Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
GRAYSON
Ican feel her eyes on me.
The entire time I’ve been walking around the kitchen, watching my students make escalivada and bombas, her eyes have been either on me or on her notebook.
That would be normal on any other day, only I’m not speaking, just observing.
It’s been hard to keep my focus on how my students are cleaning as they cook.
If any of them cut themselves, and how they handled it if it wasn’t deep, how many mistakes they’ve made, and if they tried to fix them secretly by hiding them or, like one of my top students, dumping their entire dish and starting over, risking not having enough time to finish.
This has been the toughest class to observe because the blonde girl sitting in the corner has me remembering our little fuck fest from two days ago, and I can tell she’s thinking about it too, with the slight blush on her cheeks.
Emma hasn’t texted me since then. I felt like a teen waiting by the phone for a call the past forty-eight hours, and now I’m waiting for the class to end to see if she’ll stay behind.
To do what? I’m not sure. And why didn’t I text her first? I’m not sure about that either. Not that I didn’t have anything to do, it’s been a busier week than usual, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have texted. She’s got my mind all scrambled.
What if she’s mad? Shit.
I’ll just apologize after class. If I’m lucky, maybe she was busy too.
Our eyes meet mine again, and a small smile tugs at her lips. Emma bites her pen and winks at me.
Fuuuuck. She’s not mad, but she is making me hard.
I look away and think about anything and everything else, so I don’t get a boner in front of my entire class.
We’re not even dating, but whatever it is that we are, whatever it is that I’m feeling, is fucking intoxicating. She’s someone who takes the thirty-one-year-old man in me—the one who’s been through two serious relationships, one ending in divorce—and makes me feel like an overactive hormonal boy.
I have moments of clarity when I think of how a woman like Emma deserves better—better than someone she can’t openly date, a guy who is emotionally available, a man her own age. But I’m too selfish and possessive to let this go. After Tuesday, it only made it that much harder.
I’m so caught up in how she’s made me feel more alive this past week than I have in the last ten years of my life.
I’ve opened my own restaurants, gotten married, and traveled almost all over Europe, yet this fucking woman has made me feel like myself again.
Like the person I was before all of that.
My authentic self. And I have no idea if it’s because she’s younger, or if it’s her personality, her beauty, how our conversations flow, or even because she’s the hottest sex I’ve ever had.
Whatever it is, it scares me as much as it excites me.
My phone buzzes.
Fuck, I zoned out for too long. Clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I yell, “You have five minutes left! Please have your dishes ready by then.”
I walk toward my station at the front of the class, where I can get a clear view of everyone.
This lab has gone well, and my students are better than I expected when I accepted the job.
Leo has outdone himself every time, only improving, and that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for, even if he does have a thing for Emma.
If he didn’t, I might like him a little more.
The alarm I set for the entire class rings, and I quickly glance at Emma, who has her head down, seeming to write something in her notepad with her long, wavy, golden hair cascading over one shoulder.
Her long, parted bangs cover part of her face, and as if she senses my intense gaze, she looks up.
I immediately look away from her and quickly scan my students, not risking her winking at me again.
I head to the first station to observe and taste their dish, while in the back of my mind I hope she’ll be sitting in the same chair when all the students clear out.
Emma
Grayson’s students leave the lab as I slowly pack up my things.
Leo’s talking to him, and they’re both smiling at whatever it is he said.
I take a couple of steps toward them, and overhear Grayson say, “Congratulations on the dishes from today.” My eyebrows shoot up at his huge change in demeanor with Leo.
Leo then steps away and nearly bumps into me near the doorway.
“Hey.” His voice is enthusiastic, and I use the same tone.
“Hey. I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation with Professor Hayes.” I nudge him with my elbow.
“I know. It’s going better than I expected.”
“I’m happy for you.”
We stand in awkward silence as I wait for him to leave.
“I’ll see you next week, then?” I try to bypass him when he stops me short.
“Emma.” He hesitates, and I know what he’s about to ask me.
I can’t seem to catch a break this week.
I clear my throat. “Yeah?”
Leo takes a step forward. “I know you said to ask you at the end of all this, but since you’ll be done with your article soon, I thought I’d ask you out now…
again.” He laughs nervously, and I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath.
