Professor Cline: Redeemed (Professor #2) (11 page)

Shame washed through me once more. It was one thing to feel it around Luke, but around Emma? It pissed me off. I shouldn’t be ashamed for something that had been my escape for so long, but I did.

Standing up from the couch, I avoided her gaze and paced the room. I didn’t know how to answer that question or if I even should. I told her to ask me anything, but that was the last thing I thought she’d try to ask me, especially after she tried in the classroom.

I ran a hand through my hair and stopped pacing in front of the window that looked out the side of the house. I’d told myself there were only certain things I’d share. Discussing my past wasn’t going to happen, but I could get by without giving too much. It wasn’t as if she didn’t see the scars.
She knows what I’ve been doing. Now she’s curious.
It’s why I’d kept my body hidden for so long; I didn’t want to answer questions to some random fucks. They were there to please me, and that was it. But Emma was different. I could break my own rule and give her something, even if it wasn’t really an answer at all.

I could see her reflection in the mirror and watched as she stood from the couch and walked in my direction.

“Just ignore my rudeness, Mason. Honestly, I shouldn’t have even asked. I have no right when we’ve just started to get to know each—”

“No,” I blurted as I turned toward her. “Don’t go back on what you believe just because I can’t get the words to come out.” I ran my fingertips down the side of her face until they reached under her chin, then I tilted her head up so she was looking directly into my eyes. “Never back down, Emma. A good lawyer never would. Always go with your first instinct and never waver. It’s weakness, and you, princess, are anything but weak.”

Dropping my hand from her chin, I grabbed her hand and walked us back to the couch to take a seat.

“I don’t know why I do it. It’s a question that’s been asked before, and it’s not something I can honestly answer because I don’t know myself.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before resting my back on the cushion, avoiding eye contact as I spoke. It was the only way I’d get some of this out. “It’s a distraction from my life. Something I’ve always turned to, to block out…everything. It’s been my way of having control over my life. I know this doesn’t make sense,” I confessed as I turned to look at her, “because it doesn’t necessarily make sense to me.”

“No, I get it. You’re in control of it. You decide when, how, where.”

I shook my head. “I don’t always have control over it,” I confessed.

A big part of me wanted to jump up from the couch and storm off. I shouldn’t have been telling her all of this because I knew deep down it made me sound weak. I was never in control when it came to cutting—my past was. It was the reason I started. Maybe it was my way of never forgetting Sophia or to never let anyone play me again. Or maybe I was just sick in the head and needed help. Either way, it was an addiction.

My addiction.

Leaning in to me, Emma kept her gaze on mine until our lips met. I grabbed her and tried to deepen the kiss but she pulled away. “Come to me, Mason,” she said before kissing me briefly again. “Let me be your distraction.”

I looked into her eyes, our noses almost touching as the words left her beautiful lips. I wanted to tell her what a bad idea that was, but I was stopped by the knock that came from the door.

Carlos had the worst timing.

I leaned forward, giving her another deep kiss before I pulled away from her and stood, not acknowledging her statement. I didn’t want to use her, although it was very tempting.

“Carlos is here to take you home.”

She smiled up at me and stood, running her hands up my chest until they rested upon my shoulders.

“Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mason.”

She kissed my cheek and turned away, heading for the door. I watched her until she disappeared around the corner, waiting until I heard the door open and close before I finally took a seat.

I grabbed her glass of scotch and tilted the whole thing back, closing my eyes as the burn made its way down.

I played back the night’s events in my head and decided it could have been much worse. It wasn’t exactly how I’d picture a first date to go, not that I’d had much experience, but it was definitely something I’d remember often.

Emma had no idea the effect she had on me. Just her words alone, telling me to use her as a distraction, had me ready to take her right there on the couch. She was too good for me, but I didn’t have it in me to let her go. I’d tried to convince myself that she’d be better off with someone better, but it never worked. She was mine, and I didn’t plan on letting her go any time soon.

Emmalynn

I woke up the next morning, replayed everything that had happened the night before and smiled as I recalled Mason taking me against the wall. The way he commanded my body was like he’d been doing it for years, and I couldn’t wait for him to do it again.

It was one of the things I expected, but what I didn’t expect was for someone to interrupt our evening. I felt bad for going against Mason’s trust, but once I heard him yell, my curiosity got the best of me and I peeked my head around the door of the office.

It was stupid, really. I could have been caught and I didn’t have an excuse to be eavesdropping by the front door, but I walked toward it anyway. What I heard had my mouth hanging open.

I’d met Rachel at the fundraiser and wondered why she was giving me the looks she’d had, but now I knew. She’d been sleeping with Mason and thought I was the competition.

The whole thing gave me weird vibes, and I immediately began to build up a wall. I nearly listened to the entire conversation. I was so wrapped in the drama I’d almost forgotten I could be caught at any second, but that was okay because I’d heard enough. What man slept with his father’s fiancé? Then to find out that Donicko slept with her, too? What was this world coming to? Did anybody have respect? Apparently not.

