30 Nights Read online

  “Thanks.” My stomach growled its approval.

  “Oh, what are these?”

  The next moment happened in slow motion. The second Sasha picked up the sex cards, I grabbed for them. Of course, she held on to the paper clip, which caused me to stumble backward. The cards fell between us and I immediately went into a panic.

  “Oh no!”

  “Let me help.” It wasn’t Sasha, but Eric who dropped into a squat beside me. “Are these the research cards you pulled together for me?”

  I couldn’t be sure, but he moved so quickly gathering them I didn’t think Sasha had a chance to see what was printed on them. I blinked back unexpected tears and laughed. “Yeah. Sorry, I meant to give them to you when I arrived.”

  “That’s my fault, Professor Morris. I scooped her up the minute she got here.”

  Eric stood up, helping me in the process. “It’s fine. Glenna was helping me out as a favor. Is it fine if I keep these, or did you need to do something else with them?”

  I couldn’t think of any reason to keep them, so I smiled and hoped I didn’t look insane. “Oh no, they’re all yours.”

  “Thank you, then.” Without looking at them, he tucked them into his shirt pocket, so only the tops were visible.

  Sasha looked between us. “Well then. Thanks again, Glenna. Be sure to eat something.”

  Without thinking I stepped to the food table and blindly filled my plate. I was throwing a pile of croutons on my salad when a bottle of beer was held out for me. Naturally, it was Eric.

  “You look like you needed this.” His smile was tiny, but it did wonderful things to his eyes to make them sparkle and ease the tension that normally hugged him. “If it helps, I don’t think she saw anything.”

  “Thank you.” I drank down half the bottle before I even realized it. “That was nearly the most mortifying thing that has ever happened to me in my life.” I took another long drink and finished off most of the bottle. “Wow, I didn’t realize I was that thirsty.”

  Or apparently horny. Standing this close to him, my body tingled with awareness. My skin, already hot from the sun and the grill, vibrated. Or else that was the result of my almost panic attack. He had this wonderful smell of sunscreen, cologne, and sunshine. It was also the first time in the past year that he actually looked relaxed. Maybe he was simply one of those people who took his job super seriously and tried to block distractions out.

  Which made me a distraction that he was failing to ignore.

  Oh. I really liked that.

  “That’s an interesting grin.” He took a swig of his beer and guided me away from the food. “It makes me wonder what you’re thinking.”

  So not going down that road. “Just happy to have been able to help Rachelle. She’s awesome, but is having a hard time with her son. Teenagers are terrifying.”

  Eric made a humming noise deep in the back of his throat. He leaned in next to my ear as we continued toward the back of the crowd. “I thought you were thinking about these cards of yours.” And he patted his pocket that held them.

  I stopped dead in my tracks. “Pardon?”

  No one was paying us any attention. The closest group to where we stood was currently engaged in a debate about something or other and laughing as they drank and ate. Sasha was over talking to one of the registrar assistants and surveying the fruits of her social committee’s labors. There was no reason for me to be nervous about having this conversation with him.

  Nope, none at all.

  Still, I looked everyone over, just to make certain.

  “I was being serious earlier. If you want these back, they’re yours. The last thing I want is for you to feel pressured.”

  He was reaching for them, but I gave my head a small shake. “It’s fine. But there’s no way we can look at them here. Despite what you said, Sasha is curious and would probably want to know what they were if we started looking at them intently. I don’t want her to see them and think they’re a party game or something.”

  “You’ve grown quite attached to them, haven’t you?” There was an odd note in his voice. Admiration? No, that couldn’t be right.

  “I guess I have in a way. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering about them. Coming up with a theory about who they were for, where they came from.”

  He nodded again. This time when he spoke, he lowered his head so his mouth was close to my ear. “I haven’t been able to get them out of my head either. Not since I overheard you and Ms. Houng the other day talking about me. I kept wondering what kind of sex cards a woman like you would have.”

  Yup, that giant sinkhole could come any time now.

  I’d be here waiting for it.

  8

  “Glenna?” Eric stepped around in front of me, frown fixed on his face. “Are you okay?”

  Was I okay? Lord, he was as cute as he was naïve. “Oh you know, just crazy embarrassed. No big deal.”

  “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He reached out and gave my forearm a gentle squeeze. “Sorry.”

  “I’m sorry. It was totally not cool of me to be discussing you that way with a coworker. If the tables were turned and it was you and another guy talking about me that way . . .” Actually, I would have been floored because I didn’t think anyone thought of me as a sexual creature. “Well, I’m sorry.”

  “Apology not necessary, but certainly accepted.”

  The seconds ticked on as we stood there awkwardly looking at each other. What the hell could I say now? Hey, since you have those cards, do you want to see them? Why don’t you come back to my place, eh? Crazy-monkey sex!

  Eric cleared his throat. “My original comment stands. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the cards.” His gaze locked onto mine and he lowered his voice. “I would never pressure anyone into doing something they weren’t comfortable with. I simply wanted you to know. That I’m interested.”

  In me? “In seeing them?”

