Page 12 of Oops, My Professor Got Me Pregnant!

They smiled at each other, and Nico felt a band of connection grow between them. It was an odd feeling; he rarely opened up to people and, because he didn’t, others didn’t open up to him, either. Knowing that Lauren had trusted him with something personal and tender made Nico feel closer to her — and wish that he could share something personal of his own.

But he couldn’t. Instead, he decided to acknowledge the closeness he felt without any words that could give him away. He leaned toward Lauren, slowly, giving her plenty of time to move or to say something. As he drew closer, he could see again the smattering of freckles across her cheeks and the way the blue of her eyes was really a myriad of different shades, from a midnight sky to a tropical ocean.

“Lauren.” His voice sounded a little gravelly in his own ears.

“Nico.” Her voice, on the other hand, was a little higher than normal. Her cheeks were flushed. Desire rose in Nico, and he knew that, despite everything, neither of them wanted to wait any longer for this kiss. The intensity of the moment they’d shared on the riverbank came flooding back, only stronger for the conversation they’d just had.

Nico bent his head to Lauren’s and she met him halfway. Her lips were soft, but as soon as they brushed his, Nico felt a flood of heat rush through him. He kissed her tenderly, lightly, then pulled back to assess her reaction. If he kept kissing her, he knew that it would become harder and harder to stop, even though they were in a public place and it wasn’t the right situation at all to start making out like teenagers.

Lauren’s cheeks were pink and her lips were slightly parted as she looked at Nico. That wave of attraction and connection broke over him again and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and explore a deeper, longer kiss.

“Wow.” Lauren broke their eye contact and looked down at her plate. “That was…”

“Yeah.” Nico bit his lip. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable?—”

“No!” Lauren cut him off with a quick shake of her head, her blush deepening. “It was wonderful. If unexpected.”

Nico laughed. “For me, too. This really isn’t how I expected today to go.”

“Me neither. But I’m glad that it turned out like this.”

“Me, too.” They smiled at each other. Just then, the waiter returned and asked if they wanted any dessert. Nico and Lauren exchanged a glance.

“I think we’re good,” Lauren said. Nico nodded his agreement, then asked for the check.

“We can split it,” Lauren suggested as she reached for her wallet. Nico shook his head.

“No way. Like I said, it’s your first day in Paris and I want to make sure it’s a good one. Let me take care of it.”

“Maybe I can get the next one?”

Nico smiled. “I think that would be wonderful.”

When the waiter came back with the check, he paid, then stood to lead the way out of the restaurant.

“It’s getting a little late, isn’t it?” Lauren asked with a glance at the starry sky above.

“A little. Would you like to go back to your hotel? I can point you in the right direction.”

“Not just yet.” Lauren wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s a beautiful night and I’d like to walk a little, if you’re interested.”

“I’d love to.” Nico’s heart soared again at the thought of more time with her. He held out his arm and Lauren took it. Her fingers were cold in the crease of his elbow. “But are you sure it isn’t too chilly out?”

“I’ll be okay.” They started to stroll along the street, which was lit by old-fashioned streetlights. Quite a few people were still out, even at this late hour, perhaps on their way home from dinners or on their way out to clubs. Nico considered inviting Lauren to go dancing or join him for dessert at another café, just to stretch their time together, but he wasn’t a big dancer and most cafés were now closing. Inviting her to his home, which he really wanted to do, felt like too much.

They walked for a few more minutes and soon found themselves on a small pedestrian bridge over a tributary of the Seine. Nico brought them to a stop under a streetlight.

“If you’re interested,” he said, his voice low, “I’d like to reprise our kiss from the restaurant.”

“I’d like that.”

So, Nico wrapped an arm around Lauren and drew her closer. She rose on her tiptoes as he bent his head, and then they were kissing it again. The kiss held the same thrill as the first, magnified by the privacy they now had and the romantic atmosphere of the street at night. This time, Nico gave in to his desire and deepened the kiss. Lauren’s mouth parted as she pressed closer, and it was all Nico could do not to lift her into his arms and wrap her legs around his waist.

The connection he felt with her was astounding after such a short time. Not only did he admire her bravery and her vulnerability, opposites that she somehow balanced in perfectly equal measure, but their physical connection was off the charts. Nico wasn’t sure he’d ever felt this attracted to a woman before. Her soft lips, the way her curves felt as he pulled her against his chest, the soft sigh she made when Nico ran his hand up her back — it was all intoxicating.

They pulled back after what felt like hours but could have been just a few seconds of intense kissing. Nico felt a little breathless, something that had never happened after a simple kiss before, and he noted that Lauren’s cheeks were even more flushed. He smiled at the knowledge that he could already judge her emotions by the color of her face.

“Wow,” Lauren said. She pressed a hand to her lips as if in wonder. It seemed she felt the same intense connection Nico did.

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