Love in Education: De La Fuente Book Seven Read online

  Whispers meet my ears and I know I have to move, I just hope that I manage to stay on my feet when I do.

  “Let’s leave,” Jeremy whispers. “I’ll come with you.”

  I swallow, trying to clear the fear and panic from my fogged brain. “We can’t.”

  Slowing my breathing. I slowly move from behind my desk and one minute I think I’m going to be okay, and the next my vision goes funny. I feel like I’m swimming. I turn toward Jeremy who’s mouth I can see moving, but that’s all. Then as I see him moving toward me, nothing . . .

  * * *

  Intense arguing beside me has my eyelids fluttering open and my vision clearing. I wish it hadn’t. I’m met with Sawyer and her having a standoff.

  There’s accusations flying between them and then I hear, “You’re not concerned because she’s a graduate of yours, you’re concerned because you’re fucking her.”

  The room goes silent for a few seconds before Long starts ranting again right in Sawyer’s face.

  Choosing this moment to make my wakeful presence known, I cough and try to push myself up in the bed. To my surprise Jeremy is the one who comes to my aid. He’s a surprise though because I had no clue that he was even in the room.

  Sawyer’s hands twitch at his sides as he watches Jeremy helping me, and his jaw tightens. Long is watching me and I suppose it’s as well considering Sawyer’s feelings for me are all over his face as he glares at the other man.

  I offer him a soft smile and ask him, “Where are we?”

  “The ER.” He winces. “You went down hard, Andie. No words for it. Plus no one could wake you up. Scared the hell out of me.”

  “You were there?”

  He shakes his head and runs a shaky hand through his messy hair. “I’d walked in at the back of the class just as you went down...I couldn’t get to you in time to prevent you from hitting the ground.”

  I groan. “Could this get any more embarrassing?”

  “I want to know why I wasn’t aware you had a problem?” Professor Long, questions.

  Sawyer hisses. “It isn’t a problem, it’s a sickness...and isn’t it your responsibility to check whether any of the students have any medical conditions?”

  “Are you aware of any medical conditions of the students you teach?” she counters.

  “Anything that could become an emergency in class then yes I am.” Sawyer quickly glances at me with a slight wince before he gives her his attention.

  Jeremy whispers, “She won’t leave until he does and he knows it.”

  Meeting his gaze, I know what I have to do. It isn’t easy though because I want nothing more than to borrow into Sawyer’s strong arms.

  “For the millionth time, she is only a student!” Sawyer runs his hands through his hair and although I know he can’t very well admit that I’m more to him than that, it hurts all the same.

  My eyes fill with tears as I slowly swing my legs from the bed. Jeremy, guessing what I’m looking for, slips my shoes onto my feet and helps me stand. He keeps an arm around my waist and I’m so thankful for his support.

  Moving toward the door, Sawyer stops mid-sentence and I feel his gaze on me, so I glance in his direction. “Jeremy is taking me home.” I hold his frustrated gaze. “You two can stay here and continue arguing but you’re causing my head to pound.” I take a few more steps and add, “I’m with Jeremy, Professor Long. Perhaps you should get your facts straight before going around accusing people, and possibly ruining relationships.”

  She opens and closes her mouth like a fish as I ignore them both and let Jeremy lead me outside.

  “I, um, came in with you so I don’t have wheels,” he winces. “I’m sorry. I actually thought you’d be leaving with your Prof.”

  “I’m not feeling too badly right now, but I don’t think I could walk back.” I sit on one of the benches outside the front, and take my purse from him. “I’ll get an Uber.” Two minutes later, I add, “It will be here in five minutes.”

  He nods and sitting beside me, stretches out with his legs. “You’re in a mess, Andie. She’s convinced that Lawrence and you are, in her words, ‘fucking’. She isn’t going to stop until the whole damn college is gossiping about the two of you.”

