Page 33 of A Discovery: Love and Other Things

With the ease of an experienced orator, he began. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. I have the distinct privilege of introducing our guest speaker. A pioneer in the field of anthropology, Dr. Moore has revolutionized the study of mysticism as it pertains to history. As a professor from Louisiana State University, Dr. Moore introduced the field of Mystic Studies with an emphasis on the spiritual world. Through her research of spirit possession and spells, she has brought to light the intangible as it relates to the physical world, allowing us a deeper understanding of our ancestors and their beliefs. Her work has earned her the prestigious Margaret Mead Award.”

His deep voice was steady and calm as he glanced around the hall. The audience hung on his every word, and even though it was in English, everyone seemed to comprehend what he was saying.

“Now, without further delay, welcome my good friend and brilliant colleague, Dr. Blossom Moore.”

Applause broke out as a woman stepped forward—

Holy shit!James’s date was Dr. Moore?

She walked to the center of the stage with the grace of a gazelle. She took both of James’s hands in hers, shaking them softly, before trading places with him behind the lectern.

Damn...I realized he had been telling the truth. She really was a colleague.

Dr. Moore began speaking, but my eyes stayed glued to James. His body moved swiftly around the side of the stage. Instead of taking Dr. Moore’s vacant seat, he kept walking—walking toward me.

My eyes widened in shock when he sat down next to me. My fixation only greeted me with a smug smile, which he quickly concealed with his fingers hooked over his mouth. I looked to my left to see if anyone had noticed, but my friends seemed to be captivated by Dr. Moore’s lecture.

Straightening in my seat, I decided to follow their lead and focus on the slides that Dr. Moore was presenting on spells used during the mummification process.Look at the pretty picture of the decaying mummy. Ignore the sound of breathing from the sex god next to you. Don’t think about his fingers fucking you into oblivion in dark hallways.

Too late.

My cheeks heated at the steamy memories that filled my head, and I readjusted my posture to quell the tingling between my legs.

Someoneshifted too, simultaneously opening his legs wider to brush against mine.

Immediately, my eyes darted to the side. Sean was completely absorbed in the lecture. Angela wasn’t waggling her brows at me. No one seemed to have noticed a thing. Thank God the auditorium was dark. The last thing I needed was for an audience focused on me rather than on Dr. Moore.

His leg remained pressed against mine, daring me to pull away. Well, two could play at this game.

With my attention trained on the stage, I re-crossed my legs, angling them toward his seat. My knees pressed against his thigh. If anyone glanced at us, it would just look like we were sitting in a cramped space.

Peripherally, I could see his smile spreading wider behind his fingers. He dropped his hands and clasped them on his thighs, casually resting his elbows on both arm rests.

My turn.I slid my hands smoothly between my thighs, sandwiching them like I was cold. My elbow flared out to invade his space, resting on the shared armrest between us with mine touching his.

At first, he remained still, as if unaffected by my move, but then he leaned his head slightly toward me. “Be careful,” he whispered, his breath hot on my skin.

Satisfaction bloomed inside of me. I had cracked his stoic exterior. It was a dangerous game we were playing for anyone to see, and I was winning.

“You started it,” I replied, keeping my voice low.

Suddenly, he pressed his leg harder against mine, making full contact with my shin. The faintest gasp escaped me, and I bit my lips to keep them shut.

My mind raced to come up with my next move. I couldn’t let him have the upper hand. If he wanted to be risky in public, then I would show him just how daring I could be.

I freed my hands from between my thighs and pulled on the elastic band holding my ponytail in place. Black curls rained down my back. I raked my fingers along my scalp, shaking them out to their fullest volume. Without warning, I tossed the mass of ribbon-like waves over my shoulder, brushing him with the strands. Suavely, I rested my chin on my fingertips, using the arm rest for my elbow.

I sat there trying to bite back the smile that threatened to overtake my lips as my hair draped over his arm. Now he’d have to sit through the rest of the lecture with tendrils sprawled over him. Served him right for starting this little game with me.

But my smirk disappeared when I felt a slight pull at the ends. The slow, winding motion made the base of my scalp prickle with sensation. My eyelids lowered as I savored the feeling and envisioned him wrapping my locks around his fingers. The blanket of curls must have concealed his hand from view. Slowly and rhythmically, the tugging moved about the base of my head. As any girl with a full head of long hair could tell you, it felt so damn good.

I blinked my eyes open in case Sean chanced a glance at me, but it was too hard to focus on Dr. Moore, who was moving animatedly across the stage, probably sharing some interesting fact that I should commit to memory.

Instead, I was in a haze of bliss. His hands worked a new section of curls, and the winding and pulling sensations sent my eyes rolling back in my head. It wasn’t long before he had my core vibrating with need.

He continued his torment, and all I could think about was having his fingers pulling on my hair while I rode him hard. I should have felt guilty or embarrassed for the dirty thoughts in my head, but I didn’t give a fuck.

My head tipped backward subtly, offering him more of my hair. I bit my lip, trying to fight back the moans he was invoking. My hand fell to my lap and my nails dug into the fabric of my skirt. Pants of exhilaration shook my chest.

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