Kept by the Professor

by Sasha Gold

  “Remember, Lilly, you helped me with my freshman comp final paper? I’m Chad.”

  She laughs nervously. “Oh…right! Chad!”

  She doesn’t remember him at all. I scoff at her attempt to sound convincing. She’s not a good liar, not at all. Chad, the dipshit, doesn’t take the hint.

  “I always thought you were hot and damn, now you’re even hotter than I remembered.”

  Lilly parts her lips but doesn’t reply.

  He doesn’t back off. “I’d really like to-”

  I come to Lilly’s side and offer her the water. “Say goodbye?”

  Scowling, he looks like he might want to run his mouth. As a public service, I’ll keep him from making even more of a fool of himself. “Lilly’s upset. You need to give her space.”

  “What are you? Like her uncle or something?”

  “He’s my… uh… neighbor,” Lilly hastens to say. “He’s helping me out with a sick dog.”

  “Get lost, son.” I talk in a low, warning tone. “And don’t hit on women in emergency vet clinics.”

  Chad looks from me to Lilly, and back to me. I can tell he’s waiting for a word of encouragement, and when it doesn’t come, he leaves with a huff and takes a chair on the other side of the clinic. His scowl deepens, but a call distracts him and soon he’s bullshitting someone else.

  “Thank you,” she murmurs shyly. “I didn’t remember him at first.”

  “He sure remembered you.”

  She shrugs a shoulder, avoiding my eye as she rubs a finger along her purse strap. “I don’t date the Grenville boys. Especially not a guy who gets mad when you turn him down.”

  I’m glad she turned him down. A low growl settles in my chest. A primitive satisfaction heats the blood in my veins. My breathing is shallow. A surge of adrenaline lingers. I don’t want that persistent little shit anywhere near Lilly. I haven’t asked her anything about boyfriends, past or present, but I’m happy she’s not dating. Not that I can date her, of course. Then I start wondering if something happened to her and my satisfaction shifts to a wave of protectiveness.

  “Hey.” I take her hand gently. She startles but doesn’t pull away. I run my thumb across the top of her palm. “Did someone hurt you? Is that why you don’t date?”

  She takes a sip of water and gives me a furtive glance. The waiting room is full of people. Staff run here and there with test results or meds for clients. The clinic is noisy and chaotic, but the way she looks up at me through a fringe of lashes makes me feel like we’re alone, just me and her.

  “Did they?” I ask again. I lower my voice and lean closer. “Want me to go kill them?” Her lips curve into a smile. The spark in her eyes makes me give her an answering smile. Squeezing her hand, I keep my voice low. “Give me his name.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal, but I guess it made me decide I’d wait for the perfect guy.”

  “Good.” I respond with a little too much enthusiasm.

  “There’s something about kissing boys that makes me feel…”

  “Makes you feel what?” I manage to say through gritted teeth.

  She holds up her cup of water. “What is this? Truth serum?”

  “Tell me why you don’t like kissing?”

  Sipping her water, she eyes me over the rim. She lowers the glass and licks her lips. Silence stretches between us until finally she speaks softly. “I had a bit of a bad experience in high school.”

  I’m sure most people have. I’d like to tell her that but hold back. As a kid, I spent enough time listening to my two older sisters. They taught me that when a girl is talking about something personal it’s time to STFU. I’m not the swiftest student when it comes to communication, but a few dozen head slaps from my sisters when I was a kid, delivered with lightning speed, left an impression. I keep my lips sealed and just murmur a soft sort of sound to show I’m listening.

  “And when I came to Greenville, I tried dating a guy freshman year,” she says quietly. “I just never felt anything.”

  Some asshole kissed luscious, sexy Lilly and fumbled the play. He couldn’t make her feel anything. I’m not proud of how much wicked pleasure that gives me. Filthy thoughts flood my brain. Lilly submitting to my kiss. Lilly squirming beneath me. Lilly breathless, mindless, begging me for more.

  Her plump lips are dewy from the water. I let my gaze linger before looking her in the eye. “I know what the problem is, Lilly.”

