He grabbed a tissue to ease off the condom, then collapsed onto his back next to her. “I don’t give a damn about how much fun you are or aren’t,” he said. “Whatever you want to call it, you are fucking amazing.”
She poked him with her elbow. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious. That was… That was hot. For me, anyway.”
Olivia turned toward him, easing her knee up his thigh, pressing her body to his side. Jamie tucked his arm beneath her head and she settled tight against him. His messy hair called to be touched, so she ran her fingers through it, smoothing it until it sprang back into wild waves. “You’ve changed everything for me. I mean that.”
His eyes didn’t hold a hint of laughter when he met her gaze. She realized then that his green eyes almost always danced with amusement, but now they were dark and serious.
“I haven’t—” she started, then realized she’d been about to reveal too much. She didn’t expect this to last, and she didn’t want to scare him. “It’s been a long time,” she said instead. “And I wasn’t sure…”
He caught her hand and brought it to his mouth for a careful kiss. “It’s been a while for me, too,” he said softly.
“It has not,” she scoffed. “We’re working on completely different time frames.”
“I’m serious. I’m not that guy. Not really. Not now.”
“Jamie. I’ve seen you. You practically glow when you get near women.”
Keeping her hand tucked in his, he pressed her fingers to his chest. “I like women. I’m not denying that.”
She didn’t hold that against him. Oh, she felt a pure, hot coal of jealousy for everyone who’d experienced this pleasure with him, but she couldn’t resent it. Who would ever turn him away? Who could have that strength? “Well, I’m not as experienced as you,” she whispered. “And you’ve made this very easy. So, thank you.”
He shot her a suspicious look. “You’re not planning on giving me a plaque and sending me on my way, are you?”
“No!”
“That sounded a little like a farewell speech.”
“No, it was just a celebration. I promise.”
Jamie eased up, balancing himself on his elbow so he could look down at her. His gaze rose, and she turned to meet it in the mirror. They watched each other for a long moment. It seemed easier to let her feelings show at this distance, so she let him see how it felt to her when he dragged his fingers slowly down her throat, over her chest, to the faint rise of her naked breast. He traced her nipple, eyes locked with hers the whole time as she let the vulnerability rush over her. He made her feel warm and sexy and nervous and sad. All of it.
His touch trailed to her other breast, then down to circle her navel, then up to her shoulders. Finally, he touched her chin, turning her face toward him. He kissed her so softly that she hardly felt it at all.
“I know you get up early. Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” she said too quickly, alarmed that he might go. Her fast reply made Jamie smile.
“Good. Let’s cuddle.”
She smacked his shoulder and rolled up to her feet. “I’ll lock up. The bathroom’s there.” Though she started to reach for her robe, Olivia made herself stop and let her hand drop. Instead of covering up, she kicked off her heels and went to turn off the lights and check the door. It felt strange to wander naked through her living room. No one could see in—the blinds were all drawn—but still… She was nude, her skin cooling, her sex still swollen, and it felt daring. Maybe she’d do it more often. Maybe she’d become one of those people who cleaned house in the nude.
She smiled and snapped off the last light. When she returned to the bedroom, Jamie was already snug beneath the covers, tucked in on the wrong side of the bed. The opposite side of the bed her ex had slept in. Her smile stretched wider and she slipped beneath the comforter on the other side, enjoying even that moment of difference. He reached for her, pulling her close. Such a strange sensation being held from the left instead of the right.
“Wait,” she said, lurching up.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just the light.” One long reach, and she plunged them into darkness.
She held herself stiff against him for a moment, but it was impossible to stay stiff with Jamie. He was warmth and relaxation, his body languid and sinking into the bed. By slow degrees, she melted into him. His hand stroked her hair. The scent of his skin filled her lungs. She could feel the press of her weight against him, and yet she was floating…suspended in the dark, anchored by him.
“Good night,” he murmured, the words deep with sleep. His breathing slowed. His hand grew heavy on her back. And Olivia let herself pretend that he was hers. Truly hers.
A terrible idea, but it was two in the morning, she’d had half a bottle of wine, and she didn’t give a damn about wisdom or prudence. Tonight she could pretend; tomorrow she’d get back to her responsible, grown-up life. For now, Jamie was all hers.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“I’M WALKING IN RIGHT NOW,” Olivia said into her cell. She pretended she was squinting against the sun, but in reality, she was grinning so hard that her eyes nearly disappeared.
“You’d better not be lying,” Gwen said. “I tried calling you about ten times last night.”
“I was busy,” Olivia said, breezing into the building. The heels she’d worn were too high for work, but they made a satisfying riot against the marble floor.
“Oh, you were busy, were you? Filthy little witch. I hate you.”
Olivia’s laugh echoed down the hall, and she decided she’d better get off the phone before she disturbed the classes. “Are you busy right now?”
“No!”
“Okay, let me put my stuff in my office and then I’ll—”
“That will take too long. You’ll put your stuff down, check your email, check your inbox. Get up here right now or I’ll explode.”
“Fine. Okay. I’ll be right there.”
