Page 63 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

Thursday

I could hear music blaring outside. For such an expensive apartment, the walls seemed rather thin.

I turned off my computer and glanced out the window at the rowdy students.

It was raining. Again. When I was in college, I wouldn’t have let a little rain keep me from a party either. But that was a long time ago.

I stretched my arms above my head. There were no papers to grade or anything else to distract me. My lesson plans were already written for the next few weeks. None of that was on my mind though.

Penny Taylor. I was tempted to look her up in the school directory. But what did it matter? She was in my Comm class. Which meant she was a senior. Which meant she was off-limits for two more semesters. There was nothing else I needed to know.

Why didn’t that dismiss her from my thoughts? If anything, telling myself I couldn’t have her made it even more impossible to push the thought of her aside.

I needed fresh air. I stood up from my desk and walked out into the hall. I ignored the empty walls and lack of any decorations. There was no reason to hang images of people that weren’t here. That wasn’t a cure for loneliness.

I laughed. There was no cure for being lonely. Was that really why I was fixated on Penny? I pulled on my jacket. She wasn’t exactly the person to help me if that was my problem. Before pressing the elevator button, I grabbed an umbrella.

Besides, it was better when I was alone. I exited into the parking garage instead of the lobby so I wouldn’t risk having to socialize with anyone. It was definitely better when I was alone. I stepped out in the rain and opened my umbrella.

The sound of the rain against the fabric of the umbrella was soothing.

I didn’t move here to find a girlfriend.

I was here for a fresh start. I walked down Main Street, trying to clear my head.

Now that classes had started back up, I was going to be fine.

Or at least focused. I sighed. Who the hell was I kidding?

The only thing I was focused on was a certain undergrad.

And then she was there. I blinked, assuming I was imagining her. No, that was definitely Penny walking a few paces ahead of me. Her red hair was unmistakable. I should have turned around as soon as I saw her. I needed distance from her if anything. Instead, I increased my pace.

She was dressed in a ridiculous sparkly blue miniskirt and a pair of heels that were way too high for her current state. She was stumbling down Main Street, obviously drunk. All I could focus on were her long legs. The rain on her skin almost shimmered as much as her skirt.

I knew I shouldn’t. I knew talking to her outside of class was the last thing I should be doing. But I couldn’t let her walk home like that. It was my responsibility, as her professor, to make sure she was safe. Right? "Miss Taylor, is that you?" I called.

She stopped mid-step, like hearing my voice froze her. "Um...no. You have the wrong person,” she said and quickly started walking again without even glancing at me over her shoulder.

She still looked wobbly in her heels. And clearly she didn’t want me to approach her. I knew I should let her go. But I couldn’t. What if she fell? Or worse. Someone could take advantage of her. It happened on college campuses all the time. She needed my help. I needed to keep her safe.

Again, I knew I should let her go. Instead, I started jogging up to her. I wasn’t some frat boy creep. I’d help her get home. I wouldn’t even touch her. I’d be a good professor, helping out a student in need. That was it. “Penny, stop!”

She turned around and stared up at me. But her eyes didn’t stay on my face. They slowly wandered down my body, like she was drinking me in.

She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.

But I just stood there, letting her do it.

I liked her eyes on me. Besides, it gave me a moment to stare at her long legs again.

And her… I swallowed hard. She was wearing a white tank top.

In the rain. Fuck. What was she trying to do to me? I forced my eyes back to her face.

"Professor Hunter, I'm sorry..." she let her voice trail off and folded her arms across her chest to help hide her breasts.

Professor Hunter. What was it about the way she said it?

It just sounded sexy falling from her lips.

And wrong. So fucking wrong. "You like to apologize when you've done nothing wrong,” I said. I was the one doing something wrong. I couldn’t stop staring at her.

I stepped forward to prevent myself from ogling her.

And to get her under my umbrella to keep her dry.

Mostly the keeping her dry thing, of course.

I tried to tell myself I had no ulterior motives for being closer to her.

I gripped my umbrella tighter so I wouldn’t touch her.

As soon as I drew closer, I saw the mascara under her eyes.

And her beautiful blue irises were surrounded by red.

She had been crying. Had I been too late?

Had someone already hurt her? I resisted pulling her close.

That was the last thing she probably wanted.

And the last thing I should do. "Is everything alright, Penny? "

"I'm fine,” she said too quickly for me to believe her.

"Then what are you doing out so late all by yourself?

" I did care about her safety. I truly did. But I was also curious about her being alone. I thought about the boy that had talked to her in class. Were they dating? Was she dating anyone? And where the hell had she come from? A party? A date? What kind of prick wouldn’t walk her home?

"I could ask the same of you,” she said.

"I was just going for a walk."

"Me too."

I laughed. She drew a little closer to me and her arm brushed against mine. She wanted to be closer to me. But I'd promised myself I wouldn’t touch her. She was probably just cold from the chilly rain.

"Are you cold, Penny?"

She nodded up to me.