  “You do?”

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  She laughs softly. “Can we just pretend that this conversation never happened?”

  A sound from the parking lot draws my attention. A sports car, a Jaguar, speeds across the parking lot, nearly hitting a couple getting out of their car. The driver screeches to a halt. He steps out of the car and slams the door so hard it makes the car rock. I can’t see his face very well because of the glare on the glass, but I can tell he’s ready to lay into someone.

  He storms into the clinic. He demands to speak to Lilly Wharton. The receptionist points in our direction. He whirls around, red-faced, veins bulging on his forehead. He’s stocky, barrel-chested and looks like he’s ready to kick someone’s ass.

  My protective instincts kick into high gear. While Chad was a nuisance, this guy looks dangerously unhinged. I’m more than ready to rumble, or at the very least, ready to put myself between Lilly and dipshit 2.0.

  “You’re going to pay for my dog’s vet bill,” he shouts. “He was fine when you picked him up. You’re liable.”

  He tries to get around me. I stiff-arm him. He staggers back and turns his fury on me. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Her boyfriend, asshole.” I keep my voice down to a low snarl. “And you can’t talk to her like that.”

  The guy’s eyes widen. He takes a step back. “She hurt my dog, my kid’s puppy, and now Taffy needs surgery.”

  The tech steps into the waiting room just in time to hear the owner’s outburst. “Taffy swallowed a penny. That’s what’s making him sick.”

  The man reddens even more. I’m sure he’s going to have a coronary any minute.

  “He must have gotten the penny at her house,” he shrieks.

  By now the entire waiting room is watching us. A few more techs step out of the back room. They’re burly guys and one woman who looks pretty sturdy too. They’re waiting to see how this is going to go down.

  The vet tech explains in a calm voice. “Taffy has zinc poisoning. Pennies are made of zinc nowadays. The coin starts to dissolve in their stomach, but zinc poisoning takes more than a day or so.” He gives Taffy’s owner a look of contempt. “The process is slow and takes weeks to start poisoning the dog. He didn’t ingest it yesterday. He’ll die if he doesn’t get surgery now.”

  The owner looks even more pissed off. “What’s that going to cost me?”

  “You can take that up with the receptionist. She has the figures.”

  “I can tell you right now, if surgery is more than a few hundred dollars, I’m putting him down.”

  With that, he turns and stalks out of the clinic, barking a few commands to the receptionist who has Taffy’s file in her hand.

  “What will it cost to operate?” Lilly asks.

  The tech sighs. “With surgery and a two- or three-day stay here, the bill is going to be a minimum of two grand.”

  Lilly looks stricken.

  “Do whatever you need to do,” I tell the tech. I make my way through the crowded waiting room.

  The receptionist is on the phone with a client, but her attention is on the Jag screeching out of the parking lot. She looks aghast and is so rattled that she can hardly answer the client’s questions. Passing the call to the techs in the back, she sets the receiver down and gives me a weary look. “May I help you?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about the puppy, Taffy?” I try not to wince as I say the dog’s ridiculous name.

  She knits her brow. “Are you going to tell me to put that puppy down like that guy who just left?�
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  I shake my head. “Nope. In fact, I want you to keep my credit card on file for his bill.” I hand her my black American Express.

  Chapter Five

  Lilly

  I agree to Taffy’s surgery. Of course, I do. It was either that or… well, I don’t want to think about the alternative. I’ll find some way to pay the bill. Maybe my mother will soften if I tell her the whole sad story.

  Ryker seems to think he needs to cheer me up by giving me a bad time. He’s a horrible tease.

  The debate starts before we’re even out of the parking lot with some not-so-subtle questions about who owns Taffy. With a wry grin, he claims that because he’s come to the vet clinic, the dog belongs to both of us, and we’ll have to work out a shared custody schedule, and since they’re keeping him for a couple of days, we have time to negotiate the details. A flicker of wicked amusement lights his face. He emphasizes the word “negotiate”, giving the word filthy connotations.

  I’d like to ask him how many girlfriends he has in town, but I’m too flustered, too fretful and too darned tired.

