“And now you’re calling me names,” he says when he finally reaches me. “Are you going to tell me what in the hell is going on, and why I’m having to chase you through the streets in the middle of the night?”
“Who is she, Tristan? Be very careful when you answer me.”
“I introduced you. She’s a past acquaintance.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. You’ve fucked her.”
I continue walking on the street and take another left down a more residential street. This block is filled with more yuppie couples than I care to even count. If he continues to follow me, they might get a late-night drama live and in color on the sidewalk.
I don’t have to wonder if he’ll follow me for long, because I immediately feel his hand wrap around my arm to stop me.
“Watch your mouth, Nora. Why are you acting this way?”
I spin around and yank my arm out of his hand. “You avoided the question. That tells me all I need to know.”
I turn again and set off toward my apartment, which is now only one block away.
I know I have no right, no reason at all, to feel the way I do. He shouldn’t be punished for fucking someone else before he even met me, hell, or even right now… but the thought of them together makes me want to break things.
He follows me all the way until I’m climbing the concrete stairs to my door.
“Nora, you’re not walking in that door until we talk about this.”
“Oh yes, I am.”
I manage to get the key in the outer door lock. I put it in with such force I think it’s going to break off. The door flies open into the quiet foyer. I get lucky and the glass doesn’t break.
“Nora,” Tristan growls once more.
This vocalization of my name is different. It feels desperate. I turn around to throw him out. He has no right to still be here. I have nothing left to say. His eyes are extremely dark and wide. I can visibly see the rise and fall to his chest. Other than my name, I seem to have rendered him silent. We’re enclosed in this small space, nearly hidden from everything. The only witness, the only one who could see us wouldn’t know.
The possessive vibration I’ve felt in my body for the last five minutes finally erupts like a volcano. I drop my laptop bag and purse to the floor. I take his face in my hands, smashing my lips to his.
There’s an explosion of movement and before I know it, I’m spun around and my back is pressed into the wall with so much force that the framed art on the wall clatters to the floor.
“Christ, you drive me fuckin’ mad, love,” he growls against my lips and curls his fingers around my wrists, then pins my arms to the wall above my head.
“I know the feeling.” I turn my head just slightly so our lips ghost across each other, hoping he will kiss me again. “You’re going to hurt me, aren’t you?”
He releases my hands and cups my face softly in his palms. “Petal, I’d die before I let any harm come your way… especially at my own hand.”
Those words are a new blast of kerosene on my fire and I push up on my toes to kiss him again, and this time, neither one of us stops.
We feast on one another like if it ends, we’ll cease to exist.
His knee slowly wedges itself between my thighs, pressing up against the center of my body and I sigh in pleasure into his mouth. “Let me touch you.”
Tristan returns his hands flat against the wall to encase my head. My hands thread inside his jacket. I feel a heat bubbling through from his skin. I feel a shiver run through his body. I know he’s not cold. I let the weight of my core sag down into him. He rolls his body against mine. He knows what I’m doing.
“You’ll have to stop me, Petal. I won’t be able to unless I’m told.”
My arms wrap completely around his body underneath his jacket and my hands slide up and down his strong, toned back. I drop my head back against the wall and release a long, drawn-out moan when he rolls into me again, creating the perfect rhythm and pressure right where I want him.
I don’t want him to stop. In fact, it’s the last thing that I want, but… I don’t want it to happen like this. Not in my foyer because I’m jealous of some woman.
“Tristan,” I say his name softly.
He rests his forehead against mine as his body becomes still. His fist pounds twice just to the right of my ear. “I’ll let you go. Just give me a moment. One moment.”
My lips feel a rawness they never have, a true ache. At least until we touched like this, I could deny there was a passion between us. I could say it was all him, even though I know it’s a lie. It took me seeing him in the presence of another woman to finally admit to myself what I’ve secretly known… I want him to be mine.
Chapter 11
Nora
There’s something about his office that I love. It’s tucked back in the corner, away from everyone and everything. I wonder if at some point this had been two offices because it’s just that big for how old this building is. We’re definitely in new territory. He’s trusting me to be here alone while he’s teaching in the building behind us. I like how he looked at me when he left. I love that it’s likely distracting him to know I’m waiting for him.
I finish leaving my notes on the last paper he wanted me to read. His last class isn’t over for quite a while which leaves me antsy. Other professors could knock on the door, other students could stop by. What would I say to them? I shake that thought away. I don’t have it written in red ink on my face that this teaching assistant position isn’t completely on the up and up. I’m not naïve to understand this was a way to keep me close. I also know I could have said no.
I didn’t.
My phone is on charge on his wireless port so I can’t even do something as mindless as check my email or surf the internet. Unless…
His desktop computer sits right in front of me. I’m sure it’s password protected. I’ve never thought to touch the mouse. My hand shakes as I hover over the sculpted plastic until the screen lights up. The screen saver is a piece of art. Of course. When I look at it more closely, I notice things. The color of the dress, the mole just on the inside bend near the elbow, the few strands of hair in the frame. Holy shit! It’s me. It’s a section of a photo of a canvas that he clearly painted after he took pictures of me on his cell phone. My outstretched fingers glide over the image on the screen.
Who is this man?
I refuse to believe he couldn’t have any woman he wanted, in any way he wanted. He wants to be near me. The password screen interrupts my thoughts. I knew it. I should just leave it at that, but curiosity wins out. What could his password be? I type in what I think is his favorite artist. That’s declined. I put in the word voyeur since that’s what he is. That’s declined. I’m chewing on the inside of my cheek now as I type what could be the most personal password to him, his sister’s name. That’s declined. I’m two seconds away from getting out of the chair when the devil on my shoulder gets cocky and asks me to type one more thing. Petal.
Those five letters become the key to the castle.
His computer unlocks and is free to me. I act like I’m going to log into my email. There is no way in hell I can do that now. Blinking at me like a beacon in a storm is a folder on his desktop marked personal. Shit. Nora, you can’t look in there. Even if this position isn’t fully on the up and up, that’s a line you’re sure you want to cross?