Leo’s someone who made me feel a little something at the beginning of the semester, but if I’m being honest with myself, it was never going to happen if Grayson and I became what we are now, not after we slept together.
I nervously twist a strand of my hair around my finger. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”
His eyes widen. “Oh shit.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
He smiles. “It’s totally fine, Emma. I’m just happy I asked you now instead of waiting.”
“I’m glad you did too.”
Leo lays a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll see you next week then.”
That seems to be the ongoing trend, I want to say, but I simply nod.
Leo leaves, and I don’t see a hint of sadness in his eyes—only surprise and a little disappointment.
Looking around the room, I sigh and tip my head down with a grunt. It feels dumb to think that I’m tired from turning guys down; it sounds stuck-up and annoying, but I hate hurting or disappointing people, especially when they’ve been nothing but kind to me.
“Was it that hard turning Leo down?” Grayson says from a couple of feet away from me, and I smile before turning.
For the first time, I’m not wearing heels to one of his classes. It’s too damn cold outside now, and I stayed up way past my bedtime finishing my weekly article. Comfy boots were necessary.
Taking the final steps toward his workstation, I drop my bag on it and crack my neck.
“I didn’t tell you before, but Ben asked me out earlier this week, and I had to say no to him, too. Then I set him up with someone.”
I’m met with silence, and I swivel my gaze in his direction, where I see him shaking his head. “You are something else.”
“But never anything boring.”
He chokes on a laugh. “I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored when I’m around you.” He pulls me closer and kisses my neck. “I was definitely not bored with you on Tuesday.”
I giggle and push him away. “Down, boy. Anybody could walk in.” We both smile and stare at each other. My stomach dips, and lust builds inside my core. “Okay, this is a bad idea. I should go.”
“Why haven’t you texted me?” he asks warily.
I tilt my head to the side, caught off guard by his question. One that I wouldn’t have ever expected from him. “I’ve been working on my article between classes and went to my friend’s Zumba class before almost pulling an all-nighter.” I cross my arms. “The phone goes both ways, Professor.”
He shrugs, and for the first time, he looks slightly shy. I bite my lip to suppress my smile. “I was busy too.”
“Okay, so we were both busy.”
“Okay, we were, but we should figure out some kind of schedule.” A grin spreads across both of our faces. He wants to sort out a schedule. That’s a step in the right direction. “Come to my house tonight.”
I scrunch my nose up at the bad timing and disappointment. “I can’t. I already made plans with my friends.”
He frowns. “Tomorrow?”
“It’s Halloween. I have—”
“Plans,” he finishes with a sigh. “Of course, it only makes sense. I think a friend of mine also invited me out. Wow, Halloween. That means…”
“The research for the article is almost done.” We both smile sadly, but there are still two and a half weeks’ worth of classes and the soup kitchen left.
“On Saturdays, my friends and I get brunch at the dining hall when we can, and it’s rare to see them this often nowadays.
Then on Sunday, my editor wants to catch up on some things, and I have an essay to write. ”
“I have a work dinner on Saturday that I need to attend, and I’m visiting my friend’s restaurant on Sunday, so it works out,” he sighs.
“Wow, our schedules are pretty damn packed,” I say in surprise.
He scoffs. “It’s as if we’re adults with lives.”
I roll my eyes. “Next week and then next Sunday at the soup kitchen? My friend’s birthday is next Friday, and we might go out the next day as well. So, next weekend is packed as well.”
Grayson takes a deep breath and nods. “Next week and the weekend.”
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
Grayson smirks and pulls me in by the waist, kissing me softly and making me moan. “Yeah, that sound is going to be the death of me.” I choke on a laugh, already wet for him. “Get out of here before I take you over one of the stations.”
He lets me go, and I wobble for a second, with the scene already playing out in my head. “That sounds like fun.”
Grayson crosses his muscular arms over his broad chest. “Don’t tempt me, Ms. Haywood.”
Giving him one last body sweep, I shake out my arms as if that’s going to help. I grab my things and practically sprint out the door. “See you next week!”
Grayson’s chuckle trails behind me until I step outside the building in need of a night with some of my best friends to cool down from the guy who’s been the best sex I’ve ever had and the only one to fulfill my bookish fantasies.