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“Sure,” Kate said, pulling away. “I’ll get them. I’ve got about thirty minutes before I have to get going.”
Kate had just brought over two mugs of coffee when they both jumped, their eyes wide as they both caught the distinct sound of a key turning in the front door before it swung open and then clicked shut. Kate’s heart stuttered, and the way the color had drained from Hollis’s face told her that she wasn’t wrong to jump to the worst conclusion.
Her husband was home.
Kate sunk onto the bar stool, her stomach twisting into knots. There was nowhere to hide. Thankfully, her things were all in Hollis’s bedroom, so it wouldn’t look like Kate had been living here for the last three days, but how was Hollis going to explain this random woman in their house? Would she say they were friends? Would he even believe that?
At least they were both dressed. Kate was grasping at straws, trying to find something positive to fill her mind with while her body tensed up, his footsteps approaching the kitchen.
“What are you doing home?” Hollis asked when he entered the kitchen.
Kate felt the blood drain from her face, the sight of Professor Clarke standing just a few feet away from her making her light headed. No. No. How…?
He hadn’t noticed her yet. His eyes narrowed, locked on Hollis. “What a greeting?” he said with a sarcastic laugh. “I felt like coming home a few days early. Is that a problem?” His eyes shifted to Kate, and she had to hide her now trembling hands, sliding them off the counter and onto her lap, her pulse swishing in her ears. His eyebrow lifted, and Kate couldn’t miss the smirk that came to his lips. He recognized her. She wasn’t sure if he would considering that she sat at the back of his lectures. How was she going to explain being here?
“Dave,” Hollis said, her voice rough. “This is Kate. She’s shadowing me.”
Dave’s gaze never left Kate’s. “You want to be an interior designer?” His smile was sickly sweet. “And you’re working over the holidays?” he asked Hollis, finally looking away from Kate.
“Not every client celebrates Christmas,” Hollis said cooly.
“Uh huh.” Dave nodded, his eyes returning to Kate.
“I have to go,” Kate said, already standing up, her legs wobbly. She barely glanced at Hollis. Her heart was ready to jump out of her chest. Her stuff was upstairs, but she couldn’t get it. At least, she had her bag and her car keys. She’d have to come back later to get her weekend bag or maybe Hollis could bring it the next time they got to see each other.
Kate strode out to her car without looking back. She fumbled with her keys, fishing them out of her bag and pressing the button to unlock her car. As she reached for the door handle and pulled it open, a strong hand grabbed it before she could get in.
“My wife is a terrible liar. Even if you weren’t in my class, I would have known that was bullshit.” Professor Clarke’s heated stare was fixed on her, his jaw clenched. “I know you’re into women. Students don’t think their professors notice anything, but we do. And you seem to have a few admirers closer to your own age. Why don’t you forget about my wife, huh?”
“Does she know about your weakness for women half your age?” Kate asked without thinking, her voice surprisingly steady while her heart raced, and her stomach lurched.
“Well, apparently she has the same problem,” he sneered.
Kate swallowed hard, trying to get this conversation to end as soon as possible. “In a few weeks you’ll be divorced and none of this will matter.”
“Oh, it matters.” His piercing gaze studied her for a second, and it was as if a lightbulb had gone off in his mind, his eyebrows slowly lifting. “No wonder she let me have the house. She just wants this to be over.”
“Don’t you?”
“I’ve got a reputation to protect.”
Kate scoffed. “You have a reputation, alright.”
“Hey,” he practically growled, his tone becoming more aggressive. “You know you have to pass my class to graduate, don’t you?”
Kate’s pulse jumped. “You wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t? Why not? It’s your word against mine about these alleged affairs I’m having with my students.”
Kate inhaled a shaky breath, a wave of anxiety washing over her. “What do you want?”
Professor Clarke stared her down, his voice low. “Stay away from her. She’s still my wife.”
“Jesus Christ,” she muttered under her breath, her hand on her forehead as she leaned back against her car. She couldn’t deal with this now. She was going to be late for work. “Get your hand off my car,” she snapped at him, unable to hold back her anger any longer.
He held her gaze, like he was debating challenging her before finally taking a step back and walking over to his own car, opening the trunk and taking out a suitcase.
Kate jumped in her car and got out of there as quickly as possible, her hands clammy on the steering wheel. She needed time to process everything that had just happened, but she wasn’t sure there was much she could do. Right now, she needed to focus on the road and then get through her shift. She’d have to talk to Lexi later.
