by Ivy Smoak
"Get some rest, Penny."
Chapter 11
Sunday
When I woke up I turned toward Brendan, but he was gone. In his place was my cell phone and the envelope from Professor Hunter. There was a note on top.
Penny,
I've given you my two cents. You have my number. I hope to hear from you soon.
-Brendan
I put my fingers between my eyes and squeezed to help diminish my headache. I leaned back down against my pillow and looked at his note again. Brendan was right. I knew he was right. I had always known that I shouldn't be with Professor Hunter. But I wanted to be. I needed to be. If he really still felt the same way about me, then there was no choice to make. It was always going to be him.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 2 a.m. Professor Hunter would be asleep. I picked up my phone. I had two missed calls from him, but no voicemails. I clicked on his name. He had shown me his divorce papers, but his wife still hadn't signed them. Maybe we just needed to take a break until it was official. If it was love, time wouldn't matter. We could wait until it was right.
I typed out a text to him. "Are you up?"
His reply came almost immediately. "Yes."
Me: "Can we talk?"
James: "I'll come get you. Are you in your dorm?"
Me: "We can talk on the phone. Call me."
James: "I want to see you."
I bit my lip. I didn't want him to know I was in the hospital. He already felt bad enough about what had happened. He couldn't come here anyway. I was pretty sure visiting hours were over.
Me: "Let's just wait until the morning. I'm actually pretty tired."
James: "Penny, where are you?"
I swallowed hard and responded: "Please don't freak out."
James: "Where are you?"
I sighed and let my head sink back into the pillow. "I'm in the hospital."
James: "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Me: "I think visiting hours are over."
I waited a few minutes for a response but none came. I rolled onto my side and put my phone back down on the bed. They weren't going to let him up. Just in case, I folded up the note from Brendan and slipped it into the envelope that Professor Hunter had given me.
I was just drifting asleep again when the door opened. Professor Hunter was standing there in jeans and a zip up hoodie. He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath his hoodie and I could see his muscular chest. He closed the door and made his way over to me without saying a word. He kicked off his shoes as he looked down at me.
I couldn't read his emotion. Worried. Angry maybe. Lost.
He lifted the sheet on my bed and climbed in next to me.
"James," I whispered. I tried to hold back my tears. It was so good to see him.
He wrapped his arms around me. "I shouldn't have let you leave." He kissed my forehead.
"I didn't give you much of a choice."
"No, you didn't." He kissed my forehead again. "How long have you been here?"
"We can talk in the morning." I didn't want to tell him that we needed to wait. I wanted him to hold me like this forever. Being in his arms was my favorite thing in the world.
"How long, Penny?"
"Since this afternoon I guess. Not long after I left your place. I passed out on Main Street."
"And someone found you?"
"Brendan." He pulled back from me slightly.
"I'll have to thank him."
"How did you get up here?" I didn't want to talk about Brendan with Professor Hunter. I didn't want him to get angry again.
"Having money has its advantages."
"You bribed the hospital staff?"
"I didn't say that."
I looked into his eyes. "I'm glad that you're here." I was quiet for a minute as I stared at him. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Even though you're not nervous around me anymore, you still like to apologize for things you haven't done." He smiled at me.
"You still make me nervous."
He lowered his eyebrows slightly. "Why?"
"You're so hot and cold. I never know how you're going to react to things. It's unsettling. And confusing."
"There's nothing to be confused about anymore. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." He placed a gentle kiss against my lips.
I wanted to cry all over again. I was so sure that I wanted to wait. The plan was to put the brakes on for awhile. But now that he was here, I couldn't think straight. He was caring, and kind, and sincere. I pulled back from his kiss. His face was shadowed in the dark room so I couldn't see his expression. But I could still make out his black eye. I could feel his heart beating underneath my hand and it was beating so fast.
"Do I make you nervous too?" I asked.
"Sometimes. I'm nervous right now."
"Why?" I rubbed my hand against the scruff on his cheek.
"You left me today because you needed time to think over things." He pulled my hand off his face and kissed my palm. "And I can't tell what you're thinking." He turned my hand over and kissed each of my knuckles. "I don't know what you've decided."
"I opened my present."
"And?"
"You've never opened up to me like that before."
"I want to be able to give you what you need, Penny."
"Why is it so hard for you to talk to me?"
"Most people look at me and judge me in one second. I'm well off. My parents are well off. They think everything has been handed to me. And when I was younger, it was. So I can't correct their opinion. I haven't met anyone who sees more than that."
"Because you refuse to open up. So what else are they supposed to see?"
"You see more."
"That's because I don't care about your money. I care about you."
"I know. I'm trying, Penny. I'm not used to this."
"This?"
"The way I feel about you."
He had written that he loved me. Why can't he say it out loud to me? I wanted to hear him say it. "I've never been in love before."
"I know." He ran his fingers through my hair.
"Have you?"
"I've never felt like this."
"Does love always hurt this much?"
"I'm not trying to hurt you. I don't want to ever hurt you again."
"You're not good for me."
He sighed and put his arms around me again. "No, I'm not."
