30 Nights

by Christine d'Abo

  I hit send and banged my head back into my pillows. That would be it. He checked in on me and he now knows I won’t be there. I didn’t have to worry about him thinking—

  Chirp.

  To: O’Donald, Glenna

  From: Morris, Eric

  Subject: RE: RE: Are you well?

  Message: I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling well. I hoped to meet with you after classes ended today. I have several thoughts regarding our project. Specifics to discuss. Perhaps even an experiment? I’ll let you decide if we proceed with that part. That can wait. I hope you feel better soon.

  Holy fucking shit! Professor hot-ass Eric Morris wanted to do experiments with me? My stomach protested when I flipped around and pulled the blankets over my head. This might not be the appropriate time for blanket-forting, but I didn’t want the outside world to do anything to ruin this moment. I stared at my phone screen in the darkness beneath my sheets and debated how best to reply. This was on the university e-mail system and I didn’t want to say anything that could potentially land either of us in any trouble.

  To: Morris, Eric

  From: O’Donald, Glenna

  Subject: RE: RE: RE: Are you well?

  Message: I would be open to helping you conduct some practical experiments in regard to our project. If my stomach agrees, I believe I have time in my calendar tomorrow around four o’clock. Does that work for you?

  I hit send and immediately closed my eyes and started counting back from one hundred. I only got to ninety-four when my phone chirped.

  To: O’Donald, Glenna

  From: Morris, Eric

  Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Are you well?

  Message: I have an opening. I believe that an off-site location might be best for our initial conversation. I’ll set that up. Thank you for helping me with this. I appreciate it.

  I read that message three times before I set my phone back on my nightstand. Oh how I wished my body were feeling up for a spin with my vibrator. Eric’s voice echoed in my head, reciting the message over and over.

  Thank you for helping me with this. I appreciate it.

  Come hell or high water, I was totally going to work tomorrow. Nothing was going to stop me from meeting him.

  Fate finally cut me some slack. Whatever stomach bug had haunted me the previous day was gone by the time I woke up the next morning. Not having any idea what Eric had in mind for us that day, I went once again with a skirt and T-shirt to wear. I even made sure to check the weather just in case there were any showers being called for. As much as I didn’t think he minded seeing me impersonate a drowned rat, I didn’t want to give a repeat performance.

  The workday was as normal as ever. I went up the far stairs so I could catch a glimpse of Eric. He was working and didn’t acknowledge me as I passed. Jasmine teased me, but I could tell she was happy that I was feeling better and back in the office. Students called, articles and books were reserved, lunch was eaten.

  The entire time I had a counter ticking off in the back of my mind. With each passing hour my awareness of the time grew until I was certain that anyone standing close enough to me would be able to hear it. When Jasmine picked up her purse at ten to four, my body was quivering from the inside out with excitement.

  “Are you heading out soon?” She pulled her mass of long black hair into a bun. “You still don’t look quite yourself.”

  “Yeah, I’m leaving at four.”

  “Good. Make sure you get lots of rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  I stopped moving as she walked down the hallway, my gaze following her as she went past Eric’s office and disappeared into the stairwell. The counter in my head ticked away. The flicker of shadows danced across the hallway from where Eric’s door was open. He was moving around, probably cleaning up. I didn’t need to see the clock to know the moment the minute hand hit the top.

  Eric stepped out into the hall.

  I straightened up in my chair and was about to stand when he walked down the hallway toward me. With each step closer my stomach did a weird flip and my pussy pulsed with desire. Olive-colored shirt today. Sleeves up and two buttons undone at his throat. His brown hair came down to his eyebrows and just past his ears. With his chin tilted down it looked as though he was intent on something, moving with purpose.

  Coming for me.

  He stopped in the doorway, his hands at his sides. “Hello, Glenna.”

  “Hello, Professor Morris.”

  He smiled softly. “I thought I asked you to call me Eric.”

  “Umm, of course. Eric.”

  “How are you feeling today? Better, I hope.”

  Oh, I’m so horny I could rub myself off against my desk and still come again just from the sound of your voice. “Much better, thank you. Just a twenty-four-hour flu thing.”

  “That’s good.” He stepped inside the office and stood in front of my desk. I watched as he ran his fingertips around the lip of my R2-D2 penholder. “I was worried that my suggestion might have upset you. That you were trying to find a way to say no.”

  “No!” I was on my feet and staring into his startled gaze. “I mean I was really sick. Puking, actually.”

  He nodded. “You know that you can say no. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

  Eric was sweet. Clueless about how much I wanted to be with him, but sweet. “I’m not a shy virgin. I never meant for you to have overheard my conversation with Jasmine. And while I’m still a bit embarrassed by that, now that it’s happened I can’t say that I’m sorry.” I stood up and retrieved my purse from the bottom drawer of my desk. He stepped back as I came around to join him. “Where would you like to go?”

  He looked at me for a few seconds longer before placing his hand on the small of my back and allowing me to step past him. “I was hoping to take you for drinks. I know a nice patio bar that offers adequate privacy so we can discuss details.”

