Page 54 of Where We Met

He lets out a long sigh as his hand comes up to rest on my stomach. "I don't know. Clearly I can't resist you in this close proximity. Maybe I just need to step down as the professor."

"What? No, you can't do that!" I exclaim.

"Well, I can't be your professor and be sleeping with you."

I lean up onto my elbows and look down at him. "Have you ever seen the show Friends?"

His eyebrows draw together in confusion. "What? You want to talk about a show right now?"

I ignore him and continue. "Anyway, there's this scene where Monica and Chandler have sex in London. They don't want to ruin their friendship, so they make a pact, sex can only happen in London. When they get back to New York, no sex."

"What are you saying, princess?"

"I'm saying that we should do the same. It doesn't count in Italy. I mean, come on, it'sItaly. We didn't stand a chance. But when we get back home, no sex until the semester is over and you're not my professor. Rebecca is the one who grades all the papers anyway, right?"

"First Final Destination, now Friends," he mutters, but it looks like he’s considering my words. "Technically, yes, she is the one giving the grades. I just read through them and have the final say."

"Sooo, instead of having a say, just don't change my grade."

"Are you saying I get to fuck you as much as I want on this trip?"

Chapter Eighteen

Luke

Iopenmyeyesas a tiny crack in the wooden blinds casts light directly into my eyes. My body is sore. I try to rack my brain for what could be the cause, until I look over and see a beautiful body sleeping soundly next to me.

Savannah.

I smile, remembering I earned every bit of my soreness.

She’s a bit of a spitfire in bed. After she convinced me of her plan to only sleep together in Italy, or "Monica and Chandler it" as she calls it, we had another round where she showed me what she can really do when she's on top in bed. That is, until I wanted control back. I suppose that's where my aching muscles come from.

Totally worth it.

After we worked up a sweat, she joined me in my shower. I don't think either of us lasted very long after that before we fell asleep.

I take the opportunity to take her in while she's sleeping, with no one else around us to make me feel dirty or morally flawed.

To someone on the outside, they may see me as a man taking advantage of a younger woman. To me, she's so much more than her beauty. From the moment she first spoke in my class and as I got to know her, I could tell there was more to her than what meets the eye.

I’m drawn to her for something deeper, something that I can't quite put my finger on. There's this magnetic force when I'm around her that pulls me in despite my best efforts to push away.

We only have two days left in Italy, so I know I need to spend some time this morning ironing out the deal with Giorgio.

I spoke with him briefly after dinner last night. I can tell I've gotten him to trust me, to understand that my desire to sell his wine is because of more than just money, which is exactly what most Italians look for in a business deal. It's a world of difference from making a deal in America. Those are done in the boardroom with numbers and spreadsheets and incessant talks of money.

Knowing I need to get a start on the day, I decide to let Savannah keep sleeping. I kiss her shoulder and sneak away, hoping she won’t be upset I’m gone when she wakes up.

When I go downstairs, I find Giorgio inspecting his grapes while singing to himself.

"Buongiorno, Giorgio," I say with a smile, matching his mood.

His grin meets his eyes when he sees me. "Buongiorno, Luke."

"Looks like these are coming along great." I bend over to inspect the vines with him. "You think you will have a good harvest this year?"

He does the sign of the cross. "God willing."

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