Page 21 of Pleasuring Professor Pisces
He leaned over the table as he spoke, and he stared into my eyes. My gaze dropped to his lips, and I wanted to feel them against mine.
“Look, I know that we have chemistry between us. I’m not going to sit back and play games like I don’t know what this is. The feelings that I’m developing for you are real, but there’s too much at stake for us to play with fire like this.”
“I’m not the type of nigga to easily catch feelings about anyone. But I’m also not the type of nigga to stand down when I feel something this strong. I can’t help these feelings, so I’m not gon’ ignore them, and I’m not gon’ sit back and do nothing. That ain’t me. It doesn’t matter what’s at stake. I’m coming for you.”
“You’d better think about what you’re getting yourself into.”
I had shared with him all that I’d gone through in the past couple of years—the isolation from my colleagues, the whispers and stares from students, the discomfort in the presence of male students, and my dean’s attitude toward me. The tears welled up, and though I willed them away, they fell anyhow.
Salem reached across the table and wiped them away.
“I just don’t want you to get caught up in my mess. I sense that you have a past that has plagued you, and this . . . school and your degree is your shot, Salem. I don’t want to be the cause of you losing that. If I’m penalized for my feelings, that’s fine, but not you.”
He smiled sweetly at me. “You think I’m ’bout to leave you hanging in this shit? I’m with you, out in the deep. I ain’t gon’let you swim back on your own, baby girl. I got you. I just need you to trust a nigga, ’cause the way I’m feeling you ain’t going nowhere. I get it that you’re traumatized. Let me be that safe space where you can rest your heart. Give me your troubles, Koi.
“You’ve got this big ole heart, trying to protect me, and I’m good. All you need is a good nigga to love you. I bet scandalous niggas always chose you in the past, and you thought that you could fight their battles. I don’t need you to fight mine, baby. I’m a soldier from the streets. Let me fight your battles for you, ma.”
“I tend to take on other people’s problems and emotions. I’m an empath at heart, and I can’t control it. I lose myself in other people, and it’s easy to forget who I am and maintain control of my individuality.”
“That beautiful individual who I see before me, the one with the big ass heart. I just want to preserve and protect that. I don’t want you to be anybody else but yourself. I’ll fight for you, protect your heart, and love on you until you know who you are and whose you are.”
I couldn’t stop the flood of tears that fell. I wanted to believe everything that he was saying, despite my head telling me I had heard it all before. But because I believed in love, and because I wanted what he told me to be real, I ignored everything else to take a chance.
“Okay. You can have me.”
Lourdes was back.Lourdes was safe for Koi. There was no attachment or emotions there, and she could avoid staring at the one man she wanted. That was how I knew she would be here tonight.
I leaned against the brick warehouse with one foot propped against it and the other resting on the ground. I had a bag looped around one hand and a drink tray sitting on the hood of her car.
I held the smoke in my lungs before I slowly released it. I took another pull on the blunt and held it in again. It calmed my nerves, and I was nervous as hell when it came to Koi.
I heard the laughter as it poured out of the building when the doors opened. Koi was usually one of the last ones trickling out of the building, unless, of course, I was the subject matter.
I put the blunt out and tossed the butt into the pedestal ashtray beside me. I pushed off the wall with one foot and grabbed the drink tray off the hood of her car and rested my hip against it instead.
I didn’t have to wait long because she came out five minutes later, giggling with Chelsea. Her friend spotted me first. A tiny smile turned the corner of her lips up, she waved her fingers at me, and then stated, “Koi, your friend is here. Hi, Salem.”
“Hey, Chels.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Chelsea asked me.
“I’ll be here in time for class.”
“Good. You’re a hot request around here.”
“I told you I would be,” I replied and winked at Chelsea. She hugged and kissed Koi before she walked over to her car.
Koi stood in front of me with her head slightly tilted. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you. I brought you dinner because I figured your ass hadn’t eaten.”
She giggled. “I planned to, but the staff meeting got me caught up.”
“Yeah, I know. I heard Professor Jimenez talking about it earlier.”
“Mm. So you figured I wouldn’t eat.”
“Exactly.”
