Without thinking it through, Lexi made her way down the hallway and up the stairs to the faculty offices floor. Another long hallway presented itself and she glanced at each wooden door's nameplate as she walked passed the small offices. She didn't even need to see the nameplate to find the one Tom was in as his door was wide open and he was seated at his desk.

"Hannah?" he asked after he looked up from his computer monitor to Lexi who had stopped abruptly in front of his door frame.

"Uh, hey, Professor Miller. You have a second?"

"Sure." He stood up with an irritated look on his face and motioned for her to sit down in the chair on the other side of his light brown wooden desk. As he got up to close the door behind her, Lexi scanned her surroundings. The small office had just enough space for one desk, two chairs, and a mini gray couch against the wall. Tom's desk was almost as organized and sparsely filled as Scarlett's and Lexi wondered if he even used the space day-to-day. "What can I help you with, Hannah?" he asked tersely as he sat back down in his chair.

Even with his sour expression, the light filtering through the blinds on the window was creating artistic lines on his sharp features. I could stare at him all day. God, how is he so handsome?

"Hannah, what is it? I have a lot of work to do."

Lexi jumped slightly and cleared her throat. Focus, Lex! "Um, uh, yeah, sorry I just wanted to come by to say sorry about everything. And sorry for not responding to your email. It's been a crazy couple of days and I'm just dealing with some personal stuff."

Tom's expression softened and a valley presented itself between his brows. "Anything I can help with?"

"No. Thank you for asking though." The look on his face made Lexi want to spill her heart out about everything and she looked away.

"Well, if that's all, I appreciate you stopping by, and I-"

"I know you saw me giving my number to Wes," Lexi blurted out.

Tom's eyes widened a fraction, and he leaned back in his seat. "And?"

"And I wanted you to know I didn't want to do it. I don't want to go on a date with him."

Tom sighed and looked up at the ceiling in some sort of silent plea. His gaze shifted back down to Lexi and her heart rate increased. She had not prepared for this conversation and instantly regretted leading things there. "Sorry, I shouldn't have come up here." She stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Sit down," Tom practically growled out.

Lexi shook her head and slung her bag over her shoulder as she turned to the door. Yet, she could barely get it open when Tom's hand shut it closed right over her head. "What happened to you doing as I say, huh?"

He was still leaning his hand on the door and had a wild look in his eyes when Lexi turned to face him. They were inches apart and the air in the room grew thicker by the second. His musky cologne filled her nostrils and all that could be heard was the ticking of the clock. Jumbled, unspoken words traveled through the air as she searched his face, looking for a sign, anything that would change the color of the stoplight. Yet, when the twist of the lock landed on her ears, it was as if every letter fell into place and the red dot disappeared, being replaced by a bright green one. She knew she couldn't escape what was about to happen, even if she wanted to.

Tom grabbed the back of her neck firmly and landed his mouth on hers. She dropped her bag and threw her hands up to the sides of his face, immediately reciprocating the warm, intense kisses that were being sucked from her. Warmth filled her belly as they continued devouring each other's lips in between rapid breaths.

"God, Hannah, you are really so beautiful, inside and out. I've been wanting to do this again for a really long time," Tom said in a hoarse whisper in between kisses.

"Me too," Lexi managed to let out as their hands roamed each other's backs in the embrace. She let out a moan as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Tom broke contact for a moment and his brilliant blue eyes bore into Lexi. "You have to stay quiet for me. Can you do that?"

Lexi nodded and immediately landed her lips back on Tom's. She moved her tongue over his and they swirled together, poking and prodding in a deep intoxication. As Lexi's nerve endings fired rapidly, Tom shifted their position and led them to the couch without breaking contact with her lips. He sat her down in front of him and towered over her with a hooded gaze. Both were breathing rapidly and the sensations that Lexi had only felt once before were increasing by the second.

"We should slow down," Tom said in a deep growly voice as he tried to force his breathing to steady itself. Lexi's swollen lips pouted involuntarily, and Tom swiftly sat next to her and pulled her lips back toward him. They continued kissing and soon, Lexi found herself straddling him and Tom's hands gripping her thighs over her jeans. His hardness pressed against her center, and she let out a gasp. He pressed his hips into her and she quickly reciprocated, relishing the friction against her core. His large hands squeezed the sides of her hips, and he guided her over him as they continued to meet each other at their most sensitive parts.

