Professor Cline Revealed (The Professor #1) (8 page)

He walked to the board and wrote some words down which I immediately added to my word document. I smiled to myself as I listened to him go over the causes of action. Not only was he a hot professor, he also knew what he was doing. I admired any teacher who was upfront with you from the beginning. He was passionate, straight-forward, and to the point. It made me wonder why he never wanted to practice law himself. He would have been great in the courtroom.

~*~

Class ended and before I knew it, students were grabbing their stuff to head out. My heart rate immediately picked up as I looked down at Mason. I watched him as he packed up his things and wondered what exactly he had planned.

As I was putting my own materials away, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Brian standing behind me, holding out my pen.

“Thanks for letting me use it.” He smiled as I took it from his grip. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled from foot to foot.

“You’re welcome,” I replied as I stood, putting my satchel over my shoulder. “I keep a ton of them in my bag, just in case.” I smiled.

He nodded. “That’s good to know, because I always seem to forget one,” he said with a laugh. “So, I wanted to ask if you had a study partner.”

“A study partner?” I asked, pinching my eyebrows together as I shook my head. “No, actually, I don’t.”

He looked around the room, drawing my attention, too. It had gotten quiet without me even realizing it. We were the only ones left along with the professor who was at his desk, still packing his things.

“Well,” he continued, looking back at me. “I was wondering if, since we both want to specialize in defense, maybe we could study together. But if that’s not your thing, I totally understand,” he smiled.

I chuckled. “No, that’d be great, actually. Maybe we could start next week.” I hadn’t even thought about trying to find a study partner, and I’d definitely need one.

“Sounds good,” he said as we both made our way down to the door. “Well, I better go.” He started walking away. “I’ll look for your email and see you next week.” He waved and strolled off.

I looked behind me to see Mason walking toward me. Our eyes locked and I couldn’t look away. When he approached me, he moved me out of the doorway and closed the door, pushing me against it. I gasped as my back met the door. He leaned into me, resting his hands against the door, caging me in. Heat flowed through my body at his penetrating gaze. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at me as if he was trying to see my soul, which made me feel exposed and self-conscious yet sexy all at the same time. My breathing became erratic and I got the urge to reach out and touch him, but I didn’t dare move. I didn’t want to break our connection.

He inched his way closer to me and I felt the pulsating start in my lower region.
What is this man doing to me?
I licked my lips involuntarily, drawing his attention. He was so close that, in that moment, I wanted him to kiss me… I
needed
him to kiss me.

He leaned in a little further and without warning, his lips were on mine. I gasped and closed my eyes at the connection, giving him the perfect opening. I’d never experienced anything like it. I lifted my hands and ran my fingers through his soft locks, moaning with each brush of his tongue. He kissed me with so much want and passion I was lost in a daze when he finally pulled away.

I fluttered my eyes open and looked into his lust-filled gaze. He was clenching his jaw as if it was taking all his self-control not to kiss me again. I was so aroused that if he’d suggested we fuck right there, I wouldn’t have protested. Just the thought of him bending me over his desk in the classroom had me wanting to moan. It scared the shit out of me. I’d never been the girl with those kinds of fantasies.

He pulled me away from the door and opened it. “Meet me tonight in front of the Museum of Modern Art at six. And don’t be late,” he demanded as he walked off in the direction of his office.

I stared after him until he rounded the corner, letting out a heavy breath before lifting my fingers to my lips.

Holy shit, that man can kiss.

Mason

I stayed at the school until just after two o’clock, when my last class ended. I’d been on edge all day after that little kiss with Emma. It took every piece of self-control I had not to take her in that classroom, and it was a feeling I wasn’t used to. I never lost control, but Emma… she was doing something to me. There was a connection and I didn’t like it. I never got close enough to a woman to want anything more than to fuck. Even the feeling of jealousy that burned in me when she was smiling at the new guy was all-consuming, and it fucked with my head. I needed to get her the fuck out of my system so I could get back to the way things were.

My driver took me a few blocks away to my father’s office, Cline & Wilson, Atty at Law. They were located on the twenty-third floor and I hoped John would be in a meeting the whole ride up. I didn’t want a confrontation, but knew it would more than likely be inevitable.

I made my way to his office, bypassing his secretary.

“Mr. Cline, please let me buzz him first,” she pleaded on deaf ears. I just wanted to get the damn tickets and get out of there.

I knocked once on his door, to be courteous, then barged right in. He was sitting at his desk, while a woman sat across from him with her notepad open.

“Mason,” he said, surprised to see me.

I looked over the façade of his office. He had an open window view of the city and the office was decorated in all high-quality furnishings with his plaques hanging on the wall. But the thing that caught my eye was the picture of my mother on one of the tables across the room. Seeing it caused a pang of guilt and regret in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to scoff at it all, but I never did. I couldn’t. I felt trapped in a web of lies with no way to get out.

