Sweet Chemistry (17 page)

She dug her feet into his exposed ass and tensed her muscles as she moved in unison with him. Each time their bodies came together, Kate sighed. Her body filled with intense energy, and wanting James to come with her, she whispered, “I’m gonna come, fuck me harder.”

His mouth latched onto her neck, muffling his groan of pleasure against her skin. His teeth scraped her pulsing flesh as his cock swelled inside her.

Kate screamed again.

“Oh shit. I’m sorry.” James was kissing her neck where he had just bitten her.

“What?” Kate was still struggling to breathe.

“I gave you a hickey.” His forehead was creased with worry.

Kate laughed. “I haven’t had a hickey since high school.”

James kissed it again and then put her on the ground. His body shuddered as he walked over to his duffle bag. He pulled a hand towel out and wrapped it around his dick.

“You’re very prepared.” Kate was still panting.

“Never know when I’m going to get lucky.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Apparently that happens a lot when you’re around me.” The fact that their relationship was focused on sex wasn’t something she was about to complain about.

“Sorry again about the hickey.” He stroked the side of her neck.

Kate shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll be able to hide it.” She finally gained control of her legs and got dressed. “Do you want to play a little more?”

James motioned for her to stand in the serving box. “Your serve.”

As they were walking back to the dorms, Kate pulled her hood over her head, hiding the hickey on her neck. She was tempted to take his hand, but refrained. “When are you leaving for your brother’s?”

James checked his phone. “In about an hour. Thanks for spending the morning and afternoon with me, and for everything else.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Kate smiled. “I’m sure your friends are going to be impressed by your serve. You have to promise not to kiss anything better if you hit one of them though, okay?”

James chuckled. “I’m not allowed to kiss my colleagues
or
the pizza guy? Geez, you’re so demanding.”

“I’ve been called bossy before.”

“You take orders pretty well for someone who’s in charge.”

Kate blushed. “Just because I like to be in control doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy sharing the power. It’s all about give and take.”

“Thank you for giving and taking.” He had stopped walking and was leaning toward her to kiss her.

Kate shook her head. It wasn’t safe. She nodded to the dorms, which were within sight. “Have fun tonight. See you in class tomorrow.”

James frowned. “Yes, tomorrow.”

She turned, and went into the dorms, stopping at Meg’s room.

“Can I make you dinner?”

Meg looked her up and down. “What have you been doing?”

“Racquetball. Well? Do you have plans?”

“If I had plans, I would cancel them. I’d be a fool to pass up that offer.” Meg grinned at her.

“Give me twenty minutes and then meet me in the kitchen.”

After a quick shower and a scarf tied strategically around her neck, Kate gathered her supplies and went to the kitchen, where Meg was waiting for her.

“I’m really enjoying this situation.” Meg scoffed when Kate gave her a blank stare. “You know, the one where you can’t spend time with him so you make me dinner instead.”

Kate pushed on her shoulder. “Jerk.”

Meg smiled and nodded. “Yes I am, but I’m not complaining. I was going to have a microwave meal for dinner.”

“You still might…”

Meg laughed. “Nice hickey, by the way.”

Kate grimaced and touched her neck. “Can you see it?”

“Not right now, but when I saw you earlier I could. You think I was asking what you had been doing because you were wearing gym shorts?” Meg laughed. “That scarf is cute. I have a bunch you can borrow if you need them. Hey, have you told your parents yet? About the loan and bakery and all that?”

Kate shook her head.

“Did you tell
him
?”

She shook her head again. “I can’t bring myself to tell him. I guess I’m kind of nervous. Afraid he might not care, you know?”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because every interaction we have involves sex—well, almost every time—there hasn’t been many opportunities for discussion of anything else.”

Meg shrugged. “Some guys aren’t talkers. You can’t assume that because he’s quiet, he’s not interested in getting to know you.”

“This is a big deal, and I’m not ready to put myself out there.”

“Wait a minute. You were just talking about moving in together, but you’re not going to tell him about your bakery?”

Kate shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s terrifying.”

“I’ve never seen you so unsure before.” Meg narrowed her eyes.