A voice traveling through the door, from the hallway, forced them both to freeze in place. They stared at each other wide-eyed and breathing hard. When the realization of what just took place fell on Lexi, she immediately stood up and straightened out her white t-shirt that had been pushed sideways on her shoulder.

Tom exhaled and smoothed out his hair. He remained rooted in his seat while eyeing Lexi pacing around the office. "I'm so sorry, Hannah. I really shouldn't have done that."

Lexi shook her head. Every time he called her Hannah it was like a twist of a knife in her gut. A painful reminder of the lies she'd told and the mission she was on that had nothing to do with him. Her eyes welled with tears.

"Fuck!" Tom called out and jumped up from the couch. He grabbed Lexi's hand and led her back to the couch next to him. "Come sit next to me. Please, tell me what you're thinking," he said as he circled his arms around her.

Being held by him only seemed to force more tears out of Lexi. They streamed down her cheeks and droplets dotted Tom's shirt. "It's nothing." She sniffled. "I'm just so confused right now."

Tom sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before stroking the back of her head. "Honestly, me too." He prompted her to look up at him and concern was etched across his features. "Listen, Hannah. I was fully going to wait until the semester was over to ask you out. I really would like for us to get to know each other more."

Lexi stayed frozen, unable to say anything. Tom was saying exactly the things she'd wanted to hear, and it was sending her pulse into a frenzy. He continued when he saw that she wasn't going to respond. "But I just have to say I can't stand the thought of you going out on a date with someone else. I want you, Hannah. And I don't want anyone else to have you." Lexi's heart swelled at Tom's admission. "I know it's unfair of me to ask you to wait for me, but what can I say, I'm a selfish guy." Tom cracked a smile, seeming to want to lighten the mood.

Lexi leaned in and slowly placed her lips on Tom's. It was a soft, slow, intimate kiss that lasted a moment but caused just as much heat to fill her as their prior urgent ones. She leaned back on the couch and sighed, looking up toward the ceiling. Tom let out a sigh of his own and continued. "And I know you've never gone far physically before," he said slowly, seeming as if he wanted to choose his words very carefully. "Just know, I want to be as respectful as possible to whatever you feel comfortable with. And I don't ever want to pressure you into doing anything you're not ready for."

Just disrespect me.

"What?" Tom tilted his head forward.

Oh my God, did I say that out loud?

Tom burst out laughing, the vibration of his body moving against Lexi. "Yes, yes you did."

Lexi's hands shot up over her open mouth. "Oh my God, so sorry! Um, it was a joke one of the girls in my dorm made." She began laughing and moved her hands to cover her eyes.

Tom reached up and brought her hands back down. "You don't have anything to be embarrassed about."

"I should probably tell you this now." Lexi paused to see if the hammering in her chest would slow down.

"What is it?" Tom furrowed his brows and slid his hands down her back in a warm, comforting embrace.

Just get it over with, Lex. Tell him one true thing. "I have this thing that I promised myself when I was young. I realize it's very uncommon and honestly, I'm questioning everything now that I've met you." She took in a breath. "I promised myself that I would wait until I got married to have sex."

Tom's eyebrows lifted, and he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Lexi's stomach stirred as she desperately was trying to decipher what Tom was thinking. When he didn't speak, a tear made its way out and down her cheek. Tom didn't move to console her and instead shifted himself back. "I-uh," he started but paused.

Lexi gulped and used the back of her hand to wipe her cheek. "That's okay, Tom. You don't have to say anything."

"Fuck. I'm sorry, Hannah. I'm just a little in shock, that's all. Sex has been an important part of the relationships I've been in. So, you telling me it's completely off the table is just-"

Lexi's heart sank. Sex wasn't completely off the table, but if he didn't see a future with her then, maybe it was. "I should go." She picked up her bag and Tom remained seated on the couch, still deep in thought. When he made no effort to move, the lump in her throat grew and she quickly unlocked the door. Without another glance, she swiftly exited Tom's office and prayed that she could hold back the well of tears threatening to unleash until she got back to her dorm room.

***

Alright, so we got a teeny bit of spice! Don't worry, I'll keep turning up the heat as we go along. I just love a slow burn. Thanks for reading, voting, and commenting! 🥰♥️