“Do you want to do this here?” he finally asks, and I break his stare long enough to glance in either direction. No one is out here at the moment, but people will start showing up any minute for our night of adventure.
“N-No. I don’t think so,” I reply quietly, needing to think five steps ahead, yet my brain hasn’t even caught up to what is happening right now.
“Back to your house then?” he prompts, and I take a step back, straight into the brick wall that had been a foot behind me.
“Back to my house? You… you were there before? You f-followed me here?” My voice trembles. Not only had Nate invaded my happy place, but he’d also been to my home, my refuge?
Before I know what’s happening, Nate reaches his big hand inside one of the pockets of my trench coat. When it comes up empty, he tries the other one, and I hold perfectly still, not wanting to force his hand to touch anything he shouldn’t. He pulls out my keys from the second pocket, takes hold of my hand that is fisted at my side, unfurls my fingers, and places the fob in the center of my palm. “Get your car. I’ll follow you back to your house,” he orders, and everything inside me wants to jump into action to follow his instruction, yet I force myself to hold strong.
“I-I…. What is going on, Nathaniel? Why did you follow me? Why would you drive all this way—”
He cuts me off with a growl, leaning forward and trapping me against the front of the building, and palms slapping against the bricks on either side of my head and caging me in. It stills my breath he’s so close, so overwhelming, taking up every millimeter of my vision. I see nothing but him, and I want to close my eyes and pretend I’m somewhere else, even though I know that’s a lie I’m just telling myself, because I have no doubt I’ve never been this turned on in my life.
You should be ashamed of yourself. You freak. He’s a student! Entirely too young for you.
I shake my head at my thoughts, trying to keep them at bay. I can’t allow myself to shame what I’m feeling, to go back to thinking of myself as a freak.
“You’re shaking like a leaf, Ms. Richards,” he breathes against my ear before pulling back and looking me in the eyes. “Are you afraid of me?”
I look into the dark depths before me, seeing what I always see, the young man who likes to taunt me, practically torture me with his very presence every day. But there’s something else in there, something almost… vulnerable, needy, as if begging for my help.
I decide to be honest. “Not of you, Nathaniel,” I whisper. “Just… just of what you could do.”
His eyes fall to my lips then meet mine once more. “And what’s that?”
I swallow, trying to decide what I should say. What if he hasn’t thought of all the things he could do with this information? If I tell him what I fear, it could just give him ideas. But of course, this is Nate Black we’re talking about. I’m sure fifty different scenarios entered his brilliant mind the moment he saw what he walked into. So again, I go with honesty, because that’s just who I am.
“You… you could ruin my life.” I try to keep my voice strong, but the last word comes out in a whimper, my chin wobbling.
I hear people approaching from the side of the building where the underground parking lot is located, but Nate doesn’t move. And the people don’t say anything as they enter the club through the door right next to us, probably thinking we’re a couple in the middle of a role-playing scene or something.
“You’re right, Ms. Richards. I could.” His gaze falls to my lips once more, and he leans in. I close my eyes, bracing myself for his kiss, my heart pounding in my chest so hard it makes my nipples hard beneath the lace of my bra. But the kiss never comes. Instead, I feel the sharp edge of his chiseled jawline against my cheek as he whispers in my ear, “So how about we go back to your house and talk about what you can do to assure that doesn’t happen.” It’s an order more than a question. And I nod in agreement this time instead of questioning him.
“O-Okay,” I reply quietly, gripping my key fob.
He takes a step away from me, and I’m confused by my body’s reaction. It’s not relief I feel when he finally gives me space. It’s a sense of loss I don’t understand. As if my security blanket has been taken away from me, leaving me exposed and cold in the night. I shiver, even though the temperature outside is mild, so I tuck the neck of my trench coat closer to my chest.
“After you, Ms. Richards,” he says, and gestures for me to walk before him in the direction of the parking garage entrance. We don’t say another word to each other on the short walk up the sidewalk and around the corner, and I’m surprised when he
