Chapter 18
18
Tovah had finished doing the dinner dishes and was on her way to shower and relax, when her phone rang with a number she didn’t recognize. All right, two in one day and it wasn’t going to happen. She doubted anything Vincenzo had to say was going to tempt her to have sex with him.
The fact he wanted it to reassure himself that the equipment still worked wasn’t exactly a compliment. More of an accusation. As if she’d taken his masculinity when she’d gone.
If they left a voicemail, she’d listen. If she didn’t like what she heard, she’d erase and ignore. Easy enough to do.
Not ten minutes later, a knock came to the door.
She’d just gotten out of the shower and had her pajamas on. Rose had beat her to the door.
Tovah put her hands up at a loss. “Why didn’t you wait until I came out to answer?”
“I can answer a door.” Rose pushed the door open. “Besides, it’s Zach.”
Tovah’s heart tripped and then fluttered before settling into a normal beat again, if not a bit fast. He said hello to her grandma, but his eyes went straight to Tovah.
“Do you have a moment?”
“Um. Sure.”
Instead of coming into the house he went back outside. At a loss, it took Tovah a moment to get herself moving to follow him out onto the porch. He stood down on the driveway.
“Where are we going?”
“To my house.”
Tovah started back into the house. “Let me go change.”
Zach waved the offer away as if it was unnecessary.
“At least let me put on shoes.” She dipped back inside to put on some slippers. The ground was cold and starting to freeze with the coming of winter.
She also grabbed her coat and threw it on. Coming back down the porch steps, her gut churned with concern. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head until they were inside his house. “Have a seat.” He indicated the sofa.
All right, so this wasn’t going to be a sexy visit. If he thought that bringing her to his house to tell her he was done with her was required, he was sadly mistaken. She knew. She got it. Words were unnecessary.
Tovah kept on her coat and pulled it tighter around her as she took a seat on the sofa. Zach started to pace in front of her.
He’d made two circuits of the living room before she took pity on him.
“Look, if you’re trying to find a way to let me down easy. No need. Your radio silence the last few days spoke loud and clear. I get it. You never promised me anything but that one night.” She stood again. “Your conscience can rest.”
Zach had made it to the end of living room and spun around. “What?”
“You’re off the hook.” She readjusted her coat again. Damn, she felt cold all over. “I’ll talk to Grandma, so she knows not to blame you for anything. I think she’s got this idea in her head.” She put her finger to her temple, then shrugged.
His expression had turned from worried to confused. “This isn’t about any of that.” He frowned. “Well, it is…but not how you think.”
He indicated the sofa again. “Please, sit back down. I’m having enough trouble finding the words.”
“Then instead of tearing yourself up, just come out with it. We’ll sort through it all after.”
His nod was decisive. “I been asked to tender my resignation for having an inappropriate relationship with a student.”
Tovah choked. “You can’t be serious. You?” Then it dawned on her. “Wait. This is about me and you?”
“I believe so, though no names were given.”
“What did they say?”
“Only that they had a complaint and asked for my resignation.”
“They know they can’t do that, don’t they?”
“I’m going to speak with a lawyer. It happened pretty close to five this evening, so I hadn’t time to call anyone.” He sat down in the recliner and leaned forward with his head in his hands. “I’m pretty sure it was Eloisa. I can’t think of anyone else with enough hate and entitlement to do something like this and take it up the chain.”
“Fuck me,” Tovah sighed. “Well, since this is partially my fault, let me do what I can to help.”
His frown deepened. “How?”
“Resources.” Tovah stood. “I didn’t bring my phone over. Let me go get it and I’ll start calling people.”
He grabbed her arm as she started by him. “I only wanted you to be prepared.”
“Well, tough shit. You’ve got the might of the Reese name behind you now. I might not have much use for my family these days, but I’m not above using them to help you.”
He slid his hand down her arm to capture her hand. “I don’t know what to say.”
“No need to say anything.” She squeezed his hand and headed back across the yards.
Cold air slapped her in the face and took her breath. Oh, someone was going down for this. Well, a lot of someones. Not to mention, she was going to the campus and speak with whoever she needed to in order to clear the air. How dare they treat him like that when he’d waited to the end of the semester, and they were both consenting adults.
Of course, she needed their side of the story.
What had the complainant said to the admin to get Zach pulled in for disciplinary action? The fact he’d been asked to resign without investigating. What in all the hell was that about? There were guidelines and laws that needed adhered to in such a situation. If all they needed was one person’s word without due process, there wasn’t going to be anyone teaching at the college level soon. All it would take was one disgruntled student that didn’t like their grade to bring charges. Without proof, that’s what would happen.
So, did someone show the admin proof?
Well, they had it, too.
Way more than any coed possessed.
They had fucked with the wrong person.
Tovah opened the door and Rose waited for her.
The older woman blinked a few times. “You’re home early. I thought you’d stay the night again.”
Tovah shook her head. “No. Zach’s in trouble. Someone told the admin about us and now his job is in jeopardy.”
Rose started to push up from the chair. “You’re kidding.”
“I really wish I was.” Tovah grabbed her phone and headed back out. “Don’t wait up, Grandma. I might be a while. I want to make a few calls and get the ball rolling for Zach.”
Rose’s eyes sparkled. “You’re a good girl.”
