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“Does Della feel the same?”
“Yes,” I say. “We’ve talked about all of it. She wants everything I’ve described.”
“If you were anybody else, you’d be out, no question. You understand that, don’t you?”
“I know you’ll do what you have to,” I tell her. “I accept that. I won’t try to wriggle out of it.”
“You don’t care if I fire you? I thought this job meant more to you than that.”
“I care. But I don’t care more about this job than I care about Della and our future children. I can’t say that, Jocelyn. It would be a lie.”
“Like I said, anybody else….” She drums her fingernails on the desk. “But I’ve never seen you show any interest in the students, and, let’s face it, you’ve had far, far more chances than Paul ever did. It’s common knowledge half the students have a crush on you.”
I shrug. “I noticed that from time to time. It made me more uncomfortable than anything.”
“That’s my point,” she says. “If you were doing this for merely…shall we say…physicalreasons, youwouldhave noticed. You would have seized on every chance.”
I lean forward, looking steadily at her. “Even if I’d wanted that kind of relationship, interaction, whatever you want to call it…even if I’d wanted a casual fling, which I never have…I wouldn’t have acted on it. These students have been through enough. They wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“That’s true for Della, too,” Jocelyn says.
“I know. Believe me. We’ve talked about it. I hesitated before I knew she wanted the same as me, all the thingsIwant. But there’s no hesitation now. Maybe the situation isn’t ideal, but the truth is… we were made for each other, me and Della. We were destined to meet. That might sound weird coming from a math purist, but it’s how I feel. It’s what Iknow.”
Jocelyn sits back, nodding slowly. “I’ll need some time to think about this. Until then, I’m putting you on leave – paid.”
I shake my head. “I’m not taking any money if I’m not putting the work in. I’ll take the leave. I’ll give you time, but keep the cash.”
“Fair enough,” she says. “I’ll reach out soon.”
I stand, shaking her hand when she offers it.
CHAPTER23
Della
His hand is on the small of my back as we walk into his apartment.
The car ride over was quiet, but not in a bad way. After he explained about Jocelyn putting him on leave, it was like we were able to sit in a soothing silence, not feeling the need for speech.
His hand presses warmly through my shirt, making my body tingle in that unique way.
My deep-within is telling me this is it,hasto be it.
He’s proved it, unleashed his animal, and shown me I no longer have to be afraid.
His penthouse has high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows adding to the effect, the whole city laid out before us. The open-plan nature of it is kind of like my apartment, except way bigger, way more modern, and certainly less depressing.
“It’s a simple place,” he says, turning to me, staring down as he takes my hands in his. “I’ve been waiting for a woman’s touch. Foryourtouch.”
“I’d start with some rugs,” I murmur, staring into his intense eyes, aware of his chest bulging as though trying to pop the buttons in his shirt. “And maybe a few photos.”
He leans down, guiding his lips to mine, his breath tickling warmly over my cheeks. “We’ll have lots of photos soon.”
When we kiss, it’s like he’s wordlessly talking to me. Or it’s like our bodies are talking to each other, singing out that the time for waiting has passed.
I try to tell myself we need to reveal the relationship to Hudson first, but then we’re kissing passionately, our tongues finding each other.
My sex rubs achingly against my panties, my clit bursting with pleasure, every signal I possess pointing in one direction.