  “Yes.” His gaze flicked down my body before popping back to my eyes. “Yes.”

  I shivered. “From an academic standpoint?”

  “Partially.” He held my gaze as he took another sip of beer. “I know I’ve said this before, but I think it’s worth repeating. If you’re up for it, you could come visit me in my office before you leave for the day. I have to head back there now to finish up some work. I’ll be around for at least an hour. If you change your mind, that’s also fine. I’ll set them on my desk and leave my door unlocked so you can collect them.”

  That was, well, the sweetest gesture anyone could have done for me.

  He looked around and waited for a group to move away again before he continued. “While you don’t know me well, I want to say that I would never do anything to put you or your job in jeopardy. No means no. Not showing up means no. That is perfectly fine. It’s your choice and they’re your cards.” With a single nod and smile, he left.

  I’ve never been stunned into immobility before, but with those few words, Eric had managed to do that to me. There was no misinterpreting his thoughts on the matter. He’d extended an offer, twice now. There would be no repercussions for saying no. Showing up didn’t mean we’d be having sex or anything—God, I’d probably explode from joy—but we could at least talk about them.

  I looked down at my watch. The minute hand ticked announcing that it was now ten after five. What the hell was I going to do?

  Go for it. Take the chance for once in your life.

  Great Glenna was right. This was the best opportunity I had to have an adventure. I straightened my shoulders, flicked my braid over my shoulder so my hair lay against my spine, and walked over to Sasha.

  “Thank you for another great event. I need to pick up a few things and head out.”

  “I’m so glad you came. And thanks again for taking over at the grill. It’s nice to know we can always count on you.”

  Yup, that was me. Dependable, predictable Glenna.

  Who just happened to be on her way to discuss se
x cards with Professor Eric Morris.

  Nothing unusual at all.

  I’d made it to the building and headed straight for his office before I could chicken out. Eric was sitting at his desk when I knocked on his door and went in. He was writing something on a piece of paper. I didn’t bother to clear my throat to announce my presence. I had no doubt that he was as aware of me as I was of him. I was tempted to take a seat, but he still hadn’t acknowledged me and while I might be many things, rude wasn’t one of them.

  He finished his sentence before clicking his pen and slipping it into his penholder on his desk. When he finally looked up at me, the look in his eyes caused my breath to catch in my throat.

  “Professor Morris.” I was happy that my voice was steady and didn’t betray my nervousness. “Is this still a good time?”

  “Of course.” My God, he actually looked a bit nervous himself. “Please call me Eric. I think we’re past the formalities by this point.”

  “Sure. Eric.” And that didn’t feel weird coming out of my mouth. No, not at all.

  It was strange being in his space and having his undivided attention like this. We’d never had a reason to engage in such a manner before now. He was more of a teaching professor than research-focused. Even if he was, we weren’t exactly in the same field and wouldn’t have had much reason to work together before now. I adjusted myself in the chair, trying for a more comfortable position and failing.

  He pulled the cards from his pocket and set them between us. “So these are sex cards.”

  “They are.” I stared at them, wanting to snatch them away and light them on fire before he saw what was written on them.

  “Could you tell me the story of how you found them again?”

  There was something in his voice, a note that gave me hope that this was more than idle curiosity on his part. I recounted the story again, being careful not to embellish the little details. It was something I couldn’t help but think he’d appreciate.

  “Sex cards. At a graveyard.” He shook his head, but the expression on his face looked more amused than confused.

  “I have a theory. About the cards.” I scooted closer to the edge of my seat. “I think the woman these were intended for, Alyssa, I think she’s a widow. That her husband wrote these as a means to help her get past her grief and begin a new chapter of her life.”

  Eric nodded. I was surprised when he stood and moved around his desk toward me. Similar to how Nell sat when I’d walked in on her and Jasmine, he sat on the edge of his desk in front of me. “Do you mind if I look at them?”

  Why he was asking my permission was a bit beyond me. It wasn’t as though I had any special claim on them, no more so than anyone else who might have come across them. But since they’d come into my possession, despite not having used them myself, I felt a certain amount of ownership over the cards. I didn’t want to do anything that would detract from their specialness.

  Still, the entire point of coming to his office was to share the cards with him. I looked down at them, laughing briefly before I pushed them toward him to take. “I haven’t looked too much at them. It’s weird but it feels like I’m reading someone’s diary.”

  Eric’s fingers brushed against mine as he took them. That brief contact sent a shiver through me, one that went all the way to my pussy. I couldn’t look at him and pulled my hand back far faster than I should have.

  As his silence stretched on, my curiosity got the better of me. I chanced a glance at him and was surprised at the look of lust I saw on his face. He’d look at a card for no longer than a few seconds before he’d file it to the back and refocus his attention on the next one. Over and over he repeated this until he reached the end. Then he tapped the cards on his thigh, straightening the pile.

  “These are . . . interesting.” There was something in his voice, a note that I hadn’t heard before.

  I didn’t want to stare at him, but I let my gaze travel quickly up his body. I couldn’t be certain, but I swore he had an erection that tented the front of his dress pants. I looked away and briefly bit down on my bottom lip before making eye contact with him once again. “They are. And I think you can probably see why I think she’s a widow.”