“I’m here for the tickets. I need to be somewhere, so the quicker I get them the better,” I stated in an uneven tone.

He looked me over for a moment before turning toward the auburn-haired beauty. “Melanie, could you please get those charity tickets for Mason?”

She nodded. “Of course,” she answered as she got up, glancing toward me before she left the room.

I walked toward his windows and shoved my hands in my pockets as I looked out. It was an overcast, dreary day, which matched my mood perfectly.

“How are your classes going?” he asked.

“They’re good,” I replied as I continued to stare out the window.

“You know, when you finally realize where you belong, you have a place here.” I laughed and shook my head. I couldn’t help it; the man was fucking insane.

“I’d rather take a hot poker to my eyes,” I said in a low growl just as the door opened.

Melanie walked in with an alarmed look on her face and handed an envelope to John. She turned from the desk, picked up the notepad from her seat and sat down.

“Thank you, Melanie.” He gave her a slight smile. “I don’t think you’ve met my son yet, have you?” he asked her. She smiled and shook her head. “Melanie, this is Mason. Mason, this is Melanie Blake, one of my associates.”

I walked to her with my eyebrows pinched.
Blake?
She stood and reached out a hand.

“It’s good to meet you,” I said to her as we clasped our hand in a shake.

“You, too,” she returned with a smile. “I hear you are a great professor.”

I backed away from her and shoved my hands in my pockets again. “Oh?” I said curiously.

“Yes, my sister is actually one of your students,” she proclaimed as she took her seat again.

Well, that makes things a bit interesting.

“Ah, yes, Emma Blake. She’s in good hands, I assure you,” I said with a smirk, knowing I’d have my hands on her later. I looked at the clock on the wall and noted the time. I needed to get going so I could head home and change before I picked up Emma. “Well, I need to be heading out,” I said as I reached out for the envelope John still had clutched in his hand.

He gave it to me. “There are two tickets in there. Maybe try and bring a date this year,” he said in a condescending tone.

I shoved the envelope inside my jacket and walked out. Ten minutes was long enough in his presence.

~*~

I went home and changed out of my suit, dressing into something more casual. I didn’t want Emma to be on edge more than she already was. I wanted her compliant. The more at ease she was, the more liable she would be to get into my bed, and I knew by the way her body melted into mine from that kiss, she was more than willing.

I pulled up to the Museum of Modern Art at five fifty-seven after beating a heavy flow of traffic. I rarely took my car out for that very reason.

She was standing off to the side, leaning against the building as she tapped away on her phone. I stayed in the car and watched her. She wore the same dress she’d had on earlier. It was the kind which showed just enough cleavage and leg to make a man wonder what she was hiding underneath.

Opening my door, I stepped out into the cool night air and looked up at the sky. Dark clouds had rolled in, dropping the temperature.

I was already making my way to Emma when she finally glanced up from her phone and noticed me. Her eyes widened and she froze as she looked me over.

I smirked as I stood in front of her, my gaze causing her to avert her eyes. She got embarrassed so easily, and although I found that blush sexy, all it did was deprive me from looking at her beautiful face.

Lifting my hand, I tilted her chin up and she looked at me with heavy breaths. The connection I’d felt to her earlier was still there, and I could tell by the way she was staring at me that she felt it, too. It was probably the only reason she was standing right there on the street with me. A part of me was saying I needed to get far away from her, to find someone else, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to. She was already consuming my thoughts. I knew from the moment I saw her that I wanted her, but I couldn’t let her get under my skin.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked, dropping my hand.

“Yes,” she answered in a shaky tone, nodding.

“Shall we?” I gestured with my arm as she stepped away from the building and followed me to the car.

I opened the door for her and she slid into the seat just as thunder started to roll.

“I didn’t think to bring an umbrella,” she stated as I closed my door and put the car into drive. She looked out the window at the darkening sky.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be there in just a few minutes.”

“Where exactly is
there
?” she asked as she turned to me.

I grinned. “Somewhere private.”

She smiled and I knew my charm was working. She looked down at her lap before shaking her head. “Okay, some place private, but could you tell me exactly where? Without making you sound like a serial killer,” she continued with a smile, “I’d like to tell my friend exactly where I’ll be.”

I flicked my turn signal on and turned into the parking garage.

“We’re at The Columbia,” I told her as I parked the car and turned to look at her.

She typed into her phone and then looked at me. “What’s The Columbia?” she asked, confused.

I smirked. “My condo,” I answered as I opened the door and got out.

I rounded the back of the car and opened her door. She looked wary as she got out and stepped to the side so I could close it.

