Teaching Mr. Graham

Chapter Twenty-Four

    "Oh, darn it...I forgot something in the car."

    Tatiana arched a brow at Kenya.

    Kenya started backing up towards the door. "I need to go and get that...that thing that I left in the car. I'll be right back."

    Aubrey scratched his head. "You two didn't walk here?"

    "We did," Tatiana told him, once Kenya was out of the door. "That was just her awkward way of giving you and I time to talk, I guess."

    "Hmm," he said, moving closer to her. "It's odd that she would find the need to awkwardly give us time to talk. Why would she feel the need to do that?"

    Tatiana looked away from him.

    "Unless..." He closed the final foot of distance between them, now close enough for her to smell his sweat. Even his sweat smelled heavenly, a mix of perspiration and the finest designer cologne.

    She tried to focus on his words, but it was hard to while she was desperately trying to figure out how he was able to make even armpit hair look sexy.

    "Unless she knows about you and me," he finished.

    "There's not much for her to know," she told him, lifting her eyes to meet his steady gaze.

    His mouth formed into a charming smile. "Touche'," he said, his voice dropping down several octaves.

    "But..." Tatiana bit her bottom lip.

    He lifted an eyebrow.

    "She might know that we kissed," Tatiana admitted.

    "Telling the friends about me?" he asked, reaching up and touching her hair. "Sounds serious."

    She swatted his hand away from her hair. "She's my best friend, and we share a dorm. I couldn't have hidden it from her even if I wanted to."

    "She's a good friend to you. I don't mind that she knows."

    "You don't seem to mind much in general," she muttered, moving away from him. "Between you and me, I'm the only one who seems to care about your career."

    He frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"

    You looked sexy as hell playing basketball, and you look sexy as hell now while you're standing in front of me. For some reason, that has me agitated beyond belief. "The flirty looks while you were playing basketball? You being here? Now? Shirtless, when I'm the only one here? Not wrong, per se, but also not smart."

    "I see." He stroked his jaw. "So, in addition to just being friends, I'm also not allowed to look at you...not allowed to work out in the same room as you...and although I played basketball shirtless in a stadium full of students, the minute I'm in your presence, I should put my shirt back on?"

    "Well..." She looked away from him. "It sounds silly when you say it that way."

    He laughed. "It sounds silly no matter which way it's said."

    She laughed along with him. "I'm just...trying to look out for you," she said, still moving away from him. "And I'm trying to make sure we both stay on our best behavior."

    "You sound more like a teacher than I do," he said softly, reaching out to touch her hair again.

    She caught his wrist and held it. "You can't keep doing that."

    "I'm sorry, friend," he said, wearing a smirk.

    With a roll of her eyes, she released his hand.

    He allowed his hand to fall at his side. "Okay...I don't know how to do this."

    "You don't know how to be friends?" she asked incredulously.

    "Not with you."

    She stopped backing up and stared at him.

    "Every time I get around you, I want to kiss you. I want to touch you."

    Her lips tingled at the memory of how it had felt to kiss him.

    "I know I'm not the only one that feels that way," he added softly. "And knowing that you want me to kiss you just as badly as I want to kiss you...it makes it all worse somehow."

    "Maybe I should drop your class," she suggested, even though it broke her heart to do so. "Maybe that would make it easier."

    He frowned. "What? After the risk you took to get in the class? I can't let you drop it. No."

    "If that's what it takes to make sure that you keep your job and I'm not expelled, then..." She shrugged. "I'm willing to do it."

    "I wouldn't let you," he said firmly. "I'd quit before letting that happen."

    She shook her head.

    "And maybe that's what I should do," he said.

    "Now you're just talking crazy."

    "Why? It's not like I need this job."

    "Why did you take the job?"

    He ran a hand over his head.

    "Answer me," she told him.

    "Because I had amazing teachers in my life," he answered finally. "And I knew friends whose teachers believed in their art more than their own parents did. I wanted to be that person for someone else."

    Despite how frustrated she was with their situation, she couldn't help but smile at that answer. "And you are that person, for several classes of students," she said. "You're that person for me. Without you, I wouldn't have dared to take that class. I would have come close, but I probably wouldn't have taken the plunge. You are a phenomenal teacher...when you're not flirting with me."

    He ducked his head down.

    "The students in your class need you. You shouldn't abandon them just because you can't keep your hands to yourself." For the first time since he'd entered, she took a step closer to him. She grabbed one of his hands and held it. "We can be mature about this, and put our feelings to the side and get through the rest of this semester."

    Desire flared up in his eyes. "Easier said than done," he said, touching her face.

    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Aubrey..."

    "I know. I can'tkeep doing things like this." He stroked the back of his hand along thecurve of her jaw anyway. "Behaving is not one of my strong suits. I wasnever one for following the rules."