Chapter 16
ASHER
“What?” Summer says in disbelief as we round the corner to see the metal gate blocking off the entrance to a parking garage, where I assume she had parked. “No, no, no!” She runs to the stairwell door and yanks on it desperately.
“Summer,” I say softly. She turns to see me pointing at a sign that indicates the parking garage has been closed for over an hour. She continues pulling on the door handle. “Summer, it’s clearly closed.”
“I can see that,” she snaps. “But I’m hoping that maybe a security guard stuck around and will be nice enough to not only let me in but also let my car out.”
The rain continues to pour around us in a torrential downpour.
“Shit!” she groans, letting her forehead press against the door’s cold metal. “This can’t be fucking happening.”
I turn from her and grit my teeth. Don’t. Don’t fucking do it.
From the corner of my eye, I can see Summer standing in the rain and pulling her jacket tighter around herself.
A gust of wind blows down the street hard enough that it lifts some of her wet hair that’s plastered to the skin of her neck.
She fails at hiding a violent shiver, and I let out a resigned sigh before stripping off my jacket and handing it to her.
“Come on,” I say while starting up the street. “I live two blocks over.”
I turn to see her chewing on the inside of her cheek. That is a bad idea, her expression screams, and I can’t help but agree. Yet, I don’t take the words back.
She shrugs on my jacket and crosses her arms over her chest. “I can just call an Uber,” she says weakly, her teeth are chattering, and I can hear them clicking, even though I’m a few feet away from her.
“It’s almost two in the morning, and it’s pouring rain. Just… come on. Please?” She takes a hesitant step toward me before looking back at the locked door to the garage. “You can check out Uber’s at my place once you get dried off.”
She takes another beat where she glances between me and the door before trailing after me. She swipes away a few stray strands of hair stuck to her cheek before muttering, “I’ll just step inside to order an Uber, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
“It’s no trouble,” I assure her as the rain pelts my face, making me squint my eyes—I’m sure I look ridiculous and not at all like a professor just trying to help a student out of an unlucky situation.
That’s because you’re not, an ugly voice says in the back of my mind. You have ulterior motives. You want to spend more time with her. Want her to come over to your apartment. Want to hear what she’s like when she—
Her ice-cold fingers brush against the bare skin of my forearm, and I yank away from her as if her touch burned.
Her steps falter at my reaction, but she clears her throat. “Thank you,” she says over the roar of the rain. “For letting me get out of this shit storm.”
I give her a jerky nod before barreling onward toward my apartment.
It’s not long before we reach my apartment complex, and I hear Summer sigh in relief as we enter the warm lobby. I lead her to the elevator, and we ride up to my floor in silence.
I unlock the door to my apartment and hold it open for Summer, silently thanking my mother for instilling the importance of keeping a clean home.
There’s a lot of white throughout the apartment, complemented by dark accents.
As Summer takes in the interior, I also silently thank my sister for decorating the place.
I walk over to the thermostat and crank up the heat, but Summer keeps shaking like a leaf.
I rub my hand along the back of my neck.
Don’t say it, don’t say it. I clear my throat, intending to offer to get her a towel while she searches for nearby Uber’s, but instead I say, “You can take a quick shower to warm up, if you want.”
Her cheeks take on a pink tint as she gives a single nod of her head. “Sure, that sounds really great right about now,” she laughs as she holds up pruney fingers.
I get her a clean towel from the linen closet in the hall. Then I lead her to the bathroom, show her how to work the shower, let her know she’s welcome to use any of the products in the bathroom, and hand her the towel. Her shaking fingers brush mine, and the towel drops to the floor.
We both stare at each other for a few fleeting seconds before we both bend down to pick up the towel. Our hands touch again, and she lets out a nervous giggle as I stutter out an apology. We both stand as she holds the towel close to her chest and chews on her bottom lip.
“Okay,” she says, pushing loose strands of her hair behind her ear. “I’m gonna shower now.”
“Okay,” I nod.
We continue to stare at each other before she laughs awkwardly. “So?”
“So?” I parrot back to her. She raises an eyebrow before nodding her head at the shower. “Right!” I exclaim. “Right, sorry! I’ll just—” I gesture toward the door. “Be out here.”
The door clicks behind me as I mentally berate myself for whatever that just was.