  The first rays of dawn light the eastern sky. I’ve kept this guy out all night and it wasn’t even for a fun reason like partying or dancing. Despite the long night, he’s cheerful. He escorts me to the car, opens the door for me with a chivalrous wave of his hand and shuts the door behind me. I’m momentarily overcome with a rush of emotion. Ryker spent the night with me, helping me with a suffering dog. He hasn’t complained once, and now he’s trying to cheer me up. Again.

  He’s driving my car. We have the top down. The wind blows through his wavy hair. He points to a road as we pass by, a quiet road that heads past the hills that surround Grenville and to a sort of high-altitude plateau.

  “My family has a ranch about an hour up that road,” he says.

  “A ranch?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he drawls. “My father wants me to quit my work and take over operations.”

  Parental expectations are nothing new to me. I can’t help tightening my shoulders a notch. “Is that what you want?”

  He grins at me, his eyes glinting with humor. “After you graduate, we’ll need to live close to each other. I don’t want to be a long-distant pet parent. Our dog needs a home.”

  I tap my finger on my heart. “I need a home too. I’ve never had one for more than a few months. I need to figure something out for Taffy and for myself.”

  “I need a home too. Dang, all three of us are a sad story, aren’t we? We can live together and solve the whole deal, neat and simple.” He winces, feigning concern. “Except we ought to get hitched first. I don’t want to live in sin if we’ve got a little four-footed child running around. We need to set an example, if we’re raisin’ a young ‘un. That and my mother would flat-out kick my ass if I let some woman take advantage of me. No free milk here. No, ma’am.”

  I can’t help laughing at his absurd argument. His words make no sense but I’m not complaining. He’s fun and flirty and I’m enjoying every minute, even though I’ve been up all night and I’m worn out. Every inch of him, every gesture shows off male bravado and confidence. He’s no college boy, that’s for sure. He’s all man. I could listen to his teasing banter all day and all night. I can even dish a little out.

  “I’m pretty sure that free milk refers to the woman’s side of living together.” I give him a flirty smile and arch a brow. “When they talk about men, they use a different phrase. Free sausage comes to mind.”

  “It’s the same principle.” He reaches over to brush my hair back. With the top down, my hair blows wildly. The moment he brushes it away, it whips back across my face. The touch of his hand on my cheek leaves a tingling sensation. He pulls his hand away and I wonder if he feels it too.

  “I don’t know where I’ll be after graduation.” I try to keep my tone light, as if it’s all one big adventure and not some unpleasant future unfurling before me. Living with my mother and Raul, drunken guests, trying to be polite to old, married businessmen. I groan inwardly. “My mother thinks I’m going to work for her.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “On a yacht.”

  Ryker looks aghast. “I don’t want my dog getting sea-sick.”

  “Why the heck do you keep calling him your dog?”

  “I’m paying for his surgery.”

  “Ha, very funny. You heard them. The bill is going to be two grand. Minimum.”

  “When the owner left, he told the receptionist to put him down.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut and push the horrible thought away.

  “Come on, Lilly. There’s no way I’d let that happen. I already gave them my credit card.”

  I bite my lip. My mouth feels dry, my throat tight. I blink, trying to rid my eyes of the prickly discomfort of impending tears. “I don’t know when I can pay you back.”

  “I’m not asking you to pay me back.”

  I stare in disbelief, waiting for him to add to that, but he says nothing. I’m not sure if he’s bullshitting me or not, but I’m too tired to care. I’ll figure out how to pay the bill no matter what.

  We pull onto the highway, with a sixty-mile-per-hour speed limit. He shifts into a higher gear, making the engine roar, a sound I’ve never heard my little car make before. His hand looks massive, gripping the stick. He looks massive sitting in my tiny car, but handsome too, and the easy smile on his face makes me happy for some reason. I can’t keep my lips from curving into a smile as I admire his profile.

  “I’ve kept you out all night.” I wince a little. “I hope you don’t have too much work to do on the house.”