"But I love you anyway." I could feel my tears falling again. "I'm sorry. Geez, I don't know why I'm so emotional today."
"It's a side effect of having a concussion."
"Oh." I laughed and wiped the tears off my cheeks. I wanted him to say he loved me back. I needed him to say it.
"You're so gorgeous."
I laughed. "I have a huge bandage on my head."
"You're still gorgeous."
I wanted to hear those three words out loud. I needed to know that it was real, that he still felt the same way. I traced the bruise around his eye with my index finger. "I love you."
He ran the tip of his nose against mine, but didn't say a word.
"I'm actually really tired now." I rolled over so that I was no longer facing him. Having a concussion really did make me emotional. But it wasn't just that. Why won't he say it back? Maybe this wasn't love. Maybe it was lust on hyper drive and I was just as insane as I felt.
"Hey." He leaned over and grabbed my chin in his hand. "What's wrong?"
I sat up so that his hand fell from me. "Why won't you say it?"
"Say what?"
"I've told you multiple times that I love you. You never say it back. Why won't you say it?"
"I have said it."
"No, you haven't."
"I haven't?"
"No."
He pushed the sheet off of us and straddled me, pinning me in place. "I could have sworn I said it."
"You haven't."
"My mistake." He kissed my shoulder. "I love you." He kissed my neck. "I love you
." He pulled down the neckline of my hospital gown and kissed my clavicle. "I love you." He tugged on the string behind my neck and pulled the gown down even more. "I love you," he said as he kissed me between my breasts.
It was exactly what I wanted. And more. The machine I was attached to that monitored my heart rate started beeping faster.
He laughed at the machine as he kissed the bruise on my stomach. "I love you." He pushed the fabric to the side and kissed my hip bone. "I love you."
A moan escaped from my lips. I could feel him smile against my skin. My heart was racing and the beeping of the machine was a constant reminder. I could feel myself growing wet each time his lips touched my skin. I never wanted him to stop.
His breath lingered between my thighs. "I love you." He put his lips around my clit and gently sucked.
I closed my eyes and lifted my hips to meet him. He pushed my hips back down, spread my thighs with his strong hands, and placed a slow stroke against my aching pussy.
The machine was beeping so loudly I thought it might break.
He made a slow, torturous circle with his tongue and looked up at me. His eyes were filled with want. "I love you. And I want to make love to you."
I gulped. "Then do it."
He sat up between my thighs and slowly unbuttoned his jeans. I reached my hand that wasn't attached to the IV out and unzipped his hoodie. His perfectly sculpted torso seemed to glisten in the dark room. He stared down at me as he pulled down his fly. He pushed his pants and boxers down his hips. His erection was already full. He slid the rest of my hospital gown to the side and looked down at my naked body. I loved his eyes on me.
He glanced over at the monitor. "Your heart is beating so fast." He leaned down and kissed my left breast.
"Because you're torturing me."
"Am I?" he said as he took my nipple in his mouth. He swirled his tongue around it and then bit it gently with his teeth.
I turned my head and moaned into the pillow. My breathing hitched when both his hands slid to my ass. He lifted my lower back and slowly entered me. I moaned into my pillow again. He leaned into me and lowered my back down onto the bed. He kept one hand on my ass and put his other on the pillow next to my face.
I turned to look at him, and as soon as I did, he placed a kiss against my lips. I ran my fingers through his hair and grabbed the back of his neck. He squeezed my ass as he thrust himself deep inside of me. I moaned into his mouth. He bit my lip as he pulled back slightly.
"Are we going to break that thing?" he asked. The monitor was beeping relentlessly.
"I don't care." I grabbed a handful of his hair and brought his lips back down to mine. I wrapped my legs around him and let the sensation of him filling me take over. With each thrust of his hips I climbed higher and higher.
"I love you, Penny."
"I love you, Professor Hunter," I panted. I ran my hand down his chiseled abs and slipped it behind his hoodie. I ran my fingers down his muscular back and onto his ass. It tensed each time he thrust his length inside of me. I squeezed his tight ass and he moaned in response.
He moved his hand to my thigh. "I'll never get enough of you."
I groaned as he began to move faster. He knew my body so well. He knew exactly how to make me unravel.
He leaned in and whispered, "Come for me, my love." He tilted his hips down, making his erection hit me in just the right spot.
"Professor Hunter," I moaned as my toes curled. I felt myself clench around him. He silenced me with a kiss. Only he could fill me with that complete feeling of warmth and bliss.
"Penny," he groaned in my ear. He lightly bit my earlobe as he found his own release.
Chapter 12
Sunday
Someone cleared their throat. My eyelids felt heavy. I slowly opened my eyes and saw my parents standing by the door.
Oh shit. Professor Hunter had his arm around me and his eyes were still closed. Shit! I elbowed him in the stomach.
"Penny," he mumbled and kissed my shoulder.
I elbowed him again. I was relieved to see that my hospital gown was tied back in place. James must have done it after I had fallen asleep. "Mom, Dad, hi."
"Huh?" Professor Hunter opened his eyes.
