. “Was I mean? I seem to remember you coming all over my hand.”
“Yes.” I giggle. “You were very cruel.”
He laughs. “You haven’t exactly been secretive about wanting me to be in control. You said it yourself when I was coming to meet you at Clifford’s Tower yesterday.”
“I was joking.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t true.” He rests his forehead against mine. “We’re a good match.”
We’re a perfect match. It’s so similar to what Bones said to me before the hunt.
He’d scared me with that intense declaration, and a shadow of that fear flits across my mind now.
How can I let Rand into my heart?
Not safe.
If I let myself care about him, something bad will happen.
It always does.
He touches two fingers beneath my chin. “What are you thinking?”
I shake my head, mulling over my tangled feelings.
It’s dangerous to want him.
And not just because he’s my professor.
“I don’t know what to do,” I confess on a ragged whisper.
His brow furrows. “About what?”
“This.” I press my hand to his chest, feeling our undeniable connection. “What’s happening between us.”
He cocks his head at me. “It scares you.”
I suppress a shiver. He reads me so easily.
“I don’t want you to be scared of me,” he murmurs. “That’s the last thing I want. How can I make you more comfortable?”
“I…” I swallow hard. “I think I need some space.”
His arms flex around me, pulling me closer. He takes a breath and forces himself to relax.
I slip out of his embrace and get to my feet. My knees shake, and he holds my hips to steady me.
When I’m confident I won’t fall on my butt, I step back.
His eyes are tight with anguish. “Don’t say you regret it.”
Drawn to comfort him, I trace the taut line of his square jaw. “I don’t regret it. I just need space.”
His nostrils flare, and his entire body tenses, as though it’s taking all of his willpower to remain seated instead of reaching for me.
Even though it obviously pains him, he’s honoring my consent.
I soften towards him, but I don’t allow myself to close the distance between us.
“I just need to think, and I can’t be rational when I’m near you,” I say quietly.
He gives me a jerky nod. “I’ll never force myself on you. But know that I don’t need time to think. I don’t want to be rational. I just want you, and that’s it.”
I take another step back.
His jaw ticks, but he doesn’t move an inch.
“Will I see you again?” he grinds out. “Outside of class.”
My throat constricts, but I manage a nod.
“To protect you from your stalker,” he concludes bitterly.
“I want to see you,” I promise quietly. “I’m not just using you as a shield.”
He blows out a long breath, but he remains stiff. “Go, then. Text me when you’re ready to talk.”
My feet seem to drag across the carpet in heavy, reluctant steps, but I manage to walk out of his office.
I’m enamored with my professor, and I don’t know what to do about it.