Reflection (The Chrysalis Series)

More weeping.

‘Sugar, talk to me.’ Tears welled in her own eyes.

Skyler just continued to sob for several minutes, eventually subsiding into sniffles.

‘Thank you, Professor.’ She practically wailed the words.

‘Skyler, I promise you we’ll solve this.’ Bridget forced herself to relax and project confidence despite the doubt twisting her gut.

‘I know, Professor.’ She didn’t sound confident.

‘Listen, pack your clothes and whatever you need. OK?’ Bridget checked her watch. ‘What time do you think you’ll be ready?’

They quickly agreed on a time to meet and Bridget gave her the address.

Ending the call, she took several deep breaths and considered praying.

‘What was that about?’

Connor’s voice rang out in the stillness of his loft, startling her so that she dropped her phone.

She slid to her knees as much to avoid looking at him as to get the phone.

‘One of my students is being harassed.’ She decided that the truth, even if partial, was better than lying. ‘I’m having her stay with me for a while.’

She wasn’t telling him everything. He could feel it in his gut. See it in the way that she wouldn’t truly meet his eyes.

Stop it, he told himself. You’re being paranoid.

Connor pulled the T-shirt he was carrying over his head and took a deep breath to calm down. His frustration was getting harder and harder to contain with Bridget. It was obvious she wasn’t telling him everything.

Talking with her was a lot like trying to trap a drop of water. She rolled and moved every time he tried to pin her down. The messed-up thing was that he couldn’t pinpoint why he really felt this way. So far everything she’d ever said to him was borne out. She lived up to her word and kept her promises.

It was true that their sex life hadn’t progressed the way he’d hoped, but the sex was still really good. He just wanted more, and felt like an ass for not being satisfied. She was beautiful. Sexy. She wanted to please him and he felt certain she was trying. It was just that he felt a wall.

Some inexplicable barrier that he could feel, but couldn’t see. It was always there. Even now.

‘Who’s harassing her?’ He scrutinised her face. There were fine lines of stress around her eyes and she was practically wringing her hands.

‘My boss.’ She tossed her phone on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. Daisy came over and sat next to her. Lotus barely twitched on her bed.

Bridget absently rubbed her dog’s head as she continued. ‘Apparently, he’s been at it for a while and now she’s pregnant.’ He saw tears in her eyes. ‘She came to me for help and I’m still trying to figure out how to help her in a fashion that will allow her to keep her scholarship.’

‘What does her scholarship have to do with this?’

‘He’s holding it over her head. He’s the dean of my department and he’s threatening to fail her.’

‘Damn, that bites.’ He sat next to her and took her hand. One thing that he enjoyed about her was how much she cared about her students. ‘Do you have any ideas?’

‘No, not a one,’ she said and squeezed his hand. ‘I need to find a way to expose him that can’t be disputed while not putting Skyler or –’ She jumped a little and bit her lip.

‘What?’ he brought her hand to his lips and kissed the soft skin. Tension tightened his chest. He felt certain she wasn’t telling him everything.

Anger surged, bright and hot, but he fought it. Something was not right and it was driving him crazy, but he had no grounds to call her out without making himself look like a completely insecure dick.

‘Nothing.’ She leaned in and kissed him gently. ‘I just had a moment of inspiration. I think I know what I’m going to do.’

‘Care to share?’

‘Not yet. I need to think it through more.’

She smiled at him and straddled his lap, taking his face between her hands and kissing him thoroughly. She still only rarely initiated any sexual encounter between them and he should be thrilled. In this instant, he felt manipulated.

Too bad his dick had no issue with that. He was hard and ready. Just like he always was when it came to Bridget. He wanted to fling her over his shoulder and give her a good spanking for so obviously holding back.

What was it going to take for her to understand that they couldn’t go any further if she didn’t truly open up to him? Some days he didn’t think he could rein in his frustration. He worried his temper would get the better of him. He was an easy-going guy in general, but she was kryptonite to his self-control.

She reached between them and cupped his bulge, pulling his mind away from his ruminations. Lust flowed through him and he knew he wasn’t going to stop just as he knew he wasn’t going to pressure her.

He loved her too much.

The knowledge that he loved her should have been a relief; instead, his eyes burned and he felt as if he were even further away from her. Reaching up, he gently gripped her head and deepened the kiss, slowly taking control. He stood, wrapping her legs around his waist, and walked over to the bed where he proceeded to show her as carnally as possible exactly how he felt.

As he buried himself gently inside her, he did his best to pretend he didn’t feel his hope slowly draining away.

Chapter Twenty-two

‘That should do it.’ Nico handed Bridget her bag and flashed his dimples at her. ‘You’re finally joining the rest of us in the 21st century, huh, Professor.’

Bridget grinned back at her former student. ‘You always were a smartass, weren’t you.’

‘True –’ the dimples deepened ‘– but I was also your best student.’

‘That you were.’ She settled her purchases on her arm, doing her best to quiet the adrenaline rush pulsing in her veins at the realisation that she was about to put something in motion that she wouldn’t be able to take back once it was done.

‘How are Gina and the baby doing?’

His face, usually so angular and austere, softened at the mention of his wife and newborn daughter. The flash of jealousy Bridget felt shamed her. No matter how hard she tried, she could never fully accept the knowledge that she’d never be a mother.

‘They’re great. We’re not getting much sleep yet, but Cara is amazing. And Gina, she was born to be a mother.’

‘Oh Nico.’ She gripped his forearm, ‘I’m so happy for you.’ She was pleased to see she meant it.

‘Thanks, Prof.’ He walked with her over to the door. ‘Listen, do you need any help setting everything up?’

Bridget shook her head. ‘Nope.’ She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder and pushed open the door, saying over her shoulder, ‘I’m sure I can figure it all out.’

‘OK then.’ He nodded at the customers who walked in as Bridget left. ‘Feel free to call me if you have any questions.’

‘Will do, sugar,’ she called out as she waved goodbye. She wouldn’t, though. She wasn’t going to involve him any more than she already had.

Bridget strolled down Main Street to her Mustang doing her best to be discreet. She didn’t want to see anyone she knew, especially Evan, who should be at Bibliophile right now.

Yup, there he was. She ducked into the natural grocery across the street and waited for him to finish whatever he was doing to the display in his front window. As she watched, Claire entered the store. In the instant he noticed his wife, he was transformed. His focus lasered in on her and he took her in his arms and kissed her as