“I know what I want. I just don’t know what he wants.”

On Wednesday, when James announced the upcoming test in biochemistry, he was surprised when Angelica didn’t ask him to join her study group. The surprise ended a few minutes after class when she knocked on his office door.

“Angelica, did you forget something?” He stood in the doorway, blocking her from coming in.

She batted her eyelashes at him. “I forgot to ask if you would come to my study group again.”

James crossed his arms over his chest. “I would be glad to help. Four o’clock?”

“Thanks. You’re the best.” Angelica touched his arm and didn’t pull her hand away.

James opened his mouth to reply, but his thoughts were interrupted by a noise down the hall. It was Lloyd, standing in the doorway to the main office. James cleared his throat. “Okay then, Angelica. See you then.”

“Thanks Dr. B.” She turned and walked down the hall, swishing her hips as she went.

He ducked back into his office and heard Angelica and Lloyd talking for a moment as he tried to get back to work.

James stared at the papers on his desk. He had been working with his research student, Michael, all afternoon Monday and most of Tuesday, but despite their long hours, there was an issue with part of the project, and it took him the better part of the next afternoon to track down the source of the problem.

Thursday morning, Sam knocked on James’ door. “Ready to play?”

James rubbed his temples. “Yeah, just give me a second.” He made a few notes on Michael’s paper.

“Everything okay?” Sam asked as they walked to the gym.

James shook his head. “No, Michael needs to repeat a part of his experiment. The results were a little too murky. He’s not going to be happy.”

Sam shrugged. “At least we’ve got a break coming up, you could always work on it then.”

“I’ve got plans. With my family,” he added quickly. “There might be time next week. I’ll have to talk to him about it.”

When the four men met at the racquetball court, they divided into new teams. Jon and Sam played together and James and David played together. As James got in position to serve, he knew no one would be able to return it. David high-fived him between serves. They scored several points before Jon switched positions with Sam and started returning the wicked serve.

After the game, Jon shook hands with everyone again. “Where’d you learn that serve?”

“I’ve got a source.” James chuckled.

“Did your secret girlfriend teach you?” Sam teased.

James’ cheeks burned. Just like that, he was fourteen again, getting teased by his friend for liking a girl. He took a deep breath and reminded himself he was an adult now, and this friend was a good guy.

“Secret girlfriend?” David smiled.

Sam piped up, “He won’t say anything, no matter how much I pry.”

James cleared his throat. “Oh, David, I wanted to thank you for putting in a good word for me with Lloyd Moore.”

“Don’t mention it James. Lloyd’s a tough nut to crack, so I figured it couldn’t hurt.” David patted him on the back. “Since next week is Thanksgiving, are we on for the week after?”

Jon nodded. “You can count on me.”

Sam and James both murmured agreement.

“See you in two weeks.” David slung his bag over his shoulder and he and Jon both left.

Sam tightened the laces on his shoes. “You’re a sly guy.”

James shrugged.

“I hope you know I’m just giving you a hard time.” Sam straightened his back and added, “Although I must admit the more you won’t talk about her, the more curious I am.”

“Good thing you’re not a cat.” A smile cracked James’ serious face, and then they both laughed.

* * * *

“Are you coming to Angelica’s on Saturday?” Kate asked between lecture and lab on Friday.

“Yes, are you?” James sat on his desk, resisting every urge to grab her and kiss her.

“Only if you are.” She grinned and it made his stomach flip. “Can I see you tonight?”

“Can’t. Michael and I need to work on his research project.”

Kate pouted. “On a Friday night?”

James shrugged. “He wanted to work on it over Thanksgiving break, and because I already have plans, he suggested we work on it tonight, Monday and Tuesday.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll just make dinner for Meg again.”

Now it was James who was pouting. “What are you bringing tomorrow?”

“What do you want?”

James thought for a second. “Pumpkin cookies.”

Kate laughed. “You really like fruity desserts, don’t you?”

“Almost as much as I like you.” He couldn’t stop himself. He gripped her hips and dragged her between his legs. His mouth was on hers as his finger wound into her hair.

