Page 20 of Bewitched By the Mountain Man
“You heard me, Tessa.” I turn away, running a hand through my hair. “This was a mistake. I don’t want you, okay? I don’t want this.”
I force the lie out, needing to push her away and rebuild the walls she’s been tearing down since Halloween night.
“Really?” she snaps, her voice rising. “You send some interesting mixed signals, Professor. You fuck me like you’re starving for it, and now you’re acting like I’m some annoying girl who won’t leave you alone? Grow up.”
I flinch at her words. She’s pulling her clothes on, grabbing her bag.
“I’m not going to beg you. I’m done.”
She storms toward the door, and something sharp coils in my gut. I’m a liar. A bastard. And I deserve every second of her walking away.
“Tessa…” I start, but she’s already gone, the door slamming shut behind her.
I’m left standing there, my hands clenched into fists. I’m a fucking idiot. I let her get too close, let her see too much, and now she’s walking away, and it feels like I’m losing something I never even had the right to want.
Five years. Five years since Raven’s Creek and swearing off anything that could drag me back into the mess of my own head.
And now Tessa’s here, breaking through every defense I’ve built.
But I can’t let her walk away like this.
I grab my jacket and keys and head out after her. The campus is quiet, the parking lot empty under the streetlights. I spot her halfway to her car.
“Tessa!” I call out.
“No,” she says, her voice carrying over her shoulder. “I got the message loud and clear. It’s fine. I shouldn’t have come here.”
She reaches for her car door, and I’m there before I can stop myself, my hand closing over hers before she can open it.
“Wait. Just wait.”
“Let me go,” she snaps, yanking her hand free. “You said what you needed to say.”
I step closer, crowding her against the car.
“Look, Tessa, I’m fucked up. I haven’t been with anyone in years. I swore it all off after… after everything. I don’t want you inside my darkness.”
“You can’t know what I want. You don’t get to decide that for me. I’m not some fragile little girl who needs protecting. But I’m not begging you, either. So let me go.”
The campus is empty, the night pressing in around us, and I can’t let her leave like this.
“Come with me,” I say, grabbing her wrist, pulling her toward the wooded path behind the lot.
“Lachlan, what the hell?” she protests, trying to pull free.
My grip stays firm as I lead her into the trees, away from the lights, away from anyone who might see. I stop in a small clearing and turn to her, and before I can think, I kiss her, hard and desperate. She pushes me back, her hands shoving at my chest.
“Stop it,” she says, but her voice wavers.
I kiss her again, and this time she slaps me, the sting sharp across my cheek. I freeze, stepping back as my hand touches my face. But before I can say anything, she lunges forward, kissing me now—our frustration and desire colliding in a way that feels like it could break us both.
I back her up against a tree. “Go ahead. Take it out on me. I deserve it.”
She shoves me hard, her hands fisting in my jacket, but I don’t budge. I grab her pants, unbuttoning them with rough, impatient movements. She pushes me back again, her eyes flashing with rage.
“You’re such an asshole,” she says, but she’s not pulling away.
I lean in, letting my lips brush her ear. “I lied back there. I want you, Tessa. Obviously, I fucking want you. I’m fighting myself every second I’m near you, and I’m losing. But we can’t keep doing this. You know I’m right.”
