Page 31 of Here in My Heart (Here Together #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Students filed in with their January blues, while Sylvie slowed down to avoid skipping into the staff room.

The Christmas week had transformed her from the inside out.

She smiled at the memory of Ade’s tongue on her skin and blushed as the reverb of the touch sent her pulse skyward.

She rejoined her colleagues with an ache in her center, missing the solid weight of Ade’s body between her legs.

How could normal life continue when they’d been wrapped in each other’s arms just a few short hours ago?

Sylvie had left Ade in her apartment, insisting they arrive at the campus separately to avoid suspicion.

Not that she was ashamed, and she’d made that more than clear this morning, as she’d knelt at Ade’s feet, planting sleepy, tender kisses to her thighs.

It was just easier to avoid the questions and protocols of having a relationship at work—if that’s what it was.

They hadn’t discussed labeling what they had.

The only thing that Sylvie was certain of was the physical yearning she couldn’t satiate, no matter how many hours she’d spent on her back trying to.

Isa scrutinized Sylvie’s face more thoroughly than usual. “Good morning, Professor Boucher. Looking very perky for a January morning.”

Sylvie braced for an interrogation, as if last night’s sex was written all over her face. Not much escaped Isa’s notice. “Happy New Year to you. How was your break?”

“Marvelous, and over far too quickly. How is it we’re back here so soon, responsible for the education of our wayward young adults? ”

“Time flies…” Sylvie left the sentence hanging, not wishing to describe exactly how much fun she had been having.

“You seem different. Have you done something with your hair?”

She’d been combatting bedhead for the last four days, but she didn’t think that was a suitable answer.

“What’s with you?” Isa asked, her brow furrowing so far it almost met in the center. “Why are you silent?”

Sylvie wasn’t sure how long she could keep this up.

“I’m simply strolling into campus with my work bestie.

Nothing more, nothing less.” She wasn’t ready to share the details with anyone, wanting to keep the ecstasy that Ade had brought all to herself for now.

Her breath caught when she saw Ade striding toward the science block.

She wasn’t near enough to warrant a conversation, but her proximity sent a rush of fiery wanting through her, heating her cheeks.

“Oh my. Have you?” Isa sidestepped a group of students coming toward them and dragged Sylvie by the elbow into a quiet alcove. She looked upward, as if to check if anyone could eavesdrop. “Have you and Ade been…you know?”

Sylvie closed her eyes against the glare of Ade’s scrutiny. She couldn’t lie. And she didn’t want to deny Ade. “Yes. We have.”

“What the fuck?” Isa whispered, her face animated with confusion, curiosity, and glee. “Well, this makes the January return much more fun.”

“It made Christmas pretty interesting too.” Sylvie clamped her hand to her mouth.

“Tell me everything .”

Sylvie snuck a look around her, checking for wayward students. Telling Isa the truth was one thing, declaring it to the whole campus was quite another. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Don’t give me that. You know the start, middle, and ending of everything. Now don’t spare any details. I want to know exactly how hot that mysterious post-grad is.”

Sylvie cringed. She didn’t want to reduce Ade to gossip. What they’d experienced over the holidays was so much more than that. “Ade is pretty special.”

“Yeah. Special and hot as fuck. Come on: scale of one to ten.” Isa folded her arms.

“Ten,” said Sylvie, without hesitation.

“Whoa,” Isa stepped back in surprise. “You’re serious then. She’s that special?”

Sylvie wasn’t sure how serious they were, but she couldn’t dismiss their connection as anything frivolous or trivial. “We’ve had an amazing few days together.”

Isa leaned back against the wall, as if they were teenagers hiding during their break. “What now though? You’re both back at work. Are you going to tell Paul?”

Sylvie rested against the building, unable to hold the weight of expectation and responsibilities she now faced.

Why couldn’t she and Ade have carried on just as they were, hidden in the fog of festivity, with no reason to leave her apartment except for the odd pastry and fresh baguette.

“I haven’t thought about it. I wanted to get through today and talk to Ade. ”

“So it’s an ‘us’ problem, is it?” Isa smirked.

Maybe it was. Sylvie didn’t think it would be fair to go to the head of their department without consulting Ade, not that she’d really care either way since she was a temporary member of university staff. It was Sylvie with the bigger stake in all this.

“I knew there was something about you this morning.” Isa winked before wrapping her arm around Sylvie’s shoulders. “Don’t have too much fun and forget your friends though, will you? We have that quiz night this week.”

The date had fallen from Sylvie’s memory. Perhaps Ade could come along. It was a faculty event, and she was part of the team. “I won’t. But I’d better get to class. See you later.”

“Absolutely, you will. Don’t think I’m letting you get away with keeping the rest of the story to yourself.” Isa waved her off with an extra flourish .

A few hours of teaching and coaching passed before Sylvie sat down to her to-do list and opened her laptop to a sea of unopened emails.

What she should be doing was editing her book.

The publisher had been in touch over the holidays to grant her another extension.

Only this one came with an ultimatum: cough up the goods or pay back the advance.

It wasn’t that explicit, but she could read between the passive-aggressive lines of her commissioning editor.

She’d really pushed her luck, ignoring deadlines and procrastinating for weeks.

Her sex life had become a major distraction too.

Scrolling through the endless messages she’d ignored before they broke up for Christmas, she didn’t notice the sun set until her eyes watered from the blue glare of the screen.