I start walking toward the couch when I hear her call after me, her voice feeble. “Asher?”
I’m back at the bathroom door in a flash. “Yes? Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, I was just wondering… well, if I hand you my dress, would you mind tossing it in your dryer for a few minutes while I shower?”
I grit my teeth at the idea of having her hand me her dress while she’s completely naked behind the bathroom door.
“Yeah, that’s totally fine.” I take a step back from the door.
On second thought. “Just drop it outside the door, and I’ll make sure it gets in the dryer,” I say to her before retreating to the couch like a coward.
The door opens, and her dainty hand attached to her slim wrist darts out, dropping the sopping wet dark blue fabric on the floor before the door slams shut again.
I let out a frustrated grunt as my head falls back against the couch and I close my eyes, trying to focus on anything but the beautiful girl showering just feet away.
I hear the shower turn on and the spray of water. The shower door opens and closes. And then the faint sound of her humming reaches my ears.
I push myself to my feet and make my way to the kitchen, where I pour myself a healthy dose of whiskey. The sound of Summer in the shower roars in my ears, and I quickly gulp down the amber liquid. My throat burns as I pour myself another glass.
All I can focus on is the sound of the running water and her soft humming.
I take a large gulp of my whiskey and try not to think about her in my shower, lathering up her body with my soap.
I groan. Now all I can picture is water cascading down her naked body.
My cock twitches at the image. And the mere thought of her going home smelling like me has me fisting my dick in my pants.
I flop down on the couch, whiskey sloshing in my glass as shame heats my face.
You are not supposed to think your students are hot.
My gaze travels toward the bathroom door once again. I am completely unable to stop myself from imagining the filthy images that bombard my brain.
I imagine pushing the bathroom door open and pulling back the curtain, seeing Summer standing bare before me. Dropping to her knees before me. Taking me into her mouth. Her amber eyes fluttering shut at the taste of me.
The water cuts off, and my head jerks in the direction of the bathroom.
Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. She’s going to open the door, and I’m going to be sitting on my couch hard as a rock. She’s gonna think I’m a creep, that I’m completely unprofessional and inappropriate.
I am inappropriate. I invited my student into my apartment in the middle of the night, before offering to let her shower, and then proceeded to fantasize about her.
The door opens, and I hastily cover my lap with one of the couch pillows.
My eyes travel up toned bare legs. All the way up her golden thighs, to where the towel stops just short of the apex of her legs. Fuck me.
She shifts her weight under my intense stare. She shoves wet strands of hair behind her ear as her cheeks flush red. She’s washed all her makeup from the night off, and of course, she looks absolutely stunning without it. “My clothes are soaked,” she says quietly. “And cold.”
“Right, right,” I mutter. “I’m sorry, I forgot to throw those in the dryer for you while you were showering.” Yeah, because you were too distracted with what you wished you could do to her while she was naked in your shower.
“It’s okay.” She shrugs. “It’s not like they would be dry by now anyway.”
God, is it hot in here?
“Um, I can get you something to wear in the meantime?” I offer.
“S-sure,” she stutters.
I stride toward my bedroom, waving at her over my shoulder to follow me.
I grab a black T-shirt out of one of my drawers and hold it out to her. She gently takes it from me, and it might be my imagination, but it feels like she tries to avoid making physical contact with me.
“I didn’t think you owned anything casual,” she quietly muses.
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye and smirk. “Very funny.”
I continue rummaging through my drawers, trying to find a pair of pants or shorts that might fit her. I scratch the back of my neck nervously. “You can try on a pair of my sweats. I’m not sure if they’ll fit. Or… you can always wear a pair of my boxers…” I trail off, hating how that sounds.
“The-the shirt’s fine,” she says, face turning beet red.
“I’m sorry, that sounded less weird in my head. Or less weird than only offering you… a shirt,” I mumble, pointing at the fabric in her hand.
She clutches the towel tighter to her, and I try desperately not to think about the fact that she’s basically naked in my bedroom.
“Really,” she says, sounding breathless. “The shirt is just fine.”
I can feel my jaw clench. Imagining her in nothing but my clothes was already hard enough. But in nothing but my shirt?
Torture.
I clear my throat, but still feel like I could use a glass of water. Or a stiff drink. “As long as you’re comfortable,” I manage to get out.