Count to three: My affair with my dynamics professor (teacher x student)

Chapter 33

He was dressed in his usual sharp, executive style, but there was something softer in his demeanor this morning, an almost rare tenderness. His driver stood behind him, waiting by the sleek, black car parked outside, ready to take them to the airport.

"Good morning," Kristoffer said, his voice warm and casual. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, his touch light as his hand brushed briefly against her arm, an almost respectful gesture despite the weight of their history.

Inés returned his smile, a soft curve of her lips, and stepped back to allow him inside. She shut the door behind her, the quiet click of the lock a small punctuation to the moment.

She took a moment to gather her things—her cashmere coat was draped over the chair, and she slid it on smoothly, the soft fabric settling against her shoulders like a familiar weight. As she reached for her purse, Kristoffer moved toward the luggage by the door, lifting it effortlessly and making his way toward the waiting car.

Inés looked down at her dogs, who were lounging contentedly by the hallway, completely unaware of the impending absence. She smiled softly at them, her fingers brushing gently over the top of their heads before she glanced back at the door. "I'll be back soon," she murmured to them, before turning toward the door herself.

She shut it quietly, glancing at it one last time as the car door opened. Kristoffer had already placed her luggage in the trunk, the driver moving to get in the front seat.

Kristoffer was already in the car, and she slid into the passenger seat beside him. The drive ahead was just another part of the dance they'd perfected over the years—business, distance, and the slow, inevitable knowledge of what they were to each other.

As the car pulled away from the curb, Inés settled into the smooth leather seat, her body moving with the gentle sway of the road. She pulled her Christian Louboutin bag onto her lap and carefully, almost absently, she slipped her keys inside, followed by her phone, the familiar motions grounding her as the neighborhood slipped past outside the tinted windows.

Kristoffer glanced over at her, his hand relaxed on his knee.

"Early start for a Saturday," he said lightly.

Inés gave a small, dry smile as she zipped her bag closed. "You scheduled the flight."

He chuckled under his breath, the sound easy, unforced. "True. But you didn't argue."

"I never argue when it comes to getting things over with," she said, leaning back against the seat, her gaze flickering out the window. The trees lining the street blurred slightly as they picked up speed, the world already starting to feel farther away.

Kristoffer watched her for a moment, then said, "You look good."

Inés turned her head, arching an eyebrow at him, not unkindly. "You say that every time we have to play nice together."

He smiled, tilting his head slightly as if conceding the point. "Because it's always true."

She gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, not pressing the conversation further.

Kristoffer shifted slightly in his seat, his tone a little more businesslike. "After the event, there's a dinner with the sponsors. I'll handle most of it. You just need to smile and be brilliant."

Inés let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "My specialty."

Their eyes met briefly, something wordless passing between them. An old, worn-out understanding.

The car turned onto the highway, the city giving way to the long, grey stretch of road toward the airport. Inés adjusted the bag on her lap, her fingers tracing the edge of the handle absently, her mind already drifting ahead—to Malmö, to the event, to the neat little roles they would slip into like costumes.