Judge:Fucking beautiful. You’re so goddamned hot.
I sauntered off to go shower and jerk it for the second time this morning. Once I was ready in clean jeans and a nice green V-neck T-shirt that showed off my muscles, I didn’t screw around, just threw my stuff into my backpack and headed to campus. I made it through my day barely able to pay attention to my classes until it was time forhisclass.
Flynn’s class.
I made sure to show up early so I could go in when he did, but I was surprised when what I thought had to be every student in Tort Law filtered into the South Lawn Lecture Hall and he still hadn’t arrived. I peeked in to make sure he hadn’t slipped in a side door or something and got uneasy the longer his absence went on. A couple of my classmates got up and left, utilizing the five-minute rule, although most people knew better. We’d had instructors show up halfway through class and lecture all the longer to make up for it.
Crossing my arms, I waited. The sun beat down on my shoulders and made me sleepy, and I shoved my sunglasses up my nose.
A few more people left.
Where is he?
Time dragged on. I was relieved when Flynn came barreling along the sidewalk toward the building but bit my lips. Yes, his wide shoulders were beautiful and I wanted to stare at his body, but... he was holding up his pants with one hand as he walked and staring at something on his phone. His face was a brilliant red and his lips were twisted down in a furious scowl. I was torn between laughing and rushing forward to help him.
“Cutting it close,” I called. “You’re late.”
He glanced up and had nothing to say to me, apparently, despite the fact he’d flirted pretty heavily this morning over text.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my stomach flipping as his expression morphed for a moment to the point I thought he might start yelling. Had I pushed him over the edge?
“Nothing,” he muttered, coming to a stop near me. He stared at the glass doors that led inside.
I reached out and snagged his arm, and he shook me off.
“What’s wrong?” I asked again. “Tell me now.”
His bottom lip wobbled, and I didn’t think he was usually the type of man to have those sorts of emotions because something like shame seemed to slide across his face.
“It’s okay. Tell me what’s up.”
He shoved his phone at me and let loose a horrible sound. “I just found out my ex cashed in all the stocks we bought together. When we retired he was supposed to sell them and split up the cash, but everything was in his name. The asshole convinced me we didn’t need a lawyer since we’d never been married. He sold it all last week. Our money manager called to tell me because she suspected he didn’t let me know. That was my retirement money and it’s fucking gone. Spent on....” He hung his head, and a blind fury worked its way through me. “And to make everything better, my goddamned belt buckle broke on the walk over.” He shook his head, biting at the inside of his lips.
“Okay. I can fix one of those things.”
Flynn rolled his eyes and went to walk past me, but I dragged him off to the side, away from the doors. He stared at me, eyes too wide, chest rising and falling too fast. I brushed a kiss to the corner of his lips, and he closed his eyes. He wasn’t okay, so I didn’t push it.
“I’m already late and so are you.”
His eyes nearly fell out of his head as I unbuckled my belt and pulled it out of the loops of my jeans. Flynn licked his lips, and I stood a little taller at the obvious admiration. “What are you doing?” he whispered.
“A favor. I don’t really need the belt with these pants, and like hell yours are sliding down over that delicious ass while you’re teaching. I don’t want anyone else seeing it. There is already one creep sniffing around after you.”
“Two, technically.” He blushed and his eyelashes fluttered as he rolled his eyes, but he snatched the belt from me. He sucked in a breath as I slid the broken one free of his pants, but he made quick work of replacing mine in the loops. I rolled his belt and he watched me as I stuffed it into my backpack. The second my belt was buckled across his lower belly he went inside, nervously running his hand along his tie, the sunshine glinting in his silver hair.
He is so fucking handsome. Holy fuck, why is it so hot that he’s wearing my belt?
I was going to love staring at him during this class while I thought up some way to murder his ex.
5
FLYNN
Staringat Judge during my class wasn’t a good idea—someone would notice—but I couldn’t stop. He’d been attentive and... sweet when I’d arrived, reassuring me in a way Chris had never done once in his miserable life, and I’d felt comforted by Judge’s touches and the way he’d whispered gently to me. I’d enjoyed having him so close. That was terrifying. There was a cardinal rule in teaching, and sleeping with the students was a big no-no. While Judge was more than legal, I was still his teacher, even if he had held me roughly the other night and fucked into me with the confidence of a man twice his age.
I shuddered at the memory, and one of the students at the front of the lecture hall cleared their throat. I hadn’t even realized I’d stopped speaking. Refocusing on the topic, I refused to look at Judge. If I couldn’t see him, he wasn’t there.
What a big fat lie.
