Chapter 33
**Sara**
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "Tom, we can't. You're my professor now, remember?"
"Rules are meant to be broken."
"Oh, great. Now you sound like a walking cliché."
"Hey, clichés become clichés for a reason. They work."
"Not on me, they don't," I lied, ignoring the heat rising in my cheeks.
"Are you sure about that? I seem to remember you being very responsive to my touch."
"That's... that's not fair," I stammered, my resolve weakening. "You can't use that against me."
"All's fair in love and war, darling," he winked.
"Oh, so now we're at war?"
"Only if you want to be. Personally, I'd much rather make love than war."
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "That was terrible. Does that line actually work on anyone?"
"You'd be surprised. But seriously, Sara, I can't stop thinking about you and us. That night was incredible."
"It was just sex," I muttered, not meeting his eyes.
"Was it? Because I felt something more. And I think you did, too."
I looked up at him, my heart racing. "Even if I did, it doesn't change anything. We can't do this."
"Why not?" he challenged. "Give me one good reason."
"I already did! You're my professor!"
"So? I'm not grading you on your performance in bed. Although, if I were..." He trailed off, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as Tom's words sank in. His suggestive tone and the memory of our previous encounter had my mind racing with all sorts of ideas.
I wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind, pull him close, and feel his lips on mine. The thought of his hands roaming my body, exploring every inch, had my heart pounding.
But I couldn't. Not now, not when he was my professor. I had to maintain some professionalism, even if it was killing me.
"That's... that's really not appropriate, Tom," I stammered, forcing myself to look away from his intense gaze. "We can't... I mean, you're my professor now. This can't happen again."
"Ah, yes, the age-old dilemma of student-teacher relations. Whatever shall we do?"
"How about we start by you dropping me off at my apartment? I need to get ready for class."
"Your wish is my command, milady," he said, standing up and offering me his hand.
I hesitated for a moment, my traitorous mind conjuring up images of what else those hands could do. But I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and accepted his hand, allowing him to help me to my feet.
The drive to my apartment was filled with an awkward silence, broken only by the occasional small talk. I could feel Tom's eyes on me, and I tried to keep my gaze fixed out the window.
When we finally pulled up to my building, I turned to face Tom, my hand resting on the door handle. My heart raced a little as our eyes met. "Well, this is me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I, um... I wanted to thank you properly for last night. For taking me to your apartment and looking after me when I wasn't exactly at my best." I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I remembered snippets of my drunken behavior. "It was really kind of you. I hope I wasn't too much trouble."
Tom reached out and gently grabbed my hand, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. "I... I want you to know that I'm serious about this. About us. I know it's complicated, but I can't stop thinking about you."
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "We've been over this. It can't happen again. You're my professor now, and that's just... it's not right."
"But what if I resigned?" he blurted out, his eyes pleading. "Then there would be no conflict of interest, and we could-"
"Absolutely not!" I cut him off, my voice sharper than I'd intended. "You can't just throw away your career like that. This... this is never going to happen. We need to keep things professional from now on, okay?"
Tom sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll back off, I promise."
I gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you. I really do appreciate you being so understanding."
"Yeah, well, don't get too used to it," he grumbled, almost smiling.
I smiled back and opened the car door. "I'll see you in class, Professor."
"Count on it, Miss Parker," he replied, winking at me.
I shook my head and hurried into my apartment, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. As I closed the door behind me, I leaned against it, letting out a long, shaky breath.
"Get it together, Sara," I muttered. "This is going to be a long semester."
I pushed myself off the door and went to the bathroom, intent on taking a long, hot shower. As the water cascaded over my body, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to that night with Tom. The way his hands had felt on my skin, his lips had tasted, the way he'd made me feel...
I groaned and shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Nope, nope, nope. I'm not going there."
Once clean and refreshed, I toweled off and headed to my closet, determined to find the perfect outfit for the day. As I rifled through my clothes, my eyes landed on a black, lacy bra that Tom had oh-so-skillfully removed that night.
"Damn it," I muttered, quickly pushing it to the back of the closet. "Out of sight, out of mind."
I settled on a simple pair of dark-wash jeans and a cream-colored sweater, finishing the look with my favorite ankle boots. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed that I looked presentable, if not distracted.
"Okay, Sara, you can do this," I told my reflection. "Just focus on your studies and keep things professional. No more one-night stands with your professor, got it?"
With a deep breath, I grabbed my bag and headed out the door, determined to focus on my studies and not on a handsome professor and what he could do to me.
As I walked into the lecture hall, I spotted Jessica waving at me. I made my way over to her, trying my best to look casual and unaffected.
"Hey, Jess," I greeted, sitting beside her.
"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I was beginning to think you'd skipped class."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. Like I'd miss Professor Blackwood's lecture."
Jessica's grin widened. "Ooh, so you're already on a first-name basis with the new hottie, huh? Spill the beans, girl!"
I felt my cheeks heat up, and I quickly averted my gaze. "There's nothing to spill. He's just my professor, that's all."
"Uh-huh, sure," Jessica teased.
Before I could come up with a witty retort, the door to the lecture hall opened, and Professor Blackwood strode in. I felt my heart skip a beat as his gaze swept the room, and for a brief moment, our eyes locked.
"Good morning, everyone," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "Let's get started, shall we?"
I swallowed hard, my attention immediately snapping to the front of the room. This was going to be a long, long semester.
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