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  My heart starts to race with nerves before he slides a hand behind my neck and kisses me. This man can kiss. None of the timid half-assed kisses or frantic kisses I'm used to from college boys. He knows what he's doing and his confidence is addicting, reassuring. I wrap my arms around his neck and run my hands into his hair and I'm afraid I might melt, he feels so good.

  He scoots me back all the way onto the bed before standing and pulling his sweater off over his head. My eyes move over his chest as he unzips his pants and they drop to the floor. He's wearing dark briefs and his erection springs free as he drops them. He grabs himself, running his hand up and down the length of him. I squirm a little. He's big. Bigger than Scott and I only had him in my mouth.

  Luke looks at me and laughs. I've crossed my legs while I watched him touch himself. He kneels on the bed, separating my legs and lying between them.

  He pulls my hand to him and wraps it around his cock, stroking our joined hands up and down, indicating what he wants before he moves his hand to my breast, rolling a nipple between his fingers.

  We go back to kissing and I rub my thumb over the tip of him. He's rock hard. My thumb runs across his pre-ejaculate and I rub it in circles with the pad of my thumb across the head. "Sophie," he's chanting between kisses. He palms both sides of my face and kisses me until I'm breathless before moving one hand to my clit and using the perfect amount of friction until I'm so wet and wanting I'm ready to beg him for more, but I don't need to because he's reaching over me into the nightstand for a condom. The package is opened and the condom rolled on with a practiced ease I don't want to consider.

  My heart is racing so fast I’m sure he can hear it. This is what I want. This is what I fantasized about. But I’m slightly terrified all the same.

  I tense as he lines himself between my legs and force myself to relax as the head of him nudges inside. I blow out the air I've been holding as he inches slightly inside of my body.

  "Look at me." I realize I've had my eyes squeezed shut, which is silly. I’m having sex! Finally! I need to take in every moment of this so I can replay it in my mind forever. "Wrap your arms around my neck." I do and he nudges forward more. Fuck. It burns so bad. He's too big.

  "You're too big."

  He smirks at that. "I'd say that you're too tight, but there's no such thing to a man." He slides back and forth just inside of me. I know he's nowhere near all the way in. I slide my hands into his hair, feeling the thick strands under my fingers, reveling in being this close to him, able to examine the flecks in his brown eyes from the moonlight lighting the room.

  He moves a hand to my clit and rubs it, causing me to relax my muscles, and then thrusts his hips forward all the way.

  That feels… horrible, actually. I scrunch my eyes closed and turn my head away.

  "Sophie, Sophie, Sophie." He's kissing my closed eyelids, turning my head back to him. "Open your eyes, doll."

  I do, and realize I've got both palms against his chest, trying to physically push him off of me. He kisses me again and I stop pushing and put my arms back around his neck, pulling him closer.

  "Your pussy is gripping me so fucking tight."

  "It's too tight." I exhale.

  "How's this part?" he asks, kissing my neck. "Not quite what you thought?"

  "You're just so much bigger than I fantasized."

  His chest shakes and his lips move across my jaw. "And you're every man's fantasy with your dirty talk and you're not even trying."

  I smile at this and pull his lips to mine and then test moving my hips a little. He follows my lead that I'm ready for more and withdraws before sinking back in. "Hmm, that's good." I sigh.

  "You're so fucking sweet." He withdraws and thrusts. "It makes me want to do things to you, Sophie. Filthy things." He twists my nipple as he moves inside of me. "It makes me want to shove my cock down your throat"—he kisses me there—"until you gag on me."

  I grab his jaw and kiss him, our tongues wrangling and thrusting in rhythm to his cock thrusting between my thighs. He's so deep his balls slap against my ass as he bangs into me.

  "I want to come all over your tits"—he slaps one—"and then smear it all over your chest until it dries." He pulls my left leg up, hanging it over his elbow, changing the penetration. I gasp as he thrusts. It feels different this way. "I want to shove things in your ass." He groans and licks a line of sweat trickling between my breasts and I arch my back, allowing him better access. "I'd start with my thumb, Sophie." He withdraws and slams back in. It's so tight, the friction is making me insane. "But I wouldn't be satisfied until you were bent over and my dick was in your ass."