I’d gone back to the office, grabbing a book before I sat down, and waited for him to come in the room.

I could tell he’d noticed my change of mood, and I played along with his attempt to get me to brighten. I wasn’t sure if he knew I’d eavesdropped or not, but I definitely wasn’t going to bring it up.

When he’d told me I could ask him anything I wanted and he’d answer me honestly, I figured what the hell. I might as well ask him the burning question that had been nagging me since that night I’d found him in his bathroom. Either, he’d answered me honestly like he’d said or I’d know not to trust him. After everything that had happened with Tim, I didn’t want to be a pushover; I wouldn’t allow myself. I needed to know this information. I mean, he didn’t seem to be unstable, but if he was, it was probably best that I didn’t try to date him. There was no telling what could possibly happen.

When he finally answered me, I knew he was being vague, but he was still being open. I knew it wasn’t easy for him to talk about, and I’d felt bad for even asking him to open up about something so personal. However, I was touched he would speak to me about it at all. He wasn’t the kind of man who gave in easily. I knew that just by the few encounters we’d had, so I was glad he was willing to be open with me. Even if it wasn’t a ton of information, at least it was something.

I’d also surprised myself by stating that I’d be his distraction. After hearing his conversation with Rachel and building up that wall, he was able to knock it down in a matter of minutes. I think it was the visual that kept replaying in my head. The thought of him sitting on the bathroom floor naked with all those scars was too much. I didn’t want him to resort to that. Why couldn’t he use me? I’d bow to his every command in the bedroom if it would help distract him from himself.

Sitting up in bed, I stretched my arms over my head and turned to look at the clock. It was only eight in the morning, so I had plenty of time to get ready for my one and only class of the day. It was nice to have a laid-back afternoon that wasn’t jam-packed with class work; although, I wouldn’t waste the day away. I still had a lot of studying to do.

After getting out of bed and making a pot of coffee, I sat in the living room and pulled out some of my notes from the previous day. I’d just flipped the page when I heard my phone chime with a text.

Leaning over, I grabbed it off the coffee table and smiled when I saw Mel’s name.

Mel: Today is going to be a crazy one. Do you want to pick up some lunch for me and come eat while I work? Pwetty Pweezz!!

Me: That depends. What do I get out of it?

Mel: The grand experience of what you’re getting yourself into.

I laughed out loud at her text. It would be cool to see what she went through all day. I could be her shadow for a few hours.

Me: Are you sure John won’t mind?

Mel: Would I invite you if he did? Besides, he’s in and out all day.

Me: Okay, what do you want?

Mel: A gyro. Gah, I’ve been craving one since forever.

Me: I don’t get out of class until 1, so I won’t be there until around 2.

Mel: That’s fine. The snack machine will obviate my hunger.

Me: Nice word usage, nerd. I’ll see you later.

I tossed my phone on the couch and went back to reading over my notes. Since I had something to look forward to for the day, I was sure it would go by faster.

~*~

Me: OMG the day dragged on forever. I’m on my way.

Mel: Don’t talk to me about dragging days. lol I’ll see you soon.

I hailed a cab and made my way toward the law firm with food in tow. My thoughts of the day going by quickly faded away as soon as I’d stepped foot in class. Due to Professor Hine being sick, she’d gotten someone to cover for her who apparently had no idea what the hell he was doing. I thought class would never end.

On a brighter note, I was able to find a restaurant close by that made gyros. It smelled amazing, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

I made it to the law firm right before two and checked in with the front desk to get my visitor’s badge before they allowed me to head upstairs.

When the elevator opened on level twenty-three, my eyes widened in fascination as I looked over the beauty. There was a crisp, white room decorated in blues and light greys, with a mahogany-colored desk against the far wall which seated a man and a woman, both with headsets on.

I walked toward the desk and waited patiently for one of them to put a call on hold to direct me to Mel’s office, but after five minutes of being ignored, I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone.

Me: I’m here. Come get me from the front. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are too busy to tell me where to go.

Mel: I’m on the phone, just walk back here. Go down the left hallway, take your first right, go all the way down that hallway and make your second left. You’ll see me.

That didn’t sound hard at all, I thought sarcastically. Dropping my phone back into my purse, I took one last look at the employees, who never looked up. They seriously needed a class on customer service.

Glancing to the left and right, I saw there were two ways I could go in. Following Mel’s directions I took the left way. As soon as I got past the hallway, the whole area brightened. Every office was glass, which let the light from the windows shine through. There were literally no solid walls. It made the area look ten times bigger and that much harder to figure out where I was going.

Walking past a few offices, I noticed a hallway coming up and remembered Mel told me to take the first right. Just as I was about to turn down the hallway, I noticed a man through the glass heading in my direction.

I moved a little bit to the right so he would walk right past me, but apparently he had the same thought. I found myself face-planted into Donicko’s chest for a second time, causing me to almost drop the bag of food.

“Ms. Blake, we should really stop meeting this way,” he stated as he pushed back on my shoulders, which he was holding firmly.