Gwen was still hooting when Olivia hung up and spun toward the hallway. Her progress was immediately interrupted by the hard shoulder she bumped into. “Oh, no,” she yelped. “Sorry.”
A man’s hand closed over her elbow to steady her. “No, it’s my fault,” he said as she turned toward him. He was handsome and maybe a few years older than her. “I was trying to sneak by without disturbing your conversation.”
“I hope that doesn’t mean I’ve become one of those obnoxious cell phone users.”
His smile made him look vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. “Absolutely not. Then again, my standards have plummeted. Last year I went on a blind date with a woman who carried on a full-fledged text conversation during dinner. I’m Paul, by the way. Paul Summers. We met a few months ago.”
She must have still looked puzzled, because his smile faltered.
“I took over Johnson’s classes when he retired.”
“Oh, right! I’m so sorry. Every time a new group of students walks in, my memory for names sinks another notch. You came from Chicago, didn’t you? How are you liking it here?”
“I love it. The winter was great. And, hey, no humidity.”
Olivia smiled and ordered herself not to glance toward the stairs. She wanted to get up to Gwen’s office so she could talk about Jamie. She was bubbling over with him. She needed to—
“So, this is probably a bad idea since you didn’t remember me, but…would you like to grab coffee sometime? Or lunch?”
“I… What?”
“Coffee?” he repeated, his eyebrows rising. “Lunch? Maybe not?”
“Oh.” She couldn’t help but smile at his self-deprecating grimace. “Oh, I…”
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll try again another time.”
“No, it’s not that. I’m not very good at this whole…thing.”
“Are there people who are good at it?” he asked.
She thought immediately of Jamie, though she wasn’t sure if she should be thinking of Jamie or no
t. They weren’t dating really, they were just…having fun. It was temporary. They’d both been clear on that. Jamie was young, wild and, most important, he was free. This relationship would end in a week or two, and he’d move on. She’d have to move on, too.
And yet…
Olivia swallowed, trying to clear the dryness from her throat. “Honestly,” she said carefully, “coffee might be nice. But I can’t right now. Maybe another time?”
“Okay. I can live with that. I’ll ask you again. Consider that a warning.”
“I will.”
“Nice to see you again, Olivia.” He offered a friendly wink before he walked down the hall.
Paul was cute. Educated. And very solidly in his thirties. He was the kind of guy she would date if she was serious. But in this arena, being serious seemed much scarier than being fun.
She’d think about it later if he asked her out again. But right now her hands were full with Jamie.
Snickering at the unintentional pun, she hurried up the stairs to Gwen’s office.
Gwen was standing in her doorway. “Holy crap, look at you,” she said, then gave an old-fashioned wolf whistle.
Olivia glanced down at her shoes. “I know. I saw them in the closet, and—”
“Not the shoes, though those are hot. I mean the whole thing. The shoes. The extra button you left open on your sweater. The take-me look in your eyes.”
“Gwen!” she gasped, nudging her into the office.
“It’s true. That man must be just as miraculous as he looks. Did you make him wear the kilt?”
“I did not.”
“Well, you should. And videotape the whole thing.”
Olivia shut the door behind her and leaned against it. She tried to hold back her laughter and failed. “You’re bad.”
“Yes. And horribly, painfully jealous. I wish I was walking around with that look on my face.”
“Do I really look different? Because a man just asked me out in the atrium.”
Gwen collapsed into her chair, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “See? You’re giving off a serious vibe, sister. Who asked you out?”
“Paul Summers.”
“I don’t know him.”
“Probably because he’s in International Business Law, two buildings over. But you should try to run into him. He’s cute.”
“Cute?” Gwen grabbed a pen and wrote down Paul Summers. “I’m sure I can think up a reason to run something over to his office. Although…” Gwen eyed her up and down. “We’re not exactly the same type.”
No, they definitely weren’t. Gwen had blond curls and a gorgeous chest that she showed off with subtle skill. “Somehow I don’t think he’ll mind.”
Gwen held up her hands. “Whatever! That is not why I called you here today. Sit down and tell me everything.”
Olivia took the chair, then placed her hands firmly in her lap. “I don’t know what to say, honestly. I don’t want to violate Jamie’s privacy, but I feel like I’m going to burst.”
“Are you in love?” There was no missing the worry that flashed over Gwen’s face.
“No, of course not. I’m not stupid. We’re not even really dating.”
Gwen raised a doubtful eyebrow.
“I’m serious. I told him I needed to learn how to relax and have fun, and…he just volunteered to help. Last night he made me stay out really late. On Sunday we’re going to an amusement park. That kind of thing.” She left off the hot tub skinny-dipping.
“Okay, that does sound fun, but there’s more to it than that.”
“I’ll admit there are other things going on. Other fun things.”
“Olivia, I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
“I know. It’s—”
“I am so proud of you! I wish I could do something like that. I’d like a little fun in my life, too.”
That stopped Olivia in her tracks. “What are you talking about, Gwen? You’re always having fun.”
“Oh, I like to go out and have a good time, but I’d never be brave enough to do what you’re doing. With Jamie Donovan? Are you kidding?”
