Page 56 of Tempt

“But it has to be enough,” he whispers.

I’m vaguely aware that Andy could come down the hall at any moment when I circle Daniel’s wrists with my fingers, lifting my hips.

He groans, pinning me against the counter.

Our hot breath mingles.

Every inch of him is hard and intentional.

Daniel wants me.

It’s more intoxicating than any drink.

I lick my lips. “It doesn’t have to be—”

“Tell me a story?”

Andy’s voice comes from the doorway, and we spin apart.

My heart thuds in my chest, still racing from Daniel’s confessions but also from nearly being caught.

The guilt on his face mirrors mine. “You got it.”

“No. I want Kat.”

“Andy, your dad wants to read to you—”

“It’s okay.” Daniel nods.

Suddenly, I understand what this means to him, why he’s fighting so hard.

Even if the boss thing and the age thing weren’t problems, crossing a boundary will risk the good thing we’ve built over the past few weeks.

And Daniel and Andy both need a good thing.

I smile. “One story, coming up.”

16

DANIEL

“Where’s your school spirit?” Zander calls over the crowd in the campus gym as the basketball team drains a three-point shot.

“I’m getting tenure, which means I can continue to work here. If that’s not patriotism, I don’t know what is.”

Sawyer and I are at the game with Riccardo and Zander, both profs. Ric’s married, Zander’s an English lit professor. All four of us live on the same street, the one students always called Profs Lane.

Apparently, they’ve taken to calling it Hot Profs Lane in recent years.

The ball is in possession of the other team. One crisp pass, then another, then it’s intercepted and going back toward their basket courtesy of Russell’s varsity squad.

“Where’s Liv tonight?” I ask Sawyer.

“Teaching at the studio. She started taking on advanced ballet students, which she loves.”

“Because it’s not cliche enough you slept with a student,” Zander comments. “It had to be a ballerina.”

“You’re jealous.”

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