  My lips trembled from excitement as I smiled. “I don’t have a car.”

  “I do.”

  “Lead the way.”

  10

  I’ve had one-night stands before. I mean, I’m a twenty-eight-year-old, healthy woman who happens to like sex. I haven’t always been a big fan of relationships, seeing as none of the ones I’d had in the past had worked out particularly well, but the sex part was awesome. So hookups were one thing that I’d done, but I hadn’t done that with the same person more than twice. As I sat in Eric’s car, trapped with him and his heavenly body, I couldn’t help but worry that I might be getting into something that was bigger than I’d be able to handle.

  As long as I’d spent lusting after him, I really didn’t know much of anything about him. He was my one consistent fantasy and now that I was sitting next to the reality in his Lexus, my curiosity began to get the better of me.

  “How old are you?” I rolled my head to the side so I could see his face.

  His eyes were locked on the road and the car ahead of us. “Thirty-seven.”

  “Wow. You tenured young.”

  “I did.” He arched an eyebrow and flicked his gaze toward me briefly. “You sound surprised.”

  “No, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just realized that I don’t actually know much about you.”

  “I’m thirty-seven. Never been married. Did my undergrad at Carleton, my master’s and PhD at UBC. I moved back to Toronto after I finished my studies and started teaching at the University of Toronto. I was there for four years before I started here. Anything else you’d like to know?”

  Huh. “Lots. Those are some details, but that doesn’t tell me a lot about the type of person you are. What’s your favorite color?”

  “Green.”

  “Favorite food?”

  “Steak.”

  “Musician?”

  “Harry Connick Jr.”

  “Movie?”

  “Little Shop of Horrors.”

  I sat up and turned fully to face him. “What?”

  “Little Shop of Horrors. I prefer
red the original ending where Audrey II and her spawn devour the entire city. It’s a shame Frank Oz had to bow to studio pressure and make that change.”

  I totally wasn’t expecting that.

  He smiled as he turned into the parking lot. “You’re still processing that, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah.” My poor brain was shouting does not compute. “This is it?”

  “Yes.” With that he got out of the car and came around to my side. I was terrible at the waiting for a man thing, so I’d already pushed open my door by the time he’d come around. It didn’t seem to bother him though and he held out his hand for me to take without comment.

  There was a brass sign that read READING STREET PUB, framed with iron leaves. Walking in I realized that this was one of those gastropubs that were so popular in California, high-end food and craft beers in a pub-style environment. Exactly the type of place I’d always wanted to go but that was completely out of my pay grade.

  There were only a few couples sitting inside eating. A quick look outside though told me that was where all the action was happening.

  “Eric!”

  I looked for the source of the voice and was surprised to see a man even taller than Eric come striding out from the kitchen. His blond hair was shaved on both sides, but the top was long enough to nearly cover his eyes. He had on a chef’s outfit and was grinning as he made his way to us.

  “Claude.” They hugged with a loud mutual thump to the back. “How’ve you been?”

  “Working my ass off. But what’s new.” Claude then turned his attention to me. If I thought I felt small beside Eric, I was downright dwarfed by the wall of muscle standing before me. “You must be Glenna. When Eric told me he was bringing a woman to my place, I didn’t quite believe him. But here you are and now I owe him a beer.”

  “Yup, here I am.” Stuck in between two pantie-dropping-attractive men. Go me! “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise. Now, if you’ll follow me. I have a special table reserved for you.”

  Eric had his hand pressed to my back again, and I was amazed at how reassuring that simple touch was. The patio was filled to near capacity. It was a beautiful fall day and this was clearly a popular attraction. Claude led us past the majority of people down a small path to a section that contained three tables for two.

  “I have this area set aside for you two. Eric, I took the liberty of chilling that white you like, but I wasn’t sure if Glenna had a different preference.”

  “White’s perfect.” Okay, so we had wine preferences in common. This was going well.

  “If you need anything, just flag Connie down. I asked her to keep an eye on you, but she won’t interrupt unless you want her to.”

  With a grin to us both, Claude strode away. And yes, he did have a lovely ass.

  “I didn’t even know if you drank, but I figured I couldn’t do too badly bringing you here.” He pulled a chair out for me and this time I didn’t hesitate to sit. “If you do want something else—”

  “Honestly, no. I do drink and while I’m not a wine connoisseur, I normally love whites. So this is awesome.”

  Eric took the chair that was opposite me and moved it so we were sitting closer. He filled my glass and I waited until he’d poured his own drink before lifting it to my lips. Our gazes locked, and I couldn’t help but match his movements, drinking as he did. The wine was sweet, but not overpowering. I took another, deeper sip and hoped that I wouldn’t lose my head before we got to the interesting part of our conversation.

  He put his glass down, fingering the base for a moment before he sucked in a breath. “You’re attracted to me.”

  “Yes.” There was no sense in lying to him, in denying what we both knew to be true. I leaned forward, putting my weight on my elbow and bracing my chin on my hand. “Are you attracted to me?”

  When he looked up, there wasn’t a spark, but a blaze dancing in his gaze. “Yes.”