Oh my God. I had no idea what to do. I pushed Professor Hunter again so he'd get off the bed. "James," I whispered and tilted my head toward my parents.
He slowly sat up. His hair was sticking up in that sexy way it always did after we slept together. Oh my God, he has sex hair. And my parents are standing there seeing him with sex hair. I ran my fingers through my hair just in case I looked anything like Professor Hunter.
Professor Hunter rubbed his eyes and looked over toward the door. "Oh." He pretended to cough as he zipped up his pants. "Oh, umm..." he quickly climbed off the bed and laughed awkwardly.
Holy fuck. Did they hear him zippering his pants?
He looked down and zipped up his hoodie to hide his naked torso.
This isn't happening.
"Wow, this is not how I expected to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Taylor." He ran his hand through his hair and looked over to me. He looked so uncomfortable and nervous. Which made him look even younger. Thank God he looks so young.
"Mom, Dad, this is James."
James walked over to my parents and held out his hand to my father. "I've heard so much about both of you. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
My dad looked at me and then back at James. He seemed pissed. "That's quite the shiner," he said dryly and shook James' hand.
"Oh." Professor Hunter touched his black eye and tried to laugh it off. "I had forgotten about that. Just a misunderstanding." He turned toward my mom. "And Mrs. Taylor." He put his hand out and she quickly shook it. She didn't look angry at all. She actually looked ecstatic.
"Excuse my outfit." Professor Hunter tugged the zipper on his hoodie all the way up to his neck. "I just rushed over as soon as I heard what happened." He leaned down, picked up his shoes off the floor, and sat down in a chair. He laced his shoes and stood back up.
"It's so nice to meet you, James," my mom said. She was smiling from ear to ear. "So how do you know Penny?"
"Oh." He smiled over at me. "We actually met at a coffee shop on Main Street at the beginning of the semester."
"Is that so?"
"And we ended up having a class together. Comm."
"Do you hate it as much she does?" my mom asked.
Professor Hunter laughed. "I actually love the class. It's my favorite this semester. Mostly because Penny's in it." He smiled at me. "You know, I didn't actually know she hated it, though. Her speeches are really good. She tends to be too hard on herself."
"That's what I always say," my mom responded.
This could not be any more awkward.
"It's so nice to get to meet Penny's new friends. We got to meet Brendan yesterday. Such a sweetheart. He stayed and waited for hours to see if she was okay. Are you friends with him too?"
A cloudy expression crossed over Professor Hunter's face. But only for a second. I was probably the only one who saw it.
"No. And actually, Penny and I aren't just friends. She's my girlfriend."
"Oh?" My mom looked even happier, if that was possible.
"Yes."
"I'm so sorry, James. Penny didn't tell us she was dating anyone. I'm so embarrassed. Penny, this is kind of a big deal isn't it? Your first boyfriend?"
Mom! "It's still new. I was going to tell you." I thought it couldn't get any weirder, but it just had. Is she trying to mortify me?
Professor Hunter turned back to me. It looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from laughing. He seemed to be enjoying himself now.
"You know what? James was the first thing she said when she woke up. We had no idea what she was talking about. But I guess she wanted to see you. Isn't that sweet, honey?" She looked over at my dad.
"Mhm," my dad said and crossed his arms. He never got mad, but he looked so angry right now.
James seemed to sense the hostility in the air too. "Well, I don't want to interfere with your time, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. I just spent all night with her."
What the hell?
"Sleeping," Professor Hunter quickly said.
"Excuse me?" my dad asked.
Professor Hunter cleared his throat. "Not sleeping with her. I was just in bed with her. Sleeping next to her I mean. Just beside her." Professor Hunter shoved his hands into his pockets. He was usually so collected. But my father was intimidating him. It was actually pretty entertaining to watch.
My mom laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, James. We'd like to get to know you." She walked into the room and sat down in one of the chairs. My dad walked over to the only other chair and sat down. His arms were still crossed.
Professor Hunter half stood half sat on the edge of my bed. I reached over and grabbed his hand. He seemed to automatically relax. He squeezed my hand.
There was an awkward silence in the room. I was relieved when there was a knock on the door and the doctor walked in.
"You look a lot better this morning," she said. I saw her eyes flit toward Professor Hunter for a second. I couldn't help but be a little jealous.
"Do you think I can go home today?"
"Let's see." She pressed a button on the machine that had been monitoring my heartbeat. It started printing out a long chart. "Well that's strange."
"What is it?" my father asked.
"Well, it looks like there was a twenty minute period of escalated pulse."
Professor Hunter laughed and then turned it into a forced cough. He squeezed my hand and looked down at his shoes.
Oh my God. I hadn't even thought about someone monitoring the information on that stupid machine. Who has sex in a hospital bed anyway? Didn't I have any control?
"How are you feeling?" she asked and looked at me. "Are you struggling for breath at all? Have you noticed that your heart is racing? Or any palpitations?"
"No. Not at all. I'm fine."
She flipped a few switches on the monitor. "It could have been a computer malfunction. It seems to be working fine now, though. Strange." She leaned down and unplugged the machine and then plugged it back in.