Page 75 of To Professor, with Love
Noel’s arms tightened around me, but he didn’t interrupt as he combed his fingers gently through my hair.
“I had no idea there was a bet going around over who could take the freak girl’s virginity.”
Cursing fluidly, Noel tucked his face next to mine and pressed our cheeks together.He hissed out a breath as if he needed to release some of the anger building pressure inside him.
“He was a complete gentleman most of the night.We watched a movie; he paid and bought me popcorn and a drink.I was pretty much in love by the time the ending credits rolled.I think he had paid more attention to me during that one action flick than my parents had paid me in my entire life.He let me pick the film and put the popcorn in my lap so I’d always have access to it.He even got me a soda refill half way through the movie.After that, I would’ve run away from home and joined a band of traveling gypsies just to be with him.Whatever he wanted.So when he asked if I’d like to go to the local make-out spot before he took me home, I was all on board.But I’d never even had my first kiss up until that point.I kind of thought he’d be okay with working our way through the bases, one step at a time, you know.”
Noel nodded and kissed my temple.“Of course,” he agreed with me, his voice soft and tender.“That’s how it’s usually done.”
“The kissing was okay,” I went on, wondering why I didn’t feel awkward talking about kissing another guy while I was lying in my current lover’s arms.But spilling everything to Noel just seemed...natural.“I’m not sure I would’ve dove straight into French kissing right off the bat if I’d had the choice, but I wanted to make him happy, so I tried to catch up.It was when he went up my shirt that I started to get uncomfortable.I just...”
“You weren’t ready yet,” Noel finished for me.
“Right.I wasn’t ready.Except when I tried to slow him down...”I shook my head and squeezed my eyes closed.
Burying his nose into my hair, Noel murmured, “You don’t have to talk about the rest.”
But I wanted him to know.“He completely changed,” I plowed forward.“If he’d continued to be nice, if he’d just tried to sweet talk me a little more, I probably would’ve given in willingly.But at the first sign of my hesitance, he turned brutal.He grabbed my face hard with one hand, called me a frigid little freak, and pulled a knife out of his pocket.”
“Shit.”The arms banded around me constricted even tighter.
“I think threatening me with a blade turned him on more because I went stiff and compliant after that, but he just kept sliding it over my skin as he cut off my clothes.He had it against me when he first, you know, forced himself in.That’s when I jumped, and he nicked me—”
“Okay, no more.Jesus.”Noel breathed heavily against my hair as he held me hard against him before he rasped, “I’m sorry, I just can’t...I guess I didn’t realize hearing about you go through something like that would this...”He shook his head.
I’m probably sick and twisted, but I loved knowing how difficult it was for him to hear this.But it meant he cared.Noel Gamble cared about what had happened to me.Not even my parents had cared that much.
“It’s okay.”I twisted in his arms so we were lying belly to belly.Needing to comfort him, I touched his cheek.When he met my gaze, his blue eyes swirled with torment.
“How the fuck did you survive through that?”
“It’s been a long time,” I said.“Directly afterward, I drew so hard into my shell, I didn’t even care when Zach bragged to the entire school about winning the bet.I didn’t care about much of anything.But time and therapy helps more than you’d realize.”
Noel nodded.“I still don’t understand why the hell your parents wouldn’t do anything about it?”
I shrugged.“Zach’s father was one of my parents’ colleagues at the university where they taught.”
“Fuckers.”Snorting, Noel just shook his head.“Please tell me Zach ended up dying a slow and painful death.”
“No.He became a corporate lawyer, and is doing very well, so I hear.”
“The prick.He probably brags to this very day about how he popped the freak girl’s cherry too.”
I had to smile over the acid in his tone.I loved how upset he was on my behalf.“Probably.”Leaning in, I brushed my nose alongside his.“I wish I had grown up in your hometown.And you’d been the star football player I had a crush on.”
His lips caught the corner of my mouth.“I do too.I mean, other than the fact, I would’ve been a sixth grader when you were a senior and I wasn’t a star anything at that point.I was still short and scrawny and getting my ass kicked every other day.”
“I still would’ve preferred you over him, any day.”Leaning in, I kissed him briefly on the nose.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing you have me.I’m all yours, Aspen Kavanagh.And if Corporate Lawyer Zach ever comes near you again, I’ll kill him.I will literally snap his neck.”
Grinning, I kissed his lips this time.It was on the tip of my tongue to say, “I love you,” in a soft dreamy sigh.But then I realized what I was about to blurt out.Swallowing down the words, I hooked my arms around his neck and rolled us until he was on top of me, pinning me to the bed.“Make love to me,” I demanded instead.
His grin was cocky and pleased.“Yes, ma’am,” he answered as his mouth descended toward mine.
30
Noel