  “This morning I woke up thinking that nothing could touch us, and now this.” I wrap my arms around my drawn up knees on the bench. My cheek is wet from my silent tears, so I wipe my damp face on my dress as I rest against my knees. I’m also wondering about last night.

  “While Sawyer and me slept on the patio last night, someone came in and switched on the lights around the pool. I thought maybe it was her, but she isn’t acting like she’s actually seen us together.” My eyes search his face and he lets out a huff of breath.

  “You’re asking if it was me.” He shakes his head. “No, it wasn’t me. I have better things to do than stalk you.”

  “I didn’t really think it was you. Sawyer mentioned that it might have been, but I told him if it was anyone we knew, then it was Long, but I’m not so sure anymore.”

  “Our rides here.” Jeremy tugs me up and once inside the car, I look back just as Sawyer and Long walk out of the front doors.

  Sawyer looks around while he’s backing away from the witch. His actions are impatient, and I realize that he’s probably looking for me.

  “I hate that we can’t be seen together in public and that we have to hide,” I whisper softly, feeling jealousy rise up inside of me. My heart aches with wanting to be a normal couple. I just can’t see that happening anytime soon.

  18

  Sawyer

  My temples throb as I quickly leave campus, heading home. It’s been a long day and with the added stress of Andie passing out, I long for some quiet time with her. It was like my gut was on fire when I watched her leave the hospital with Jeremy’s hands on her. I could see that she was slightly unsteady and she needed the assistance, but it should have been me.

  It would have been me if it hadn’t been for Professor Long insisting on coming to the hospital. She is a vicious woman, whom I have quickly discovered, and she’ll stop at nothing until everyone knows about Andie and me.

  What I don’t understand is why. Why would she do what she’s doing? Surely she can’t be upset just because of the few times that I’ve turned her down? That’s just ridiculous.

  From how Long reacted today, I’m now worried that she isn’t going to stop until she’s ruined Andie. She’s made it quite clear that it’s Andie that she’d go after because girls like her shouldn’t be allowed to ruin a Professor’s career. So I’m expecting to hear a lot more from her.

  Which now begs the question as to what are we going to do. It makes me feel physically sick at the thought that we might have to put our relationship on hold. I also can’t help wondering if it was her who is responsible for the lights around the pool. It wouldn’t surprise me, which means she must have taken pictures. No way would she have left without having proof to back up her claim. Which also means that I need to apologize to Andie for thinking that Jeremy was our intruder.

  Sighing heavily, I rub at the pain throbbing behind my brow but instead it intensifies. More so when I stand outside my house and realize that it looks empty. She could be inside, but something suddenly tells me that she isn’t.

  At the hospital she hadn’t only looked pale after her blackout, but she’d looked upset. As though she’d had enough. Me arguing with Long probably hadn’t helped her either.

  Moving forward, I let myself in and call out for her in hope. I want her to be here. I know she isn’t and that hurts, but I guess I could hardly expect her to have Jeremy bring her here—to her home.

  No matter how difficult it’s getting, she needs to be here with me because looking around my home, it doesn’t feel like I belong here without Andie.

  I know what I have to do.

  Dropping my bags at my feet, I turnaround and head out. There are things that I need to explain, but most of all I just want to see her. I want to hol
d her in my arms and tell her how much I love her.

  Breathless from running and my side throbbing from the newly healed wound, I punch in her security code and use the elevator to get upstairs. When I’m standing outside her door I can’t decide whether to knock or use my key.

  The decision is taken when the door opens and I find myself face-to-face with Jeremy. He looks just as surprised as I am and my fists tighten wanting to claim my woman.

  “What took you so long?” he asks before glancing over his shoulder. “Would have thought you’d have been here pretty soon after us.” He continues, “I mean, we did see you leaving the hospital as we drove away.”

  I bite back what I really want to say. “I’m not explaining myself to you.” I glance into the apartment. “But, I will to Andie.”

  “Jeremy, I’ll be fine.” Andie tugs on the door and offers me a smile before she puts her hand on his arm. “I need to talk to Sawyer.”

