She was also an English Lit professor full of romantic novels. Still, she wasn’t one to build up hopes for nothing. The woman wasn’t mean.
Jane jumped in her chair when someone knocked on her door.
“Come in,” she said.
Ben stood in the doorway and smiled at her. Staring at him, she took in his tall and confident form. How could she notice him looking at her when she had to control herself from drooling all over him?
“What do you need? I’m studying.” She held up her notes to prove it.
“Good. I want to take you out to dinner. You’ve gone out of your way cooking, and the tutoring isn’t really much work for me.” His smile was like sunshine, but he was practically in the hallway.
She motioned for him to come inside.
“Why?” he asked.
“I’d love to hear about your thesis defense,” she said loudly. Getting up, she pulled him inside and closed the door behind him. “What if someone hears you? They’ll think we’re making a date.”
“So? I mentioned the tutoring.” He shrugged.
“I don’t go after younger men. I don’t want this to make me look like some desperate old cougar clawing at any man she can. It’s a small university, and I don’t want to change jobs.” She sat back down.
“Neither do I. The difference is my kink is the only thing I need to keep private. That’s none of their business, and it could hurt our careers. Dating someone, whether it works out or not, is part of life. I didn’t realize I embarrassed you.”
He was taking it all wrong. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Stop,” he said. “Forget dinner. I won’t bother you in public here, at lunch or off-campus again except for the tutoring. We’ll stick to the deal.”
Before she could form an intelligent sentence, he left and closed the door hard behind him. She might be older, but she’d just royally screwed up things. Ignoring the impulse to chase after him, she knew they both needed to cool off and think. Tonight was soon enough to talk, if he came at all.
* * * *
Seething, Ben sat in Nelson’s office and ignored the glass of water the Master of IT had poured him.
“The good ones are work. You know that,” Nelson said.
“She just wants the kink and the tutoring. She doesn’t want to be seen in public with me.” Ben wanted to punch something but got up and paced the room instead.
“That’s not true. She’s not the type, and her blog said clearly she wants a relationship not just playtime.”
“Not from me. She says I’m too young and I’ll find someone else.” The walking helped burn energy, but it didn’t change his feelings.
“What do you want?” Nelson asked.
Ben stopped and glared. “I didn’t need this. Not now. I’ve got to defend my thesis tomorrow, and I’m in love with a woman who acts like I’m a joke.”
“I heard you two ate lunch together. Nothing funny about that.” Nelson stayed behind his desk. “Love, huh?”
“So people are talking about us? Is that what has her all riled up?” Ben hated how trying to get information from her was like pulling teeth. “I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t want to talk. She’s as difficult as reading Egyptian hieroglyphs before they found the Rosetta Stone. I’m just guessing what she’s thinking and feeling unless she’s naked. Even in play she holds back personal information.”
“Most women are hard to read. Not wanting to talk is another matter.” Nelson sighed. “Look, I reviewed all of her posts under this anonymous user name. There’s nothing that pops out as weird. I’ve never seen her really dating anyone. There’s no evidence she’s had a Dom, at least, not one connected with the group. Either, she keeps her stuff top secret or you’ve gotten through her armor. Sounds like she’s rusty.”
“I know she has trust issues. Not with me playing as much as when I ask her something about herself. She’s never had a real vacation before. She never talks about her family.”
“Sounds like she
Jane jumped in her chair when someone knocked on her door.
“Come in,” she said.
Ben stood in the doorway and smiled at her. Staring at him, she took in his tall and confident form. How could she notice him looking at her when she had to control herself from drooling all over him?
“What do you need? I’m studying.” She held up her notes to prove it.
“Good. I want to take you out to dinner. You’ve gone out of your way cooking, and the tutoring isn’t really much work for me.” His smile was like sunshine, but he was practically in the hallway.
She motioned for him to come inside.
“Why?” he asked.
“I’d love to hear about your thesis defense,” she said loudly. Getting up, she pulled him inside and closed the door behind him. “What if someone hears you? They’ll think we’re making a date.”
“So? I mentioned the tutoring.” He shrugged.
“I don’t go after younger men. I don’t want this to make me look like some desperate old cougar clawing at any man she can. It’s a small university, and I don’t want to change jobs.” She sat back down.
“Neither do I. The difference is my kink is the only thing I need to keep private. That’s none of their business, and it could hurt our careers. Dating someone, whether it works out or not, is part of life. I didn’t realize I embarrassed you.”
He was taking it all wrong. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Stop,” he said. “Forget dinner. I won’t bother you in public here, at lunch or off-campus again except for the tutoring. We’ll stick to the deal.”
Before she could form an intelligent sentence, he left and closed the door hard behind him. She might be older, but she’d just royally screwed up things. Ignoring the impulse to chase after him, she knew they both needed to cool off and think. Tonight was soon enough to talk, if he came at all.
* * * *
Seething, Ben sat in Nelson’s office and ignored the glass of water the Master of IT had poured him.
“The good ones are work. You know that,” Nelson said.
“She just wants the kink and the tutoring. She doesn’t want to be seen in public with me.” Ben wanted to punch something but got up and paced the room instead.
“That’s not true. She’s not the type, and her blog said clearly she wants a relationship not just playtime.”
“Not from me. She says I’m too young and I’ll find someone else.” The walking helped burn energy, but it didn’t change his feelings.
“What do you want?” Nelson asked.
Ben stopped and glared. “I didn’t need this. Not now. I’ve got to defend my thesis tomorrow, and I’m in love with a woman who acts like I’m a joke.”
“I heard you two ate lunch together. Nothing funny about that.” Nelson stayed behind his desk. “Love, huh?”
“So people are talking about us? Is that what has her all riled up?” Ben hated how trying to get information from her was like pulling teeth. “I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t want to talk. She’s as difficult as reading Egyptian hieroglyphs before they found the Rosetta Stone. I’m just guessing what she’s thinking and feeling unless she’s naked. Even in play she holds back personal information.”
“Most women are hard to read. Not wanting to talk is another matter.” Nelson sighed. “Look, I reviewed all of her posts under this anonymous user name. There’s nothing that pops out as weird. I’ve never seen her really dating anyone. There’s no evidence she’s had a Dom, at least, not one connected with the group. Either, she keeps her stuff top secret or you’ve gotten through her armor. Sounds like she’s rusty.”
“I know she has trust issues. Not with me playing as much as when I ask her something about herself. She’s never had a real vacation before. She never talks about her family.”
“Sounds like she
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