Forbidden Obsessions (Deviant Desires of Bennington University #2)

Chapter Three

Tomas

“ T omas, thanks for coming.” James looks up from a stack of papers on his desk.

“Of course.” My gaze drops to his semi-bloodshot eyes, black and purple bags underneath them. He looks worn down. Olivia and I haven’t been over for Sunday dinner in the past few weeks, due to competing schedules. I wonder what’s happened since then?

“Of course. Sorry we haven’t been over recently. Our schedules have been crazy.”

He waves me off. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not here to lecture you about making my daughter call me more. I wish she’d call more, though.”

“What is this about, then? Did Jonathan tell you about Vanessa being in my lab, because—”

“No, DeLuca. Stop getting ahead of yourself. I did hear about that, though. And I’m concerned. But this is about Maura,” he says in a shaky breath.

“Maura?” Why does he need to talk to me about Maura? I like Olivia’s mom, but the two of us aren’t particularly close.

“What’s going on?” I ask, confused. James runs a hand over through his hair, a forlorn expression on his face.

“She was just diagnosed with breast cancer. They expect that she’ll be gone within two years. Realistically, they think one,” James says quietly, his voice breaking.

His expression makes sense. It’s one I know intimately, full of hollowness, numbness, and hopelessness.

I open my mouth to speak, but promptly close it. There’s nothing I can say. “I’m sorry,” I swallow. He nods slightly, acknowledging that my empathy doesn’t help her. “What kind?” I ask.

“Triple negative breast cancer,” James answers, fiddling with his folded hands.

I avert my gaze to my lap, trying to give him some privacy. This conversation is never easy. “It’s aggressive, but there are treatment options,” I say.

“Unless you have an experimental treatment in your back pocket readily available, they don’t think it will respond to anything.” James studies me, a silent plea in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, James. What I have is too risky. It hasn’t even started clinical trials. I couldn’t do that to you or Olivia. I promise I will do everything in my power for you, Maura, and Olivia, especially to help keep Maura comfortable.” I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I put Maura in unnecessary danger.

James nods, but purses his lips and looks away. I half expect him to argue and scream, but he doesn’t. Him accepting defeat is worse. Any way I flip the coin, I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.

“Thank you, Tomas. Olivia will need you through this. She’s been through a lot already. I didn’t realize how much exactly until she ended up with you. Thank you for bringing her back to life,” he says, wiping tears from his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere, James. I don’t know when, but I want to ensure I have your blessing when the time comes.” He gives me a long look, assessing me with hazel eyes that resembles Olivia’s. It was stupid of me to bring up. Of course he wants better for Olivia, you dumb fuck. Look at your history.

“Of course,” he says with a terse nod. I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. We rise simultaneously, clapping each other on the back. James has been a good friend. He gave me a second chance when I needed it most. Now it’s my turn to repay the debt. I know I’m much older than he was expecting Olivia’s boyfriend to be, but we’re so good for each other.

“Does she know?” James shakes his head no. I stifle a sigh. Normally, how James handles his business isn’t my concern, but I’m not good with secrets.

“Call me. Let me know when she knows, and make it soon, please,” I say before shutting the door softly behind me. What the fuck am I going to do if Olivia loses Maura? She’s still so young. Both of them are.

Olivia just turned twenty. Maura’s barely fifty. Both have so much life left. I can imagine Maura pinning Olivia’s hair at our wedding. Handing her flowers at her graduation ceremony. Holding her grandchildren for the first time.

My mind hasn’t stopped racing the entire drive home, and I keep drawing the same conclusion: this is going to destroy Olivia. I arrive home to find her waiting at the door. She had sent a text saying she was picking up dinner and asked where I was.

When I arrive, Olivia’s already at the table with dinner plated and two glasses of red wine sitting next to them. “What did Dad want?” she asks, suspiciously. I already regret telling her the truth about the meeting.

“Dinner,” I say too quickly. She narrows her eyes. This is what I wanted to avoid. “He’s hurt that we haven’t been over for Sunday dinner in a few weeks. He wants us there this weekend,” I offer. It’s not exactly a lie.

