: Chapter 22

When I imagined all the things that could go wrong at this party, having my professor show up and demand sexual favors hadn’t been on my list. I thought I’d say something stupid or spill on my dress. My worst-case scenario was that I’d embarrass and disappoint Chase.

I could only hope Chase didn’t believe what my professor was saying. I glanced at him and my hopes drop.

I stepped out of his arm that just a few minutes ago made me feel safe.

“I’ll never learn.” I murmured and was about to walk off but decided one more time to stand up for myself. I pointed at my professor. “How dare you, you fucking pervert?”

Chase flinched at my words. I wasn’t one to use the f-word, but this seemed like an appropriate time for one.

“How many students have you helped in return for a blow job, huh? News flash!” I briefly looked at Chase before turning my attention back to my professor. “Just because I’ve got tits doesn’t mean I want to fuck you. Or anyone.”

“What’s going on?” Chase’s father stepped up to join us.

“It’s nothing dad,” Chase said through gritted teeth.

“Your new wife sells her body to get ahead. She’ll take you for everything you’ve got,” my professor said.

“How dare you,” my father-in-law said. He leaned toward the professor. “What’s wrong with you, taking advantage of helpless young women just to get your rocks off?”

Tears formed in my eyes at his support. I wished Chase could do that.

“She offered,” my professor said.

“So what if she did,” my father-in-law quipped. “You’re an asshole for agreeing to it.” His face turned dark. “I suspect she’s not the only one you’ve taken advantage of. You can be sure that won’t be happening anymore.” He turned to Chase. “Get your wife out of here, Chase.” Then he turned back to the man. “Hold on tight, professor, I’m going to ruin you.”

My professor sneered. “And I’m going to ruin the Raven name by what I know?”

Oh God. I didn’t think this could get worse.

Chase’s father stepped closer to the professor, until they were nose to nose. “Did you just threaten me?”

“What’s going on?” Hunter’s voice came up from behind us.

“This man is trying to extort Sara,” my father-in-law said. He looked at Chase. “Why are you still here?”

Chase wrapped his fingers around my arm and I had a flashback to when Glen had done the same.

I yanked my arm free. “I can walk by myself.” I moved through the crowd, mustering a smile at the people as I worked my way to the door.

“She’s not feeling well,” Chase said when our guests asked.

“Chase!” Kade rushed toward us. “Dad’s limo is outside. He says for you to take it.”

Chase nodded and followed me out the door. The last thing I wanted to do was get in the car with him. I started walking up the street.

“Sara. Get in the car.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Jesus.” He trotted up next to me. In my periphery vision I saw the limo creeping alongside of us, as horns honked behind him. “Let’s not do this in public.”

“Why not?”

He leaned sideways toward me as we walked. “Because you’ll come off looking bad. If you don’t want the press to print unsavory things about you, we talk in private.”

I whirled on him. “You’d do that? Say that to the press?” I didn’t think he would. No one knew me, but everyone knew Chase Raven. He wouldn’t want to look like he’d been conned by a college student.

“I wouldn’t have to.” He nodded over his shoulder where people were watching. I didn’t know if they were reporters, but I supposed they could be.

“Fine.” I walked to the limo. Chase opened the door, and I slipped in as far to the other side as I could.

Chase got in, shut the door and told the driver his penthouse address. Then he closed the partition.

“What’s the deal with your professor?”

“He’s like every other man who looks at a young woman with tits. He thinks they belong to him.”

He flinched and then gritted his teeth. “Did you seduce him to get your internship?”

“Like I said, he sees boobs he’s likes and thinks the woman likes him too. They pervert everything to think a woman is coming on to them. They miss parts where the woman is squirming in revulsion and dying a little inside that no one sees them as a person.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No. He expected I’d repay him and I didn’t dissuade him because I saw the internship as a lifeline. My one chance to escape my life.” I leaned my head against the window, wondering if I should give up, go home, and live the sad life my parents wanted me to.

“Is that how you always get ahead? Let men think they can have you. Like you did to me.”

I felt sick inside. “You’re the one that offered the money to marry you.”

“Just like he offered an internship recommendation.”

My heart cracked open. “You’re no different.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to him, Sara.”

I lifted my head and looked at him. “You think I used some sort of voodoo hypnotic seduction to get you to offer me money to have your baby. I probably knew your father took away your inheritance. God, if I was as smart and cunning and willing to be a bitch, I’d have been living the good life long before this.” I rested my head on the window again. “I’ll remind you, too, that I was a virgin and once again, you’re accusing me of being a whore.” I should get out of this marriage now. Maybe I wasn’t pregnant and I could just leave.

“Fuck.” He growled. We rode in silence for a while. “The thought of that man touching you makes me sick.”

“The fact that you think that happened makes me sick.”

“I’m sorry, Sara.”

I didn’t respond.

“I’m an asshole.”

You got that right.

He sighed. “Sara, please. Look at me. I’m trying to apologize and grovel.”

