Page 50 of Tops
“I think we can manage that,” Nik smiled as he reached out to trace a finger down my arm. The material of my sweatshirt blocked his skin from touching mine, but my skin still heated along his path. My entire body felt uncomfortably warm.
“Maybe I will change my shirt after all,” I said, bolting from the bed and heading for my closet. Before I arrived, I had already pulled the sweatshirt off, leaving only my tank top. The cool air hit my overly warm skin as I took a deep breath and picked out a t-shirt instead. Pulling it over my head, the material hung limply from me. At least when Hannah wore large shirts, her breasts pulled at the fabric on top. Turning back around, feeling ready to face Nik now that I had a little more distance, I smiled and held my arms out to the side. “This work?”
Nik’s gaze roamed over my shrouded body while a small smirk played on his lips. “You look much more comfortable.”
I frowned, knowing he was right, but somehow that wasn’t what I had wanted him to say when he looked at me.
“It should be much more comfortable for you to wear in the classroom tonight. I think it’s perfect,” Nik amended as he got off my bed and grabbed my backpack. “Time to go before we’re late.”
I nodded, grabbing my backpack from him before stepping back to give us more distance. We would have to pretend for the next few hours that we didn’t know each other, let alone have a sex arrangement. I needed my head clear if I wanted to pull that off.
“Professor Cage, are we staying on campus today?” Arizona asked after the class took seats inside the lecture hall rather than heading for the van.
“What good are you to a dead body if you do not study the evidence?” Nik asked over his shoulder while his hand held a marker as he started writing on the whiteboard. “You have seen the lab and a crime scene. Now it’s time for Anthropology,” he said, taking a step back so we could see all the information he wrote.
Forensic Anthropology is an applied science
“Does anyone know what this means?” Nik asked as he gestured to the words before stalking up and down the line of desks. He was back in full scary detective mode, which did absolutely nothing to help me stop drooling over him.
“You take what you learn and apply it in real life,” said one of the other classmates. I was too busy watching Nik’s arms flex as he moved from side to side in front of us like a lion. Watching his fingers as they moved while he walked, I remembered their feeling against my breasts.
“This,” Nik said, producing a folder from his desk, “is a real cold case file. This will be the only case you work on until graduation or until it is solved.” Nik tossed the folder down on my desk, making me jump. My eyes shifted upwards so I could glare at him, only to find him smiling back at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking about moments before. He turned quickly, heading back to his desk for more folders. Each student received one stack of identical case information with various lines and sections blocked.
I started to read through the packet as the lecture hall went silent. Everyone else had the same idea. This case was from 1998. A body of what was believed to be a female in her early twenties was found with a block tied to both of her feet at the bottom of the East River. The case was worked extensively for the first few months as detectives investigated missing person reports, DNA databases, and even dental records. One breakthrough was made in the case in 2009 when a blood relative entered the database. The identity of the victim was now known as Grace Cage.
The other students still looked over the papers as my gaze connected with Nik. Was the fact that the victim shared his last name a coincidence or something more? He gave me a slight smile, but it was missing the comfort that usually poured from him. My stomach bottomed out as I returned to the report, looking at the pages more interestedly.
“This is my sister’s cold case file,” Nik announced to the class after a few more minutes ticked by. Everyone stopped reading as we watched Nik head over to his desk and take a seat, like the weight of the world was suddenly forcing him to his knees. “My sister went missing when I was seven,” he said, looking down at the desk while he said it. “She was eighteen at the time, living alone in the city. Once she was on her own, she rarely called to check in.”
After looking at the line of students, he fixed his gaze on mine before continuing. “My mother assumed she had gotten swept up in life and was busy finding her slice of happiness in the world. When I applied to the force, the background checks revealed me to be a match for one of the cold case files. That is how I discovered my sister was murdered.”
I knew the room was silent, but all I could hear was the steady pounding of my heart. Nik took in a deep breath before putting on a fake smile. The type everyone knows is fake but also signals that it’s okay for the room’s mood to lighten even after something so heavy.
“Professor?” Arizona asked. Her tone was unsteady, but her raised hand didn’t waver.
“Yes, Ms. Jones,” Nik said, turning his head toward her so she could put her arm down.
“Isn’t it a conflict of interest for you to work on your own family case?”
Nik smiled; this time, it was a real smile. “I’ve already worked that out with the department. Any evidence or leads you discover will be turned over to my supervisor to handle.”
That answer seemed to appease Arizona and the rest of the class. I watched them return their focus to the folder in front of them. Several got out notebooks to jot down important information or to look up some of the processes.
Considering they now knew her identity and her background, and there still weren’t any leads in her case, I wasn’t sure we would be able to help Nik close this chapter of his story. My heart ached for him, and I felt determination locking into my heart as I made a silent promise to do everything I could to bring Grace to justice.
A clap sounded, making me jump. “That’s all for today. Thursday, I do plan to take everyone to the lab in Queens, so expect the class to run longer,” Nik said to the class promptly at nine. A first for this class.
I packed my items slowly. Even pretending to receive a text message I needed to reply to in the middle of it. The seats around me emptied while the others filed out. When the door closed after the last student, I looked at Nik while zipping my backpack.
He didn’t say a word as he started walking to the back of the lecture hall. His hand twisted the lock on the door before switching off the lights. Light from the moon shone into the high-set windows. This hall was more amphitheater style, with the teacher’s desk at the base. He turned and walked back to me slowly, his face shrouded in darkness as I watched his outline nearing.
“If we wait a while, we won’t even have to sneak out.” His voice washed over me in the dark room as the walls seemed to funnel his voice down to where I sat at my desk.
My backpack still sat on my desk, packed and ready to go, but my feet were rooted in place. He continued walking past my row and over to his desk. He took a casual seat in his chair, the light from the windows faintly illuminating him. There was a dark smile on his face, and his eyes no longer looked a soft blue but were dark and wicked like his thoughts. I didn’t think he wanted to talk about his sister while we waited for the other students to move on.
“Why don’t you have a seat over here, Vanessa,” he said, patting the flat top of his desk.
I swallowed hard as I forced my feet to become unstuck. Leaving all my belongings on my desk, I walked toward Nik. He didn’t bother to move his chair, causing me to brush against him several times as I maneuvered myself onto the wood. I sat facing Nik with my legs spread wide. We knew what would happen, and I didn’t need to have a song and dance about it beforehand.
