Page 104 of Teach Me Your Ways

I opened my mouth—then shut it. What could I say? That we kissed? Admit to the sex? That she’d saved Lina just yesterday and I loved her for it and life was too short to run away from a connection like ours?

“What are you doing here?” I asked instead.

“I heard there was an accident.” She glared at me. “You nearly killed a dear friend of the family. And Seraphina Reese’s daughter, I’ll remind you.”

Why wasn’t I surprised? Of course Lina would call and complain. She had made the stupid decision to go into the ship alone. She had put her life in jeopardy. She put my life in jeopardy. But I should have known her near-death experience wouldn’t change her. Lina had pouted all night. She hadn’t come out to eat dinner with us. Cece said she was tired after the day. I believed it, but now I had a feeling she was too busy calling anyone that would listen to her whining.

“Lina went off on her own,” Cece said calmly. “Grady—Professor Stone did nothing wrong. Lina broke the rules.”

Dean Carver dismissed Cece like she wasn’t even in the room. Her focus was on me. I had never felt so exposed. Yes, I was buck-fucking-naked, but it felt so much worse. I wasn’t a shy man. But if there was one woman on the planet I didn’t want to see me naked, it was the dean. I couldn’t explain it, but she made me feel gross.

“I knew it,” Dean Carver hissed. Her voice dripped with venom. She crossed her arms over her chest, her lips curling into a smug, self-satisfied smirk. “I knew you couldn’t keep it in your pants with the students, Stone. But I never expected to catch you literally with your dick in your hand.”

My jaw tightened, but I didn’t respond. What could I say? She wasn’t wrong. I was standing there, naked, cupping myself like some idiot caught in the act. I was caught in the act. My mind raced, trying to find some way to spin this, but there was no spinning it. She had me dead to rights.

If she had not pounded on the door, she would have found me and Cece in bed. Cece’s naked body had been draped over mine. It was kind of a necessity given the size of the bed.

She turned her icy gaze to Cece, who was still clutching the sheet to her chest like a shield. “And you,” she spat. Her upper lip curled into a sneer. She sounded disgusted. Like she was staring at a pile of stinky shit. “I did you a giant favor, Cecily. I gave you a chance when no one else would. And you looked me dead in the eye and promised to tell me if Professor Stone ever crossed the line with a student.” She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. “I never expected you to be the one offering yourself up to him like some common whore.”

Cece flinched as if she’d been slapped. Her face burned bright red. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. I could see the hurt and humiliation in her eyes, and it made my blood boil. I heard the words, but they didn’t hit. I was focused on protecting Cece.

“That’s enough,” I snapped, stepping forward despite my compromised state. “You don’t get to talk to her like that.”

Dean Carver’s eyes narrowed as she turned back to me. “Oh, I don’t? You think you’re in any position to tell me what I can and can’t do? You’re done here, Stone. Both of you are done.”

“You can’t just—” Cece started, finally finding her voice.

“I can,” the dean interrupted coldly. “And I will. This is a clear violation of university policy. A professor sleeping with a student? It’s unacceptable. And you—” She pointed a finger at Cece like a dagger. “You’ve betrayed my trust in the worst possible way.”

“This isn’t what it looks like,” Cece said quickly, though even she didn’t sound convinced by her own words.

“Really?” The dean raised an eyebrow mockingly. “Because it looks like I walked in on two people who couldn’t keep their hands off each other long enough to remember they have responsibilities and reputations to uphold.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, my anger bubbling over. “You don’t know anything about us,” I said through gritted teeth.

“I know enough,” she shot back. “And trust me, this isn’t going to end well for either of you.” She took a step toward the door, her expression triumphant. “I suggest you both start packing your things. Soon there’ll be two less animals at the Zoo.”

The look in Cece’s eyes was killing me. There was a haze of regret and flash of defiance. She kept her chin high. She was doing her best to look down her nose at the dean. It wasn’t working, but it was impressive she was holding on to her dignity despite getting caught in a compromising position.

“You can’t do that,” Cece said.

The dean completely ignored her.

“You know you’ve put everything you have on the line,” the dean’s attention was back on me. “Your career, your department, your reputation—every bit of it’s up in smoke. This will not stand. Not on my watch. I’ll expect your resignation letter on my desk within the next twenty-four hours. Do not add insult to injury by forcing us to terminate you.”

She spared Cece one last look. “Ms. Monroe. Monday. My office. Your future at this school is in jeopardy. I’d think about my options.”

Then she slammed the door behind her.

Cece gasped. I let out a slow breath. Neither of us moved. My ears were ringing. I removed my hands from my junk. I barely registered the fact I was naked.

For a moment, we just looked at each other. I didn’t know what to say or do. I could hear the dean talking to Lina a few doors down. I was hit with an overwhelming flood of emotions. I felt like I was stuck in mud. Mind and all. The dean’s words were rolling through me. It was all disjointed and none of it was making sense.

Did the dean say Cece was supposed to be reporting back to her about me?