This is a continuation of a previous story, "Hot for Teacher."
Abi was a wreck. After she had left Dr. Byrnes' office a week ago, she had felt ashamed beyond belief. The one day of class she had had after that day had been riddled with embarrassed glances and unbearable tension, and she had hurried out of class as soon as Dr. Byrnes dismissed them, despite his eye contact with her that she knew meant he wanted her to stay. She'd spent days sitting in her dorm, working over what she was to do. She knew that what they had done was wrong; it could get her expelled and Byrnes fired. She knew they shouldn't be involved. But every time she thought about how he held her and made love to her, her stomach fluttered and she felt her underwear get wet.
About a week after the day that Abi and Dr. Byrnes had been together, Abi was hurrying down a corridor, late for her English lecture. She was walking fast and barely looking where she was going, and suddenly, she walked straight into someone coming the other way, also not paying attention. She didn't even look up to see who it was as she quickly bent to pick up her fallen books, muttering an apology. She suddenly felt a hand on her arm, and looked. It was a familiar hand, muscled and lined with veins, leading up to an arm. A strong, hard arm, the arm that had held her close as she had...
"Hello, Abi."
Abi snapped out of her memory and looked up. Dr. Byrnes was kneeling in front of her, smiling.
"Um... Hi, Dr. Byrnes." Abi looked down and fumbled with her books, her face reddening.
"Abi, you seemed very... distracted in class the other day." Her professor helped her gather up her books and stood up, looking concerned. He put his hand on her arm.
"I... uh... I'm just a little... conflicted about what happened the other day." Abi looked around the corridor, and finding it deserted, said in a low voice, "Look, Dr. Byrnes, we need to talk about this. I don't think we should be... you know."
Dr. Byrnes' face fell for half a second, but he quickly composed himself. "When will you be out of classes today?"
"Three o'clock."
He looked at her with kind eyes. "Come see me in my office at four."
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Abi knocked on the familiar wooden door at 4:10. She would have been on time, but she had walked up to his door and back to the elevator six times before finally summoning the courage to knock. She wanted him so badly she could barely think when she was around him... but she couldn't. She couldn't be involved with her teacher. They could both get in terrible trouble. But every time she was around him, she couldn't think of anything but how he had touched her, held her...
Michael Byrnes was seated in his office, looking at papers. He couldn't concentrate. Abi had said that day that she wanted to do that again. But today she wanted to end it? He couldn't figure her out. She was so beautiful, so intelligent, so... perfect. He knew that she wasn't pushing him away because her heart told her to, she was pushing him away because her brain was making her. He wanted so badly to be with her again, to make love to her again...
When he heard the knock, he stood up and walked to the door. He opened it slowly. She was standing in the doorway, looking ashamed and turned on at the same time.
"Come in, Abi."
They walked inside, and Abi looked at the couch, shivering at the memory it held. Sensing her discomfort, Dr. Byrnes guided her to a wooden chair near his desk, and dragged his chair around the desk to sit nearer to her.
"Abi... I want you to tell me why you don't want to be involved with me." Dr. Byrnes tried to keep a straight face, but inside he was distraught. His eyes gave him away; they were sad, even... longing.
Abi sighed and looked down, not wanting to see his hurt. "I do want to be involved with you. It's just... we can't. You're my teacher; it's wrong. What if someone found out?"
Dr. Byrnes leaned forward and put his hand on her knee. "Abi, I understand that you'd be worried about that. But I know that I want this too muchโand I know you want it too muchโto let anyone find out." He looked at her. He could tell she wanted him. And he knew he wanted her.
Abi's hand twitched under his. She loved those hands. They were the perfect reflection of the rest of him; strong, veined, hardโbut kind. "I... I know. I just... I'm afraid of what could happen." She felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked them back, remembering what had happened the last time she had cried in front of him. But one tear fell onto her cheek, drawing a slow line across her face.
Dr. Byrnes looked at her and had to comfort her, had to protect her. She looked so fragile. She looked like she needed help; needed guidance, needed... love.
"Abi," he said, standing up, urging her up too, "I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen." He wrapped his arms around her and she shrank into his chest, another tear following its sister's path down her cheek. She felt so small and delicate inside his thick arms, begging to be touched.
Abi shuddered in his arms. She knew that she couldn't stop now, even if she wanted to. But she didn't. He had quelled her fears, and she felt safe close to him.
"Dr. Byrnesโ" she started.
"Please... Michael. I think we're... intimate enough now that you can call me by my given name."
Abi looked up at his face. She needed this: this protection, this safety. "Okay."
Michael put his hand under her cheek and rubbed away her tear with his calloused thumb, bending his head down. His left hand came up to mirror his right, and he kissed her closed eyes, her wet eyelashes fluttering against his lips.
Her heart skipped a beat as he kissed her eyes. "Michael," she breathed. "How do you make me feel so...?" She couldn't find a word to use. But as he kissed her nose, then her lips, she realized. He made her feel... safe.
Michael looked down at her, his hands still cupping her face. "Why don't you come to my apartment?" It was more of a statement than a question.
Abi nodded and wiped her face. She picked up her bag and followed him out of the office. They walked downstairs to his car and got in. He steered with his left hand and held hers with his right. He could barely keep his eyes on the road, he was so turned on. It took all he had not to pull over and take her right there.
Abi was glad she wasn't driving. She knew that if she had been, she would have crashed long ago, because she was staring at Michael the entire time. She couldn't help it. He looked amazing sitting there. She could tell he was turned on; he kept shifting in his seat and biting his lip. She loved it.
When they arrived, he got out and helped her out, then led her upstairs. When they got to his door, he paused to unlock it.
Abi couldn't believe this was happening. She was about to go into her professor's apartment. But she knew it was more than a bootie call. She felt something for him. He made her feel protected, even... loved.