it’d gotten out of hand the last time and the time before that. when he’d gotten further than the hand creeping way across the buttons of a blouse he’d been wondering the feel of for hours. since he’d spotted her at the opposite end of the quad and swore he’d caught her eye before she’d disappeared up a staircase he’d learned to avoid. swore he’d seen the glint of invitation not entirely unlike the one spied then. after his grin’d cracked further and nathaniel humored a nod in acknowledgement. entertained a notion that the taboo ought’ve been forsaken or … whatever it was ms. guillory was fishing for. morals stuck in the suction of a murky underbelly that did more to warm him than the jacket still pulled high against his neck.
“ you’re right, ” low, it carried with another gust blown harder. till his vision was obstructed with blond and it took conscious effort to crane out from the trajectory of leaves. not the ideal place to’ve cornered her. in the open enough to spike the needed fear … that adrenaline that hit harder, still, when passing conversation trickled out from the direction of the dormitories. students wandering home after a night spent drowning themselves in the snake room, no doubt. people he might’ve recognized, had he spared more than the absent glance that broke preferred focus. “ you should probably tell me to go home before it gets back IN hand, huh ? ”
an ultimatum that wouldn’t work. the threats that sat in the shallows beside him and urged boots to kick concrete with distance taunted. “ because i’d never get into trouble there … ”
“ Stop it. ” Orders pushed through teeth clenched because one of them had to. One of them had to make the hard calls and get . . . whatever this was back under control. Before she let more indiscretions gain legs and bolt beyond reach. Hold dark, selfish impulses at arms length because, try as she might to resist, the ghosting of fingers across the nearly sheer fabric of her blouse taunted her with curiosities. Of what the air would feel like against her skin if he felt inclined to pop the fragile buttons off. Or the scrape of cold brick against her back. Or —
“ I mean it, Nathaniel. Not here. ” Not anywhere if she knew what was good for her. He may not have been her student, but she doubted such technicalities would matter to the Director when she was hauled in front of the university’s ethics committee. Which should have been enough to scare her back onto the straight and narrow weeks ago, when they had first found themselves tangled and breathless in the dance studio, but common sense had a way of flying right out the window when he smiled at her like that. Brazen as he pleased, toeing the line of downright insolent, and full of promises Penelope was all too aware he was capable of keeping. Like he already knew she was going to fail — that she wanted to fail.
Catching his hand before it took any other compromising privileges, Pene let her thumb smooth over the frayed skin of knuckles still flushed with yellow bruises. Tempted to linger if it weren’t for the voices passing, heedless of their interlude, towards the dormitories. Spooked her into pulling away and tucking traitorous hands under crossed arms. “ Something tells me you’d find it somehow. ” It shouldn’t have been said with such affection — especially in the face of what she knew needed to be done. “ Seriously, we can’t keep seeing each other like this. If the wrong person saw us together, rendezvousing in shadows, innocent or not, it could be trouble for both of us. ”
continued from ( x ) ——— @devilsgate !!