“I thought you said we were going to dinner?” she asked nervously.

I knew she’d be nervous. She’d be stupid not to be. I walked toward her, forcing her to rest her back against the car. I leaned into her, our bodies barely touching. “I hired a chef,” I said into her neck. She shivered and I grinned. I could hear the racing of her heart and feel the heat coming off her skin. “I told you not to worry.” I placed a gentle kiss on her neck, inhaling her vanilla scent before pulling away.

We needed to get upstairs before I bent her over the hood of my car and fucked her right there. My cock was begging to be released and pressing myself against her wasn’t my best idea.

She looked at me with hooded eyes, like she had the same idea running through her mind, before she finally pulled away from the car. I guided her to the elevator and we made our way up to my condo in silence. I knew she was aroused, and I would’ve bet her panties were soaked. Just the thought had me licking my lips. Anticipation was building in the pit of my stomach and the burn to take her was overpowering, but it was that burn I craved. I knew I’d take her soon enough.

I exited the elevator with her right behind me. There were only two condos on the floor and mine was located on the right, with the best view of the city.

I opened the door and ushered her in. She gasped as she walked in further to the wall of windows. The view wasn’t as spectacular as it usually was because of the storm clouds, but it was still stunning. And it was even better with her standing there.

She turned and looked at me with a smile. “This view is unreal,” she said before moving to stare again.

I walked up behind her, only a few inches away, and her body stiffened for a moment before she relaxed. Lifting my hand, I pulled a few long waves of hair behind her shoulder, exposing her neck. “The view is exceptional,” I whispered in her ear. A blush appeared on her skin and I ran a finger along the top of her collarbone. She leaned back against me, and I closed my eyes at the sudden impulse I had to tear her dress off, push her against the window and fuck her until she was weeping for me to stop.

I pulled away from her and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I couldn’t come on too strong or I’d scare her away. She turned and looked at me with a concerned expression on her face, but said nothing.

I lifted a hand and rubbed at the stubble on my jaw. I needed to keep my hands off her until we’d at least finished eating.

“Come have a seat at the table and I’ll get our food,” I said, gesturing toward the table in the dining room.

The dishes, which had never been used, were set elegantly on the table. I felt slightly uncomfortable at the sight. This was not my home and it all felt unnatural to me. This wasn’t the way I did things, and it was starting to put me on edge.

I walked into the kitchen to see two domed covers on the counter. I had called Marcel, a friend of mine who was also an Italian chef, to see if he could come over and prepare a meal. I had him create two of my favorite dishes, deciding that I’d let her pick which one she’d like best. Matt, at the security desk, let him into the condo about two hours before and he’d created a veal marsala and penne alla vodka. I hoped she liked one of the two choices.

Before grabbing the plates, I picked up the bottle of wine Marcel had paired with the food and brought it out to Emma. I walked over to see her sitting with her napkin already in her lap, looking out the window.

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

She smiled as I approached. “Yes, I’d love some,” she said as she turned back to look out at the view. “It’s like a different world up here,” she stated, enamored.

“It is.”

I picked up her wine glass and poured some of the pinot noir, then did the same with mine.

“How long have you been in the city?” I asked her. I knew she wasn’t from New York; I could tell by her accent.

She smiled. “A little over four years.”

“And you’ve never seen this kind of view?” I pointed out to the skyline.

She laughed and it lit up her face. “Yes, I’ve seen a view like this, but it’s not like I can see it every day like you can.”

I looked out at the city and tried to see it from her point of view.
If I wasn’t raised here, I’d probably appreciate it more
.

I gave her a small smile and started walking toward the kitchen. I needed to make this less about talking and more about fucking. “Are you ready to eat?”

“Yes, I’m actually starving,” she said as she picked up her wine glass and took a sip. “Hmmm.” She licked her lips. “This is really good.”

I grinned. “Marcel knows his wine.” I grabbed both plates and made my way back to the table. “Veal marsala or penne alla vodka?”

She looked at both plates with a smile. “Veal marsala.”

I set her plate down and took a seat across from her. She’d already taken her first bite by the time I was finally able to pick up my fork. And by the moan that left her lips, I could tell she was enjoying it.

“Good?” I asked.

She nodded with a blush and wiped at her mouth. “Sorry, I hadn’t really eaten all day.” She took a sip of her wine and watched me as I took my first bite before continuing to eat.

We ate in comfortable silence, glancing at each other every so often. I took the time to look her over and figure out what it was about her I was so drawn to. I knew it wasn’t just her innocence, but also her assertive personality. It was never something I looked for in women, but with her… with her, it was so fucking sexy.

Finishing her food, Emma placed her fork down and looked up to meet my gaze.

“Can I be honest with you for a minute?” She placed her hands down in her lap and sat back in her seat.