"But she didn't love me either. She enjoyed dressing up and playing the part of my wife. Isabella loved the lifestyle, but she didn't love me. She was cold when we were alone. We barely talked. I knew she slept around. I tried to ignore it. I wanted for us to work out because our parents wanted us to be together. Neither one of us were happy. But she was still my wife, so I kept trying to make it work. I was always loyal to her. I tried to make her happy. When I decided to sell my company she freaked out. She couldn't believe that I'd rather spend my days doing something meaningful. And she definitely didn't support my decision. It's funny, because my parents told me we should be together because she wasn't after my money. But really, the only reason that Isabella married me was because I had money."
I didn’t have anything else to say. I continued to stare down at Penny’s hand. It was such a pathetic sequence of events. I was a pathetic man. And it was hard to look back and see that I had no spine. It was harder to see that no one cared enough to help me. To stop me from making the biggest mistake of my life. I had nothing. And no one. Or maybe everyone I thought that should have my back thought I deserved to live in hell too. I’d hurt everyone around me. I didn’t deserve to have anyone on my side.
I took a deep breath. I was lying to myself. I barely remembered my wedding day. But I was pretty sure Rob had tried to stop me. Maybe my friends Mason and Matt did too. I couldn’t remember. But clearly I hadn’t listened. This wasn’t my friends’ fault. It was mine. It was all mine. I’d been too far gone to even really care that I was throwing my life away.
Penny squeezed my hand and I looked up at her.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"No, I am. I should have told you. Being here teaching, being with you, this is what I've been missing. I don't want this to mess up what we have."
I looked into her eyes as I continued to rub my thumb along her palm. I felt exactly the opposite with Penny than I had around Isabella. And I wasn’t going to fuck this up. I needed this one good thing. I needed her. "I've always been told what to do. I've never had to make choices. But I chose you. And when I walked into my bedroom and you were gone it hurt like hell. My whole life has been painful, living in a way that I didn't want to live. But nothing was as painful as you leaving and not talking to me. Seeing you in class was torture."
"I couldn't see you either. That's why I left class yesterday. I could see that you were feeling all the pain that I was feeling. I've never been so heartbroken."
I leaned over and took her chin in my hand. "Don't do that to me again. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. No more secrets." And I meant it. I’d tell her whatever she wanted to know. I’d told her about Isabella and she wasn’t running away. Maybe she needed me just as much as I needed her.
"Okay." She was silent for a moment. "When did you file for divorce?"
"Last year I walked in on Isabella having sex with someone else in our bed. I filed for divorce the next day."
"And came here?"
"Yes."
"There's a rumor that you got fired from your last job."
I grimaced. I should have known that would follow me here. "It's not a rumor; it's true."
"What did you do? Have sex with a student?" She laughed awkwardly.
"What? No, Penny. I haven't made a habit of sleeping with students. You're the exception." How could she think that? I wasn’t a professor so that I could hook up with college students. I was a professor because I loved teaching. But I’d risk it all for her.
"So, what did you do?"
"The dean of the college was the one that I walked in on having sex with Isabella. It didn't end well."
“Did you have a fist fight or something?"
"Penny, he was in my bed. It's one thing to suspect it; it's another to see it." I didn’t care that Isabella was cheating on me. Honestly, it was kind of a relief. I just cared about being so blatantly disrespected.
"You have anger problems, don't you?"
I rubbed my hand down my face and then back up. "I don't think I'd put it that way.”
"So what would you call it?" She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She looked a little apprehensive and a whole lot beautiful. My gaze landed on her lips.
"Passion maybe." I leaned over and kissed her. I was done talking. Any leftover anger she had disappeared when my lips touched hers. She grabbed the collar of my jacket and pulled me closer. I wanted to make her forget the past few days. I wanted to forget everything.
I pulled back from her kiss. "God I missed you.”
"I missed you too."
I leaned over her and pressed the button for her seat to recline. I started to climb over the center console and my ass hit the horn.
Penny started laughing as I straddled her. I silenced her with a kiss. Had her lips always tasted this sweet? Being without her for just a few days had nearly driven me mad. My hand slid from her cheek, down her neck, and onto her breast. I squeezed it hard before letting my hand wander down to the waistline of her yoga pants. I needed her right fucking now.
"Professor Hunter?"
"You said there was no one around."
"Shouldn't we go back to your place?"
"You tortured me for almost a week, Penny. I'm not waiting another second. Switch places with me."
She slid to the side and climbed on top of me, bumping into the dashboard. I tried to hold back my laughter. The car was too small. I probably should have driven us back to my place, but my cock needed attention right now.
"Ow," she muttered.
I placed another kiss on her lips as I slid her yoga pants and thong down her thighs. Every inch of me felt alive when my skin was pressed against hers. She was giving me a second chance. I didn’t have to let her go. And I needed her. I needed her so fucking badly.
She kicked off her shoes and pants as I pushed my jeans and boxers to the floor of the car. See what you do to me?
She leaned over and kissed me. Without hesitation, I grabbed her hips and pulled her down onto my length. Fucking perfection. Her pussy was made to take my cock. Every inch. Fucking heaven. She gasped and pressed her hand against the passenger window.
I didn’t care if people saw. I didn’t care about anything except being inside of her. "Don't put me through that again, Penny." I kissed her neck, tasting her cherry perfume, as I moved her hips faster and faster.
"Never."
My hands slid to her ass and I slammed my cock so deep inside of her. She moaned as my fingers dug into her soft skin. I needed to feel her surrender to me. I needed to know she wasn’t going to leave again. I pulled her closer, like I could physically just keep her with me forever. I sucked the side of her neck a little harder. I’d never felt the need to mark someone’s skin. But Penny and I couldn’t go public. I at least wanted everyone to know she was taken.
"Promise me,” I said.
"I promise," she said breathlessly.
The angle in the car was awkward, but the sensation of being inside her was all that mattered. Complete and utter perfection. And she would never walk away from me again. I’d tell her whatever she needed to hear. But I was done playing games. "You're mine,” I growled and thrust myself deep inside of her again. It was hard to read Penny sometimes. But not when we were like this. I’m pretty sure when I was deep inside of her it was the only time I was in control. And I fucking loved controlling her body.