CHAPTER NINE

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Heidi's eyes shot up to meet his, unsure she had heard him correctly. His eyes stared back, full of flame and something she had not seen before.

"I am?" That was all she could say in reply.

Instead of responding, James ran the pad of his thumb down the side of her cheek. Each cell he touched sprang to life, burning under his attention. Heidi closed her eyes and pressed into his touch, unwilling to wake up if this was a dream.

He moved his thumb down the line of her jaw and swiped it over her soft, wanting lips. Heidi sighed and parted her lips slightly, enjoying the feel of his calloused thumb against her sensitive skin. He ran his thumb back across, savoring each curve and ridge of her lips.

He stopped and Heidi opened her eyes, peering up at him through her lashes. He stared back, eyes capturing every fleck of gold inside her pale green irises, trying to memorize how dazed she looked from just the touch of his thumb.

James let out a low growl and gave in to everything he had been ignoring this semester. He moved his hand to the side of her cheek and pulled her mouth up to meet his.

A jolt of electricity wrenched through Heidi's and James' bodies as their lips collided. Heidi shuddered under his kiss and pressed her body forward into his arms. Their chests met and James relished the feelings of Heidi's soft, full breasts against the hard expanse of his chest. Heidi moved her mouth greedily against James, memorizing the way his mouth felt against her lips.

James moved his hand away from her cheek, down her neck, over her shoulder, and down her side. When he reached her wide hips, he grabbed a handful of her and pulled her even closer. Heidi gasped and moved her hands up his chest, feeling each ridge of his muscles. She ran her thumb over the buttons on his shirt, not yet daring to open them, and finally tangling her hands in his messy hair.

James wrapped his arm around her back and ran his other hand through her blonde hair. It was soft and sleek beneath his hands. Like silk, he thought, pushing some of her curls behind her ear. Heidi gasped, tilting her head into his hand. Her nipples were hard stones in her bra as she felt each of James' fingers against her. She was dying to feel him, skin on skin.

James flicked his tongue against Heidi's bottom lip, asking permission. Heidi sighed and parted her lips, giving him entrance. James slid his tongue inside, rubbing against hers in confident, bold strokes. Heidi moaned and opened her mouth wider, following his lead.

Heat pooled between her thighs with each stroke of his tongue. Heidi pulled on his hair. It was coarser than she imagined, but smooth and well-coifed. Up close he smelled even more like the forest.

James felt bold and moved his hand under her shirt, teasing the small roll of flesh that sat on top of her jeans. Heidi gasped when she felt his fingers make contact with her pale, sensitive skin. She pressed harder into his body. She moved against him, rubbing her breasts against his hard chest and moaned as the friction teased her nipples through her shirt.

James slid his hand completely under her shirt and grabbed at her side and her back. His hands were rough against her, reminding her of a mild exfoliant, but Heidi savored how he rubbed at her skin.

When they broke for air, Heidi was unwilling to stop the kisses. She took a deep breath, then climbed on to James' lap so that her thighs straddled his waist. She was worried she would be too heavy for James until he moaned and ground his hips against her slightly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. 

Heidi moved against his thighs as they kissed again, her clit electrified by the friction in her jeans. She gasped and bit down lightly on James' bottom lip. James growled in response and grabbed a handful of her ass. Heidi laughed, breaking contact with his mouth and nipping at his earlobe.

James breathed in through the veil of Heidi's golden curls. How could someone this angelic make him feel like such a devil? Growling low in his chest, James moved forward and took a bite of her neck, running his tongue over the sensitive skin above her pulse.

Heidi moaned, throwing her head back. James smirked against her skin and repeated the motion with her tongue. Heidi stroked the back of his neck and his hair. Emboldened, James moved his kisses down, finding sensitive spots all down her shoulders, collarbone, and finally the top of her breasts.

Heidi heaved against him as he kissed and licked over the hills of her chest. She held his head down, almost in disbelief that this man would want to trace the curves of her body with his tongue. She moved her hips against him, more feverishly, matching the strokes of his tongue with the ripples of pleasure that ricocheted through her clit.

James pressed back. She could feel his hard cock pressing through his jeans. It was even bigger than she remembered from their excursion in the woods. She wanted to see it in person.

Suddenly, James pushed her backwards onto the couch. Heidi kept her grip on his neck and James followed her quickly. She lay, helpless, beneath him. Her legs spread wide and his pulsing cock pressing through his jeans directly against her center. Heidi rocked against him, relishing the feeling of his warm body against her most private part. James moved back against her, growling and moaning with each stroke.

Heidi reached forward and unbuttoned his shirt. She drank in the ridges of his chest when it fell open, savoring him like he was water in the desert. She caught his eye and reached forward, running her thumbs over his nipples. James growled and leaned down in a biting kiss. Heidi chucked and kissed back.

James moved his hand up her shirt, teasing her nipples through her bra as pay back. Her nipples were so hard they were like shooting stars, ready to burst off. She groaned and ground against him. James took this as permission to move his other hand down her body, running over her soft stomach, and down between her legs.

Heidi moaned and bucked as he rubbed her through her jeans. He figured out where her clit was with the practiced hand of an experienced man. With each touch she was lifted a little closer to heaven. Her hips moved on their own accord, following his touches. Begging for more. This man, her boss, was touching her in ways she had only dreamed of being touched. This man. Her boss. Her boss?

"Stop!" Heidi moaned under his touch.

James pulled back, his hand hovering over her jeans and brows furrowed with confusion.

"Stop," Heidi said with more force, trying to scoot out from under him.

James pushed himself up, making room for her to sit up on the couch. His shirt was still unbuttoned and revealed his heaving chest. Heidi struggled to sit, swinging her legs to the floor. She ripped her eyes away from James and starred at the prints hanging on the wall behind him. She wouldn't let herself get caught up like this again.

"We can't do this," Heidi said.

She pulled her shirt back down and ran her hands through her hair. She had no concept of how disheveled she looked. She felt like she'd been caught in a windstorm. She ran her hands through her hair again for good measure.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," James said. "I thought you wanted... I'm sorry."

Heidi could feel him looking at her. She knew the way the corners of his mouth were tipped down and how his eyes were red-rimmed with stress. She did not look at him. She wouldn't look at him.

Heidi stood. Once standing, Heidi realized she did not have a plan. Oh god, this was how she was going to lose her mind. Fuck. Why did she come here?

"Heidi?" James asked, his voice soft with worry, "Are you all right?"

The sound of his voice spurred her into motion. Without looking back, Heidi strode to the door. For a second she considered taking the bag of ungraded tests with her. Thinking better of it, Heidi just shut the door to the apartment with a loud crack and ran down the stairs.

She breathed heavily at the bottom, glad she didn't risk waiting for the elevator. But as she stood outside the apartment in the cold November air she realized James hadn't bothered to follow her at all. The chill cut deep into her bones.

Without looking over her shoulder, Heidi walked into the night.