Love in Education: De La Fuente Book Seven Read online

  “You need to watch…” his voice trails off as he looks at my face. “Andie, what the hell?”

  Sawyer keeps his arm around me and drags me over to the entrance of an alley. “What’s wrong?” He cups my face in his large hands.

  When he caught me before I hit the ground, I was stunned but that’s wearing off, so I move away from his touch and the heat of his body. “What are you doing here?”

  He frowns, not looking happy. “I sent the others on to the club. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “You shouldn’t be here.” I shake my head. “You shouldn’t have come after me.”

  “Dammit, Andie.” He yanks at the wet strands of his hair. “You looked so upset.”

  “Wow! What a genius,” I shout. “Yes, I’m upset.” I stomp back and forth, forgetting that the rain has soaked through my dress. “But you know what, it doesn’t concern you.”

  “Yes it does.” He stands in front of me, just as soaked. “It concerns me,” he shouts, before softening his tone, “Stop lying to yourself.”

  “Ha!” I laugh. “I’m with Jeremy now, so no, it doesn’t concern you,” I say and watch hurt flicker across his face as he takes a step back.

  I’m on a roll even though I know that I need to shut up before I say something that can’t be undone. “I know that I’m not alone in what I feel. You’ve avoided me. You’ve liaised with me via email when all the other TA’s get one-to-one meetings with their professor. You though,” I step directly in front of him, “you’ve avoided me like the plague.” I cry. “I hate that you feel you can’t be in the same room as me. As though I’ve done something wrong or you can’t stand the sight of me...It. Hurts.”

  “Andie . . .” he reaches out but I avoid his hand. “Will you let me talk?”

  I ignore him once again and turn my back to him, but I can’t resist saying one more thing. Glancing over my shoulder though, I pause when I see devastation on his face. He looks haggard. I swallow for courage and state, “I quit. I’m going home and marrying the man my mom wants me too!”

  Quickly dashing away, I hope that he doesn’t follow me this time and when he doesn’t my feet falter and eventually stop. What have a done? I was upset and lost it for once in my life. The usual levelheaded Andie lost it on the man she’s fallen in love with! Because I do. Love him that is. I fell hard and fast the very first time we met. I’m not blind and know that there is an attraction between us. Except Sawyer decided he’d ignore it and just ignored me in the process, which hurts all the more.

  Chewing on my bottom lip, I turn and slowly head back toward the ally wondering what I’m going to say to him...or should I leave it well alone?

  Approaching the ally, two men run out and very nearly knock me over. I notice the one in the ball cap looked to have blood on his hands. My heart climbs into my throat as I dash into the alley and I panic when I can’t really see anything, but I do hear a moan, which gets me moving.

  “Sawyer?” I shout, running closer to where I heard the sound, and then another one . . .

  “Sawyer?” I cry dropping to the ground beside him.

  His shocked gaze meets mine and when I look down his hand is covered with blood.

  “Oh God, Sawyer.” My hands shake as I grab a silky scarf from my purse and press it to his wound. “I need my phone.”

  Panicked, my hands shake as I grab my cell and quickly dial for help. While I’m talking and shouting at them to come quick, Sawyer reaches out to me with his other hand. I place the call on speaker and grab hold of his hand.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers, his voice edged with pain. “The other woman...my sister,” he gasps, tears welling up in his eyes. “You mean everything to me.”

  I cry silently as I put pressure on his wound hoping that help arrives quickly.

  Not five minutes later, I hear, “Ma’am, let us in there.” I blink unable to move. “Ma’am.”

  Move. I need to move.

  Neither my brain nor my legs want to work, but as soon as there’s enough room for the paramedics to get to Sawyer, they start working.

  My gaze stays on Sawyer’s until he closes his eyes and looses all color.

  The rest is a blur as I give my statement and hold Sawyer’s hand all the way to the ER.