Kate pulled away slowly and opened her mouth. He put his fingers on her lips.

“I know what you’re going to say about the rules, but I miss you.” He kissed her again.

She shook her head. “What if someone is listening outside? I shouldn’t even be in here with you. What if someone saw us leaving together?” He hated the panic in her voice and the fear in her eyes.

“Simple. You had a question about lab.” He touched her neck. “It’s almost gone.”

“I heal fast.” Kate smiled and pulled her lab notebook out of her backpack and turned the doorknob. “Thank you for answering that question, Dr. Baker.”

Even though he had worked for years for that title, he hated hearing her say it. By the time he got to lab, everyone had already started working. He could still taste Kate on his lips and it was driving him crazy to be this close to her without being able to touch her again.

Usually, James looked forward to lab, because it meant the beginning of the weekend, but this Friday, it only meant more work. James grabbed the pile of lab notebooks, and went down to the research lab.

“Hi Michael. I’m going to be over here grading biochemistry notebooks while you work. Feel free to interrupt if you have questions though, okay?”

Michael nodded. “I wish I had waited to take Biochem so I could’ve taken it from you. I bet you’re a really good professor.”

James smiled and shifted uncomfortably. “Thanks Michael.”

Over the next three hours, James finished grading and Michael got to a stopping point where he could easily start on Monday. The ride back to his apartment was dark, and he was grateful for the tiny headlight he strapped on the front of his bike. He glanced up at Kate’s window. The light was still on. He stopped outside her dorm and called her.

“What are you doing?”

“Writing a paper. Are you done?” Kate yawned.

“I’m outside.”

Kate appeared in her window. “I can’t see you.”

James shined his headlight at her window and covered it with his hand so it would appear to flash. “Now can you see me?”

“Sure can. Well, I can see a flashing light.”

“It’s been a long week.” James sighed and then added, “I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Her voice was soft and she was touching the glass.

He started breathing hard and his throat tightened. “Will you come over?”

“It’s kind of late.”

He had to force the next words out of his mouth. “I meant to stay over.”

The longer Kate paused, the more he regretted saying anything. When she finally answered, he could hear her smile. “I’d love to. Give me a minute?”

James sat on the curb in the empty parking lot and propped his bike against his leg while he waited for her. His leg bounced the entire time. When she came through the door, he jumped up. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Kate smiled at him. Her backpack was over her shoulder.

“Do you want a ride on my handlebars?” James joked.

Kate laughed. “What am I, ten?” She shook her head. “No, I’ll just walk next to you.”

At the bottom of the steps, Kate looked at his bike. “Is it heavy?”

“No, it’s a carbon-fiber road bike. It weighs eighteen pounds.”

“The whole bike?” Kate’s mouth hung open.

James nodded. “It also cost more than my first car. That’s why I keep it with me.”

“I can see why. Can I carry your bag while you haul your bike up three flights of stairs?”

“It’s probably heavier than my bike since my laptop is in there.” James handed his backpack to her. “You sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m sure.”

Once they were inside his apartment, they stared at each other for a few seconds. “Here’s your bag.”

“Thanks.” He pointed to the table in the living room. “You can put your stuff down.”

“Have you eaten?”

James shook his head. As if on cue, his stomach growled.

Kate grinned at him and retrieved a container from her backpack. “I thought that might be your answer.”

“What’s that?”

“Dinner.”

Words wouldn’t form in his mouth and he couldn’t move to take it from her. Kate pushed past him and went into the kitchen. A minute later the microwave dinged. Kate set a spot at the table for him.

“Come and eat it while it’s warm.” Kate pointed to the seat, and when he still didn’t move, she tugged him by his hand.

“Thank you.” His words were quiet and sounded small. He wanted to say so much more, but nothing came out. Instead, he sat and ate. “That was delicious.”

“You should’ve tried it fresh. It doesn’t taste the same when it’s reheated.”

“I’m sure Meg appreciated it.”

Kate nodded. “Yes she did.”

Their normally easy conversation was stifled by the tension between them. James’ throat started to squeeze tight again. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just really wanted to see you. You certainly didn’t have to make me dinner.”