  I come undone then. And this, the feeling of coming stretched around his cock, is like nothing I could have imagined.

  I'm so tight after coming, it's a fine line between enjoyment and pain as Luke thrusts again. He exhales above me, his breath ragged with exertion as he comes himself. And that, hearing him come while inside of me, feeling his breath against the side of my face on each exhale, that is something I will never forget.

  Chapter 14

  "That guy keeps staring at you," Everly murmurs to me as she wipes down the counter at Grind Me.

  "Does he?" I respond, not interested. Random guys hanging out in coffee shops do not concern me.

  "He's probably a security detail hired by Dr. Miller to ensure your safety." Everly eyes him from behind the bakery case.

  I pause and look at her. "You just said so many ridiculous things I'm not sure where to begin responding."

  "Oh, take your time." Everly hops onto the back counter.

  I laugh. "Okay, one, that man out there is not anyone's security detail." Everly shrugs so I continue. "Two, I’m not in any danger. And three, Luke isn't doing anything for me. We didn't leave things like that."

  Everly examines the French manicure left over from her brother's wedding last weekend as she responds. "One"—she eyes the kid sitting alone by the window—"truth. Two, in romance novels the heroine is always in danger. Three, there's no way Luke is done with you."

  "You do realize we are not in a romance novel, right? Besides which, when did you become a romantic?" I raise a skeptical eyebrow at Everly. "Did you catch a bouquet of unicorns at the wedding?"

  Everly sighs and crosses her arms across her chest. "No, I didn't catch anything at the wedding except Finn's house key."

  "Professor Camden gave you his house key? I though you said he was going to require additional convincing before, and I quote, he accepted what was best for him?"

  She waves a dismissive hand. "No, I made myself a copy."

  "Everly, no." I am shaking my head at her in disbelief. "No, you did not. How? Does he know?"

  "Sophie, it's like you don't even know me. I borrowed his car." She stops at the look on my face. "Fine, I stole his car and ran over to Home Depot and made copies while he was busy with his best man duties."

  "No," I'm still shaking my head.

  "Yes." She's nodding hers.

  "Excuse me?" We both turn to see the guy Everly envisioned as my security detail at the counter. "Can I get a refill?" He holds up his empty mug. At Grind Me we offer free refills on coffee during the same visit.

  "Sure." I refill the mug and hand it back. He stares at me for a second longer than I'm comfortable with, but it happens so fast I wonder if I imagined it.

  "Back to Luke," Everly states when the guy turns away with his freshly filled mug. I look at her and shrug.

  "He said he wouldn't call and I said okay."

  "Then he fucked you silly."

  "Then he fucked me silly," I agree. And I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face.

  "You lucky bitch."

  I try to hide another grin, but she's right. It was pretty incredible and far exceeded any expectations I had for my first time. I feel myself blush remembering the feel of him under my fingertips, the way his chest had felt under my head when I'd collapsed on him after and lain there listening to his heartbeat while he'd w
ound his fingers in my hair.

  I like him. I've liked him for weeks, but he didn't promise me anything. I want more, obviously, but life has taught me to be cautious with my expectations. I'm not aggressive like Everly. That girl is a force of nature. I'd feel bad for Professor Camden if I didn't love Everly so much because the girl is a ruthless ninja hidden in a teeny-tiny five-four Playboy Bunny-worthy frame. Her shiny black hair is swinging in a pony tail halfway down her back. Her huge green eyes are always ablaze with a mixture of sincerity and mischief. Professor Camden doesn't stand a chance.

  "Sophie, he's going to be back for more. Trust me."

  I load a tray of cupcakes and slide them into the bakery case. "I don't know, Everly. He's really sophisticated and clearly lives a lifestyle a long ways from Cowbell Lane," I say, referencing my grandparents' home in Willow Grove.