  He sleeps and eventually he’s given a private room, which is when I suddenly realize that his sister has no clue as to what’s happened. So I dig the plastic bag out of my purse with his belongings in and get frustrated when he has a four-digit security code on his phone. I press the emergency button and he doesn’t have anything saved to that, so I start to play around with the code and insert my date of birth. My eyes widen with surprise when his cell is suddenly unlocked.

  My date of birth!

  I glance at the man sleeping in the hospital bed and back to his cell. “Sawyer Lawrence, I think you have some explaining to do when you wake up,” I whisper, unable to hide the small smile. I’m tempted to check out his photographs. I don’t though...but groaning I remember the things I shouted at him.

  My smile soon slips when I think about telling his sister as I palm his phone. I feel responsible for him being here. If I hadn’t stomped off like a five year old, none of this would have happened.

  3

  Sawyer

  My head feels fuzzy as I slowly open my eyes and a nagging pain twinges in my side causing me to wince.

  “Shush,” my sister Pattie whispers, hanging over me. “Andie’s asleep in the chair.” Her head nods to the other side of the bed.

  Slowly, I turn and my heart stops when I see Andie curled up asleep in what looks to be an uncomfortable chair.

  “She’s been here all night and refused to leave. They tried to clear her out just as I arrived, but I told the nurse that she’s your fiancée so they wouldn’t call security.” My sister brushes the hair away from my forehead. “I’m not sure the nurse believed me, but I showed her my driving license as proof that I’m your sister.” She grins.

  “What happened?” No sooner have I asked, I remember. “I was attacked?”

  “Yeah,” Pattie says, morose. “You scared the shit out of Andie, and then me when she called. She says it’s her fault that it happened.”

  Just as I’m about to curse that it wasn’t her fault, Andie stirs and whimpers.

  “It was. It was my fault,” she says, tears in her eyes when I search her gaze. “If I hadn’t acted like a child, you wouldn’t be in here.”

  “I only blame the guy who stabbed me, Andie. It could have happened anywhere, and, if you had been with me . . .” The thought that Andie could have been injured or worse makes me nauseous.

  She shakes her head. “I left you.”

  I smile regardless of the pain as I remember her words of the night before. “You came back and got me help.”

  “You won’t win, so I wouldn’t try,” Pattie tells her. “Now you’re awake, I’m going to leave you in your fiancée’s capable hands.” She kisses me on the cheek, chuckling to herself and leaves before another word can be uttered.

  Sighing, I slowly push myself up in the bed and let my gaze caress over the beautiful Andie. She’s been in my head and heart from the first moment I met her when she interviewed for the TA position. Best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve never been so damn tormented though.

  Andie blushes with my gaze on her and suddenly jumps up. “God, that chair is uncomfortable.” She stretches the kinks out of her delicious body, still wearing the red dress from the night before. “Let me help you take a drink,” she offers when my eyes stay on her.

  She picks up a cup with a straw in and places it at my lips. “Drink slowly so you don’t choke.”

  I’d laugh at her words if she hadn’t put the straw in my mouth. I’m in more danger of choking from the view of her breasts as she leans over my bed. I’m not even sure she’s aware that they’re just about ready to fall out of her dress.

  While I hold her gaze and use up a great deal of effort to not ogle her chest, m
y body suddenly lets me know that it works just fine when desire throbs along my dick. I’m so hard with having her close that when she straightens, I raise my knee so that my erection has more room without becoming noticeable.

  Placing the cup back on the nightstand, she steps back and perches her bottom on the edge of the chair. Her eyes dart up to my face, which heats, but the smile she gives me has my balls so damn tight that my erection jerks under the sheet.

  “Hmm,” she glances around the room, refusing to meet my gaze.

  Inhaling, I sigh, and ask, “What happened to lover boy?” needing a distraction.

  “Lover boy,” she raises a brow, “dropped Pattie at the hospital in a cab and then went home.” She shrugs and holding my gaze, asks, “Why did you find it funny when he helped me into my jacket?”