  “I do. Most likely she was someone who didn’t have a lot of sexual experience.”

  Excitement flared inside me. “You noticed that too? The way the cards seem to be building her up for something. At least the early ones. It’s as though she’d only had sex with a few people and her partner didn’t think she’d know what to do.”

  Eric ran his thumb along the edge of the cards. He wasn’t looking at me then, but somehow I knew that he was watching my every reaction. “What are your plans for these?”

  “I’m not sure.” I picked at a small spot on my skirt. “Originally I was going to return them, but as I said that’s not really an option. I could leave them somewhere for someone else to find. The student union building, maybe.”

  Looking up I was surprised to see Eric was holding the cards directly in front of him on his desk, but his gaze was now directly on me. “You’re not planning on using them?”

  God, those eyes. I wanted to squirm in my seat. I wanted to push my hands between my legs and press hard on my clit. “I don’t really have anyone to use them with.”

  “No boyfriend? Girlfriend?”

  “Boyfriend, and not for a while now.”

  “Why not?” There wasn’t any judgment in his tone. More like curiosity. And maybe a bit of hope.

  “I’m not the most exciting person in the world. My past boyfriends got a bit bored. Well, the ones who didn’t get annoyed by my work schedule.”

  He nodded once before frowning. “These cards are far from boring.”

  “There are a few creative things listed there.” My nerves were growing with each passing moment. I didn’t know where this conversation was headed and the longer it went on, the more I needed to move.

  I hadn’t realized I’d looked away until he reached out and lifted my chin. “Glenna?”

  “Yes?”

  The muscle in his jaw shifted. “Tell me who you want to use these cards with.”

  Nope. No way would I go down that road. “No one, really. They’re just a bit of fantasy material—”

  “I want to hear you say it again.”

  My mouth snapped shut.

  He ran his thumb across my chin. “I’ve had your words stuck in my head ever since I overheard you two talking. The way you sounded . . . I need you to tell me, what do you want to do with the cards?”

  My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it in my ears and feel the beat in my throat. “I . . . umm . . .”

  He leaned in so I had no other option but to look him in the eyes. His mouth was tantalizingly close and his lips parted before he spoke. “Please.”

  “You.” I sighed as soon as I spoke. There was no going back now. “I wanted to use the cards with you.”

  “Thank you.” He leaned back and I instantly missed his closeness. “Could I keep these for the weekend? To look them over.”

  “I guess. Sure. I’ll get them back though?”

  “On Monday.” He stood then and offered me his hand. “I need time to think.”

  He was going to think?

  Shit, I was going to buy a new vibrator on my way home and masturbate until I was blind. “Okay then.”

  I took his hand and got to my feet. This was unlike every other time we’d touched. It was as though an invisible current ran between us, one that set my hair on end and my body on fire. I held on a bit longer than was strictly necessary, but despite everything that had happened in this conversation, I didn’t know when I might get another opportunity to hold and be held by him.

  “Thank you.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, never once breaking eye contact. “Have a good weekend.”

  And the next thing I knew I was standing out in the hall and his door was shut.

  What. The. Hell?

&nb
sp; I looked at him through his window, but he was already back behind his desk reading an essay. The cards were on his desk, but presently forgotten. Uncertain of what had actually just happened, I drifted to my office, gathered my things, and left for home.

  Maybe things would make more sense on Monday.

  Maybe.

  9

  Life could certainly be unfair at times. After spending the weekend in a haze of hope and want, when Monday morning finally rolled around I got out of bed and immediately puked. I was rarely sick, so for this bug to hit me as hard as it did was weird. I wanted to blame food poisoning, but that would have required eating something beyond peanut butter sandwiches. I crawled back in bed with my phone and e-mailed Jasmine to let her know that I wouldn’t be in.

  As much as I wanted to know Eric’s thoughts after he spent the weekend with the cards, my curiosity would have to wait at least a day. I doubted he would think anything of my not being around. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  A few hours later, my phone chirped at me letting me know that I had a new message. My stomach was feeling better, so I pulled myself into a sitting position back against my pillows and checked the e-mail.

  It was from Eric.

  To: O’Donald, Glenna

  From: Morris, Eric

  Subject: Are you well?

  Message: ?

  No hi, how ya doing. Nope, not from him. Nice and straightforward. The simplicity of the message didn’t undermine the fact that he’d been concerned enough about me to e-mail me in the first place. I didn’t quite know how to feel about that. Now that I was finally getting the attention I’d always wanted from him, I didn’t know what to do.

  Well, first thing was first. I had to send a reply.

  To: Morris, Eric

  From: O’Donald, Glenna

  Subject: RE: Are you well?

  Message: Just a bit of a stomach bug. I’m sorry that I won’t be in today. I was looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our mutual project.

  There, that was good. Wasn’t it? I read my reply a few more times, adding a few more comments before deleting them again. Shit, I was totally overthinking this. “Idiot.” My voice echoed in my empty room.