  "Bitch, please. The guy is pushing forty and you're a hot co-ed with a brand-new tight, shiny pussy. He'll be back."

  My eyes widen. "Everly, Jesus!"

  "Just saying." She holds her hands up in mock defense before breaking into a huge grin.

  "You don't really think he's forty, do you?"

  "He just turned thirty-six in August."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Google."

  "You Googled him?"

  "You didn't?" Everly looks aghast.

  "Uh, no." Truthfully I thought about it, but I didn't want to get any more invested in him than I already am.

  "Well, look what the pussy dragged in." Everly is smirking.

  "Everly, that's not the saying. It's 'cat.' 'Look what the cat dragged in.'"

  "Oh, I think I've got the saying right. He's here."

  My stomach explodes in nerves as I glance towards the door. Luke is here. I wondered if he'd stick to his normal Tuesday routine and stop here for coffee. I've figured out this Grind Me location is between his Rittenhouse Square condo and the student clinic, but it's hardly the only route he could take or stop he could make.

  My heart is beating so fast as I take him in. Is he going to speak to me or go back to just ordering coffee and leaving like he has the last several weeks?

  He's in a navy suit today, crisp white shirt and a silvery blue tie. And then my heart stops beating so fast. There's a hand on his arm. I follow that hand to the redhead from Saturday night.

  Chapter 15

  I manage to make it through the rest of my shift while Everly shoots me worried glances.

  "Is that the same redhead?" she whispered to me when they walked in, once she realized Luke wasn't alone.

  Everly insists it didn't mean anything, that he was eyeing me the entire time while I rang them up and avoided looking at him. But Everly missed the redhead's comment when she turned to fill two large cups of dark roast, room for cream on one.

  "She's a barista, Lucas? How darling."

  I was still reeling from Luke ordering for her, knowing what she wanted without having to ask her. Her comment was an added slap in the face.

  "Gina, stop." That's all he said. I felt his stare on me, but I just dumped his change in the tip jar, not even bothering to ask him if he wanted it, then beamed a huge fake smile to the girl in line behind them and requested her order.

  I like Luke. I believed him when he said the redhead wasn't his girlfriend. I believed him when he said he wasn't going to call too. He didn't promise me anything.

  But I don't like thinking he's such an ass that he'll walk into Grind Me with the very same woman he was on a date with before he slept with me three nights ago. Not cool. Do I want more time with Luke? Who wouldn't? I don't need a comparison fuck to know that it will be years before I find a lover who will compare to Luke. So sure, I want more of Luke's time, but my expectations are a dinner spent at the same table and a few new sexual positions, not a key to his apartment.

  But today's stop at Grind Me with Gina in tow? I never saw that coming. He's arrived alone every Tuesday morning for weeks and today he brings her? Ass.

  If he's trying to drive his point home about Saturday being a one-time thing, his message is received loud and clear. But I still can't regret a moment of it.

  I skip the campus bus in favor of a very long walk after work. My cheeks are chilled as I make my way down Spruce Street toward Jacobsen Hall. A week ago today was my clinic appointment. For a girl who likes to plan, I sure didn't plan on Luke walking into that exam room or anything that happened after.

  My feet crunch over the leaves falling to the sidewalk and I stuff my cold hands into my pockets. Fine, I'm a little pissed. And sad. I'm a practical girl, I wasn't looking for a fairy tale, but I don't feel satisfied by the way this ended with Luke. Sexually, yeah, it was a satisfying experience. Emotionally, it was a little lacking.

  Suck it up, Sophie, you got what you wanted.

  My phone rings and I slide it out of my pocket and answer as I walk.

  "Sophie, honey, it's Gram. I just wanted to let you know that we accepted the offer on the house and our offer on the condo we wanted in Florida was accepted. We're moving!"

  I smile. "That's great, Grandma. I'm glad you're finally doing it."

  "The buyers want to close on our house here the week before Thanksgiving."

  Oh.

  "So we've only got four weeks to pack everything up. We're thinking we'll drive down to Florida then, so we don't have to put everything into storage. We can close on the condo in Islamorada the week prior because it's vacant and the owners want to close fast."