“I’m a pissed girl.”
As Tovah locked the door behind her, she heard Rose’s whoop of laughter.
Zach watched the door close behind Tovah. His knees almost gave out from…was that relief? Disbelief? Hell, he had no frame of reference for the emotion. All he knew was that someone was going to bat for him.
Years ago, when he’d joined the Tortured Angels, he did so out of a sense of needing community and family. He’d made a friend in Owen, the founder of the club. That had been the first time in his life he’d belonged. Since then, he wasn’t used to people outside the club helping him. Or wanting to for that matter. The fact Tovah jumped up to help had winded him.
Why? Why had she done that?
Women, as a whole, had only been with him for what they could get out of him. Usually, sex. Letting them into all the other aspects of his life wasn’t something he’d ever been comfortable with. Compartmentalizing people in his life had been one of his tenants—the easiest way to protect himself. Most of the women he’d been with knew him through the Gus Stop. He didn’t tend to tell them anything about his personal life. Why should he? Keeping the parts of his life separate helped to hide those pieces of him he didn’t want anyone touching.
A knock came on the door before Tovah opened it and walked back through to the living room. She had her phone out and was scrolling through contacts.
“Okay, I’ve sent out a couple of texts to a few lawyers I know who owe me favors. We’ll wait to hear back. I did tell them it was urgent.”
“Tovah, I can get my own lawyer. I just haven’t had a chance to check.” Zach scrubbed a hand down his face. How to tell her this next part without coming off as an overreaction? “There’s something else I need to tell you.”
She glanced up from her phone. At the look on his face, she put it down and gave him her undivided attention. “Go ahead.”
“Tonight, when I got home, as I was about to start looking for lawyers who specialize in my type of case, I got another text from an unknown number.”
He watched the blood drain from her face. “It must have been very bad for you to tell me about it now.”
“Yeah. Pretty explicit. And it wasn’t a text this time, but a picture.”
“I’m so sorry. No one should be harassed the way you are.”
“Yeah, who would have thought I’d be the recipient of unsolicited pussy pics.”
Tovah winced. “What did you do about it? You didn’t delete this time, did you?”
“No.” He rubbed a hand through his hair. “Bach has my phone. He’s…well…let’s just say cyber security is his specialty. He’s going to find out who it is and nail them.” A reluctant smile lifted his mood, with the irony of his statement. “Not in that way.”
Tovah shook her head. Her own mouth curling into a smile. “I’m glad you finally listened about the pics, and texts.”
“I felt on top of the allegations, I have to. I don’t know who ratted us out, but I have a strong suspicion. Given the fact Eloisa wrote a rather explicit essay on her final, and I think I have enough to have her charged.”
“Are you going to?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Hey, I think you know I love pussy. Nothing I like better than to get lost in a good fuck, but at least have the stones to tell me who you are. Sending them anonymously isn’t my bag.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Zach managed a painful laugh. “Why are you apologizing. I know this wasn’t yours.”
“How do you know?”
Heat spiraled low in his belly at the memory of seeing her spread out before him, wet and waiting. “Because I know.”
Color rose to her cheeks, and she looked away. “You say that in that low, sexy voice of yours and expect me not to get turned on. That borders on cruel.”
“Are you?”
“Are I what?”
“Turned on?”
“Every time I think about that night.”
Zach stood and crossed the room to her. He held out his hand. “Stay with me tonight.”
Tovah stared up at him before placing her hand in his. Gently, he pulled her to her feet and guided her to the bedroom.
At the foot of the bed, he turned her so she faced him. Opening her coat, he said, “Why don’t you take off your coat.” Then opened the sides and slowly moved it off her shoulders.
The clothes underneath made him smile. The lounge pants and matching top had a white kitty on it that looked like Trixie but had a knife in one paw that dripped blood.
“Nice.” He couldn’t stop the smile that filled his face.
Her steady gaze never left his eyes. Her expression asking him so many questions and all of them about him. “I’m all right, Tovah.”
Without a word, she leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his, ever so gently.
Zach took control of the kiss, delving inside to taste her fully. The touch of their tongues ignited a possessive fire in him. His grip on her tightened. All those lovely curves his for the taking.
They fell back on the bed, and he drew his mouth down her jaw and across her neck. God, she smelled like a thousand sexy dreams.
The thin material of her shirt was no match for her thick, hard nipples. He moved his mouth over them, sucking one and then the other into his mouth through the material.
A deep moan rose from her throat, vibrating her chest and she placed her hands on either side of his face, holding him in place.
Everything she did was real and raw. Nothing practiced. Another thing about her that was different from other women. Most women he’d slept with since losing his virginity had acted like they played for the camera—trying to outdo the nameless, faceless women who came before.
Not Tovah. Honesty rang in every touch, every kiss, every heart-pounding moan.
He moved down her body, taking her pajama bottoms with him. When they were nothing but a pile on the floor, he eased her legs open and lowered his mouth to that sweet center of her.
Damn, he’d been thinking about this for days. Since the last time he’d gone down on her. Nothing in this world tasted as rich and earthy as Tovah.
When he finally sunk into her, he closed his eyes and pumped his hips, holding onto the feeling, wishing it would last forever. But knowing, even as he fell into oblivion, that nothing good in his life ever lasted for long.