Olivia didn’t know what to say. She’d been so surprised by Gwen’s friendship—that a woman like Gwen would reach out to her.
Gwen shook her head. “I mean, can you believe you’re doing this?”
“No! Even when I’m with him, it’s like it’s happening to someone else. He’s just so…”
Gwen leaned forward. “Amazing?”
“Ha. Okay, yes. He’s amazing. In bed and out.” She ignored the groan of jealousy and shrugged. “He’s just so simple and straightforward. I’ve never known anyone like that.”
“Oh, sure, but back to the amazing part…”
“Gwen—”
“Come on,” Gwen pleaded. “Just share something. A little crumb for a starving woman? Pleeease?”
Olivia took a deep breath. “Okay. One thing.”
Gwen smiled and propped her chin on her hands.
“Last night we went to dinner, and we had a little too much wine. We walked home, but…we got distracted and we were almost caught messing around at a bus stop.”
“No!” Gwen screeched. “What happened?”
“We were kissing and maybe a tiny bit more. It was dark and we weren’t thinking straight. A car drove past and lit us up like a spotlight.”
“So, what happened when you finally made it home?”
Olivia grinned. “We finished what we started, with no one watching this time.” No one but me.
“You’re my hero. You know that, right?”
“Heck, Gwen. I’m my own hero.”
Gwen pointed at the door. “Get out. I don’t even want to look at you anymore.”
Olivia started to leave, then stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “Hey, do you want to see a movie on Saturday night?”
“What about Jamie?”
“He’s not my boyfriend, Gwen.”
Gwen’s eyebrow rose. “So, he’s working on Saturday?”
“Yeah.”
After Gwen’s laughter died down, she nodded. “Sure, let’s see a movie. And dinner, too.”
Olivia smiled all the way to her office.
Was she brave? She didn’t feel brave. At first she’d felt terrified, then overwhelmed. Now she felt exhilarated and slightly bewildered. But she also felt happy. Happier than she could remember feeling in a very long time.
Sex with Jamie Donovan was a miracle elixir.
It was also physically exhausting. As Olivia sat down at her desk, her thighs protested the effort. Another tiny moment to make her happy. He’d taken her again that morning. Twice. Missing her morning run had been a joy. And the workout had been just as intense.
She’d only decided to come into the office because she’d been horrified with her own behavior. After he’d left, Olivia had lain about with a wide grin on her face. That was a little too close to lovesick.
So she’d showered and dressed and slipped on her highest heels. And now what was she going to do with herself? Something responsible, like planning or research. But considering the way her mind kept wandering back to Jamie’s hands gripping her ass that morning, she thought maybe she’d better start with something simple like email.
Olivia fired up her computer and opened her email. There wasn’t much traffic during the summer, so she noticed the letter from her department chair right away. He wanted to see her in his office as soon as she was able to stop in.
Her heart dropped, wondering what he might want. As an instructor, she had no permanent position with the university. She could be terminated at will, at any time, for any reason, even though she was a workhorse. She always had been, but since the divorce, she’d taken on four classes a semester, plus two summer seminars, determined to prove herself invaluable. She could not afford to lose this position, and with her husband out of the picture, the university would feel no pressure to keep her on.
Any desire to grin faded away as she read the message for a
second time and then a third. The department chair gave no hint of what he wanted, and Olivia tried to convince herself it was something routine. Maybe he wanted to put her in charge of department birthdays. It wouldn’t be the first time an instructor had been used as an assistant.
Suddenly wishing she’d worn more sensible shoes, Olivia walked down the long hallway toward his office.
Lewis Anderson had an office in the main suite of the department. The biggest office, of course, but that meant little enough in the Department of Applied Business. They were one of the least prestigious groups in the college and the size of the suite reflected that.
His door was already open, and when she knocked softly, he looked up, his eyes momentarily confused. When Lewis registered her presence, discomfort flashed over his features.
“Olivia. Good morning. Come in. And, um, could you close the door behind you?”
Oh, no. Not good. Not good at all. The blood left her head so quickly that she felt momentarily dizzy, but she offered him only a somber nod as she closed the door. “Is there something wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” He gestured toward the chair, and she slowly lowered herself into it. “I’ve received some information that I need to present you with, though it’s of a personal nature and I’d rather not.”
She nodded as if she understood.
“There’s been an allegation that you’re inappropriately involved with a student.”
“What?” she breathed. All the blood that had left her head rushed back with ruthless force, and her skin burned like fire.
“Have you become personally involved with one of your students?”
“Who told you that?”
“Olivia, that’s not the issue. Is it true?”
“I… No… That is to say, there’s a student…a man in my current class who’s a friend of mine. But I knew him before the session started.”
Lewis winced. “Which class is this?”
“The continuing education session on restaurant start-ups. It’s not a credit course, Lewis. He’s not a university student. He’s a restaurant owner in the community. It’s not… I’d never…”
Lewis held up a hand and exhaled slowly, before taking a deep breath. “Okay. This is good news. I worried it could have something to do with the group of students you’re mentoring over the summer.”
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