Page 77 of Brighter Shades of Light

“I called you many times,” I said, after looking around and seeing mostly everyone had left. “I even texted you, and I never text. Why didn’t you answer?”

Cody squared his jaw, saying nothing.

“You’re still upset about Emily. She left shortly after you did.” I needed him to understand nothing had happened between us. “I swear to you that—”

“I really don’t want to hear about you and yourwife,” he said, stepping back. “I have to get to class.”

“Cody, wait.” I touched his arm before quickly withdrawing my hand. “Will you stop acting this way? I don’t want her.” My gaze burned into his. This wasn’t the place to talk to him, not when anyone could walk in and see. “Meet me in my office today at noon.”

“Not sure I can make it,” Cody said bitterly. “I’m just achildand probably need to stay in my own lane.”

“You’re not a child. She was wrong for saying that. We need to talk, and my office is where we can do it.”

“Don’t think so.”

“Please.” I wasn’t above begging.

Though it was faint, his expression softened. “Maybe.”

I’d acceptmaybe.

***

The bell tower in the center of campus began to chime, counting down the seconds until noon. I was in the middle of sorting papers to grade and stopped at the sound. Cody wasn’t here. Right at the last ding, someone knocked on my office door.

I looked up from the papers and stared.

There was a second knock, followed by several smaller ones, as if the person on the other side was getting impatient.

I went over and opened the door, half-expecting to see Vance and bracing myself for the letdown.

“Hey,” Cody said. His hood was up, and the cord from his earbuds hung around his neck. “So, I’m here.”

“Come in.” I let him inside and shut the door behind him.

He walked into the room, hands in his hoodie pocket, and seemed uninterested. I knew him better than that, though. He was doing all he could to keep a stern face.

I hated the distance.

Closing the gap between our bodies, I wrapped him in my arms. Cody didn’t move at first. I kissed his forehead and ran my hands down his back. Still, he didn’t budge.

“I’m sorry, Cody.” I pressed my forehead to his. “I should’ve told you about Emily. She and I have nothing between us anymore. She’s in the past and has been for months.” I kissed the area right beside his lips. “You’re all I want.”

He slumped against my chest and buried his face into my sweater. “Don’t keep any more secrets from me, Sebastian.” He tilted his head up to look at me. “I’ve told you basically everything about me. And it hurt for you to keep something like that to yourself. Made me feel like I wasn’t important enough to you.”

“Not important enough?” I grabbed his face. “You arethemost important person in my life, Cody.”

I never wanted him to question my feelings for him again.

He stared at me as our mouths hovered inches from each other, and his lids grew heavy as his breath quickened. Heat consumed me, just like my love for him did.

Cody pulled at my shirt, and I slid my hands beneath his hoodie. I needed to feel him, skin to skin. Our lips broke away just long enough for me to lift his hoodie over his head and for him to do the same with my sweater. Then we were back on each other, teeth clacking, tongues dancing, and hearts thrumming wildly.

“Are we really gonna do this here?” he asked, panting.

I answered him with another kiss and popped the button on his pants. Having sex in my office was a horrible idea. The blinds on the window were closed to block us from view, but even with the door locked, someone could hear us if we weren’t careful. However, passion won over logic. I didn’t justwantto taste Cody—to lay him over my desk and drive into him—but Ineededto.

“My office hours start at one,” I said, pulling down his jeans before gripping his thick cock through his boxers. “We need to make it quick. Is that okay with you?”