humiliation. “The man I was dating advised me not to publish my work. He convinced me I’d be better off sticking it under my bed and refocusing my credits toward a degree in librarianship. Which is what I did.”
“Why on earth did you listen to him?”
“Well, he was an expert in the field. In fact—” Serena squeezed her eyes right against the memory of Dr. Saul Obinger’s kind, patient smile “—he was my dissertation advisor. So I sort of had to follow his advice. At least, he presented it that way when he explained why he needed to step down as my advisor before we could be together. At the time, I found it wildly romantic. It was intoxicating to imagine that this renowned, distinguished Ph.D. would want me enough to jeopardize his career by sleeping with me. Even after he stopped being my official advisor, he could’ve gotten in trouble for dating a student—although the rules are different for graduate students.”
“But he wasn’t jeopardizing his career,” Leo guessed darkly. “Was he?”
Serena heaved in a deep breath, mostly to feel the comforting weight of Leo’s torso anchoring her to the ground. “No. He was laying the groundwork to take my research and claim it as his own. He’s the chair of the department now, well on his way to tenure…and I’m a librarian on an island so small it can barely support the public school, much less the library.”
The world dipped and swayed around her as Leo curled his arms under her legs and shoulders to flip her up and into his lap. Serena’s heart thundered against her ribs, dizziness forcing her to clutch at Leo’s neck for balance. Even with all the brainless jocks who’d pretended to be interested in her in high school, she’d never been manhandled so casually before. Maybe it lost her some feminist cred, but she admitted privately that part of her loved knowing that Leo was strong enough to lift and cradle her effortlessly.
Cupping the nape of her neck in his large palm, Leo stared straight into her eyes. “You deserved better, Serena. I’m sorry.”
The strain in his voice magically eased the strain around Serena’s heart from sharing such an embarrassing, emotionally scarring experience. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him, framing his handsome, aristocratic face between her hands. “I’d given up on ever being truly desired until you came along.”
***
If Leo were a better man, he’d probably have regrets about tumbling his sweet librarian—but luckily he was a scoundrel and always had been. With Serena warm and responsive in his arms, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret a moment of their time together.
Regret, however, wasn’t quite the same as guilt. And after hearing her tale of humiliation and betrayal at the hands of men who’d had ulterior motives for pursuing her, guilt burned at the lining of Leo’s stomach. As much as he hated, instantly and unquestioningly, every man who had burned that shame into Serena’s voice, Leo had to ask himself: Was he truly any different?
“You are perhaps the first woman I’ve met who wanted to be desired for her body rather than her mind,” he observed lightly.
Serena laughed. “I know, it’s kind of backwards. But it’s not really about mind versus body. I’d hate it just as much if someone pretended to be interested in my research skills just so they could get in my pants. It’s more about knowing that everything you want from me is on the table. Your ulterior motives are not ulterior! You told me from the first that you wanted to sleep with me. I like that. I’ve had enough of men hiding their true motives from me.”
Leo suppressed a wince by running his fingers through the silky tendrils of her bright golden hair. “Ought we to think about getting dressed? I’m enjoying being the only man to get into your pants at the moment, and if someone else were to see you in the glorious altogether, I’d probably have to fight them off. Which I’m willing
“Why on earth did you listen to him?”
“Well, he was an expert in the field. In fact—” Serena squeezed her eyes right against the memory of Dr. Saul Obinger’s kind, patient smile “—he was my dissertation advisor. So I sort of had to follow his advice. At least, he presented it that way when he explained why he needed to step down as my advisor before we could be together. At the time, I found it wildly romantic. It was intoxicating to imagine that this renowned, distinguished Ph.D. would want me enough to jeopardize his career by sleeping with me. Even after he stopped being my official advisor, he could’ve gotten in trouble for dating a student—although the rules are different for graduate students.”
“But he wasn’t jeopardizing his career,” Leo guessed darkly. “Was he?”
Serena heaved in a deep breath, mostly to feel the comforting weight of Leo’s torso anchoring her to the ground. “No. He was laying the groundwork to take my research and claim it as his own. He’s the chair of the department now, well on his way to tenure…and I’m a librarian on an island so small it can barely support the public school, much less the library.”
The world dipped and swayed around her as Leo curled his arms under her legs and shoulders to flip her up and into his lap. Serena’s heart thundered against her ribs, dizziness forcing her to clutch at Leo’s neck for balance. Even with all the brainless jocks who’d pretended to be interested in her in high school, she’d never been manhandled so casually before. Maybe it lost her some feminist cred, but she admitted privately that part of her loved knowing that Leo was strong enough to lift and cradle her effortlessly.
Cupping the nape of her neck in his large palm, Leo stared straight into her eyes. “You deserved better, Serena. I’m sorry.”
The strain in his voice magically eased the strain around Serena’s heart from sharing such an embarrassing, emotionally scarring experience. “You don’t have to apologize,” she told him, framing his handsome, aristocratic face between her hands. “I’d given up on ever being truly desired until you came along.”
***
If Leo were a better man, he’d probably have regrets about tumbling his sweet librarian—but luckily he was a scoundrel and always had been. With Serena warm and responsive in his arms, he couldn’t find it in himself to regret a moment of their time together.
Regret, however, wasn’t quite the same as guilt. And after hearing her tale of humiliation and betrayal at the hands of men who’d had ulterior motives for pursuing her, guilt burned at the lining of Leo’s stomach. As much as he hated, instantly and unquestioningly, every man who had burned that shame into Serena’s voice, Leo had to ask himself: Was he truly any different?
“You are perhaps the first woman I’ve met who wanted to be desired for her body rather than her mind,” he observed lightly.
Serena laughed. “I know, it’s kind of backwards. But it’s not really about mind versus body. I’d hate it just as much if someone pretended to be interested in my research skills just so they could get in my pants. It’s more about knowing that everything you want from me is on the table. Your ulterior motives are not ulterior! You told me from the first that you wanted to sleep with me. I like that. I’ve had enough of men hiding their true motives from me.”
Leo suppressed a wince by running his fingers through the silky tendrils of her bright golden hair. “Ought we to think about getting dressed? I’m enjoying being the only man to get into your pants at the moment, and if someone else were to see you in the glorious altogether, I’d probably have to fight them off. Which I’m willing
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