AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She nods. “I’m her undergraduate lab assistant. She doesn’t normally take on anyone who isn’t heading into senior year, but she let me in a year early, to help boost my chances of getting into a study abroad program next spring at the University of Geneva.”
“That would be sick.”
She smiles into her wine. “Yeah. It’s an intense program, but it would allow me to work at the observatory at the university, which gets data from this amazing telescope that operates in La Silla all the way in Chile. And I’d be able to see so many other research observatories too—they do trips to Sphinx Observatory, which is the tallest observatory in Europe, for example, and the Haute-Provence Observatory in France. It’d help me think about whether I want to get my PhD here or in Europe and build up more connections in the field at the same time. And I’d just be able to see some of the world, period. I’ve never traveled anywhere before. The sky is beautiful here, but I want to see it from all over the world, you know?”
By the end of her speech, she sounds so excited, her voice is a little high. I don’t bother holding back my smile. Her enthusiasm is infectious. If there’s anyone who deserves a spot in the program, it’s her.
“It would be next spring?”
“Yeah. Spring and summer.”
“Cool. And you’re studying… what are they called?”
I remember. I remember because I asked her this question while my mouth was on her tits, and she gasped out the word.Exoplanets. But I pretend I don’t, because I know it will lead to more conversation, and if there’s anything I want from this meal, it’s to spend time with her. To hear her talk excitedly as she gestures with her hands, and to see passion in her eyes, if not for me, then for something. She’s someone who has her future figured out. She has the mind and the passion for what she loves to do.
I have the skills for my sport, and the work ethic, but I don’t know where the fire went.
She shakes her head slightly, but doesn’t call me out. “Exoplanets. Planets that orbit a star other than ours. One of the most exciting things about the program is that the telescope in La Silla works with something called the CORALIE spectrograph, and together they work at uncovering large exoplanets. So, I’d be continuing to learn about and do work in my area of interest even before I commit to a graduate program.”
“That sounds fantastic. Even though I have no idea what a spectrograph is.”
She laughs. “It’s—are you sure you want to hear about this? I’m not boring you?”
“Nope.” I grin at her when her eyes narrow. I know better than to call her adorable right now, but she looks so cute, practically buzzing with nerdy excitement. “I like seeing you get so excited. Tell me everything.”
Her face tells me she doesn’t quite believe me, but still, she indulges me, and I hang on every word.
19
MIA
I turn over in bed,the sheets tangling around my legs, so I can stare out the window.
I haven’t slept. My body thrums with need. My clit is practically screaming for attention, and still, I ignore it, biting the pillow as I look at the moon.
My body isn’t just craving release—it’s wanting it from one person in particular.
And he’s in his own bed, with only a thin wall between us.
One more night.
It was so hard to tear myself away from Sebastian after dinner. He sat through my whole mini lecture about the work I’m doing, and he seemed interested the whole time, which usually doesn’t happen. People are interested at first—they think of aliens and want to know more—and then that wanes as I go into the details. Sebastian asked me thoughtful questions, even though he’s not involved in physics or astronomy. He even untangled a problem I’d been pondering with the code just by asking a question that unleashed a new train of thought, which I definitely needed after I lost that stupid bit of work today. I stayed there through dinner and a glass of wine, and debated having a second, but managed to contain myself.
It’s the last night, and he doesn’t even know it. The university emailed me just before I left the lab with information about a room that I can move into tomorrow. I almost told him during dinner, but I didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face.
Now, I can’t sleep. I don’t even want to try. I’m wide awake, thinking of the rough edges of Sebastian’s hands and how good he looked in the kitchen and how badly I wanted to lick his throat. Every time he took a sip of wine, my stomach clenched. I want to touch myself, but I haven’t had time to replace Lucinda, my favorite vibrator, after her demise in the flood, and it’s nowhere near as satisfying with just my hand.
It would be quiet, however. The only thing worse than rubbing myself off to the thought of Sebastian yet again would be if he overheard it.
It’s past midnight. I haven’t heard him move in hours.
I inch my hand underneath my sleep shorts.
As I circle my clit with my finger, I breathe in sharply. I bury that sound in the pillow, closing my eyes and focusing on the sensations. Sebastian’s hand would be bigger, his fingers rougher. He’d start like this, teasing my clit, nowhere near ready to give in, but reminding me of the end goal. He’d cup my pussy next—I do that, fingers slipping through the wetness—and murmur something dirty against my ear.
Maybe he’d use that special, ridiculous nickname. I’m the furthest thing from an angel, but that never seemed to stop him.
I mouth at the pillow with a pant as my finger brushes my clit. My body aches, wanting to be filled, to be fucked so deep I feel it in the morning. I make do with my fingers instead, adding one and then the other, crooking them so they hit that spot that makes me tremble. They’re not big enough, not even close. I move them in and out, thumb rubbing my clit.
