Page 30 of Teach Me Your Ways

She was clearly still pissed I stopped things from going too far. But she had to understand why. She was my TA. We couldn’t cross that line. I couldn’t have her. Not officially. Not publicly. Not even privately, without risking everything I’d built.

And yet I kept looking at her like a starving man at a buffet with his jaw wired shut. Dressed in a fitted blouse and tight jeans, she was elegance and quiet fire. She didn’t need to try. She didn’t laugh like a fake little wind-up toy or flash her cleavage like a tactical maneuver. Cece just existed in my orbit and made it impossible to breathe. I could take her hand and lead her into my office for round two and I knew she’d let me.

Let. That was a joke. She’d throw me on the couch and have her way with me. A flashback rocked through me and I let out a breath.

“You okay, Professor Stone?” she asked, her voice all casual innocence.

“No,” I muttered into my beer. “I’m in hell.”

She laughed and Lina blinked at us, clearly missing the thread.

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could sit there. Every time Lina leaned in to whisper something dumb, I wanted to ask Felix to bring a bucket of ice water and just dump it over my own head. Or her head.

“I’ve always liked messing around with old things,” Lina said.

I cocked an eyebrow. It wasn’t hard to miss what she was saying, but I wasn’t exactly old. Older, but not old.

“Yeah?” Cece asked casually.

“Oh yeah.” Lina giggled, completely oblivious to the tension crackling between Cece and me. “I just love getting my hands on something that’s been around the block, you know? Something with experience.” She looked directly at me when she said it, batting her eyelashes.

Cece’s jaw tightened. “How fascinating. I prefer things that still have some life left in them. All that vigor and stamina.” Her eyes locked on mine. “Youth has its advantages.”

Now it was my turn to choke on my beer. These two were going to be the death of me.

“I think experience beats enthusiasm every time,” Lina countered, leaning so far forward I was genuinely concerned she might fall out of her chair. Or her shirt. “A man who knows what he’s doing is so much better than some fumbling college boy.”

“Who says you can’t have both?” Cece asked sweetly. “Someone experienced enough to know what they’re doing, but young enough to do it all night long.”

I was barely keeping my composure. Because while Lina thought she was playing sexy co-ed, what really did me in was Cece, just sitting there wrapping her lips around that damn bottle. She didn’t know what she was doing to me. Except she did. Oh, she did.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ve got to hit the office for a bit,” I said, standing too fast. “Paperwork, schedule updates. You two are welcome to hang out, though. Drinks are on me tonight.”

Lina looked up at me, popping her lip out and doing her best to offer a sexy pout. “You’re leaving? But the night’s just getting started.”

“I’ve got a long day tomorrow.” I looked at Cece. “Enjoy your evening.”

She didn’t say anything. Just tilted her head and watched me walk away. I could feel her eyes tracking me like a heat-seeking missile. I ducked into the bar’s back hallway and let myself into the office, closing the door behind me and locking it.

For a full ten seconds, I stood there in the dark, breathing like I’d just run a mile.

“Fuck me,” I groaned.

I was losing my damn mind over her.

There was a knock at the door. My first thought was Cece. She’d followed me into the office. And I didn’t have the strength to reject her. I didn’t want to reject her. The door cracked open and Felix came in, holding a cup of coffee. “Figured you could use something to sober you up,” he said, smirking.

“I’m good.”

“You’re lying,” he said, handing me the cup anyway. “You okay?”

“Nope.” I took a sip of the coffee and leaned against the desk. “Those girls out there... the blonde one, Lina⁠—”

“Oh, I saw. If that table hadn’t been in the way, she would have mounted you right there in front of God and everybody.”

“Pretending to be drunk, too. She’s not. She’s playing some kind of game.”