  I pause and watch her for a minute when it clicks into place. “That’s what set you off? I upset you because I found that amusing?”

  “Yeah, you did.” Her face goes somber.

  “The truth is that I was amused. I was amused because the guy you were with, who helped you on with your coat, who kissed your neck,” I grit out, “wasn’t the guy you wanted to be doing that. You wanted it to be me.”

  Her eyes widen and then sadness crosses her features. “You’re right. I wanted it to be you, but that will never happen. I know that now.”

  “Andie, you have no idea how much you mean to me.” I sigh and have to swallow around the lump in my throat. “There are rules about Professors and students, but you’re not just any student. You’re my TA. It’s wrong to feel the way I do, which is why I’ve done everything via email. I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to control myself—that I’d yank you over my desk and have my way with you on top of student papers on Shakespeare.”

  She’s stunned and then bursts out laughing, a beautiful grin splitting her face. “On top of Shakespeare.” She chuckles. “Well, he was a romantic.”

  “I’m sorry if I made you hate me...upset you. If it’s any consolation, I’ve been just as miserable.”

  “You have?” She perks up.

  “You don’t need to sound happy,” I grumble.

  With a wicked grin, she slips her feet out of her heeled red shoes and pads softly to the opposite side of the bed to my injury. She takes down the side of the bed and minding the wires attached, she lays down beside me. I reach behind her and tug the railing back up so she doesn’t roll off.

  “I hope this is okay,” she asks as she rests her head on my shoulder. My arm goes around her and I hold her close.

  “More than okay.” I kiss the top of her head. “Andie, as long as we’re Professor and TA, nothing can happen between us.” She makes to move away but I hold her tightly, only wincing slightly at the pain in my side. “Nothing can screw this up for you, okay? Getting your doctorate is important.”

  “I want you and my doctorate,” she whispers softly against my chest. “I’m greedy and I want both.”

  I dip my forehead to hers, and closing my eyes, admit, “I want you to have both, too . . .”

  Her small gasp along with her hand on my chest causes my heart to pound heavily in my chest.

  The sound of the door opening draws my attention.

  We’ve been caught.

  The nurse pauses in the doorway, looks between Andie and me, and raises her brows. “Hmm, now I know why your heart rate increased.”

  “What?”

  The nurse points to one of the machines that I’m attached to. “We’re monitoring you from the nurses station.”

  “Oh,” I mumble and smile at Andie who looks embarrassed to be caught lying beside me. “I needed my fiancée close.”

  Chuckling, the nurse moves further into the room. “Young love.” She sighs. “I’ll leave you alone.”

  Andie buries her face into my chest, giggling. “That was embarrassing.”

  “No it wasn’t. At least we have our clothes on.” I sigh dramatically and find that I’m unable to keep my eyes open. “I think I need to sleep.”

  “Probably.” She moves closer. “Sawyer, you aren’t going to keep me away now, are you?”

  I offer her a wry smile. “We’ll talk when I’m out of here, okay?”

  Feeling happy with having my girl in my arms, I drift into a deep sleep.

  4

  Andie

  Sawyer has been out of the hospital for two weeks and back in work for one of those weeks, and he hasn’t breathed a word to me. I’ve emailed him and asked for a meeting. I even sent him a text message and still nothing.

  So now that I’ve finished the last class of the day, I’m standing outside of Professor Sawyer Lawrence’s office. My palms are damp and my throat is dry with nerves, but after sleeping with him in his hospital room, I know that I have to do this, and whether or not I’m being a stalking pain in the ass is debatable. With that in mind, I bang on his door.

  “Enter,” he shouts, making me jump at the abruptness in his tone.

  Before I lose my nerve, I inhale and quickly enter, letting the door slam shut behind me.

  His head is bent over his desk as he concentrates on the papers in front of him, but when he slowly lifts his gaze, his eyes widen before he quickly stands.

  He swallows and looks nervous, as he asks, “Ms. Foster, what can I do for you? Wasn’t my email explanatory enough?” His voice isn’t as strong as usual and his words really upset me. He won’t even meet my gaze as he moves from behind his desk.