  I know what she's really asking. She wants to know if I'll be okay without seeing them for Thanksgiving. They've put off retiring for just this reason. They wanted to be nearby for me. "Grandma, it's fine. I can go home with Jeannie or Everly for Thanksgiving."

  "Are you sure? We can get you a plane ticket if you want to fly down for the long weekend."

  "Yes, I'm sure. It's fine, I'm sure you’ll have plenty to do with unpacking and friends to see." They have good friends who retired to the area several years ago.

  "We already have invitations from the Mirabellis and the Blackwells to get together as soon as we get to town." Grandma sounds thrilled and I'm happy for her. "You'll come down for Christmas though, right? We'll have a room ready for you."

  I agree that Florida for Christmas sounds like a great idea and we say our goodbyes as I reach the front door of Jacobsen.

  There's a black Mercedes S63 parked illegally in the loading zone. And leaning against it, watching me, is Luke.

  "You're here for me?" I gesture to myself with the hand still holding the phone.

  "Yeah, you." He rubs his bottom lip with his thumb, a movement so simple yet so erotic, before placing his hands in his pockets.

  I don't reply. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. We stare at each other in silence. He takes a step towards me and I instinctively take a step back, then rock forward on my toes.

  "You said you wouldn't call," I finally say. My voice has a bitchier tone than I intended.

  "I didn't call." His voice is unapologetic.

  I want to roll my eyes. "No. You brought your date to my workplace instead." The wind whips a piece of hair into my face and it sticks to my lip gloss. I swipe the hair away and move a step to the left, using his body to block the wind. He's so much bigger than me. The thought fills my head with memories of how he felt over me.

  "She wasn't supposed to be there." He steps closer again.

  "What does that even mean?" I take a step back and bump into his car. We've danced around and switched positions. He pulls his hands from his pockets and places them on the roof of the low-slung car on either side of me, pinning me in place. I have to tilt my head back to look him in the eye.

  "I can't stop thinking about you, Sophie." His eyes search my face. "This morning was… wrong. It's all wrong. You're too young for me. You're sweet and unspoiled." He swipes another errant hair off my cheek and tucks the hair behind my ear. "I should leave you the hell alone, let you find someone more suitable, but I feel selfis
h about you.” He places his hand back on the roof and leans in. "What do you want, Sophie?" he breathes into my ear.

  I shiver and it's not from the cold. He smells so good and he looks even better. The cars pass us on Spruce Street while I think, the front doors of Jacobsen slamming open and closed.

  "Sophie, I'm not talking to myself. I asked you a question and I expect a response. What do you want?"

  "You." I look at him, finally. "I want you."

  Chapter 16

  Luke has me in the passenger seat of his car the second I agree I want him, and at his condo about fifteen minutes after that. We don't speak the entire car ride, but I know where we're going and why.

  He doesn't touch me in the elevator. It's empty, but he never lays a finger on me. Instead, we talk.

  "Are you sore?”

  I've been staring politely at my toes, leaning against the opposite elevator wall. I raise my eyes to his. "Um, yes.”

  "How sore?" He smirks now, running his eyes up and down my body.

  I look away. "A little sore." I meet his eyes again. "But much better than the last two days," I say, in case he's thinking we can't have sex right now.

  He nods. "Better than the next two days will be as well."

  Okay, no worries, then. I smile at him and clear my throat.

  "What time is your afternoon class?"

  "Two o'clock."

  He checks his watch. "I'd like to see your sweet little mouth wrapped around my cock. Should we start with that today?"

  "I've sucked cock before, Luke. I'm not that innocent." Does he think I know nothing?

  He raises an eyebrow at me. "Sophie," he says sharply.

  "What?" Now I'm confused.

  He crosses the elevator and places his forearm on the wall over my head. He's standing so close that I have to look up at him. I'm cornered but he's still not touching me. "A word to the wise, Miss Tisdale. I have no interest in hearing about any cocks you've sucked prior to mine. It would behoove you to never mention it again."