I handed her the umbrella as I shrugged off my jacket. I held it out for her. She hesitated for a moment before slowly slipping one arm in and then the other. Had no one ever helped her into her jacket before? What kind of pathetic men had she been dating?

It was none of my business. I took the umbrella back and held it above both of us again. "Well you really shouldn't be out alone this late, Penny. Especially in those walking clothes." Walking clothes? What the fuck was I even saying?

"Neither should you."

I laughed. I was pretty sure jeans and a t-shirt were more appropriate in the rain than her outfit.

Her skirt barely covered a thing. I had to tear my eyes away from her to prevent myself from pushing her against one of the brick buildings and kissing the sadness off her face.

Jesus. You’re her professor. "Is your dorm near here?

It would make me feel much better if I escorted you home. "

"I live in Sussex."

"This way then," I said, and placed my hand on the small of her back for just a second. I immediately removed it. What happened to not touching her?

We walked in silence for a few minutes. Every now and then she’d stumble slightly and I'd have to touch her again. I didn’t want her to fall.

It had nothing to do with the fact that it was hard to keep my hands to myself.

And each time we touched, I kept thinking that it didn’t feel wrong. Even though I knew it was.

What would she do if we wandered off the path into the green? If I pulled her on top of me in the wet grass? How would she react if I kissed her neck? If my fingers slid up her skirt and gripped her firm ass?

Breathe. I was trying to protect her. Clearly she only needed protection from me. I kept my eyes trained straight ahead and willed myself to keep my fucking hands to myself.

"I'm not good at giving speeches," she said, finally breaking the awkward silence my wandering thoughts had created. "I feel like I should just drop your class."

That was the last thing I wanted. I could control myself.

I didn’t want to stop seeing her. Having her in my class was the only way that was possible.

Because this was probably the only time I’d ever see her again outside of a classroom.

Probably? Definitely. It was definitely the only time I’d get with her outside of class.

The thought made me want to reach out and touch her. Stop.

"I wish you wouldn't,” I said. “If you ever need extra help, I have open office hours. I really am a fairly easy grader for Comm." I could picture her coming to my office. Locking the door behind her. Asking me to help teach her. Breathe.

"It's going to be extra painful when you fail me, though."

"Why extra painful?" I knew it wasn’t just me. She was probably picturing my hands on her too.

"Because you...I mean I. Well, you're..." she let her voice trail off.

It didn’t matter what she was going to say.

I was her professor. "Well it does seem that you aren't great at giving speeches.” I laughed even though I didn’t find it funny.

Was she stumbling over her words because she was drunk?

Or because I was making her uncomfortable?

Or was it because she was nervous around me because she wanted me too?

I took a deep breath. "Like I said, you can come by any time.

" I forced my eyes back on the path as we continued to walk the length of the green.

"Have you been a professor here for long?" she asked.

"Not long at all. I do love it here, despite how much it rains.

Besides, you never know what you'll find during a long walk in the rain.

" I smiled down at her. I had officially lost all control. Now I was blatantly flirting with her. She was drunk though. Maybe she wouldn’t remember this in the morning.

Before I even realized it, we were standing outside her dorm.

She stepped out from under my umbrella, letting the rain fall on her. She was a fucking vision. My eyes traveled to the tops of her breasts. The way the rain glistened on her pale skin. I could so easily imagine licking each drop of rain off.

"Here," she said and pulled off my jacket.

I shook my head, pushing the image away. The fabric of her wet tank top clung to her skin. I didn’t want anyone else to see her with her wet tank top. I wanted the image to be mine and mine alone. "No, you can keep it."

"I've been stealing all your clothes. Soon you'll have nothing left."

"That does seem to be your plan." I smiled at the thought of her wanting me naked.

"I insist," she said and held the jacket back out to me.

I reluctantly took it. It was late. Hopefully she’d get back to her room without anyone seeing her.

"I'm not in trouble, am I?"

What? Scolding her was the last thing on my mind. Although now visions of spanking her… stop. "You're a senior, you're of legal age to drink, and you're allowed to wear what you like. Why would you be in trouble?"

She paused for a second. "You're right. And I was only walking, after all. Thank you for escorting me home, Professor Hunter."

God. I could feel myself growing hard. The wet tank top. The way she said my name. I wanted to devour every inch of her. I was so fucked. “I'll see you at 8 a.m. sharp, Miss Taylor."

"It's a date." Her eyes got huge and she threw a hand over her mouth.

A date.

She turned quickly away from me and fumbled with the sensor pass to open the door.

I practically groaned when it clicked. I didn’t want her to disappear. I wanted this moment to last forever. Because this was the closest I’d ever get to her. A date. If only she knew how much I wanted that. More than that. I couldn’t stop thinking about how sweet her lips would taste.

She turned around for one last moment and our eyes met. I didn’t acknowledge her date comment. She had nothing to be embarrassed about. Didn’t she see how much I wanted her too?

The door closed with a thud. And all I could think about was how I wished I was on the other side with her. I wanted her to wrap her drunken arms around me and beg me to stay. I wanted to call her mine for just one night. One night. That’s all I was asking.

I sighed. I really was a shitty professor.