The Professor's Beautiful Secret.

Chapter 7

Derrick's POV

The clock on my desk read 10:03 PM when my office door finally opened.

"I am finished," Eliana announced, stepping inside and closing the door behind her with a soft click.

As she turned, the black dress she wore shifted and clung to her curves in ways that made my pulse quicken. Heat pooled low in my belly as an unbidden image flashed through my mind—her straddling my lap, my hands tangled in her hair while I claimed her mouth completely. I shifted in my chair and forced the thought away before my body could betray me again.

"Well, are you not a sight for sore eyes?" I leaned back in my chair, letting my gaze travel over her slowly.

Color bloomed across her cheeks as she approached my desk, her eyes fixed on anything except my face. She placed the papers in front of me with hands that trembled slightly.

Even without reading them, I could tell from the neat handwriting and careful formatting that she had exceeded my expectations. She always did.

"It is chilly outside, is it not?" I asked, noting the black jacket now covering the dress I had been admiring all evening.

"I am leaving now. Goodnight, Professor Matthews." She turned toward the door with obvious haste.

"Wait." I rose from my chair, my voice carrying just enough authority to make her pause. "How about you keep me company for a little while? I will be finished here soon."

Something flickered in her eyes when she turned back—interest, maybe desire—but it vanished so quickly I might have imagined it. "I do not think that is necessary. I really need to get home. It looks like it might rain."

"Indulge me, Eliana." I moved toward the small cabinet across the room, keeping my movements deliberate and unhurried. "I have been saving a very good bottle of wine for a special occasion. And good wine is always better when shared."

"But this is not a special occasion," she pointed out, though her voice lacked conviction.

"It could be." I located the bottle I wanted and carried it to my desk, never taking my eyes off her for more than a few seconds. She had not moved toward the door, which I took as encouragement.

"I really need to go." The urgency in her voice only made me move faster.

I set the wine down and crossed to where she stood by the door, her hand already reaching for the handle. My palm covered hers before she could turn it.

"Stay with me, Eliana. I know you want to." My voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "Are you really going to deny yourself what you want?"

She looked up at me, and I saw her catch her bottom lip between her teeth—a gesture that sent electricity straight through me. Raw desire flickered in her hazel eyes, barely concealed beneath her attempts at propriety.

Gently, I took her hand away from the door handle and guided her toward the chair across from my desk. She offered no resistance, moving like someone in a trance.

The lock engaged with a satisfying click as I turned the key. I slipped it into my jeans pocket, the metal warm against my fingers.

Eliana sat in silence, watching as I cleared space on my desk and produced two wine glasses. I could feel the weight of her gaze as I uncorked the bottle with practiced efficiency, the rich burgundy liquid catching the lamplight as I poured.

"Here." I handed her a glass, making sure our fingers brushed as she took it from me. The contact sent a jolt up my arm.

"Go ahead, taste it. But do not rush." I raised my own glass and watched her over the rim as she brought hers to her lips.

"Mmm." The soft moan that escaped her throat made my grip tighten on my glass. Her eyes widened in surprise and pleasure.

"It is good, is it not?" I could not help but smile at her reaction. "Let me refill that for you."

"It is more than good." She handed me her empty glass with both hands, steadier now. "God, I have never tasted anything this exquisite."

*If only you could taste your own lips.*

"I have been saving this wine for almost two years. It was a gift, but I never found the right moment to open it." I filled her glass again, more generously this time. "Until tonight."

She brought the wine to her lips immediately, drinking deeper than before. The alcohol was clearly beginning to relax her—I could see it in the way her shoulders had lost their rigid set, how she no longer avoided my eyes.

When she drained the glass completely, I refilled it without being asked.

Wind rattled the window behind me, starting as a whisper and building to something more insistent. Eliana glanced toward the sound, then back at me. "I think it is going to rain. I should go now."

I knew I had pushed as far as I dared tonight. With a resigned sigh, I stood and reached into my pocket for the key.

My fingers found nothing but fabric.

Confused, I searched more thoroughly, checking every corner and seam. Nothing.

"What is wrong?" Concern crept into Eliana's voice.

"I cannot find my key." I searched my other pockets with growing urgency. "I put it right here after I locked the door, but it is not there now."

I retraced my steps to the door, scanning the floor carefully. Outside, the wind had intensified, and the first drops of rain began pattering against the glass.

"Wait, I have a spare," I announced, relief flooding through me.

Eliana gathered her bag and stood while I moved to the flowerpot by the window where I usually kept my backup key. I lifted the ceramic base and swept my hand across the surface beneath.

Empty.

Then I remembered—I had given it to the cleaning woman yesterday when I knew I would be out of the office. She had not returned it yet.

"I am sorry, but I cannot find the spare either," I said, turning back to face her.

Rain began in earnest then, drumming against the windows with increasing force. The sound filled the silence between us.

"We will just have to wait here until the rain stops and we can find another solution," I said, keeping my voice carefully neutral.

She considered this for several seconds, her teeth worrying her lower lip. Finally, she gave a small nod and returned to her chair.

"More wine?" I asked as I settled back into my own seat.

"Yes. Thank you."

I filled her glass but left my own empty. The office suddenly felt smaller, more intimate. The lamplight cast golden shadows across her face, highlighting the elegant line of her neck, the way her dark hair fell across her shoulder.

Outside, the storm showed no signs of letting up.

It was going to be a very long night.