  “A fair bit. It’s an old house. It’s going to take a while.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  Which is a bit of a lie. I want him to have lots and lots to do on the house so he’ll stick around a little longer. The urgency of finding a math tutor fades. Maybe Gemma will help me find one at the student center. I’m worried about math, of course, but in my exhaustion I’m thinking more about the potential for more Ryker sightings.

  He doesn’t seem tired or put out that he’s been up all night with me. I’m grateful, to say the least.

  “Aren’t you worried you’ll be seen with a student?” I ask him, teasing, and testing the waters a little to see if he’s like the other local guys who don’t like Grenville students.

  He shrugs. “A little. Hopefully no one will recognize me.”

  “Oh, really?” I stick my tongue out. “Well, don’t let me cramp your style.”

  He glances at me a time or two, his brows furrowing, his smile fading. “Hey.”

  While I don’t have a claim to Ryker, I can’t help feeling a little let down that he’d worry about being recognized while he’s out with me. Part of me wishes he wouldn’t care and that he’d actually want people to see us together.

  “I’d hate to ruin your reputation.” Okay, I’m being petulant. I’m so tired, I’m probably delirious.

  He doesn’t say anything for a while. We drive along the mostly empty highway. The sun crests the horizon, casting warm, golden light across the town of Grenville. The eastern sky is clear, but storm clouds darken the north. A few moments later, he exits the highway and we stop at a red light.

  “I could lose my job,” he says.

  I try to keep from rolling my eyes. That sounds a little extreme. If he doesn’t want to hang around me, it seems he could come up with a reason that’s slightly less melodramatic.

  “Even more importantly,” he goes on, “I wouldn’t want you to have problems at school. Especially if you’re almost ready to graduate. That’s my biggest concern.”

  “Thank you,” I tell him. In the early morning stillness, a quiet stretches between us. I’m still a little miffed, but the warmth in his eyes makes my irritation drop a notch or two.

  The light turns green, but he doesn’t step on the gas. He doesn’t even look away from me. There’s an intensity to his gaze that takes my breath away.

  Af
ter what feels like an eternity, he speaks. “I’d do anything for you.”

  I blink, waiting for him to follow his words with a teasing comment, but he just holds my gaze. I tear my attention away and try to find the words to reply. I’ve had good friends over the years, really good friends, and I even have a couple of aunts and uncles that I love, but no one in my entire life has said anything like those words to me.

  Finally, I manage a quiet thank you.

  He shifts the gear, steps on the gas and tears through the light just as it turns from yellow to red. I shake my head with silent disapproval but can’t keep from smiling at him. He grins, shifts again and once more, we’re flying down the road.

  “I don’t think my little car likes your manhandling, Ryker.”

  He arches his brow. “I think your little car needs a whole lot more manhandling.”

  His unexpectedly tender words from a moment ago made me melt inside. Still, I’m grateful to be back to the familiar territory of playful banter. We arrive home as the sky starts to lighten. Dark, heavy clouds promise rain. Distant thunder rumbles so I put the car’s top up.

  I should be exhausted. Instead, I’m amped up, hyper-aware of his every move. I’m not sure how to proceed after spending the night with a man in the emergency vet clinic. He’s flirty but he’s also made it clear he doesn’t date students. Under that gruff, sexy exterior he’s kind and sweet, but as soon as he finishes the repairs on the house, he’ll be gone. The idea gives me a hollow feeling in my chest.

  “Are you hungry?” I ask, feeling suddenly awkward. “I think we need to talk about the vet bill.”

  I try to sound like I’m being totally pragmatic here. I’m praying that I don’t sound like I can’t bear to say goodbye and never see his handsome face again.

  “Want me to take you to breakfast?” His teasing, flirty tone is gone. His voice is back to gentle, tender. He studies me. I search his eyes, noting the gold flecks in the gray. “You’ve had a long night.”

  “So have you.”

  His lids lower as he lets his gaze drift to my lips. “What are you suggesting?”

  His voice registers deep in my body. I’ve never had this kind of response to a man, probably because I haven’t ever spent time with a man like him. He’s nothing like the boys I’ve gone to school with. Nothing.