Sweet Escapes: Romance Story Boxed Set (11 page)

“Miss Shaw,” Stella acknowledged in greeting. “It is unbelievably hot today, isn't it?”

Abby's gaze still on Ian, she mumbled in agreement.
Definitely hot
, she thought. But her thoughts had nothing to do with the weather, and everything to do with Ian's bare back. He stopped shoveling, almost as if he had felt her hungry gaze upon him, and looked in her direction.

A slash of a smile, a wave, and then he noticed Stella approaching.

He reached for his shirt, and Abby sighed. So much for her plan to observe him quietly while he worked.

Professor Warren had headed off for the shallow end of the pit where Ian worked with a shovel to loosen the sand and stone, and Abby wished – quite unkindly – the woman would trip and fall into the pit, or down some unknown rabbit hole.
Where
she disappeared didn't matter quite as much as far as Abby was concerned, so long as she
did
disappear.

Abby snorted, whether at the compete absurdity of her thoughts or her irritation with the professor, she didn't know.

Turning away, she headed for the work tent to study the aerial photos again.

Casting one last, longing glance in Ian's direction, she saw Stella touch him again, as she often did, and a pang of jealousy rose up inside.

Forget him, Abby, she told herself.

Forget the kiss.

Forget Ian McQuinlan.

He obviously wasn't interested in her. Why should he be? She was his student, after all. And everyone knew professors didn't dally with their students.

Chapter 4

The view across the Nile at night was breathtaking.

The air was cold. Wrapping her hands tightly about her steaming coffee mug to absorb the warmth it radiated, Abby leaned against the railing, looking up at the stars, and her thoughts drifted for a time.

Despite her warm sweater, jeans, and a thick jacket, the cold found its way into her awareness, and she shivered. It seemed the temperature had dropped ten degrees between the time she'd gotten out here and now.

She turned to go inside where it was infinitely warmer and spotted Ian walking toward her.

Dressed in jeans and a pullover sweatshirt with the words “I'm Diggin' It” emblazoned across the front, he seemed much less stuffy than he did in the sweaters and khaki's he wore in the classroom. He didn't appear to be affected by the cold Egyptian nights either, she noticed.

"Couldn't sleep?" Ian asked, joining her at the railing.

Abby shook her head and turned away to gaze over the Nile once more. Shadowy sails from the many boats bobbing on its surface rose up from the water like ghosts in the night, much like the thoughts haunting her from a few moments ago. “My mom would have loved this place.”

“You miss her a lot, don't you?”

“I do. She was an amazing person.”

He propped against the railing, tucking his hands into his pockets as he did so, a frequent habit of his. “She's the reason you left University, right?”

Abby nodded. “There was no one else to care for her. Ava had little Neil and Jenna to tend to, and work...”

Lost in memories, her voice trailed off.

“Not that I minded,” she said after quiet moment. “Mom worked so hard to give me the opportunity to do what I wanted in life. Being there with her when she needed me was the least I could do.”

She shivered again, and Ian moved to stand close behind her. His nearness sent her chill skittering away. He put his hands on her shoulders, ran them up and down her arms and the friction, coupled with the warmth of his body at her back heated her.

“Better?"

Abby angled her head around, the words “Yes, thank you,” on her tongue … but she never got the chance to say them.

His lips met hers, and all thoughts of cold fled immediately, leaving her senses filled with nothing but Ian. The warm, freshly-showered scent of him, the feel of his body pressed hard against hers, and the texture of his hair where her fingers had become entwined.

How long had it been since someone had held her this close? Touched her? Kissed her? It didn't matter, Abby thought, as long as
this
embrace,
this
kiss, didn't stop.

The feel of his hands on her body sent tiny frissons of pleasure shooting through her, and she hoped he didn't realize just how inexperienced she was at this sort of play. Mirroring his touches, his movements, she pressed closer to him, returned his kisses with fervor, his caresses with hesitant, yet bold touches of her own.

Unlike the first time he'd kissed her, there was nothing chaste about the way his lips played over hers tonight and her body's response was like kindling igniting into flame.

* * *

Ian turned her in his arms, his fingers plunging into the silky fall of silvery blond hair at her nape and temple. His thumb caressed the soft curve of her jaw then slid across her bottom lip before covering her mouth with his own.

She tasted of cinnamon and sweet coffee.

He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

One of her hands tangled in his hair, the other swept down his back, then around his side, holding him.

Ian thought he would very much like to take her upstairs to his room, strip the dark sweater and jeans from her body, and see if she tasted as sweet everywhere else.

Images of her naked and in his bed forced a groan from deep in his throat. His mouth left hers, trailing hungry kisses down the slender column of her neck while his hands slid beneath her sweater. The feel of her silken skin beneath his hands was torture.

