Enemies with Benefits

Chapter Eight

"Now, take the week to read through the syllabus, please. I don't take that ten percent for participation heavily, but I also don't take kindly to those who fall—" I slammed my hand down on the table next to the redhead passed out, causing him to jolt awake with a scream before he wiped the drool from his lip, "—asleep in my class. Stay awake and you'll receive full participation. You're all dismissed."

I turned from the students before I shook my head and laughed, remembering the times that I was that very student and my professor did the same to me right beside Caleb. Suddenly, I heard his familiar, throaty chuckle. And it wasn't in my head.

"You know that used to be you getting lectured for falling asleep in this very room, right?"

I rolled my eyes when a few of the students still in their seats laughed. I spun on my heel. "Liar. It was never Calculus that put me to sleep...It was Statistics."

"My mistake, I apologize."

Though there was humor in his voice and it lacked authenticity, I took the apology to heart and let the corners of my lips pull up. "Sorry, I didn't quite hear that. What'd you say? A m-m-m-mistake?" I forced a stutter on the word to emphasize it and laughed with a pitiful attempt to bite back my shit-eating grin.

"Fuck off. Here," he shoved a bag out towards me, "are your things. You seemed too...preoccupied to remember to take them earlier."

My cheeks heated, but I cleared my throat and reached for the offering. "Thanks. Though I am surprised you brought all that here and didn't make me go back to your place to get it."

He pulled the bag back and cocked a brow. "Well now...You're saying that's an option?"

"No," I lunged for the bag now hidden behind his back with a glare, "it isn't. Give it back."

Caleb stepped forward with a glimmer in his eyes. Before I could hide my weakness, I stumbled back and felt my legs knock into the unforgiving wood of my desk. I had nowhere else to run, and my body was humming at the realization despite my head screaming to stop him. In the corner of my eye, I saw the few remaining students turn from their conversations and plant their attention on us.

Caleb glanced in their direction with disinterest. "Get to wherever you need to go. Now."

Quick shuffles and shoves of books into bags and the teens were scrambling to leave the lecture hall. Had there been tails attached to their backsides, I'm sure they'd have been too tucked to even notice. One lingered at the door a moment, but he didn't face us.

I cleared my throat and the kid finally left. "Dean Ryker, this is hardly appropriate." The words were a pathetic exhale on my lips. There was no strength behind them.

Caleb smirked down at me with knowledge and the slightest hint of curiosity. "Dean Ryker? There are formalities again now, Ms. Hall? You've never minded saying my name. And you sure as hell didn't mind screaming it earlier in my office. So, tell me, Ms. Hall...what's changed? Why close your sexy little legs to me now? If you're going to start in on the formalities again, you could just go back to calling me sir."

At his question, my backbone found its strength once more. Pushing back against the warm, heavily muscled chest pressing against mine, I gave all I had into the shove I forced upon the man I used to love. But he didn't move his feet, only his hands. He trailed his fingers softly up my arm to the nape of my neck and curled them there. His other hand found my hip and pulled tight, trapping me in the curvature of his heat.

"What's the matter, Ms. Hall?"

I ignored the shaking in my legs and hands. Taking a slow, calculated breath, I forced my breathing to stay even. Narrowing my eyes up at Caleb, I stood straighter, effectively pressing tighter into him. The hardening length of him dug into my stomach and my pussy clenched. A shudder wracked my nerves, but I refused to let him see the effect he was pulling from me. When he ground his hips tighter against me, I sucked in a breath at his now-fully-evident erection. For me. Swallowing the lump in my throat at the need for it was like shards of glass cutting down my esophagus.