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Crazy, that’s what I was.
Sherry came up to the counter with a huge grin on her face. I looked at the guy standing behind her. He looked like a jock, one still living in his old glory days as he sported his high school letterman jacket.
“Hey, girl,” she said and turned around to reach for the guy. I recognized him then, remembering him from the library. “This is Craig. He’s going to the Olive with us tonight.”
I nodded, but I was very aware that Professor Goode was still standing off to the side, could feel him watching me.
I turned and started making her a double latte, knowing that’s the only reason she came into the hipster coffee shop.
I turned and handed it over, and she held out some money without looking at me. I shook my head at how invested she was with this new guy. After ringing her up and handing the change to her, I chanced a look at the professor. He stood off to the side, taking a sip of his coffee as he watched me over the rim.
“Listen, we’re picking up something to eat before we head over there. Figure I should have a full stomach before I start pounding down the drinks.” Letterman Craig leaned in and said something in her ear. She giggled and playfully smacked him. “You’re dirty, aren’t you?” Sherry faced me and grinned. “Don’t be late. The Olive tonight at six,” she said as she made her way out the door.
I turned to where Professor Goode stood, but was greeted with an empty spot. I looked around the coffee shop, disappointed he was gone, but then felt ridiculous for thinking he’d stay just for me.
I swore the way he looked at me, the way he’d watched me, hadn’t just been all in my head. His expression had screamed one thing … arousal.
* * *
Professor Goode
The thoughtof her going to the Olive had every protective worry in me rising. All I could think about was men looking at her, trying to touch her, take advantage of her.
It had me nervous, possessive. It had me wanting to take her back to my place and keep her safe, keep her away from all the shit the world would throw at her.
I was the only one who could keep her safe, and I planned on doing just that.
I stared at her through the coffee shop window, pleased when I noticed she’d looked back at where I’d been standing, that she was searching me out. The disappointment on her face was tangible. I wanted to move my finger between her eyes and smooth away the worry settled between them.
Her desire for me was clear, and that pleased me immensely. And it was because of the way she looked at me, the fact she wanted me, that I was resolved to take things further.
I had to, because not having Grace as mine was physically painful, and not something I was about to entertain anymore.
If she was going out tonight, then I would too. No man would touch her but me.
ChapterFive
Grace
Ihad no idea why I’d agreed to come with Sherry to the Olive. It was so not my scene. And as I stood beside her, the lights flashing, the music earsplitting, and the crush of bodies all around us, I just wanted to go home and curl up on my bed with a good book.
Sherry took my hand and led me toward the bar. I wasn’t even twenty-one yet and had the big black X marked on the back of my hand to advertise that. But Sherry was old enough to buy alcohol, and I knew she’d get me a drink discreetly, because she was the type of person who didn’t want to drink alone.
She let go of my hand before we reached the bar and gave me a look that said,Stay there so we don’t get caught.I hadn’t seen Letterman Craig yet, but I assumed he was somewhere around here. He’d been pretty enamored with Sherry at the coffee shop.
Which meant he wanted in her pants.
I could see Sherry leaning against the bar, a seductive smile in place as she ordered our drinks. I turned away from her and scanned the interior of the club. It was exactly what you’d expect from a nightclub, with the annoying decor, the dim lights, and the atmosphere of sex permeating the air.
I felt like I was grossly overdressed, too, as if I were attending church or going to the library. I had on a pair of formfitting pants, and my top was a cardigan set, a powder-pink color that had a cashmere feel to it without the price tag.
As I looked at all the women at the club, I realized I was wearing way too many clothes. I didn’t have enough skin showing to fit in, to blend in with the others. I probably stuck out like a sore thumb.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Letterman Craig standing there. He’d gotten rid of his jacket and now had his hair slicked back and wore a shirt that was a little too tight, which I assumed was to show off his muscles. He wasn’t bad looking, but he had an air of arrogance that surrounded him that was a total turnoff.
No doubt he was a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy, and Sherry was his latest conquest. But what he didn’t know was that she was a shark when it came to what she wanted. What he didn’t understand was that she was the one using him.
He said something, but I couldn’t hear over the rush of music. His mouth moved, his eyes glossy. He’d already been drinking; that was clear by the way he looked and the smell of alcohol that came from him. I shrugged and shook my head, telling him without words I couldn’t hear him. He leaned in close to my ear.