  Jeremy’s jaw tightens and he leaves without a backward glance.

  Moving forward, I enter the apartment and take Andie into my arms, slamming the door shut with my foot. “I’m so damn sorry.” I kiss the curve of her neck. “I’ve never come so close to hitting someone as I did today. The minute I heard Jeremy accusing her of causing the attack. I was so mad.”

  She sighs into my chest and the tears seep into my shirt, as she whispers, “All I wanted was to be with you, and every time something happens in public, I can’t. Others are always watching. She can be seen with you.”

  Pushing away, Andie curls up in the comfortable chair in her small living room while I drop to the sofa. If her seat choice hadn’t already given me a clue that all isn’t well between us, the silence would have.

  “We’re both jealous of the other people in our lives who we can be seen with. I get that, and although it hurts, I’d rather have that pain than the pain of us not being together at all. I love you. So damn much that I can’t see straight.”

  She stays silent and then in a soft voice, asks, “Would it be so bad if I got another adviser, and we then made our relationship public? Would that be allowed?”

  I kick off my shoes and stretch out along the sofa. “I’d still be staff and you’d still be a student.” Staring up at the ceiling, I admit, “I’m going to look for another job, which will solve everything.”

  There’s some rustling before she climbs on me, settling on my lap. “There isn’t that many jobs around for men of your talents,” she whispers, lying against me, her face nuzzling into the curve of my neck. “I love you too, Sawyer. If I didn’t then it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

  “There are only a couple of months before you graduate. We’ve managed a few weeks and I’m sure we can manage these.”

  “I’m not going to be able to stay at the house anymore, which depresses me. I’ve gotten so used to falling asleep with you, and waking up in your arms, or with your mouth on me, or your cock in me.”

  Groaning, I find that it’s impossible to hide what her words do to me, and for the first time since the hospital, I hear a soft chuckle.

  “This is what I love as well. The fact that words coming from my mouth, turn you on. It’s hot.” She kisses my chest.

  “Let’s stop talking about turning me on and hot because tonight I’m going to hold you while you sleep, and tomorrow is a new day.”

  “Hmm.” She settles against me. “What are we going to do, Sawyer? Long is going to be watching us like a hawk.”

  “I know, which is why I hate to say this, but after tonight I think we need to sleep apart.” She starts to protest so I quickly continue, “It’s at those times when we’re most vulnerable and I wouldn’t put it past her to call in on one of us, if she suspects the other is there.”

  “But you’re planning on spending the night?”

  I grin. “She’s speaking at a very important conference in New York tomorrow, so I happen to know that she’s already in the air. There is no way she’d miss this. It’s all she’s talked about since I’ve known her.”

  “So we have tonight?”

  “And tomorrow.” I tighten my arms around her because it’s going to be hard going back to having a separate life. Very hard.

  19

  Andie

  “We’re late,” Sawyer shouts, smacking me on the naked ass. “Andie, come on.”

  I roll over and stretch, watching his eyes darken with lust as he looks down at me, his cock thick and pulsing with my eyes on him.

  Reaching up, I wrap my hand around his shaft and smirk when his eyes roll back, precum trickling from the slit.

  He’d slept spooned against me all night with an erection, so it was only fitting that I give him the relief he needs.

  Quickly moving into a sitting position, I place my legs on either side of his and cup his balls. Sawyer gasps and then groans when I suck the leaking crown into my mouth. He thickens as my tongue wraps around and presses against the thick vein. Sucking him deeper still, I wrap my hand around the base and slowly stroke while I let my mouth do the teasing. His cock is snug against my throat and with the telling growl that he releases, I swallow and mumble.

  Sawyer curses, his body taut with need and when I move my hands and dig my nails into his ass, he comes.

  His warmth spills down my throat, which I swallow away as I clamp my mouth around him so that he can’t pull away. By the time he finishes, his body shudders and I finally give in and allow him to pull his flesh free.

