Page 6 of Forbidden Fruit


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"Yeah, would you? I have a pencil I could drop if you'd prefer."

"Has anybody ever told you that you're a menace?"

This feels like something to celebrate. "No, you're the first, actually." I turn to leave, but stay rooted to the spot when I see his hesitation, a question on his lips.

"Heading to another class?" His tone is casual, even though I feel anything besides.

Shaking my head, I rasp out a response. "No, I was going to head home."

"Come get a coffee with me." I consider declining his invitation. He leans against the door frame, an annoyed expression on his face as he waits for me to say as much. When I open my mouth to protest, his icy glare makes me stop short.

"It wasn't a request," he says as he turns on his heel. I fall into stride with him as he leaves the lecture hall. Neither one of us says anything. DeLuca seems to bask in the silence while I feel like I'm crumbling. We stop, his brow furrowed as he holds the glass door open for me, side-stepping to let me enter first. The campus cafe is a popular spot. Large wooden tables are throughout the room and are almost entirely occupied with students laughing and talking animatedly. It's noisy enough to rival a concert. Barstools are strewn everywhere from students coming and going. It’s like a goddamn obstacle course. He maneuvers us to the counter.

"Hi, I need two extra large double shot lattes with almond milk." He hands the barista his card before I can dig mine out. Smiling, she hands the card back and almost drops it twice. Another victim, obviously flustered from how fucking hot he is. She hands me the latte, raising her eyebrows, silently cursing me or worshiping me as the chosen one. DeLuca grabs his latte, then finds a semi-secluded table in the corner and waits before sitting. He pulls out my chair, and I almost have to pinch myself as I sit in the chair across from him. DeLuca has an odd look on his face and, for the first time in this whole scenario, I wonder if I'm in trouble.

"Thanks for the latte, Professor DeLuca. It was really nice and unexpected."

"You're welcome.” He takes a long sip of his latte, and I watch his Adam's apple bob as he swallows. He hasn't taken his eyes off of me and it makes me squirm.

Uncomfortable, I follow suit, and easily down half of my latte to subdue my rising panic. Its rich aroma and taste warms my body from the considerable chill I suddenly have sitting across from him. His scent, a heady combination of the woods on a brisk autumn day-pine and masculine musk, invades my senses as it feels like I'm pinned under him. When our legs brush under the table, I'm left breathless. DeLuca leans across the table and waits until I have a mouthful of latte before he speaks.

"Are you going to bring a lollipop to my next class?" I nearly choke as he gives me a coy smile.

"Would you like me to?" Biting my lip to repress my grin, I’m curious more than ever to hear what he's going to say next. I lean forward on my elbows, feigning innocence.

"Unofficially, yes. Officially, no. Miss Hamilton, you may be a witty little tease, but as your professor, I have a code of ethics I must uphold."

"I hardly consider myself a tease," I say with conviction.

He laughs softly and continues, "Yes, that's why you sucked on the end of your pen for fifteen minutes without breaking eye contact once."

"Oh, you noticed that?"

"After your juvenile joke about giving head? How could I not?" He leans back, dissecting me piece by piece with his eyes.

I run my tongue inside the hollow of my cheek. "Do you watch me the entire class, or only half of the time?"

"Let's put it this way. I'm as painfully aware of you as you are of me."

That pesky aching feeling between my thighs makes a reappearance. I shift uncomfortably, trying to fight every fiber of my being that's begging me to find the nearest bathroom like a crazed nymphomaniac. When I look up, DeLuca's staring at me with an amused expression on his face. My chest squeezes as I heat with embarrassment. In fact, DeLuca looks more smug by the moment.

"Something wrong?" he asks lightly.

"No. What makes you think that?"

"Well, you've been shifting in your seat for the past five minutes. I seem to remember this from class last week and the week before that. If you can't sit still in my class, I should be privy to why, don't you think? Do you need an accommodation?"

The bastard has me right where he wants me and he knows it. I bite my lip as I contemplate whether to be brazen or to lie through my teeth. He crosses his arms impatiently.

"I have another class in twenty minutes, so you better decide how you're going to answer pretty quickly, Miss Hamilton." He makes a show of it by looking at the Rolex on his arm.

I suck in a breath, and lean in to keep my voice hushed. "You know damn well why I'm squirming in my seat. Beyond that, I plead the fifth. There are no other details you need to be privy to."

After I give him a small shrug, I finish the other half of my latte. I throw my bag over my shoulder and my purse on my forearm. "See you around, Professor DeLuca."

He doesn't respond as I start to leave. I’m almost to the door when I hear his deep voice. "Miss Hamilton. I wasn't done. Sit."

Oddly, I kind of like the way he commands me like a disobedient dog. I realize if he promised to bend me over this table right now, I'd probably do just about anything for him. When he scolds me, I'm half disappointed, half turned on.

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