Chapter 7

• Ten minutes later, they arrived at a brick apartment only a few blocks from the town center. He parked underground, and as soon as they stepped inside the elevator, Hayleigh’s pulse began to escalate again.
• “Did you grow up in this town?” he asked, pressing on the button to the 9th floor.
• “I’m from upstate. You?”
• “No, I used to live in Cambridge.”
• “Really? I took you more for a city guy,” she mused as the doors dinged open.
• “Well, my family’s originally from Boston.” He fished the keys out of his pocket as they walked down the hallway.
• They stopped in front of a door that read 903. “Why Cambridge then?”
• “I went to MIT.” He swung the door open. “After you.”
• “Are you serious?“ Her eyes widened, and even more so upon entering his apartment.
• His walls were lined with brick, with everything else in shades of black and grey. From his kitchen shelves and counters to the steel bars hanging overhead, everything was in monochrome. The dining room comprised of a single, long table with ghost chairs, where plates were already set up.
• “Make yourself comfortable,” he said while she gawked at the rest of his apartment. He headed to the kitchen while she observed the living room. A widescreen TV faced a plush couch and suede rug, while a short flight of stairs led to a loft where the bedroom was.
• “What the hell?” She turned around in disbelief. “This is one hell of an apartment.”
• “Thank you.” He turned on the stove. “Have a seat. Let me just reheat this sauce. I hope you like pasta.”
• “Can’t say no to pasta,” she muttered, removing her bag and uneasily taking a seat. Hot professor from MIT with a nice pad and cooks? Jesus, who did he sell his soul to?
• He briefly returned to pour a modest amount of red wine. He lifted his glass to a toast, to which she followed.
• “Wait, you can drink, can’t you?”
• “Technically, not for another two years.”
• “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that then.” He winked.
• Hayleigh ended up swallowing more of the wine than she expected. It was strong and potent, and she nearly choked on it. Good thing he had already turned around before she made a face.
• “Do you need help with anything?” she offered as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
• “Don’t worry about it,” he said, returning to carry two plates. Carefully, he settled a plate of Bolognese pasta before her, garnished with parsley.
• “Apologies as this was all I could come up with at the last minute.” He took his seat next to her. “Bon appétit.”
• “Are you kidding? Thank you for making dinner.” She lifted her fork. “You didn’t have to.”
• “It’s a little light, but I did make some tiramisu in the fridge.”
• “Wow, this is delicious.” She brought a hand to her mouth. “Did you make this sauce?”
• He idly swirled his wine. “I did.”
• “Now I’m embarrassed.” She shook her head. “I can make like cup noodles at best.”
• “It’s never too late to take up cooking lessons. I just learned online.”
• “I’ll add that to my list. For now, my priority is to pass your class first.”
• Rowen unfolded his napkin with a smirk and a shake of his head.
• After a just as delicious dessert, they decided to plug in a classic horror movie from the 70s. Hayleigh accepted the bowl of popcorn from Rowen as he dimmed the lights in the room and sat down beside her.
• The bowl of popcorn kept them apart on the couch, though he was at least a full arm’s length from her. She was in a cardigan and jeans with her legs folded, sitting a good distance away. She was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.
• Still, she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the movie. She’d already seen it at least three times before, but she couldn’t keep track of what was happening anymore. All she could do was to keep eating popcorn, even though she was already bursting from all the food she ate earlier.
• She dug her hand through the bowl, only to feel Rowen’s fingers brush against hers. She jerked her gaze away from the TV to find they’d reached for the popcorn at the same time.
• “Sorry,” she sheepishly said, retracting her hand. “I’m being a pig.”
• “No, you’re not.” He quietly laughed. “Besides, I like a girl who eats.”
• It was a good thing it was dark, otherwise he would see how red her face was right now.
• “Is everything alright?”
• “Huh? Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “Why do you ask?”
• “You look like you’ve got something on your mind.”
• Hayleigh tried to school her face to look neutral, but it was pointless now. Was she really that transparent?
• Slowly, he reached for the remote and lowered the volume. “It’s because I’m your teacher, right?”
• Shadows danced on Rowen’s face as he intently eyed her. Words refused to form as Hayleigh felt her heart in her throat.
• “If this makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me,” he said. “I don’t want to force things between us.”
• She uneasily licked her lips and nodded. “No, I know that. It’s just more... complicated because of how things are. I’m just a little scared, I guess.”
• He shifted to fully face her on the couch. “I understand. I could get fired, and you have your studies to worry about. I just can’t help but be attracted to you, I guess.”
• Hayleigh lowered her head in embarrassment. “But I’m nobody special. I mean, you’re smart, good-looking, and you have a really nice apartment…”
• He softly chuckled before reaching out to gently clasp her hand. His palm was large and warm against hers.
• “All those things don’t make me special either,” he said. “Besides, for a very pretty girl like you, I’m surprised you don’t already have a boyfriend.”
• She could only shrug in growing embarrassment. God, her face felt like it was on fire.
• Carefully, he cupped her cheek and tilted her face up. “Have a little more confidence in yourself. We’re on the same boat—well, minus the apartment. But you can work on that in a few years’ time.”
• She laughed. “I guess so.”
• His thumb lightly brushed over her cheek. His eyes briefly locked on her mouth before their gazes met again.
• Slowly, Rowen pulled her close and sealed her lips with his. His mouth felt warm and full as he kissed her gently, until his hand moved to her nape to deepen the kiss. A short gasp escaped her, but he quickly stifled it as he kissed her with a growing ardency that was impossible to pull away from. God, he was such a good kisser...
• He began to lean forward, and she ended up on her back at the edge of the couch. She could feel the sturdy muscles of his torso as he went on top of her and put a hand up her shirt. His fingers were almost feverish to the touch as his lips trailed down to her neck and began to leave a mark.
• Her body began to feel tight with a frustration she hadn’t felt before. It was clear Rowen was far from all the awkward high school boys she’d made out with in the past. He was a man who knew what he was doing, and was now doing things to her body that made her feel hot and strange...
• Her back slightly arched as his lips moved to her stomach. It took nearly all of her willpower to place her hands on his shoulders and gently push him away.
• “I’m sorry,” she stammered. “Can we stop here?”
• His head remained low and close to her stomach for a few seconds longer before he slowly extricated himself from her. “Of course. I’m sorry, I got carried away.”
• “It’s fine,” she said in a small voice as she sat upright and fixed her top.
• “It’s getting late.” He stood up with a sigh. “Let’s get you home.”
• Hayleigh quickly grabbed her things with a mute nod.