Page 25 of Hot Professor (Tainted Professors)

The moment I stroll into the lecture room, my pulse accelerates and my heart sings. There she is, in her usual seat in the front row—close enough to torment me with her presence but far enough away that I can't touch her.

Unfortunately, I also get the sense she's avoiding me again. It's nothing she's said or done. It’s not even physical. It's more how she looks at me—like she's sad. I worry she regrets what happened between us, not only at my apartment but in my office, where I didn't give her much of a choice. But when I opened the door and saw her, saw that wet pink pussy on display, her dainty fingers sliding in and out, covered in her juices, I lost control. I acted without thinking. I didn’t ask. I took.

And I loved every second of it.

I've had a few girlfriends over the years, but nothing serious. I've always had my priorities, and relationships were not at the top of the list. But Ivy changes everything. I feel different when I'm with her. I don't care about the difference in our ages or how fast things developed with her. I don't care what Dean Martens,my colleagues, or anybody else might say. I don't even care about tenure. I want Ivy in my life, if she'll have me.Forever.

“Morning, class,”I announce, setting my bag on my desk. I feel her gaze on me, heavy and expectant, as I start scribbling today's key points on the chalkboard. It's like a physical touch, sending shivers straight through me. But when I glance over my shoulder, her eyes are downcast.

“Today, we're going to tackle a particularly challenging passage from James Joyce's Ulysses. Joyce uses a stream-of-consciousness narrative technique to convey the inner thoughts of the protagonist. His prose is dense and fragmented, which reflects the chaos and complexity of human consciousness.”

I launch into the lesson, but it's on autopilot. With every word that spills from my lips, I'm acutely aware of her presence, like a magnetic pull I'm fighting.

“Any questions?” I ask the class.

Ivy raises her hand, and damn if my heart doesn't skip a beat and everybody else in the room fades into the background.

“Could you explain what Joyce means by 'Ineluctable modality of the visible'in simpler terms? I'm having trouble understanding the concept.”

“Certainly.” I walk toward her, eager to be closer. And as it always does, when I’m within range, her lavender scent reaches out and wraps around me, calming me immediately. “The term ineluctablemeans unavoidable or inevitable, and modalityrefers to a particular way of experiencing something. So, 'ineluctable modality of the visible'is referring to the unavoidable way we experience the world through sight. In other words, we can try to understand the world, but we’re limited by what we can see, which in turn shapes our understanding and interpretation of reality. Does that help clarify things?”

“Yes, it does. Thank you.”

Every cell in my body is screaming to close the gap between us, to reach out and caress her skin, to bend over and sniff her hair.

Swallowing, I turn and walk back to the front of the room. “Let's pick up the pace,”I say, diving into a new topic that demands focus, hoping it'll distract me from the dangerous path I'm teetering on.

The class ends, and I'm hopeful she'll stick around like normal, and we'll discuss this week's assignment while we try to contain our attraction to one another until we're somewhere less likely to get caught. But when I glance up after tucking my notes away, she's already at the back of the room, talking with another student as they exit together.She doesn’t even look back.

Once the room empties, I collapse into my chair, gutted, realizing my intuition isn't wrong. Ivy is definitely avoiding me. And I don't like it.

“Damn it.” I may be playing with fire, but I want to start over. I want to explore this undeniable attraction without the looming threat of scandal. We need to spend time together outside of school, my office, or my apartment.

We need to go on a date.

I send her a text.

HARRISON:

Ivy, I missed you after class.

IVY:

Sorry, I got talking to Allison.

Don't apologize. Listen, have you had a chance to do any sightseeing yet?

No. Not much.

Good. I hope you're free this weekend. I'd like to take you out.

I wait for what feels like forever before I see she's typing a response.

Um, okay. That would be nice.

I waste no time responding.

I'll pick you up on Saturday morning at 10.

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