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I’m not sure which I want more: to kill Dr. Jenkins or crawl under a rock and never talk to anyone again.
My chances at the internship are ruined.
My dream job, gone.
Nothing makes sense as my carefully planned future crumbles to dust because of the evil man standing in front of me.
“There you are,” Drake says as he walks through the unfinished doorframe. “What do you say we cut out of here early and spend the afternoon at the beach? Or would you prefer to go shopping? You won’t mind giving us the afternoon off for a little R&R. Right, Jenkins?”
“Absolutely not!” he says with an exasperated grunt. “Don’t be absurd. And you are interrupting a private conversation. Be gone so Heidi and I can iron out some details.”
Drake casually saunters to my side and wraps his arm over my shoulder. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. What I think’s going to go down is you are going to let us go. Then, you are going to spend the night writing the glowingest motherfucking recommendation you’ve ever written. When we come in tomorrow, you are going to drop to your fucking knees to hand Heidi that letter and apologize for ever even thinking of touching her with that pathetic dick of yours.”
Dr. Jenkins and I gasp at the same time.
“How dare you talk to me like that!” he cries out.
I’m too stunned to say anything.
Drake is not. “How dare you try to coerce one of your volunteers to fuck you in exchange for the recommendation! You know she’s qualified, but you dare deny her what she deserves so you can try to get your rocks off. Shame on you!”
Dr. Jenkins takes a few steps back during the tirade.
My heart is pounding so fast it’s making me dizzy as I try to figure out how I feel.
It’s sexy as hell watching Drake defend me, but at the same time, he’s stomping all over my plans.
Dr. Jenkins might be scared, but he’s not stupid. He’ll realize we have nothing concrete for him to be afraid of. Drake is a football player who is only here because he got in trouble. And I’m, well, I’m just me. Nobody will believe me over a man like Dr. Jenkins.
He smiles when he comes to the same conclusion. “It’s just your word against mine. And I’ll probably either know the judge or have a friend who does. I’ll end both of you.”
I tug Drake’s arm to try and drag him away, but it would be easier trying to move the house.
“It won’t be my word. It won’t be Heidi’s, either. It’ll be your words against your own damn words, man.”
Drake taps something on his phone.
Dr. Jenkins’ voice comes out of the speaker. “...you’re thinking, so let me spell it out. Young women like you frequently fuck your way to the top. I’ve got the connections you need. You’ve got the body I want. Should I come to your room tonight or would you like to come to mine?”
Drake raises an eyebrow. “Do you or your friends know any judges who will let you sweep that under the table?”
Nobody speaks for several seconds.
Dr. Jenkins suddenly gets very interested in his feet. “Why don’t the two of you take the afternoon off. We’ll regroup in the morning to discuss the details of Heidi’s internship. I do believe you’d make a great fit in any number of roles there.”
I practically race Drake out of the house. I don’t trust myself to stand next to that slimy professor for a single second more without physically attacking him for what he dared try to make me do.
When we get to the car, Drake grabs me by the shoulder and spins me to face him.
Before he can get a word out, I start pounding against his chest. “Men are pigs!”
Rather than telling me not all men are bad, he sighs, “I know. I’m sorry that happened to you. How can I help?”
It’s exactly the response I need.
He’s exactly the man I need.
Something releases deep inside me as if all the years of stress about my future has been holding me back all along. I still don’t know exactly where the future will take me or if I’ll actually get that internship, but at least I have the perfect man supporting me.
I kiss him hungrily.
“Take me back to the hotel.”
He carefully scans my face. “You sure? That was a fucking mess back there. Would you like to grab a bite to eat and talk about it—or maybe about anything but it?”
I blurt out, “I love you!”
His cock-eyed smile warms my heart. “I love you, too, Heidi. From the second I first saw you.”
“Hotel first. I need to burn off a lot of energy, but I hate exercise. Think you can help me with that?”
His smile is everything I need in this second. The world will go on and we’ll be together. “You’re in luck. That’s my specialty.”
“And after I’m good and exhausted, we can order some food and start making plans for a very long future together.”
This is his chance to back down.
We can still both pretend I’m joking, fool around the rest of the week, and part with sweet memories of our time together. He can continue on with his career, and I can start mine...alone.
As he trots to the passenger side of the car, he says, “Deal. But we better get moving if we want to do all that and make it to the jeweler before they close.”
I climb into the passenger seat. “I don’t need jewelry, Drake. I just need you.”
“That’s fine, but we’re going to need engagement rings, and I don’t want to wait until tomorrow...that is, if you’ll do me the honor of marrying me.”
“Oh.”
I buy time for a better reply while I start the car and back out of the parking space.
It’s one thing for us to talk about a future together while fucking during a vacation. Talk doesn’t impact my plans.
Saying yes to Drake means embracing a whole new unknown future where I have to balance my own wants with his. The old me would spend months deliberating on the decision.
I can’t imagine a life without Drake now, though. I still want to become an accountant and help as many people as possible, but I want that future with Drake.
I put the car in gear. “I like your plan, but can I propose one change? Let’s go get those rings first.”
“That is the best idea I’ve heard all day,” Drake says, leaning in for another kiss. “I think I’ll leave the planning up to you from now on.”
I hit the gas and drive us toward our destiny.