  Toppling me over to the bed with his warm body, I feel the deep inhale he does as he tries to catch his breath.

  My hands can’t stay still as I caress from his ass, up along his spine to his shoulder blades, and back to the firm butt that I can’t stop touching.

  Sawyer groans and moves quickly to pin my arms above my head. “You blow my mind, Andie. So giving.” He nuzzles into my neck and along my collarbone. “Your turn,” he whispers, a huskiness to his voice.

  I’d love nothing more than to have his mouth on me, but reality sets in. “I thought you said that we’re late?”

  He blinks and glances at the digital alarm clock at the side of my bed. His eyes pop wide and he jumps up, tugging me with him. “We are late. Later than before, and, we’re in the same class this morning, which is going to raise brows.”

  I chew my lip. “I could skip. I never do it so if I call in sick they won’t question it too much.”

  Sawyer tugs his clothes on because there really isn’t time for a shower while his brain works overtime. “Okay, here’s what we’ll do. It’s my class so I’ll head in first.” He grabs a shoe, and adds, “All my things are back at my place.” He closes his eyes. “Hell.”

  I quickly finish getting dressed while he’s watching with lustful thoughts on his mind no doubt. “You’re one hot woman.”

  I smirk. “Thank you.” With intent, I move closer and straddle his lap. “I think we both should play hooky today.”

  “If only.” He lifts me from his lap, and seals his lips over mine for a brief kiss. “I love you, but I really need to go.” He kisses me again. “How about missing my class, which I’ll mark you down as being in attendance and you show up for your next class. Hardly suspicious.”

  “Ugh.” I throw myself on top of the messy bed. “I hate to do that.”

  “Less tongues will talk.” He grins heading toward the door. “Besides, I’ll give you a private lesson later. Come to my office at lunch.” He wiggles his brows and leaves me laughing behind him, but I certainly didn’t miss the promise in his voice.

  Smiling to myself, I roll on to my stomach and wiggle up the bed to the pillow, which I hug to my body and go back to sleep for an hour.

  * * *

  Meeting up with Jeremy on campus isn’t the best idea that I’ve ever had especially as Sawyer sees us sitting together at the campus coffee shop. His face is taut with anger and he looks to be contemplating coming over when he obviously decides against it and stalks away from us.

  My heart sinks because I hate h
im feeling betrayed in someway. It hurts me too. I’d love nothing more than to sit here with him while we talk about everything and nothing. Just to be out in the open with him.

  “He needs to trust you,” Jeremy comments.

  “He does.”

  “Ah,” Jeremy laughs, “it’s me he doesn’t trust.”

  Gently shaking my head, I pull out my phone and notice a message.

  Sawyer: That hurt!

  With a heavy sigh, I look at Jeremy. “Until I graduate, me being with Sawyer is complicated. We can’t do things that normal couples do. It’s something that we both want badly but no matter how much we crave it, we know that we have to wait until after graduation.”

  Me: I love YOU <3

  There isn’t anything else to say that will take the jealousy away.

  “It is what it is,” I mutter and actually manage a smile with meaning. “I’m so glad that we’re still friends. I really don’t want to lose you.”

  “It’s not as easy as you’d think, but I’d rather be friends than nothing.” He offers a wry smile. “We need to do something to throw Long completely off track. I mean she thinks that you and him are doing the tango right? So make her think that you’re doing it with someone else instead.”

  “As logic as that sounds, I’m not going to do that. One it wouldn’t be fair to you, and two, she’s the one with the problem, not us.”

  “We graduate in seven weeks.” He shrugs. “Stay away from each other until then.”

  I look at him in shock. “That is not happening.” I feel tears rising and try to smile through them. “I can’t . . .”

  “Hey,” he grabs my hands, “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

  “God,” I moan, pulling my hands away to swipe at my tears. “You didn’t. It’s the whole situation. Long keeping at us doesn’t help, and she just makes things worse.”

  He grins and grabs my hands again. “I have a plan.”