Temptation (The Hunted, #1)(26)

I let my breath escape after I had finished dressing and looked around the room. This was the only professor's office I had ever been to, but I assumed it was similar to everyone else's. The only thing that seemed out of place, besides for the office supplies strewn all over the floor, was the suitcase in the corner. Was he planning on going somewhere? I ran my finger along the edge of his desk as I walked behind it and sat in his chair. His scent was everywhere. I took a deep breath. Just this once. Why did I agree to that? Looking at the desk, thinking of what we had just done, made me want him all over again.

I stared at the closed drawers. Every inch of me wanted to go through them and his suitcase. But I didn't want to snoop. I wanted him to trust me. If he trusted me then maybe this could be more. I leaned back in his chair and felt the softness of the sweater he had left behind. A smile spread across my lips. It didn't need to be just this once. It couldn't be just this once. When I stood up I was a little sore. A chill ran up my spine as I remembered him inside of me. I grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen from the ground, sat back down, and wrote him a note:



Professor Hunter,

Thank you for listening to my argument. But I don't think I've learned my lesson. You might need to show me that again.

P.S. I borrowed your sweater.



Just in case someone came in before him, I decided against signing it. I pushed the note into the middle of his empty desk and placed the pen on top of it. I got up and shoved his sweater into my backpack. I turned the lock on the inside of the door, smoothed my tank top, and then walked confidently out of Professor Hunter's office, closing the door behind me. Just this once my ass.

***

I was sitting on my bed daydreaming. The T.V. was on so that Melissa wouldn't grow suspicious of the glazed look over my eyes. She was too good at identifying my different moods. Just thinking about what had happened earlier made my heart race.

My phone buzzed. When I looked down I gulped. It was Professor Hunter. I had been hoping all day that he'd text me, and now he finally had. The message read: "I see that you've taken another one of my sweaters."

I felt the smile spread over my face. I typed out, "I was a bit chilly after you left me naked and alone in your office, Professor Hunter," and pressed send.

Professor Hunter: "I apologize for my abrupt departure. But you barged into my office at a rather inconvenient time."

Me: "And when would be a convenient time?"

I heard Melissa's book slam shut, and I jumped slightly.

"You should see the look on your face, Penny. Who on earth are you talking to?!" Melissa asked and flung one of the pillows off her bed and at my face.

I dodged the pillow and looked up at her, but I couldn't get the stupid smile off my face. "No one," I said, and quickly exited out of my message thread with Professor Hunter and slid my phone under my covers.

"Oh my God, Penny. I've never seen you like this. Tell me!"

"No one, Melissa. I was just looking through some old messages." I could feel my face blushing. I was such an awful liar.

"Bullshit! If you were looking at old messages then I would have seen you acting like this whenever you got them in the first place. Give me your phone." Melissa hoped off her bed and ran over to me.

Oh crap! I couldn't let her see the messages that I had been sending to Professor Hunter. "Tyler!" I almost screamed. "It's Tyler, okay."

Melissa squealed and jumped onto my bed. "I was hoping this would happen! You and Tyler are so cute together. And this is so perfect. Since Josh and Tyler are friends, now the four of us can hang out all the time!"

I tried to hide my sigh. "Right now we're just having fun flirting, okay? No double dates yet. Please, Melissa? I'm begging you."

"Fine," she rolled her eyes and hopped off my bed. "But you'll be happy to know that Sigma Pi is having another party this Friday. So we can at least get ready together."

"He hasn't asked me to come," I protested.

"Then just ask him about it."

"But we're taking things slow. If he hasn't asked me, he probably doesn't want me to come."

"Don't be ridiculous, Penny. Just ask him then. Clearly you're both into each other."

"But..."

"If you don't do it, I'll text him for you." She had that stubborn look on her face. She always seemed to get whatever she wanted.

This was a complete disaster. I didn't see a way out of this one. If Melissa got my phone she'd open up my messages and see that I had been texting Professor Hunter. Game over. But wasn't it already over? I silently wished that just this once really meant this is just the start.

"Okay, fine," I conceded. "We're going to lunch on Wednesday, so I'll ask him then." I had planned on canceling lunch after what had happened this afternoon. Now, not only was I not canceling, but I was making yet another date with Tyler. I felt awful.

Melissa seemed content with my response. "Let's go shopping sometime this week, okay? I don't think you have anything appropriate for the party's theme."

"Oh God, what is the theme?"

"Guess."

"Conservative outfits throughout the ages?"

"Toss me that pillow back so I can throw it at you again!"