“God.” He groaned as their bodies came in contact and he pressed his mouth to hers. It had been too long since he’d wrapped himself around her, bending to meet her height and holding her close. Her mouth was a wonderland of sensation as she boldly stroked her tongue against his.
They shifted, moving across the room in stumbling steps. Her hands went to his waistband and delved inside to send him over the edge. Hudson buried his hands in her hair and angled her head as he deepened their kiss. He couldn't believe how much he’d missed her. Reagan’s hip bumped into his desk and a picture frame crashed to the floor. She giggled and pressed a kiss to his throat as she moved her hands to his chest. “I know we can’t go too far, but I really wanted to see you.”
“If only we had a few more minutes.” He caressed her curves. “I love your body. The way it feels under my hands, the way your ass looks as I fuck you from behind.”
She whimpered as he punctuated his sentence by biting her bottom lip.
“Professor Clark?”
Everything came to a standstill as she heard the shocked voice coming from behind Hudson. Her heart stopped beating, his hands stopped moving, the earth stopped revolving. Keeping her body shielded with his, he turned very slowly.
“May I help you, Ms. Powell?” Reagan flinched at the hardness in his tone.
“I—um, never mind.”
It was only once the door slammed shut that everything went back into motion. Hudson backed all the way to the wall, an entire room’s length away from Reagan. Her eyes were wide as she took in the expression on his face. It was a mixture of feelings, and the one that seemed to win out was rage.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said on a whispered breath. She didn't even believe that herself.
“It won’t.” He wouldn't meet her gaze, instead looking at the floor as he grasped his forehead in one hand while the other fisted at his waist.
“I need to go.”
“Yes, you do.”
She bolted for the door, not stopping to look back at Hudson. She was fairly positive he was going to have a meltdown and she didn't want to be there to witness it. She hurried to her next class but spent the time chewing on her thumb as she worried over the ramifications of being caught. Hudson had just become comfortable with their relationship, but it was more than obvious he was going to shut her out. After an agonizingly long class where she learned what torture she’d be faced with for the next few months, she made her way to her interview. Despite the shaking in her hands and the trembling in her gut, she got the job. She was expected to show on Wednesday afternoon for her first day. The offer was bittersweet.
She finished her last classes of the day and went back to the dorm. She was supposed to meet Luna and Davis for dinner, but she needed time to herself first. She was alone, and though she liked Gabby, she was glad she wasn't there yet. Reagan sank onto her bed and cried but she didn't wallow for long. She changed her clothes and spent a few minutes in the bathroom washing her face before heading out. Davis had promised to pay if she met up with them, since she’d explained how broke she would be until she received her first paycheck. She didn't feel like celebrating, but she would make an effort for them.
She walked into the pizza place and spotted the two of them standing off to the side of the line. The first thing she did was walk up to Luna and wrap her in a hug, followed by one for Davis.
“It’s been too long,” she said.
Davis grinned at her. “It has, little freshman. Can you believe I missed you?”
She snorted. “Can you believeImissedyou?”
Luna laughed at her. “I know that feeling. He’s obnoxious, but he grows on you.”
“Hey, now.”
She merely smiled indulgently at him and linked her arm with Reagan’s. “Let’s order so we can sit and talk about how horrendous this first day back has been.”
Once they were seated, Reagan let Luna talk about her day. Her alarm didn't go off, she was late to her first class, she spilled half a bottle of water on herself in the middle of the day and had to go home to change, and she broke a fingernail. Davis watched Luna as she spoke, and Reagan got the feeling of intruding on their alone time, something she had struggled with before, but never really let bother her. Reagan waited until Davis got up to get their order before she spoke up about her own day.
“Someone walked into the professor’s office while I was in there with him.”
Luna’s mouth popped into an O as she dropped her hands to the table and leaned closer to Reagan. “What were you doing at the time?”
Reagan sighed, blinking back tears. “He was kissing me after saying something particularly crude. He blocked me from whoever it was; a student, I think. He was basically in shock.”
“Oh, honey.” Luna covered Reagan’s hand with her own, knowing she didn't want to talk about it in front of Davis.
They changed topics when he came back. Reagan mentioned that she got the job at the daycare, and Davis talked about annoying the hell out of his parents while he was home.
“They complain constantly about my choice of classes, but they only demanded that I attend a four-year college, not that I get a specific degree.”
Luna chuckled. “And I’m sure your stellar grades thrill them.”
“I’m not flunking, if that’s what you mean.” He rolled his eyes indignantly. “I do the projects and pass my exams, I just don’t do the homework.”
“Well, aren't you special,” Reagan muttered. She saw the look that Davis and Luna exchanged, but neither of them said anything.
All Reagan wanted to do was go back to the dorm and call Hudson. She had a pounding headache by the time they were finished eating. Luna hugged her and promised to text her later, and even Davis gave her a hug and didn't give her any crap.
Gabby was there when she returned, reminding her that it wasn't the same as back home. She couldn't have a private conversation in the tiny dorm room. After getting something for her headache, Reagan headed out to the common area to find a spot that wasn't busy with students. She sat in an armchair in a corner and called Hudson. When his voicemail kicked in, she hung up and pulled up their text conversation instead. She told him that she was sure it would be fine since she hadn't been seen, but that she was sorry it happened at all.
She waited for his response, playing around on her phone in the meantime. When thirty minutes had passed and she didn't hear from him, she checked the message she’d sent. It appeared that he had his read receipts turned off because she couldn't tell if he’d received her message. Frustrated, she sent another text assuring him that she was there for him if he needed to vent. With tears pricking her eyes, she went back to her room and climbed in bed.
