Page 35 of Tempt Me

Dalia had been a professor here—the previous psychology professor, to be exact. For all intents and purposes, Nia should feel nothing but pain from looking at me, but she opened up her loving arms and took care of me like I was her son.

I had a kinship with Gardenia for more than one reason, I supposed. She was a good lady, and I had knocked the daylights out of enough assholes who played pranks on her, and she snuck me the good shit from the cafeteria.

We would sometimes talk about our lives and our daughters. Other times, we just sat in silence, enjoying the world around us. Gardenia didn’t need a reason to be there. She just was.

“I am afraid to let someone see behind my mask, Nia. I am afraid to love someone again and have to watch more pieces of my soul be buried along with them.”

I let the tears fall with my words, my shame unimportant, and the freedom to be fully myself with Gardenia taking priority. She wrapped her arms around me, nearly tripping me with our height differences. I awkwardly tried to lean down without falling on my ass in front of the woman.

She sniffled and removed her glasses, de-fogging them with the hem of her vest. I cleared my throat, my mask sliding firmly back into place and my tone getting back to playful.

My past and the pain there was better left in the grave in which it was buried.

I could hear Xenia’s giggle around me, her sweet, flowery scent like a breeze popping up. It made me smile.

“Fine, my hot, very dumb friend. How can I help you?”

I laughed, happy she was allowing me to continue my mission.

Deciding to keep my explanation to a bare minimum, I shrugged. “I just need the master key to the students’ lockers.”

She raised a bushy brow and looked at her desk, the involuntary action disclosing that she had them locked in one of her drawers.

She glanced back at me and crossed her arms over her uniform, which consisted of jeans and a blue vest.

“Now, why would you want that, professor?”

I kept my smile casual. “One of my students has some weed hidden in there. I figured I would do everyone a favor and confiscate it.”

She eyed me down, staring into my soul. I had swiped some ‘flower’ from students before, sharing the stash with Gardenia and the other staff members in the courtyard by the forest.

She must have found her answer in her scrutinizing gaze or just didn’t give a fuck about my lie because she shrugged and hobbled over to the desk.

“I will be waiting at the glass house, boy,” she warned, punching me playfully in my rib.

I dodged her next jab and swerved away from her, grinning sheepishly.

“You betcha. I will see you tonight, Nia.”

She sat down at her desk and waved me off, busying herself with papers on the mahogany wood.

“Yeah, yeah, pretty boy. See ya’ then. And you better behave yourself.”

Fallon was smiling and laughing with her friend. The sandwich was in her hand, but she hadn’t taken a bite yet. I smiled, happy I hadn’t missed this moment.

I waited patiently, leaning over in preparation for that moment when the sandwich would touch her lips and my gift would be known.

I chuckled to myself and sat down a few tables from her.

I was directly in eyeline.

She stopped laughing when she spotted me, her body straightening like an arrow.

“You’re too tight, Little Voyeur, I need to loosen that body up.”

Ignoring me, she took a large bite of the meal, annoyance painting her features as she chewed angrily.

Suddenly she stopped and her mouth hung open with the food half chewed inside it.

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