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She cleared her throat and continued tutoring. “I thought your outline was well done, for the most part. I think we should work on your findings from your research, and how you’ll position those so you can frame your conclusion. Let’s start here.”
The next hour and a half was truly a test of my manly, innate nature. I struggled through, trying to pay attention despite how damn sexy she was teaching me. Her red lips formed big words. Her gleaming eyes darted across pages, chasing all the words. Everything inside of me wanted to fling her over my shoulder and stomp out of here, finding some place, anyplace, where I could bend her over and make her forget everything but me.
“So yeah, I think you got this. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. I can’t wait to see your finished paper.” She packed her things away and sipped down the remains of her coffee.
I shut my laptop and whispered as I stood to leave. “Great. Then let’s get out of here. I think you promised some knee time and I need Mia time.”
She laughed with me as we headed to the door. But our faces froze as Chad entered the shop.
“Hello Mia. What are you doing here?” He smiled at her and side-eyed me.
“Oh, hi Chad. Just some tutoring, but we’re done now,” she finished with a fake smile. I realized she inched a foot away from me.
“Okay. Well, listen, if you didn’t have time to read the email that came in late this afternoon from the Dean, they’ve selected you to head up the campus Spring Clean up event. Dean Perez wants you and I to meet tomorrow to discuss the specifics and security and such. How about 11:30 in your office?”
“Oh. Um, sure.”
“Since it’d be close to lunchtime, why don’t I grab us some of those chicken wraps you love from the cantina, so we can talk and eat and work out all the details together.”
The skin over my knuckles tightened at his emphasis on the last word.
“Yes, that’d be fine. Thanks, Chad. See you then.” She moved past him and out the door.
I stood my ground, scowling at him as he strutted by me. It was so tempting to smack his smug mug. Instead, I pushed out the door and caught up with her.
“I don’t want you anywhere near Chad.” The command came out harsher than I expected.
Her head snapped my way with frustration in her eyes. “I have a job to do. And yes, sometimes my job requires that I interact with him. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
Before I could persuade her further, the dickhead exited the coffee shop and jogged up to her. “Hey, Mia. It’s dark now, and you shouldn’t be walking across campus alone. I’ll walk you to your car.”
I was about to protest, letting him know there was only one man protecting her. Me. But she walked off with him, without one word. Without looking back at me. My heart lurched, stabbed by my girl walking away with another man.
Aw, fuck this.
Pissed off, I started jogging off toward my car in the student parking lot, but dammit if my need to protect her hit hard, and my Navy SEAL training kicked in. Like on a stealth mission, I looped back and followed them from a distance. They never knew I was there. Thank you for military training.
I didn’t like it one bit, but if this was the way things needed to be, then I would at least make sure Chad tried nothing stupid. He sure acted like he had big balls to do these things in front of me—escorting her to the car? Bringing lunch as if their meeting was an actual date? I knew it was all for show simply to get to me. And it fucking worked. Goddamn asshole.
Because of her worries over her career, I couldn’t do a thing about it, though. I couldn’t shove his dickhead face into the dirt. I couldn’t break every limb and tear out his organs, bury them six feet underground, lay on top of his grave with Mia riding my tongue, and lick her pussy until she came all over my face.
But I could observe from the shadows. One wrong move and I’d be between them like a tornado. He’d never see what hit him. And I had bigger balls, surely.
Fortunately for him, he walked her to her car, waited until she got in safely, then left. Guess the bastard lived to see another day. But I’d have words about this with Mia, never to do that to me again.
I jogged back to my car and drove, fuming all the way to her apartment. She called me, but I let the phone ring and didn’t answer, not ready yet, willing myself to calm down so I didn’t blow up at her.
The moment I knocked on her door, she flung it open. She pulled me inside and hugged me tight. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I know this isn’t easy.”
A deep cleansing breath and squeezing my eyes shut helped me calm a little. I put my arms around her, locking my fingers behind her back. My chin rested perfectly on the top of her head. “You know our history with this guy. I don’t trust him, and sure as shit will never be his friend. He gets within ten feet of you and my fists will always be ready to let loose on his face. That’s just the way it is.”
“I get that. But you need to back off about him. I have no choice but to deal with him at work sometimes. He’s really harmless, though. Trust me.”
I reserved my judgment about him. “Look, it’s more than Chad that has me all riled up. I didn’t like the way you couldn’t tell him how I’d be the one walking you to your car, not one bit. I finally have you, but I don’t fully have you, do I? Not when there’s this secret we have to hide from the world about us.”
Her face tilted up to mine, and her hands landed on my cheeks. “It isn’t ideal, I get it. I don’t have all the answers. But I know I can’t let you go.”
Another stab to my heart. There was no way I could just be a family friend again now. “Hey, we crossed the line, remember? There’s no going back. So . . . yeah, I’ll try to be patient.”