Olivia flings her hands in defeat. “What? He can’t talk to me anymore? Him or Mom could have called me.”

I twirl the pasta on my fork. “Olivia, if you want to talk to them, call them. Your dad is on campus all the same days you are. Go see him,” I say with a shrug.

She rolls her eyes. “I’ll see them on Sunday.”

“What else do you want to do this weekend?” I get the sense James wants to tell her this weekend, so I might as well make it a good one first.

“I haven’t had a really good night with the girls in a while,” Olivia says through a mouthful of noodles. I bet Lex and Mia would help me plan a fun little getaway.

“No, you haven’t. Is Lex still planning on moving in with you and Mia?”

“As far as I know.” Another eye roll. What is with her tonight?

My jaw ticks. “My apologies. I didn’t realize that also meant you haven’t talked to them in a while.”

The silence ticks as we eat and stare at one another. We don’t have many days like this. I can’t help but wonder if the honeymoon phase is nearing the end.

“I’m sorry,” she says, dropping her fork with a sigh.

“For what?” I drain the rest of my wine, unsure of what she’s going to say next.

“Being a bitch. I don’t feel well. I think I’m going to go to bed early.” She pushes back in her chair and stands to put her plate in the dishwasher.

“Don’t feel well, how?” She has her back to me, but I can feel the tension radiating from her.

“I just don’t, okay?” she says, slamming the dishwasher door shut.

“Enough ambiguity, Olivia. Tell me what’s bothering you,” I say, closing the distance between us. I spin her to face me. While I don’t know what’s bothering her, I know what will get her to open up.

She looks down and studies the white tile floor, looking everywhere except at me.

“Olivia,” I say in a low warning. Her eyes flit to mine. My fingers skate up her neck, tipping up her jaw so she looks at me. She continues her defiant pout. “Am I going to have to fuck the answer out of you?” I ask sternly, my palm moving to collar her neck.

“Maybe,” she answers, gritting her teeth.

“Maybe, huh? Just know, if it comes to that, you’re going in the spreader bar with minimal input.” Her mouth falls open in indignation. “You might want to close that pretty little mouth of yours unless you want me to fuck that first.”

Her eyes widen with surprise at my filthy words. She licks her bottom lip before opening her mouth. “I did something bad,” she confesses softly.

“Oh?” This should be interesting. She assesses me hesitantly. Olivia has come a long way from walking on eggshells, trying to anticipate everyone’s reaction before she spills news. Today seems to be the exception.

“I watched it,” she squeaks out. Trepidation squeezes my chest. Watched what? Oh God. She can’t be saying what I think she is.

“Watched what, exactly?” I ask cautiously.

“The video. The video of you and Vanessa.” My stomach drops as I pull myself away from Olivia. I’ve always been vocal about my shame and self-loathing surrounding Vanessa. How could she betray me like this?

“Why?” I can’t think of one single positive thing to come from this.

“I was jealous,” she admits, with a death-grip on the counter behind her. I believe her, but it was an unwise choice. I’m sure watching that video didn’t do anything to ease her mind.

“Did that cure it?” I ask, biting back my judgment.

“No,” she says quietly. There’s a sparkle in her eyes, though. She’s hiding something else from me.

“What else, Olivia?” I cross my arms, leaning against the kitchen door frame. My eyes dip to the thin, white cotton t-shirt and her rosy, hardening nipples tempting me beneath it.

“What makes you so sure there’s a but, DeLuca?” She challenges me through a glare. I prowl to her as she presses herself further against the sink.

“I know my girl. I can see it in your eyes. There’s more,” I tell her, watching the blush creep across her cheeks.

She groans. “Please don’t make me say it, Tomas.” She bites her lip as my intrigue grows by the second. I furrow my brows, giving her a stern look.

We battle in a silent stare down, willing the other to break first.

“Fine,” she sighs, but she still doesn’t tell me.

“Olivia, nothing you say can scare me away. I’m so in love with you that I ache. Just tell me,” I say gently, caging her in.

