I watched everyone leave the classroom and disappear in different directions. Whatever it was they were about to do, at least they didn’t have to stress over being in a fifteen-week course taught by someone they had sex with.

How the hell did I end up in this situation?

I stood against the wall just outside the door, and so many thoughts were running through my mind. I began to resent fate and her twisted sense of humor, because out of all the men I could have met in the restaurant that night, it had to be the man who was teaching my science class, and the very class that I was having the most trouble in at that. My hands started to shake a little as adrenaline coursed through my body. I took small, sharp, deliberate breaths to keep myself afloat as I felt my chest constricting with the weight of a unique kind of stress.

How could I have slept with my professor? Why couldn’t Knight have been an English teacher or even in the Astronomy department? I had never been in such a compromising position and the gravity of the situation was so overwhelming that I was convinced I was having my first real panic attack. This whole thing could easily become misconstrued by people if anyone found out, and they could assume that I was being passed through Knight’s class on the merit of our relationship. And that would be totally contradictory to everything I had worked hard for during my whole career as a student.

During class, I couldn’t even focus on Knight’s lecture because my thoughts were inundated with how this could impact my future. It was completely irrational, but I imagined the dean of students hauling me into his office and berating me for sleeping with a faculty member, telling me that I was bringing reproach on the school, and that because of my indecent behavior, I’d have to be expelled. Then, I imagined professors who thought highly of me and had promised to write me letters of recommendation, now turning up their noses in my direction. I knew deep down that it made no sense, but my mind was reeling out of control.

And it wasn’t just me who seemed to be on edge. While Knight stood before the class, spouting off information about chemical formulas, I thought about the damaging repercussions to his teaching career. The Chancellor of Las Positas University would fire him even faster than he’d been hired. And, any time he tried to get a job in the future, our relationship would come up. What had we gotten ourselves into?

The only conceivable way to avoid this fiasco was to simply deny what happened entirely and stop seeing each other. When I saw him, I’d tell him that we’d just pretend like it never happened. I waited outside the door to see if he would come out. The gossipy sophomores were the last of my classmates to leave, and then five minutes later, Knight walked out, his body leaned to the side as if the briefcase he was carrying was filled with bricks.

“Hey,” I said to him, my nerves alight with panic. All the resolve that I had to tell him my plan instantly melted away when I saw him up close, all handsome in his professor uniform of a slim-fit button down, corduroy jacket, and khakis.

“Hey,” he said hesitantly. He wore a strange expression, looking at me as if I was unfamiliar, but I think he was just shocked to see me. “How are you . . . McKinley?”

That pause made me think that maybe he really did forget who I was.

“Th-that was a good lecture today,” I choked out, twisting my upper torso back and forth like an oscillating fan. I didn’t know what to say after that, and I couldn’t even try to scrape for something.

“Thank you . . . thank you,” he replied. I could sense he had something else on his mind. There was an awkward silence between us. He stared at me, while I tried to avoid eye contact.

“We need to talk, McKinley,” he said in a low tone, biting his bottom lip and backing away. “I don’t have another class until later this afternoon. Can we go to my office?”

I wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but I knew one way or the other, Knight was right; we definitely needed to talk.

“S-sure, okay,” I agreed, nervous at what the next few moments were going to bring.

When we got to his office, I was surprised to see he had been given one of the nicer offices in the science building. It was the kind of room you usually only saw the more senior professors in.

“Who had to die so you could get in here?” I joked. His eyes went wide with panic, and I was suddenly afraid I said something really terrible. “I’m sorry. I was just teasing.”

“No, it’s fine. I just… honestly, people keep saying things like that and I’m starting to wonder. Anyway, McKinley… I need you to know that I had absolutely no idea you were in my class when we, I mean, when I…”

I sat down in the chair across from Knight’s desk and took a deep breath. “I believe you. But I don’t think we can keep doing this. If we get caught, you could lose your job. And I can’t afford to get in any kind of trouble. I want to go to grad school and if my grades…”

Knight held his hand up to stop me. “I get it. I know what a terrible idea this is. But, McKinley, you can’t tell me that you don’t feel what I feel.”

Even from across the desk, I knew exactly what he was talking about. The electricity in the room was making my entire body tingle and the only thing I wanted was for him to throw me on his desk and take me right there, no matter what the consequences. Knight must have felt it too, because suddenly, he got up and crossed over behind me to lock the door. Then, he pulled down the blinds that covered the window into his office. Once we were protected from prying eyes, he crossed back over to me and kissed me passionately, as if we hadn’t seen each other in months. The taste of him was already familiar and comforting, and every bit of common sense I had went out the window. Knight gently bit at my lips and ran his strong hands up and down my back, sending a shiver of desire deep into my core.

The energy stirring between us evolved into a lust-filled current that surged through my entire body. Knight shoved all the stuff on his desk onto the floor and hoisted me up in its place. As he kissed me, I could smell the cologne on his neck, a spicy and masculine scent, and it made my head spin. I slid my hands down to his ass in a haze of lust and suddenly, I felt his butt vibrate. Knight’s phone was still in his pocket and someone was calling him. He looked at me, his expression disappointed, and he gave me a quick apologetic kiss.

“Hello?” he answered the phone, stepping away from me.

I jumped down from the desk and tried to adjust my disheveled clothing, so I wouldn’t look obvious when I left Knight’s office.

“Could we do it another time, you think?” he said to the person on the other end of the line, tucking his shirt back in. “For sure, sometime later this afternoon would be excellent.” When he hung up, he smiled at me and sighed.

“Hey, I’m sorry about that, McKinley. That was the department chair. He wanted to meet me for coffee today and talk about how my first class went,” he explained. I nodded my understanding, although I was upset that we couldn’t finish what we had started.

“It’s okay. I guess it must be really important to leave me here, on an empty desk, ready and waiting for you…”

He inched closer to me, looking at me like I was far more desirable than his coffee meeting. His strong hands cradled both sides of my waist.

“I hope you believe that only the most important meeting could tear me away from you, McKinley.”

His words made my heart flutter, and I really hoped it wasn’t just a line. I needed to change the subject immediately, or I was afraid I might get panicky.

“When’s your next class?” I asked him, trying to move the conversation along.

He checked his watch. “Ugh, I don’t even know, to be honest with you. I need to memorize my schedule,” he admitted.

“Well look, I better get going. I have two more classes today.”

“Really? Just two? Pretty light day, huh?”

“Yeah, I usually set it up that way when I make out my schedule. But I will see you . . . Thursday? I think that’s the next time the class meets.”

I threw my bag over my shoulder and started for the door, hoping against hope that Knight would stop me, or tell me he wanted to see me sooner…

Stop me, Knight. Come on…