Page 25 of Tempting Teacher

I know she’s right, but I’ll be damned if I admit it. “I’m not doing this with you, Summer.” I wrap a light grip around her forearm and guide her toward the door. “Just heed my warning and stay away from Davenport. He’s bad news.”

Her eyes turn to thin slits, her response venom. “You’re the one that’s bad news.”

“As long as you remember that, little girl, we’ll be just fine.” I shove her out the door and slam it behind her before she can say anything else. I fall against it, sliding my hand down my face. I am so thoroughly fucked.

Chapter Thirteen

~Summer~

I stare at the door that just slammed behind me, my blood boiling at his conflicting behavior. One minute he tells me to stay away, and the next, he’s shoving his denial against my waist. I reach out to grab the door handle, deciding I’m not quite done telling him what I think, when a voice startles me.

“What did Professor Walker want?”

I twirl around to find Blake leaning up against the wall across from the door. I can’t help but wonder if he heard any of the exchange between us, so naturally, my body betrays me as a hot flush crawls over my skin. Especially being he was the very subject of our conversation.

“Oh, Blake, hi.” I struggle to come up with a plausible reason for being pulled into Xander’s office, and try diverting the focus to him. “What are you doing here?”

He stares at me in silence, long enough to make me uncomfortable, before he finally pushes off the wall to walk beside me. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine.” I lie. “He knows my aunt and wanted to know if I had seen her recently.” I blabber on, weaving a complete fabrication out of thin air. “She hosted some fundraiser and wanted to follow-up on a donation he made.”

“Oh, so you already knew the professor?” He surmises, suspicion in his tone.

My step almost falters as I realize this lie is starting to feel like it’s snowballing out of control, the next falsity tumbling out of my mouth a little too easily. “No, not really. I’ve seen him at a couple of my aunt’s parties.”

“Hmm, interesting.” He murmurs.

“Interesting, how?” I push.

“I wonder if that’s why he’s so hard on you.”

“I don’t know what you mean?” I tilt my head.

“Just that maybe he doesn’t want it to seem like favoritism, since he knows you, so he does the opposite and pushes you instead.”

“Yeah, maybe.” If he only knew how close to the truth he was.

“I mean, honestly Serena, who does he think he is?” It’s a day later and I’m at my aunt and uncle’s apartment downtown. They aren’t home, both of them off somewhere, doing whatever it is they do during the day.

I’m still fuming, and if I’m honest, a bit thrilled, about the little meeting Xander called me into his office for. I had held out exactly one week after sleeping with Xander before I spilled the whole story to my cousin.

“Well, it’s obvious he’s attracted to you.” She takes a sip of wine from the glass in her hand. “The question is, are you attracted to him?”

“To quote my father, “Does a bear shit in the woods?””. We both giggle before I continue. “You’ve seen him. He’s gorgeous. How could I not be attracted to him? And when he’s not being a prick, he’s actually pretty nice.”

“But?” Serena arches a brow, urging me to reveal my unsaid thoughts.

“But he’s my professor.” I finish.

“So, drop the class.”

“I can’t. I already tried that.” I take a sip of my wine. “He’s the only teacher that offers the class at that level, and it’s a required course for my curriculum.”

“It’s not like it doesn’t happen.” She shrugs, her face devoid of any expression. “Professors fuck their students all the time.”

“Serena!” I slap her shoulder. “Don’t be so crude!”

“What?” One side of her mouth quirks up in a smile. “It’s one of the oldest taboos in the book. And didn’t you say you wanted to come to the city to experience life?”

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