She turned her silenced cell phone over, wondering if Ade had been in touch.

They’d promised each other time to focus, but that was easier said than done.

Maybe she could drop Ade a quick note. She wanted to see her tonight, even though a good night’s sleep in her own bed—alone—would be the best thing for her mind and body.

Ade had reawakened a passion deep inside, but the fatigue from their midnight sessions was starting to show in the shadows under her eyes.

Right on cue, Sylvie heard Ade’s telltale footsteps in the corridor. She bit the lid of her pen, awaiting Ade’s appearance. As the door creaked ajar, Sylvie’s heart skipped a beat. They’d barely made it through a whole day without seeing each other. She didn’t know whether to despair or rejoice.

“Can I disturb you, ma’am?” Ade grinned, looking every bit the grad student, sporting her washed-out hoodie and jeans.

“Well, it’s past my office hours, but I could make an exception.”

Ade sauntered to the edge of the desk and leaned against it.

“I can’t promise any special treatment.” Sylvie pursed her lips, hiding her smile behind the pretense of her strict principal routine.

“Well, that’s a real shame.” Ade stuck out her bottom lip. “I was hoping for some special treatment.” She spun the chair around and positioned herself between Sylvie’s knees.

Sylvie’s throat dried out so much she worried she wouldn’t be able to form her next line. “What kind of thing did you have in mind?”

Ade held her gaze, giving nothing away. Perched against the desk, with a clear height advantage, Ade’s gaze dropped to Sylvie’s breasts. She raised her eyebrow, clocking the widening of Ade’s pupils as she began to open the top button, and the next, and each one until her blouse fell open.

Ade froze in her spot.

“Is this the kind of special treatment you’re used to?” Sylvie asked.

Ade’s lips twitched in an almost-smile. “Not quite.”

A dare? Sylvie flicked her eyes to the door, closed but unlocked.

She paused for a second, weighing the possibility of someone coming by this late in the day.

She’d heard all the students leave an hour ago, and most of the staff would be gone by now.

They had at least two hours until the final sweep by security.

Rising, Sylvie slipped her shirt to the floor, bracing herself for the chill around her bare shoulders. She stood at eye-level with Ade but didn’t move closer. She longed to be touched, but the lack of it intensified every nerve ending.

She removed her shoes and socks and stepped out of her pants. Standing there, in nothing but her lacy underwear was a real turn-on, and the evidence pooled between her legs. As if she knew, Ade’s gaze flicked up and down her abdomen, and she licked her lips.

Sylvie held herself back, resisting the strong urge to collapse into the gap between Ade’s thighs and succumb to her lips. “What do you want?”

Ade gripped Sylvie’s hips, moving her around so they swapped places, then she took the vacant seat. Her breath came fast against Sylvie’s breasts before she leaned back into the chair. “Touch yourself for me.”

Sylvie almost came at the instruction. No one had ever commanded her with such direct tenderness.

Conscious of every inch of her bare skin, she shivered.

Her breath was barely a whisper as she ran her fingers over her beating heart, between the channel of her breasts and down the center of her ribs.

She stopped at her lace waistband, awaiting further instruction.

“Go on.” Ade swallowed.

Sylvie could barely contain the urge to straddle Ade’s lap and rub her center against her thigh. She wished the charge between them would last forever. Her hand traveled further down, dipping beneath the sheer fabric, the only barrier between her sex and Ade’s loving gaze. “Please, Ade.”

“What do you want?” Ade whispered.

Sylvie’s knees buckled and she breached the space between them, falling until Ade wrapped her strong arms around her and looked up.

Ade bit her lip. “Tell me. Let me give you everything you want.”

“Touch me, please.” Sylvie straddled Ade’s lap, her thighs shaking with need.

Ade grinned. “You still have too many layers on.” She grabbed a pair of scissors from the pencil cup. “Let me get rid of these.” She cut through the seam of Sylvie’s panties and let them drop to the side, giving her full access to Sylvie’s pulsing desire.

Fuck. Sylvie couldn’t focus on anything except Ade’s fingers on her throbbing body. She glanced down at Ade’s fully clothed body and dropped her head in a moment of vulnerability.

“No.” Ade tipped her chin up. “You’re perfect. I want you to see yourself in my arms, feeling every single thing.”

Sylvie ground herself into Ade, building to a crest. Ade held her in the palm of her hand, gently edging her to a blissful release. Every part of their bodies, clothed or naked, communicated with each movement. Words weren’t needed right now; Sylvie simply trusted in Ade’s touch .

And when it came, it shook her to the core. A raging explosion of chemistry, and then Sylvie collapsed against Ade’s chest, desperate for breath.

Ade stroked Sylvie’s back. She couldn’t move, her legs paralyzed with ecstasy and affection. “Thank you,” she said into the crook of Ade’s collar.

“You’re beautiful, you know?”

Ade only ever spoke the truth, and Sylvie allowed the compliment to penetrate her armor, before the exposure tipped the scales and she shrank away, hiding her face.

“Don’t do that.” Ade stroked her cheek. “Don’t hide from me.”

She guided Sylvie back to her chest where she lay, counting the beats.

How could Ade have stepped into her life and made such a tremendous impact in so short a time?

Sylvie’s entire world had been upended by this unquenchable thirst for her.

She began to imagine a future she’d never thought could be hers, one where she and Ade were together.

The alternative was starting to become unthinkable.