She takes a deep breath and eyes me warily. “Yes, I was jealous and insecure. I still am. Something unexpected happened, though.”

“What’s that, apple?” My heart beats erratically in my chest, a mix of nerves and excitement churning within my stomach.

“I came,” she says with a wry smile. Of all the things I expected her to say, this wasn’t one of them.

“You came,” I repeat slowly, making sure I heard her correctly.

“Pretty fucked up, no?” the shame from earlier written on her face. I pull her flush against me, trying to buy myself time before I have to answer her.

“Watching people fuck isn’t inherently fucked up, Olivia. Tell me what you liked about it.” Goosebumps form on her arms. I’m not sure if it’s from my request or the warmth of my breath against her skin.

“I liked watching you thrust into her throat,” she says, toying with her lip. My cock twitches at her lustful admission.

“Did you wish I was fucking yours raw, Miss Hamilton?” I ask, seizing her hands in mine.

“Yes,” she says in a breathy rasp. Olivia gives me a devious smile, wriggling out of my grasp. She kneels before me, giving me a taunting view of her curvy thighs and breasts.

“It seems as though you want something from me.” I run my fingers through her sleek black hair, tugging lightly on the ends. She nods vigorously. Olivia gives a small gasp, and goddamn, do I want to stick my dick in between those pouty lips right now.

“Use your words, Miss Hamilton,” I chide with a smirk. She shifts on her heels, scowling at me with equal parts annoyance and heat.

“Use my mouth, Professor DeLuca.” My cock strains against my jeans like a caged beast. Like a brazen little whore, she lowers my zipper with her teeth.

“Christ, Olivia. You’re going to be my undoing right here.” The words die on my tongue as Olivia takes me to the back of her throat. I fist her hair, marveling at how sexy she looks and how complete she makes me feel.

Much like the escapade on my desk the week before, she takes the lead, and I let her. There’s nothing sexier than watching her come into her power. Olivia’s going to realize that Vanessa giving me head once before might be unwillingly memorialized in that video, but there’s nothing warm in it—not even Vanessa’s mouth.

“What a perfect little whore you are, Olivia. You take every inch of me like such a good girl.” Her hand dips into her shorts, teasing her clit.

“Pull them to the side, Olivia. Let me see you play with that pretty pussy of yours. Show me how you made yourself come earlier,” I coach.

Watching Olivia’s hips thrust to meet her hand drives me closer to the edge that she’s dancing on herself. She moans around my cock.

“So fucking pretty, Olivia.” Her breaths turn ragged underneath her touch. My restraint fails. I grip the back of Olivia’s hair, pleasure wracking every nerve-ending in my body as I groan Olivia’s name in ecstasy.

I sink against the kitchen cabinets, parking myself next to Olivia, who’s still rubbing her clit. “That’s it, Olivia. Come for me.”

She arches and writhes on the kitchen floor for several more minutes. The pleasure she’s giving herself is such a beautiful thing to witness. She catches my gaze, giving me a piercing look. Even with half-closed lids, it says so much.

“Tomas,” she whimpers, before fully collapsing against the kitchen cabinets. I pull her onto my lap, our pulses equally erratic.

“Olivia, I know it’s your anxiety talking, and there’s likely nothing I can say to make you fully believe me, but you are the most stunning creature I’ve ever witnessed. There is nothing Vanessa can do that you can’t do better. There isn’t a single fucking thing Vanessa could offer me that I would want. You’re beautiful, kind, smart, and funny, and you have my entire being wrapped around your finger. I want you forever.”

Olivia looks at me skeptically. “Forever’s a long time, Tomas. After the experience I’ve had with exes like Julian, I don’t know how I can trust big promises like that.”

“Well, you better learn how to, apple. I made us both a promise, and I don’t break my promises,” I warn before shutting her up with a kiss.

I know Olivia loves me, but I don’t know that she believes that I’d go to the ends of the earth for her. Maybe it’s the news about Maura. Maybe it’s remembering my grandmother’s dying wish, who I loved so dearly. Maybe it’s because I’m aging. All I know is I’m desperate to show Olivia how much she means to me, and I know how I’m going to do it.