“These damn blackouts happen from time to time. You know how it is with the wiring in these old buildings,” Edwin said. “I’m so sorry.”
Charlie inhaled slowly and tried to calm herself before slotting the book back onto the shelf and turning with a forced smile. Gods, she sure hoped there were no damp marks on her crumpled skirt.
“I think we’re just about done for the day,” Max said smoothly, as if nothing in the world had happened. Charlie followed on legs that felt like rubber bands and leaned weakly on the doorframe, trying to look calm and collected.
“Erm, Charlie, did you write down the books we want sent over?” Max asked, not looking at her as he shucked on his jacket.
“Yes, of course.” Pulling herself together, she went over to her laptop and brought up the list. “I’ll email it to you, Edwin.”
“Wonderful. But if you want, I can leave you for a while longer.” Edwin turned to leave, and they both almost shouted, “No, wait!”
He gave them a quizzical look, then smirked. “Are you worried about being left in the dark again?”
“No, it really is time we left. It’s been a… most—er, remarkable day,” Max said in a strained voice.
Charlie nearly choked.
As they thanked Edwin, Charlie stole little glimpses at Max. He was going through the motions perfectly, but beneath his calm veneer, he looked shell-shocked.
On the way home, discussing whether it might snow appeared the most fascinating topic in the world. Which wascrazy after all thefascinatingthings they’d uncovered today. Charlie felt a hysterical little giggle bubbling up her throat.
Meanwhile, her head was teeming with questions.
What would happen next?
Would Max raise it, or should she?
Would he insist on even more distance between them? Gosh, he’d have her working out in the front yard at this rate. Perhaps he’d put her desk on the sidewalk.
She side-eyed him as he strode alongside her, dark and brooding and beautiful, thrilling at the memory of that sensual mouth devouring her pussy. And despite it being desperately awkward, Charlie could not shake the absoluteperfectionof what they’d shared in the dark.
She’d just made out wildly with her boss in the Motham Palace archives, and truthfully, she had not a single regret.
When they reached the house Max headed for his office, barking a terse, “Go and tidy yourself up. Then come to my office. We need to talk.” But even then, she was prepared to forgive him.
Sure, that was a tad abrupt, but she got that he was angry at himself, at the situation, after the measures he’d put in place to avoid this happening.
But she felt none of that. She felt elated.
The sense that she and this wolf were somehow bound to one another had only gotten stronger. And nothing would dislodge that from her heart.
But all Charlie said meekly, for now at least, was, “Yes, Professor.”
Max paced up and down his office like a caged animal.
What the fuck was he going to say to Charlie when she came down?
Firstly, he’d apologize. That went without saying.
He’d let his wolf take over in the most heinous fashion. His actions were unforgivable.
Just a day—one fucking day—after moving her desk out of his office, exactly what he’d been afraid of had happened. He’d succumbed to his baser nature.
Even if she’d… gods damn it—yes, she’d clearly enjoyed it, hadn’t she? He kept reliving the little gasps and sighs she’d made, her pleas for him to keep going, the way her inner muscles had rippled with her orgasm, the sweet shot of her juices on his tongue as she came.
But that didn’t make it okay.
He winced as he remembered the words he’d ground out, commanding her to fuck his face. Hell…he’d never spoken to a woman like that in his life.