  I shifted my hand to the side of my throat. His gaze shifted, watching where I touched myself. “I didn’t think you even knew who I was.”

  “You’ve walked by my office every day for the past year. I’ve begun to recognize the sound of your gait. I know it’s you and not someone else. Your laughter will sometimes reach my office and I can’t help but wonder what had made you smile.” He looked awkward with his admission.

  I must have looked like some sort of deranged owl given the number of times I’d blinked. “You like my laugh?”

  Eric reached down, pulled the cards from his pocket, and set them on the table between us. He’d taken a clip and attached them to the middle of the stack, ensuring that none of them would get lost. It partially obstructed the words printed beneath. There were thirty in total, a month’s worth of pleasure waiting for us to reach out and take it.

  There was something that had been bugging me all day, something that I wanted to get out there before things got serious. “I’m not good at relationships. It’s not that I don’t want one, or want to settle down, I’m just shitty at them. It’s not that I’m selfish, but Jasmine says that I’m a bit oblivious to things around me sometimes that aren’t related to my research. So you need to know that about me.”

  He nodded.

  “And I’m pretty open about stuff, but I’m a stickler for condoms. I’m on the pill, so that will help keep the babies at bay.”

  He nodded again.

  I took another large sip of wine. “Damn. That’s really good.”

  “Is there anything else?” Again he somehow turned a question that I might find abrasive from anyone else into one of genuine concern.

  “Not really. I don’t think so.”

  Eric picked the cards up, leaned back, and tapped them on the table. “I’m not looking for a relationship either. I haven’t seriously dated anyone in years and I wanted to be honest about that. I see these cards as an opportunity to relax and have a bit of fun. Does that make sense?”

  Not back rubs? Or bubble baths? “Yes.”

  He looked away then, and an odd expression passed across his face. “I need you to understand that I’d be using you. That sounds horrible, but I don’t want to lie.”

  That wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. “Using me for what?”

  “Sex. The reasons are a bit personal, and I honestly would prefer not to discuss them.”

  There was something about the way he spoke that didn’t sit right with me. “Given what we are about to do, I think I should know at least something.”

  He nodded, but took his time considering his words. “Let’s just say that the last relationship that I was in didn’t end well. I . . . I need to prove something to myself. This gives me that opportunity with someone I can trust.”

  It was weird thinking about him as having this whole thing, this life beyond the little bit that I knew about him. Clearly, something had happened and it was not my business. “Okay then. I’ll happily use you for sex.”

  That at least drew a small smile from him. “One other thing. I think for the time being that we keep this between us.”

  Maybe he didn’t know me as well as he thought if he imagined that I’d be blabbing this around campus. “I wouldn’t think of saying anything—”

  “Even from your friend Jasmine. At least until we figure out if this is something that we really want to do.”

  Oh. Well, that was a bit different. “Ah.”

  “She seems nice enough, just enthusiastic. Also a bit protective of you. I’d rather not upset her if it can be avoided.”

  In the end it was a small price to pay for trying out some kinky fun with him. Plus, if things went sideways, I wouldn’t have to handle Jasmine wanting to go over and kill him. “Deal. At least unless she finds us out. I’m not the best at hiding things from her.”

  “I guess that’s fair enough.”

  With the particulars discussed, I wanted to start talking about the good parts. The actual sexy-fun times. “So, Professor, what now?”

  He glanced ar
ound as though he was making sure no one was watching. If he’d been debating something he clearly made up his mind once I’d asked my question. “Leave your things and come with me.”

  Taking my hand in his, he led me along one of the side paths toward the building. Before we disappeared inside, he flagged Connie down. “I’m just showing Glenna the brewery. Could I get an order of bruschetta and some more wine?”

  “Of course.” Connie’s smile was meant to seduce. “I’ll place that right away.”

  Well, if she was interested in Eric, too bad for her. I’d finally gotten him to notice me and I’d be dammed if I’d let him go that easily. I squeezed his hand a bit tighter as he tugged me along.

  The air in the building was cool and the smell coming from the room we’d entered was pungent to say the least. Thankfully, we didn’t stay there long. Eric obviously knew the building and within a moment we were in what looked to be some sort of storage area. It was empty except for a few kegs. Not that I had much time to process my surroundings. One moment I was looking at the barren wall and the next I was pressed against it.

  Eric’s mouth was so close to mine that a strong breeze could have pushed the two of us together. He held back, his gaze darting across my face. “I want to seal our deal. Show you how much I appreciate what you’re doing.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” Kiss me! Oh please, God. Please kiss me.

  “I do. I want to.” Rather than do what I’d silently begged, he tugged my skirt up with his hand. “I’m not going to fuck you. Or hurt you.”

  Stunned. Such a simple word and it barely began to capture how I was feeling. When his fingers pressed against my clit through my panties, I gasped. He was tentative at first, probably waiting to see if I would turn around and hit him. When I pressed my hands to his chest and gave him a little nod, his touch grew firmer.

  “I’ve been listening to your laugh for a year. I want to hear what your moan sounds like.”