He urged her closer, and she pressed against him, a feminine mewl of pleasure escaping her lips. His palm slid down to cup her bottom, pressing her against his erection. He wanted her to feel what she did to him, how he ached to have her.

“Abby ...”

The click of heels across the stone patio alerted Ian to her presence a bare instant before her voice broke through the haze of passion engulfing him.

“Well, well, well. What do you suppose the Bellworth University board would make of this amusing little scene?”

Chapter 5

Ian froze, tightening his arms around Abby. “Why would they have reason to know, Stella?”

“Oh, I don't know. Maybe their professor fraternizing with the female students is something they would frown upon.”

“You wouldn't dare,” Abby interjected, her face drawn with fury.

Stella lifted a perfectly shaped brow. “Oh? Why should I not? This isn't a fantasy, Miss Shaw. I'm sure you were thinking it a perfect fairy tale, sharing a forbidden kiss under the stars in an exotic land. But you seem to forget this is reality, not some made up land created for your enjoyment. There are rules here and consequences if you break them.”

She flashed a smile. “I'm sure you understand, my dear.”

A flash of hurt and angry tears filled Abby's eyes a moment before she jerked free of Ian's embrace and fled inside, hands balled into tight fists at her side, her stride quick and long.

“Abby!” Ian called and started after her, but Stella's tight grip on his forearm halted him. He snatched his arm free and glared at the dark haired woman before him. “What is your
problem
, Stella? You had no reason to talk to Abby like that!”

“Oh, so it's
Abby
is it?” Stella sneered. “Shouldn't you be calling her
Miss Shaw
?”

A little laugh trilled from her lips. “My, my. The level of familiarity between the two of you is
astounding.
”

“What do you want, Stella?”

Her brows lifted in mock surprise, her lips forming a little 'o'. “Who said I wanted anything, Ian? I'm simply providing an example for others to follow.”

“You're being a bitch, and you know it. Neither Abby, nor myself deserve--”

“She was taking you away from me!” Stella snapped, her expression angry.

Ian sighed harshly and shoved his hands through his hair.

“You never had me!” he snapped back. “What was once between us was long ago, Stella. It's done. It's
been
done.”

He held her gaze for one more bitter second before delivering the final blow. “And I never go back for seconds.”

He walked away without another word.

* * *

“Abby, open the door.”

Her face buried beneath the pillows on the bed, Abby tried her best to ignore the pounding every few seconds at her door, as well as Ian's demands to let him in.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

“Abby!”

She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled a pillow over her head, hoping to drown him out.

A few seconds passed without a word and she thought it safe to move. Bad idea. The second she tossed the pillow away, she heard, “If you don't open this door in the next five seconds, I'm going to get management up here to open it for you.”

Cursing beneath her breath, she rolled off the bed and stomped over to the door. Flinging it open, she glared at him, not caring the effect was probably more than ruined by her blotchy face and puffy eyes. “What do you want, Professor? I wouldn't want you to put your academic reputation further at risk.”

“That's the furthest thing from my mind right now,” he growled, coming inside. “Why did you run off?”

Abby shut the door and sighed tiredly. “Because.”

“Because? Go on.”

She sighed again and a crease formed between her brows as her expression began to darken. “I ran off because I was afraid if I didn't get away from that … that viper, I would give her a new face. And I don't mean a pretty one.”

Calmer now, Ian suppressed a laugh.

Abby blew a strand of hair out of her eyes where it had fallen. “Can you believe her nerve? Standing there threatening you like that? As if you were forcing me to do something I didn't want to do? Pfft! If I hadn't wanted you to kiss me, I wouldn't have let you.”

His lips spread in a wide grin. “So you want to kiss me?”

“Of course I--” Abby stopped, eyes going wide, cheeks turning pink.

“I mean, I--” She bit her lip, her hand going up to tousle her hair again before she gave up and admitted her vulnerability.

“Yeah,” she answered softly. “I do. I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you.”

Ian's brow lifted. “That long, huh?”

“Mm-hm.”

He reached out and pulled her close, one hand at her waist and the other brushing against her cheek. “I guess we've got lots of missed kisses to make up for, then, wouldn't you say?”

“I think so, yes.” Abby grinned. “Definitely yes.”

The End.

About The Author

Leighann Dobbs lives in New Hampshire with her husband and her trusty Chihuahua mix Mojo and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty.  She likes to write romance and mystery short stories and novelettes perfect for the busy person on the go.  These stories are great for someone who doesn't have a lot of time for reading a full novel.  Why not pick one up and escape to another time and place the next time you are waiting for an appointment, enjoying a bath or waiting to pick up the kids at soccer? 

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Table of Contents

Second Chance

Passionate Vengeance

Physical Attraction

Forbidden Desires

About The Author