I moved out of his grasp and chuckled lightly. “Sorry about that.” I gazed around the office, pretending to be lost so I wouldn’t have to look him in the face.

“Are you meeting someone? Your sister, perhaps?”

I jerked back to face him with a furrowed brow. “How did you know my sister worked here?

He smiled down at me. “You forget, little fawn, I saw you together at the fundraiser. And I do work closely with John and Melanie.”

Little fawn? What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why is he giving me a nickname?
I could’ve asked him about it, but I chose to ignore it instead.

“Oh, you do? So, are you a lawyer, too?”

“Not exactly.” He chuckled and moved to the side, gesturing with his arm for me to start walking. “I’ll take you to Mel’s office,” he offered and I followed beside him, not saying another word.

As soon as we reached the end of the hallway, I could see her standing behind her desk, pacing while holding the phone up to her ear.

Donicko reached out and opened the door for me. I stepped in, walking past him while saying a quiet thank you.

It wasn’t that I was trying to be rude, but after hearing the conversation the previous night, I got a bad vibe from him. Maybe I was judging him without knowing him, but I didn’t care. I think everyone had that extra sense of caution in their brain; some just used it more than others. Mine was flashing at me, and I tended to listen to it.

Mel looked up as we walked in, her gaze resting on Donicko before she looked in my direction. I turned to see he was smiling at her. He looked at me and winked before walking out of the room and back down the hallway.

I stared at her with a questioning expression, and she diverted her gaze to continue her conversation. It didn’t hide the blush displayed on her neck, though.

Mel and I were different in a lot of ways, but I knew for a fact that when she blushed, it started from the neck up. Her cheeks rarely flushed pink. It was always her neck which broke out like she had hives.

“Yes, thank you, Shawn. I need it by EOD, okay? Great. I’ll talk to you then.”

She hung up and looked at me with a huff.

“God, I’m so glad you’re here. I’m starving.”

“What the heck is ‘EOD’?”

“It’s just short for ‘end of day’.”

“And you couldn’t just say ‘end of day’?” I questioned.

“Oh, Emma, just wait. You’ll be learning so many different acronyms when you start working they’ll make you lose your mind.”

She grabbed the bag, pulled out two paper wrapped gyros and took a seat.

“So, how did Donicko end up walking you to my office?”

“I bumped into him in the hallway. It’s the second time this week I’ve run into him. Literally.”

She stared at me with a raised brow as she grabbed both sandwiches and stood.

“Let’s sit over at my table. I don’t want anything getting on any of my paperwork.” Following suit, I stood from my chair. “Where did you run in to Donicko before?”

“NYU. He’d said he was there talking to Mason. I was running late and hauling ass down the hallway. When I made the turn around the corner, I plowed right into him.”

“Nice.” She laughed.

“How do
you
know Donicko?” I asked as I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite. I sighed with contentment as the lamb, tzatziki, and pita bread all melted together in my mouth.

She shrugged. “He comes in to see John occasionally.”

“Oh, he said he worked with you, too.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “He doesn’t work with me.”

“Good,” I blurted. “I’ve got bad vibes from him.”

“What?” she scoffed. “There’s nothing wrong with Donicko.”

“How do you know? You said you don’t work with him.”

“I said I don’t work with him. Doesn’t mean I’ve never talked to him.”

She took a bite of her gyro and set it down before wiping her mouth with a napkin.

“I saw the way he was smiling at you,” I stated out of curiosity. I was digging to see what she’d say.

“He wasn’t smiling at me, he was just smiling.”

“Oh, no, he wasn’t.” I laughed. “He was smiling at you and you were blushing. What’s up with that?”

“I was
not
blushing.”

“Do you have a thing for him?” I guessed, knowing my sister. She always went for the unobtainable guys.

“What? No.”

“Good,” I stated calmly, taking a bite of my sandwich. “I heard something last night that I found disturbing.”

There was no way I’d ever discuss the things Mason and I talked about, but since this conversation was something I overheard, I wasn’t exactly going against my word.

“What’s that?”

I placed my half-eaten sandwich down and grabbed a bottle of water I’d had in my bag. Taking a drink, I passed it on to Mel.

“You know I was with Mason last night.”

“Yeah.”

“After dinner, we walked into his office to have a drink and the doorbell rang. You’ll never believe who was at the door.” Mel stopped chewing and waited in suspense. “Before I say anything, you have to promise you won’t say a word.

She made the x sign with her finger on her chest and waited.

“John’s fiancé Rachel was at the door,” I said quietly, just in case there were people walking by, since I had my back to the glassed wall.

“What?”

“Yeah. This story is so fucked-up, Mel. I swear, part of me wanted to get the hell out of there last night, but I didn’t.”

“Do you know why she was there?”

I smiled and bit my lips together before replying. “Well, see, I was told to stay in the office so he could see who it was. But he was gone for so long and I’d heard him yell, so I might have went to eavesdrop.”