Page 64 of Private Tutoring
I’d anticipated the question, and all my excuses came off as ridiculous, but I had to give him something, an answer that would satisfy his curiosity and keep him from tracking me down. Not that he would.
None of them cared enough about me to turn this into a big deal.
“College has been a lot more than I anticipated. I almost lost my scholarship.” I stopped there before I betrayed myself by admitting I was scared about my pregnancy.
“Yes.” He nodded, hands in his lap and feet kicking slowly back and forth in a seemingly unconcerned manner. “College can be complicated. But you’ve improved your grades and are no longer in jeopardy of losing your funding.”
Right. I should have expected him to bring that up. How far could I go without outright lying to him?
He slid off the desk, and the move shifted him close enough that we shared a breathing space. “What is really going on? Are you looking for an excuse to end things with us? Because you need only say you’re done. We will respect your wishes.”
This was it, my one-way ticket out of their lives. My throat worked, the words I needed buried beneath layers of love I wished I had the right to express. “It’s not about that. I’ve loved every minute with all of you.”
“Then stay. Whatever issues you’re having, we can help you sort them out.” He took my hands and brought them to his lips, kissing the knuckles on my right hand, then my left, before heclasped them beneath his chin. “We would do anything for you, Harmony.”
The way he said it almost undid me. I believed him, but it was my job to protect them. I’d brought an undiscussed variable into our relationship that wasn’t really a relationship but more of a situationship.
He released my hands and slid his arms around my waist. “I want you to stay.”
I tipped my chin up, my breath hot in the back of my throat when I exhaled. I had no words to argue with him. I’d lost all sense the minute he touched me. How could I crave him when I’d come so close to destroying him? “Roberto.” I tried to shake my head, but he caught my lips with his.
I tasted the stay he’d begged for on his lips. Every part of what I’d expected to happen failed me. All I had left was to hold onto him and ride the storm of tenderness that filled me. I’d do anything for them.
Stephen’s no-strings-attached rule had been blown sky-high a long time ago for me, but the way Roberto kissed me gave me hope that he felt it too. Was it possible we were more than sex partners?
I tightened my grip on his shirt, and he fisted his hands in my hair, anchoring my head in that angle he loved as he plundered my mouth in sweeping strokes. I ground my hips against him, not meaning to but unable to stop. I was going to miss this. The feel of him, the way his rugged scent of amber and winter wrapped around me.
He backed into his desk and brought me flush between his legs. I lost all my self-restraint. That one move ripped it away and opened me up for anything he offered. Even if it was right in the middle of his classroom.
I loved them. All three of them. And it wasn’t a situation where I loved one more than the other. It was equal, raw, and powerful. I carried their child in my belly.
This was a goodbye kiss, nothing more. My resolve solidified. Even as I gave in and kissed Roberto back, I used our time together to try and show him how much I loved him. I didn’t think my heart could break further, but it did. The pain turned excruciating.
“Stay.” He muttered against my lips before devouring me again.
I could say yes. One last time.
“Profe—” The shocked gasp rattled the heat between us, driving us apart.
I took a step back, my face so hot it sizzled.
Roberto remained sitting on the corner of the desk, but the look on his face forced me to turn too. “Can I help you?”
A student I recognized from my class stood in the open doorway, their eyes as big as saucers and mouth hanging open. They took a step back, then another, waving both hands in front of their face. “Sorry, Professor.” Stuttering out an apology, they turned and bolted.
“Shit.” I pulled out of Roberto’s embrace. “That’s Staci Callahan. She’s not known for being discreet.”
Roberto fixed his pants, though it did nothing to hide his erection. Even being confronted by a student hadn’t removed his desire for me. I’d be flattered if I wasn’t so terrified. Everything I’d fought to hide threatened to be exposed.
“I’ll go talk to her. Will you stay here until I get back?” He looked so earnest and hopeful, his black curls wild when he ran his hands through them, that I found myself nodding.
He rushed from the room and disappeared from sight.
Groaning, I dropped into a desk in the front row and lowered my forehead to the cool wood. What a mess. Right when I had the strength to fix everything, karma caught us in the ass.
32
ROBERTO
