“Good.” He stepped forward, close enough that the scent of his sweat and cologne wafted into my nostrils and his body heat radiated onto my body. The memory of the last time he’d been that close crashed through me. Trapped in his office.
“Just out for a workout,” he shared. I blinked and glanced down and frowned. Maybe this was a coincidence? He was dressed in track pants and a faded sweater.
“You’re out late tonight,” he pointed out.
It wasn’t a question but a statement laced with a warning. I opened and shut my mouth. I didn’t need to explain shit to him.
“You know, you would think you would be more careful.” His fingertips touched my wrist and trailed up my mid-forearm.
“Why’s that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged as his eyes roamed up and down my body. My gut twisted. “You, dressing like that.” He jerked his chin towards me, looking at me as if I was in lacy lingerie instead of sweaty workout clothes. “In a dark secluded place where anyone could be around. Waiting. Watching.” There was something about the way he said that, like a confession, thatmade me shiver with fear. I had to lock my knees to keep them from buckling.
Was this some kind of admission?
Was that what he had been doing?
I looked around. The field might have been well lit, but there were spots between the soccer and baseball fields that were pitch black. Anyone could have been standing there, and I wouldn’t be able to tell.
“Or you just trying to get my attention?” he asked before adding, “Again.” He added another finger to skim up and down my arm. Fear froze me solid.Pull your arm away!a voice inside me yelled, but it was like my brain and body had somehow disconnected.
“Professor—“ When he leaned in, the words died on my tongue. His front touched mine as his face dipped to the side of my face and he inhaled deeply. An animal-like groan sounded; it made my stomach roil.
He was… sniffing me?
Like an animal. A predator toying with its prey.
“You could have made this easier, you know? I mean, right from the moment I saw you that first day, I knew it would be you. But you fought me that night in my office. We got interrupted by that damn TA and you never came back to my office hours.”
“I didn’t—“ I started to speak, but he cut me off.
“We could have enjoyed all quarter having… private lessons.” I wanted to throw up.
“I don’t know what you’re?—“
“Instead, you teased me. Walked away, leaving me wanting.“ He pressed his body against mine, and nausea washed over me. Professor Pervy had just leveled up to creep. He was undeniably hard. “I could have shown you a thing or two. Taught you a lot about biology.”
“Prof—“
“All quarter, you wreaked havoc in my head, and now“—his fingers wrapped around my forehead, and I whimpered at the pain I felt as they dug into my skin––“now, I’m done waiting, Teresa.” I hated how he said my name. It was nothing like the way Jeremy did it.Shit, why didn’t I tell him where I am? Why did I ignore his calls and texts?“It’s time to give me what I want.” His eyes were wild, unhinged, but not in the way I’d seen in Jeremy before. The professor had lost it.
“I don’t think?—“
“Then don’t,” he sharply cut me off. Something changed in his eyes again. It was wild to me. If you’d see him out and about, he’d look normal. Just a good-looking and charming man, but the middle-aged man in front of me was terrifying. “Don’t think, just listen and be a good girl for me.” His praise was nothing like Jeremy’s. “We’ll walk back to your dorms, you’ll lead me up to your room and show me your paper so I can grade it.”
“Paper?” I frowned. What was he talking about? “There’s no paper.”
“Really? You sure about that?” he challenged. I swallowed hard.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the assignments and?—“
“Well, maybe if you weren’t so busy fucking the catcher, you would have seen it had been added. If you don’t have that paper all done when we walk into your room, you’re failing my class.”
“You can’t do that.” I tried to rip my arm out of his hold, but his grip only tightened almost painfully as panic started to creep up my back. “That’s not an assignment and?—“
“I can do anything I want!” His free hand wrapped around my waist, resting open palmed on my bare lower back. He was so close I could see just how blown wide his pupils were.
“Fuck, you feel good. I don’t even care if you’re fucking that stupid baseball player. I’m going to play with you in your room, and when I’m done with you, you’re going to thank—“ I was justabout to lift my knee to kick him in the groin when one moment, he was in front of me, and the next, cool night air breezed between us. I watched someone pull him away. That’s when I sawhim!
