The students arrive, and I watch for Kat. It’s been days since I’ve seen her, and it crushes my heart when she comes into the lecture hall with hurt in her eyes.

We’ve exchanged several emails over the last few days. I’ve done everything to convince her nothing is wrong. I explained that I wanted her to have the time to focus on her assignment. That is my only objective to staying away. She is my addiction. I am hers. When we are together, we don’t do anything but each other, and that’s not good time management for a woman who wants to graduate with a degree in molecular biology. I’m a distraction, and I have to remove myself from her temporarily.

After a short lecture on technical writing, about why it needs to elicit passion, I dismiss the class, but Kat stays behind.

“Can I talk to you?” Her voice is slow and melancholic.

I look around at the empty hall. “Sure, what do you need, Katy.” She winces when I use her full name. I use it because Kat is too familiar. It’s what I call her when she curls up on my lap. When I pull back from a slow kiss. When I look into her eyes just before I give myself to her.

I collect the papers and put them in my briefcase.

“Can we go to your office?” she asks.

I want to tell her no. Going to my office will completely disintegrate any space I’ve put between us, but I can’t tell her no because I see the pain in her eyes.

“Sure love, let’s go.”

The minute I close the door behind us, she cries. And through her tears she says,“Why did you pawn me off on someone else? You could have just broken up with me to make this easier.”

I drop my briefcase and fold her into my arms. “Kat, I’m not breaking up with you. I told you that already.”

“I haven’t kissed you for days. You avoid me like I’m a recent outbreak of Ebola.”

I walk her to the corner chair and pull her into my lap. “Don’t you think staying away from you has been hard on me too? Geez Kat, I haven’t said the words, but don’t you feel it? I’m in love with you.”

She swipes at the tears running down her cheeks. “You love me?”

I let out a frustrated breath. “Yes, Kat. I’m head over heals in love with you and that’s why I put up a temporary wall. I told you I wanted to give you time so you could focus on the assignment. If you don’t pass my class, you don’t graduate, and I’m not going to pass you just because I love you.”

“You love me.” She grips my cheeks and presses her lips to mine. “I love you too, and that space you wanted to give me sucks. I don’t want it. I want you, Hugh. I need you.”

“Oh, Kat. I’m sorry. I saw how tired you are when we’re together. It’s not like we get much sleep. I just thought—”

“Don’t think for me anymore.” She runs her hands up my shirt. Her touch is like sunshine against my skin.

I pull us down to the carpeted floor and make love to her. It’s different this time because the words have been said. I remind her many times through this moment that she is mine. When we finish, I hold her in my arms until she falls asleep.

Not wanting to disturb her, I cover her with my jacket and go to my desk to grade her paper. If she does better with the space I've given her we’ll have to come up with a plan that allows for the things she needs and the things she wants. We have to find a balance.

I am just finalizing her grade when she stirs.

“Unbelievable,” I say. I push the paper to the edge of the desk.

“What?” She rises from the floor and pulls on her clothes.

“Your paper.”

She narrows her eyes and walks up to my desk to see the big red F across the top. “My grade dropped.”

I laugh because staying away from her didn’t help. It only made it worse. “Your paper is awful, and I’m glad because that means I’m not bad for you. In fact, my presence might help you after all. Grab your stuff. We’re going home.”

“Home?”

“Kat, I’ve lived without you, and I don’t plan to any more. You’re right, the separation sucked. You’re mine, love, and you belong with me. Now grab your stuff. I’ve got papers to grade, and I want you to read something for fun.”

“You’re giving me an extra assignment? Will I get extra credit?”

“No, Kat, I don’t believe in extra credit.” I pull a book from my shelf and hand it to her. “Have you read his stuff?”

She looks at the author’s name, which says Fletch Hughson, and shakes her head.

“Nope, I don’t have time to read for pleasure.”

I take the book from her hands and push it into her backpack. “Baby, tonight is all about pleasure.”

While I grade papers, Kat curls up to my side and reads. I feel her body shudder when she laughs and her breath hitch when she’s in a scary part.

“Do you like the book?” I set the paper I’m grading on the table and run my fingers through her hair.

“I love it. It’s been so long since I’ve read for fun.”

“I figured as much. You have to be a reader to be a writer.”

“I don’t want to be a writer,” She tucks the book jacket into the book to hold her place. “I want to do stem cell research and cure cancer.”

“I know you do, but when you write up your research for publication, it has to be good.”

“No it doesn’t. I have a boyfriend who specializes in writing. Maybe I can persuade him to help me put passion on the page.” She turns over so she faces the aching hard-on I’ve ignored for hours.

“Is that right? And how will you persuade this boyfriend of yours to write your paper?”

She pulls and tugs at my pants until my dick pops free. “I’ll explain to him that not everyone can be good at everything.” She wraps her lips around the head, and licks up the glistening drop seeping from my slit.

“Oh, God, you’re very good at pleading your case, but your boyfriend believes there are some things you have to own yourself and publishing your work is one of them.”

She lowers her head pulling my cock to the back of her throat. The woman has zero gag reflex, and that makes this experience one of my favorites. I’m too thick for her to completely engulf, but when she nearly swallows my cock, I might as well be balls deep in her mouth.

She pulls back and lets me pop free. Her saliva glistens around my dick. “You want me to own my words like I own your cock?”

To a lesser man her statement would have been offensive, but Kat does own me — every piece of me from my cock to my heart. “Yes, love. I want you to own it.”

She looks up at me through the fringe of her bangs and smiles around my dick. It’s a look that says watch-me-own-you, and she does with every lick and swirl and suck. My thighs shake, and I can’t stop my toes from curling when she presses me into her throat and caresses my balls until I spill into her mouth. Kat is greedy. She doesn’t let me go until every drop is gone, and she’s had her fill.