Page 13 of Seducing Kaden
She places her hand over my mouth. “Don’t say it. Please.” Her hand drops away almost immediately, and I miss the warmth of her skin. “And I shouldn’t have let things get so personal tonight. You’re my student, Mr. Kennedy, and neither of us can ever lose sight of that fact.”
I stand up abruptly, immensely pissed off at the world. And it’s not like she needs to verbalize that shit. “I hear you loud and clear,DoctorGarcia.” I’m an ass for taking my anger out on her, but her sudden coldness doesn’t sit right with me.
It’s not like we are doing anything wrong. All we are doing is talking.
Andholding hands. I curse at the unhelpful devil silently taunting me.
“I’m sorry,” she blurts, burying her head in her hands, and my anger disappears as quickly as it arrived.
I crouch down in front of her. “I’m the one who should say sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I understand, Eva, and I don’t want to make life more difficult for you, but I… I’ve come to care about you, and I don’t like to see you in pain. I thought we were friends, and friends talk to one another.”
“I wish we could be friends, Kaden, but that’s not permitted either.”
I wish for so much more, but I’d settle for friendship. I’ll take any scraps she wants to throw my way.
I peer deep into her eyes, and I wish I could remove that dark cloud hovering over her. It’s not the first time I’ve sensed how unhappy she is. Sometimes, this veil of sadness creeps over her, and she looks like the loneliest person on the planet. “If you can’t talk to me, at least talk to one of your friends.” I stand. She nods wearily, and I sense my outpouring has unlocked some hidden pain inside her. “Can I call someone for you?” I ignore the churning in my gut. “Your husband?”
She vehemently shakes her head. “No. I’ll be fine.” She offers me a fake smile. “I’ve more work to do before I head home. You should go. I’m sure that pretty girlfriend of yours is waiting for you.”
I can’t keep the surprise off my face. I’ve never mentioned Tiffani to her for obvious reasons and also because it isn’t anything more than a casual friends who fuck kinda arrangement. At least not to me. “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a friend.”
Her shoulders relax, and her lips tip up ever so slightly. I could be mistaken, but I think she’s pleased about that fact.
Isit possible she feels something forme too?
As I exit her office, I warn myself not to get anymore invested.
Nothing can happen between me and Eva, no matter the connection between us, no matter how much I long for that.
But, usually, in a battle between the head and the heart, the heart wins out.
Chapter Five
Present Day
Evelina
I’m blaming the champagne and nostalgic thoughts for my unsafe outburst. With the way Kaden’s holding me, and the emotional tornado brewing in his eyes, I can tell he misses me as much as I miss him.
That shouldn’t make me happy.
But it does.
“Eva.” He whispers my name like it’s a precious commodity. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” He reels me in closer, and I should protest, should push him away, but I go willingly instead.
When it comes to Kaden Kennedy, I’m putty in his hands.
His strong arms are warm and comforting as they wrap around me. My eyes skim over him, drinking in every rock-solid, hard, toned line of his body. When I was with Kaden the last time, he still retained some boyish youthfulness, but looking at his broad shoulders, ripped upper torso, muscular arms, and the maturity on his face, there’s no denying he’s all man now.
And I think I want him even more than I always have.
He presses his mouth to my ear. “Not a day goes by where I don’t think about you.”
A delectable shiver cascades over my body as his warm breath and even warmer words sweep through me.
“Nor I you,” I admit. Champagne has become my truth serum.
He leans back a little, still keeping a firm hold of my waist, and he starts a slow perusal from head to toe. No part of my body is immune from his gaze, and the affect is instant and potent. My core throbs with painful need, the like I haven’t felt in years. From the moment I first met him, Kaden enraptured me, captivated me, and he became the forbidden fruit I had to avoid at all costs.