I couldn’t stop the slight twitch of my lips upward. I lifted my head and looked at him.

“I’m sorry. Christ, I’m so sorry.” He dragged his hands through his hair. “You’re right about it all. I can see that men don’t really see you. I keep thinking I’m better than that, but I fail.” He leaned closer to me. “I do see you Sara. I see that you’re smart and brave. I see your fight to be seen, and I’m sorry I fucked up. I just… the thought of you with another man ties me up inside. I wanted to kill your professor. Hell, I wanted to kill Kade the other day for the way he looked and talked about you.”

“And yet you did it too when you believed I could be like that.”

“I don’t believe it.”

I quirked a brow.

“My jealousy got the best of me, honey.”

He was jealous? And did he just call me honey?

I studied him. “Do you believe you’re the only man I’ve ever been with?”

“Yes. And I regret that I didn’t treat your virginity with more care. You gave me a gift, Sara, and I haven’t adequately acknowledged that. I didn’t deserve it.”

“Sometimes I think you’re right about that.”

He gave me a wan smile. “I want to make it up to you. The truth is, I do respect and admire you. I don’t know your history, but I’m guessing it was difficult, especially if was filled with men like your professor and your ex. It kills me to think I’ve done anything like them.”

“You’re not all bad. They are.” I felt my effort to stay angry at him waver at the sincerity in his eyes.

“I won’t let him hurt you. None of them will hurt you, I promise.” He took my hand in his. “I won’t hurt you either, Sara.”

“Do you know why I gave you my virginity?”

He shook his head.

“It wasn’t because I saw you as my way out or a way to get money.”

He simply waited for me to continue.

“I was attracted to you for one, and I could tell you were attracted to me too.”

He looked down, like he was ashamed.

I reached over and lifted his chin so he could look at me. “But you didn’t try to use that to get something from me. I know it’s crazy to say considering where we are now, but I never felt like you were going to try to extort favors.”

“I kissed you in the office.”

I smiled. “But you felt bad about it. You knew you crossed the line. Do you think the professor cares that he crossed the line?”

“No.”

“I also gave you my body because you were the only one who ever made me want to. No other man has made me feel hot and needy.”

“Your ex?”

“Not even him.”

He smiled, and I saw a tinge of smug pride.

“Don’t let it go to your head, Chase.”

“No, of course not,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

I leaned forward and kissed him.

He groaned and pulled me into his lap. “Sara.” His deepened the kiss and then he pulled back. “Jesus, I want to touch you, but am afraid it’s wrong.”

I smiled, looping my arms around his neck. “That’s what makes you different. You consider my feelings or whether it’s appropriate.”

“I don’t want to hurt you or make you feel obligated.” Then he swore, “I’m paying you money to be my wife, of course you feel obligated.”

I put my finger over his lips. “I don’t. If I said no, you’d respect that.”

I could see that on deeper reflection, our situation was bothering him.

“Chase, right now, your touching me would be completely appropriate and would make me happy.” To make sure he understood, I wiggled my ass over his dick, smiling as I felt it respond.

“I so fucking need you,” he said on a hoarse groan as his lips consumed mine. Our hands were everywhere, wanting to touch and taste as the limo made its way through the traffic.

He unzipped my dress, yanking it down and freeing my breasts. “Jesus, I love your tits.” He sucked one in his mouth, causing me to cry out.

His fingers snaked up my thigh under my dress, until he rubbed my clit over my panties.

“Chase,” I gasped as need shot through my body. I whimpered, needing him to touch me and make me feel good.

His tugged my panties down my legs and pushed my skirt up.

“Open your pussy for me, baby.”

I widened my thighs.

His fingers stroked my pussy lips. “You’re so wet. All for me.”

“Only for you,” I gasped wanting him to know for sure that he was the only one who ever touched me. Who I ever wanted to touch me.

“I’m going to make you come,” he insisted. “I’m going to watch you.”

I could only hope I didn’t look like an idiot when the big O hit.

“Yes, please.” I rocked my hips, urging him to touch me more, harder, faster.

One finger sank inside me.

“Yes,” I hissed.

He pulled it out and then inserted two fingers.

I was moaning and writhing.

“Come on my fingers, Sara.” He sucked on my nipple hard, and flicked his thumb over my clit as he thrust in again. My world exploded into a million pieces.

“Chase!” I screamed out his name.

“That’s right baby. Chase is your man. The one that gets to touch you.”

He drew out my orgasm until I collapsed in his arms. He held me, not saying anything for a long time.

“We’re about home.” He helped me zip up my dress, then he twirled my panties on his finger. “We can keep these off, right?”

His dick was long and hard under my ass. “It will save time if I don’t put them back on.”

He grinned. “My thoughts exactly. I just hope I can get you into the apartment. I might have to fuck you in the elevator.”

“It’s private, right?”

He groaned. “I think I might have just come thinking about it.”