  “Email my ass,” I fume and move to stand directly in front of him so that there is no escape. “I’m supposed to be your TA, and graduate student, but all our communication is done via email. I thought, after the hospital, that we were done with avoidance.” I raise a brow.

  He holds my gaze, searching for something, which makes me nervous so I flick out my tongue to moisten my suddenly dry lips. His gaze follows my movements and my arousal for my professor rapidly grows, which I’m sure he’s going to see with how hard my nipples feel against my fitted T-shirt.

  “Andie,” he whispers, his eyes dropping lower before quickly rising to search my face. His breathing deepens as does mine while our eyes stay connected, which gives me the courage to step up against him.

  He trembles as my breasts press against his chest, and goose bumps break out on my skin when I feel the strength of his arousal against my thigh. His hands reach up and wrap around my arms in a move that I’m sure was intended to push me away until I place my hands on his waist.

  Sawyer groans and drops his forehead to mine. “Now you know,” he whispers, closing his eyes. “I can’t be near you without wanting you, which is against all the rules.” He offers a mirthless laugh. “I don’t trust myself with you, Andie,” he admits, moving to nuzzle into my neck where he places a gentle kiss, holding his lips against my skin.

  My arms slip around to his back as I hold him close. We end up in an embrace with my head resting on his shoulder while our hearts beat a frantic rhythm. “I thought we shared something special at the hospital. That you weren’t going to avoid me especially after saying we’d talk.” I sniffle into his chest. “You’ve avoided me for two weeks. Have you got any idea how many times I’ve cried myself to sleep over you?” I shove out of his arms.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “I thought after the hospital that things would,” I wave my arms around, “I don’t know, but I didn’t expect you to completely ignore me.” My heart feels heavy now that I’ve spoken to him, but it’s been heavy for a long time. “Look, I’m sorry okay? I don’t mean to cause you problems, and I guess, this is me, saying I won’t do it again. Ever. I promise you that from now on, I won’t bother you again unless it’s through email to do with classes or my study.” I stare at him for a long time waiting for him to say something, anything. He stays silent.

  Although my heart hurts, I refuse to make a nuisance of myself when he won’t break the rules. I shouldn’t blame him or be angry with him for that, but I can’t really get there yet.
>
  “Okay, then. I’ll leave you alone.” Turning, I reach for the door handle and pray that he stops me, but he doesn’t. So fighting back tears, I leave his office and make my way through other students who look at me as though there is something wrong until I finally get back to my apartment.

  Luckily, I don’t have any class for the rest of the day, which is why I thought it would be a good time to talk to Sawyer. Obviously I was wrong. So very wrong.

  Flopping down onto my bed, I end up not knowing how long I’ve been here as the room has darkened. I glance out of my window and see the pink sky with dusk settling. The insistent buzzing of my cell in my back pocket makes me wonder if that’s what woke me up.

  In hope, I make a quick grab at my cell, but that’s dashed when I see Kasey’s name on the screen. He’s one of my best friends, which people think is weird considering his brother is married to my mom. I love the whole De La Fuente family, and I’ve finally started to accept Lucia as family even though she hadn’t made it easy in the beginning of my mother’s relationship with her son, Diego.

  Kasey is finally married with a baby on the way, so as I answer, I’m hoping everyone is okay.

  “How are you doing, Kasey?”

  “I’m doing good. So how’s your professor,” he asks without pausing for breath.

  My eyes water with the start of tears, but I don’t want him to know that I’m upset because he won’t be happy and will want to make me smile again. That would probably entail a visit, which I don’t want.

  “He’s the same as always.”

  He pauses. “I thought you said things were looking up.”

  “They were, but he’s had second thoughts.” I blow out a breath and try to stay focused as silent tears run down my cheeks. “I just want to move on okay? He obviously doesn’t care enough about me to want to take a chance, so let’s leave it please.”