Temptation (The Hunted, #1)(38)

"So everything played out just like you wanted?" I felt a little hurt. This had been a game to him this whole time.

"No. Not at all. Like I told you before, I can't stop thinking about you. I thought if I let myself give in to the temptation then I could move on. But I'm more addicted to you than ever."

He pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and placed it on the table. "I guess I should get you home. Your roommate is probably wondering where you are." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

I almost asked him if we were supposed to wait for the check. But he owned the place. Certainly he got free meals. The money he left on the table was probably just Jerrod's tip. Professor Hunter was very generous.

Professor Hunter escorted me out of the restaurant and back toward the entrance of the country club. The woman with the large breasts was still standing at the reception desk. "Have a good evening, Mr. Hunter."

"You too," he said to the woman and nodded at her.

It was annoying how she didn't even acknowledge my existence. As if sensing this, Professor Hunter squeezed my hand.

As soon as the valet saw us come out of the country club, he hurried off. I began to shiver as we waited for him to get the car. Professor Hunter took off his suit jacket, draped it over my shoulders, and pulled me in close.

"Maybe your roommate will find your story more believable if you wear this back to your dorm."

I leaned into him and took a deep breath of his cologne. Is this really happening? "I barely believe that I'm dating you, so it'll be hard to convince someone else that it's true."

He rested his chin on the top of my head and only moved away when the valet handed him the keys to his car. He opened up the door for me and walked over to the valet.

"Thank you," he said and slipped some money into the valet's hand. Professor Hunter climbed into the driver's seat. The car started before I even buckled my seatbelt.

After he turned out of the country club, he put his right hand on the center console. Without hesitation I let my hand slide into his, and his fingers intertwined with mine.

"What will happen if someone finds out that we're dating?" I asked.

"It's frowned upon, but the university's policy isn't explicitly stated in their handbook. It's more a question of ethics than anything else."

"You've looked it up?"

He looked at me. "Yes."

"So you won't actually get in trouble?"

"That depends on a lot of things."

"Like what?"

"Well, if there was even a whisper of sexual harassment, I would get fired. Or if someone in your class found out about us and thought you were getting favoritism, they could file a complaint. Or..."

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Professor Hunter."

"Then I don't think we have anything to worry about."

"Would you still have pursued me if the university's policy was explicitly against it?"

He paused for a moment. "Yes," he finally said. He squeezed my hand.

"Even though you could get fired?" I realized the question was ridiculous as soon as I let it slip. Professor Hunter clearly didn't need this job. If he could randomly buy a country club, he probably didn't need to work at all.

"I know that you want this just as much as I do. I believe that my ethics are sound, so no one can make me question them."

We drove in silence for a few minutes.

"What did your startup company do?"

"Tech."

He was being so vague. "What happened to it?"

"I sold it. But I still have a seat on the board."

"Then why are you teaching?"

"For the same reason I left New York. I needed a change."

"And if it wasn't because of how loud and busy the city was, then what was it? A midlife crisis?"

"How old do you think I am, Penny?" he laughed.

"Actually, I thought you were probably a grad student when I met you in the coffee shop. You can't even believe how shocked I was when I found out you were my Comm professor."

He laughed again. I wasn't sure there was a sound in the world that I liked better than his laugh.

"So take a guess," he pressed.

"Well, Professors have to go to grad school and then get their masters to teach right?"

"Yes, but I didn't do that. I was busy running a company in my early twenties. They granted me an honorary degree at the last university I worked at if I agreed to teach a few entrepreneurship classes in their master’s program. I have the same arrangement here."

"So, maybe you're 29?" Please don't be over 30.

"Close. I'm only 27."

Only 27. If I was 22 like he thought I was, there would only be five years difference between us. An eight year difference seemed worse. But my birthday was soon. I'd be twenty in a few weeks. I needed to tell him. This was the perfect opportunity.

He pulled up outside of my dorm and cut the ignition. "What, you're sad that I'm not older?"

I laughed. "No. No, that's not it. I just..." I took a deep breath. I needed to tell him.

He leaned in and kissed me. "Like I said, you have nothing to worry about."