Only Between Us by Mila Ferrera

right.” He looks over my shoulder and frowns. “You alone?”
    “I left some friends at the film festival.” I wrinkle my nose.
    “Are you escaping from the movie—or the company?” he asks. He shoves the plastic bag in the pocket of his jacket.
    “Oh, the movie. It’s called Sorg .”
    “What?” he asks, his lips twitching upward. “It sounds like a bad sci-fi.”
    His bemused look is utterly adorable, and I find myself grinning. “I think Sorg is Icelandic for trying too hard .”
    He snorts. “So you’ve fled from the movie theater to wander the streets.”
    “Only for another ninety minutes.”
    He pulls out his phone and checks the time. “It’s nearly midnight. You sure that’s safe?”
    I rub my arms, suddenly cold. “I guess … maybe not.”
    His gaze is on my face. So intense I can feel it. “I could keep you company for a while. If you want.”
    Is he serious? Does he actually want to, or is he simply being nice? Because it’s probably the latter, I wave him off. “That’s okay. I’m sure you have somewhere to be.”
    He winces. “I wouldn’t mind putting it off for a while.”
    Now I’m the one staring. He’s shaved off all the stubble, so his cheeks are smooth, and I notice the tiniest of dimples in his chin. I suddenly want to poke it with my finger, to see what it would feel like. “All right,” I say. “If you don’t mind being waylaid.”
    He gives me a rueful look. “Coffee?”
    I inhale a sharp breath. Caleb’s own words echo in my head. You sure that’s safe?
    No . “Yeah,” I say. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter Six: Caleb
    What the hell am I doing?
    The box of condoms in my pocket feels huge and heavy, and even though Romy can’t possibly know they’re there, somehow I’m convinced I’m going to give it away.
    And yet, I asked her out for coffee.
    Somewhere, in a mansion on the north end of town, right by the water, Claudia Dexter is waiting for me. I’m already late. She’s expecting me to arrive at any moment. But here I am.
    With Romy. A jittery feeling tingles in my chest. She walks by my side, closing her eyes every time the breeze ruffles her hair. I’m tempted to offer her my cap, but that would be weird. “So … did you get anything done Wednesday night after I left?” I ask. I know what Daniel told me, but I want to hear it from her.
    She gives me a sidelong glance and then looks away quickly. “I did, actually. I really appreciated the guidance.” She pulls her lacy cardigan around her, tight over her breasts. I have to tear my eyes away.
    “You’re really good at teaching,” she says quietly.
    How does she do that? Make me feel like I’m worth something? “Thanks. I enjoy it most of the time.”
    “Most of the time?”
    I shrug, thinking about Claudia and what awaits me tonight. Her husband left on a business trip this afternoon. I met him on Thursday. He lumbered in while Claudia had me in the gallery room, and I shook the guy’s hand with gratitude, because she was about to make her move. He said he looked forward to seeing my work. He actually seemed like a nice guy. Either he has no idea his wife wants to get in my pants, or he doesn’t care. My stomach tightens. “I think it depends on what people want to get out of the class. People come for all sorts of reasons.”
    “And that affects your enjoyment of teaching?” She’s staring straight ahead, at the white lights shimmering on the lake a few blocks up. I can see the water through the trees at the edge of the park. I’m realizing there’s no coffee place open this late, but for some reason, I’m hoping Romy hasn’t figured it out yet.
    “It does sometimes,” I tell her. “I like teaching students who want to be there for the joy of it. Kids are like that.”
    “You teach kids’ classes?”
    “After-school classes. A lot of them walk right over from the middle school. And I teach classes for little kids on weekends.” I smile. “It’s messy as hell, but so