Tenure

36. Kiernan

36

Kiernan

“Where are you taking me?”

“Home.”

“This isn’t the way to my house.”

“I’m not taking you to your house.”

I stare at him, his features visible in the lights of the city. He seems lost in thought, like he’s in even more of a mood than he was after the park, and he’s making me nervous. I’m not entirely sure I want to go back to his place, even if I could.

“I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

“None of this is a great idea. We’ve established this.”

I sigh. “I didn’t ask you to out us to my friend, or your colleague. So, if you’re about to act like it’s my fault people know about this, you can pull the fuck over right now and let me out. I’d rather walk home.”

I expect a snappy comeback, something harsh and demanding and very, very James, but he just sighs.

“Did I say any of this was your fault?”

“You’re not saying much of anything right now.”

“We had a nice dinner. I’d like to take you home and fuck you. Isn’t that enough?”

“You’re being weird. And you’re giving me whiplash. What the fuck is your problem?”

He’s quiet, and my heart sinks into my feet as I think he isn’t going to answer me. But then he sighs again, and I see him grip the steering wheel a little tighter.

“You know how you said you had questions, but you said you weren’t supposed to ask them?”

“Yes?” Where is he going with this . . .

“I have things on my mind that I’m not supposed to say.”

I reach across the console and put my hand on his knee. “No rules, remember?” I murmur. “Talk to me.”

“I like you. A lot more than I should.”

I fight the smile, but I’m pleased. I already know he likes me. If he didn’t, I can’t see him having bothered with any of this. He’s clearly not someone to willingly give up his time for no reason, and I doubt he’s ever suffered so much as an inconvenience without really wanting it. But hearing him say it is still nice.

Nice is an understatement.

“I like you too. What’s the problem? Are you just mad that you couldn’t spend the entire evening brooding? Did I mess up your jaw clenching routine?”

“I don’t want you to see anyone else,” he says, his voice hard.

“Okay.”

“I mean it.”

“Wasn’t really a thing, but sure.”

“Are you going to ask me not to see anyone else?”

I frown and take my time before I answer him. The truth? The idea of him dating anyone else makes my blood turn green with jealousy. But it doesn’t feel right to say he can’t. I’m sure there are things he’s going to want to do, places he’ll want to go with a date that I can’t attend. Faculty things. Professional things. Friend things. Adult things.

“Am I in a position to ask you that?” I say quietly.

He turns and looks at me. “Yes.”

He scowls as I unbuckle my seatbelt, but I don’t care. I scramble over to him and give him an enormous hug, him making a wheezing noise as I squeeze his middle.

“I’m driving!” he barks, but he doesn’t push me away. “Get back in your seat. And put your seatbelt on.”

“Okay,” I say, scrambling back into my seat and putting it on right away.

“So, we’re, like, totally boyfriend girlfriend now,” he says in a mock voice.

I laugh and he visibly relaxes, more than he did in the car before the restaurant. Is this really what was bugging him? He wanted to ask me to be his girlfriend? Absolutely nothing he’s done or said from quite literally the second we met has been predictable.

“You’re deeply un boring, you know that?” I say.

“Gotta make up for the math.”

I scowl. “Math isn’t boring.”

“This is why I like you so much.”

My phone vibrates— again— and I take the opportunity to check it knowing full well we’ll be too busy once we get back to his place.

Leave it to you to go from two awkward kisses in your life to being fucked by a Henry Cavill lookalike who doesn’t even feel bad about it

He just asked me to be his girlfriend

I fucking hate you a little bit, you know that?

xo

Is it a secret? Like, in front of other people?

Dunno. He outed us to someone at work at dinner. Doesn’t seem to care too much about who knows

I feel like he’d just threaten anyone who gave him a hard time

Probably

Are you coming over later so I can get the FULL cup of tea?

Not coming back tonight

Tomorrow then?

I’ll text you when I’m home

You’re staying for the weekend, aren’t you

Dunno

That means yes. Can he go more than one round at his age do you think?

You have no. fucking. idea.

Yep I def hate you. Byyyeeeee

As we pull into the parking garage of his building, I frown. “I don’t have any clothes,” I say.

He looks at me like I’m stupid. “You won’t need them.”