Chapter 5

5

Adrianna licked her chocolate ice cream cone, the sweet decadence melting on her tongue.

Beside her, Tiffany crunched into her waffle cone. "So? How was it?"

Adrianna glanced at her best friend, warmth flooding her cheeks. She couldn't stop replaying every moment in her mind, the feel of Mickey's hands on her body, his lips claiming hers with a hunger that matched her own.

"It was..." She shook her head, at a loss for words. "He was incredible."

"Yeah?" Tiffany nudged her with her elbow, her eyes dancing with curiosity. "Come on, give me more details than that."

Adrianna's lips curved into a smile she couldn't contain. "He made me feel...desired. Wanted. Like I was the only thing in the world that mattered." She sighed, remembering the intensity in Mickey's gaze as he'd gazed down at her, his body moving within hers. "I've never felt pleasure like that before."

She licked her lips, desire stirring low in her belly at the memory. Mickey had awakened something primal in her, a craving she feared could never be satisfied. Not without him.

Tiffany whistled under her breath. "Wow. He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

Adrianna nodded, staring off into the distance. "I can't stop thinking about him," she confessed. About the taste of his kiss, his ragged breathing in her ear. The way he'd held her close after, as if he couldn't bear to let her go.

"Be careful, Adrianna." Tiffany's voice was gentle with concern. "He's still our professor."

Adrianna waved a hand, pushing that inconvenient truth away. "It's just a little fun. No one has to know."

But even as she said the words, she feared it was already too late. Her heart had tumbled irrevocably into Mickey's hands, and there might be no getting it back.

Tiffany studied her, brows drawn together. "Are you sure this is what you want? Just a casual fling?"

Adrianna shifted, discomfort pricking at her. The idea of Mickey with other women made her stomach churn. But she couldn't very well ask him for forever after one night together. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I just know I can't stop thinking about being with him again."

"Be careful you don't get hurt." Tiffany's gaze was knowing. "Or that you don't hurt him. Men fall too, you know."

Adrianna blinked, the thought never having occurred to her. Mickey hadn't seemed the type to fall easily. But then, she hadn't expected the tenderness he'd shown her, either.

Still, she shook her head. "Mickey isn't interested in commitment. He just wants to have a good time." Like she did. At least that's what she kept telling herself.

"If you say so." Tiffany didn't sound convinced. "Just remember that this could get messy if you're not on the same page about what you both want."

"You worry too much," Adrianna said, hoping to reassure her friend. And herself. She finished her ice cream, licking the last melted drops from the cone, the sweetness dull on her tongue.

Because she did not know what Mickey wanted. But she feared her own desires were far more complicated than a simple fling. And where that might lead her, she couldn't say. All she knew was that she wanted to be in his arms again.

No matter the cost.

Adrianna shifted on the park bench, a restless energy flowing through her. She glanced at her watch, wondering if it was too soon to text Mickey. To suggest they meet again. Her body heated at the thought, anticipation and nerves tangling within her.

"You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" Tiffany's wry tone cut through her preoccupation.

Adrianna blinked, focusing on her friend. "Sorry. I guess I got distracted."

"No kidding." Tiffany studied her, eyes narrowing. "You've got it bad, don't you?"

"What? No, it's just..." Adrianna trailed off, knowing any denial would be useless. Tiffany knew her too well.

"Admit it. You're falling for your professor."

Adrianna opened her mouth, then closed it. How could she deny what was so obvious? Somewhere along the line, her desire for that one-night-stand had shifted into something far more dangerous.

Far more precious.

She drew in a sharp breath. "I don't know what's happening to me." Her words were raw, confusion and longing twisting within her chest. "Being with him felt so right."

"Oh, honey." Sympathy softened Tiffany's eyes. She reached over, grasping Adrianna's hand. "Wanting someone and being with them are two different things. No matter how strong the attraction is."

"But what if it's more than that?" Adrianna clutched at her friend's hand, needing the anchor of her support. "What if he's the one?"

"He's your teacher," Tiffany said. "No matter how you feel about each other, that fact won't change. And it will always make the situation wrong."

Adrianna stared at their joined hands, her chest tight. She knew Tiffany was right. Knew she should end this now before her heart was shattered into pieces too small to ever be made whole again.

But how was she supposed to let Mickey go when she'd only just found him?

Adrianna shook her head, blinking back the sting of tears. "I don't know if I can do that. Forget him, I mean. It's not like I'm in my twenties. I'm a grown ass woman."

"You have to try." Tiffany gave her hand a squeeze. "Before this goes too far and you end up getting hurt. Or worse, hurting your future and his career."

"It already feels too late for that." Adrianna drew in a shuddering breath. "I'm falling for him, Tiff. Hard and fast. And the thought of never being with him again..." she trailed off, unable to put that bleak possibility into words.

"Adrianna, listen to me." Tiffany shifted closer, her gaze intent. "You're young, you're caught up in the rush of a forbidden romance. But this isn't real. It's infatuation and fantasy, not the forever kind of love you're dreaming about."

"How can you be so sure?" Adrianna demanded. "You don't know how I feel about him. You don't know Mickey the way I do."

"Because he's your teacher," Tiffany said again. "And a relationship with him will only end in heartbreak for you both. Is that really what you want?"

Adrianna stared at the ground, a war of emotions raging inside her. She wanted to cling to her blossoming love for Mickey, to the hope of a future together. But she couldn't escape the truth in Tiffany's words.

This was impossible. No matter how much her heart wished for a different ending.

"You're right," she said at last, the words scraping her throat. "As much as it kills me to admit it, you're right."

Tiffany reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know how hard this is. But you're making the right choice. It's the mature, responsible thing to do."

Adrianna nodded, blinking back her tears. "I just wish...I wish things could be different. That the timing was right, and we didn't have so many obstacles in our way."

"Life is rarely that simple, sweetie." Tiffany's smile was gentle and knowing. "But there are other guys out there. Ones who you won't have to hide your relationship from or feel guilty about seeing."

"I know," Adrianna said again with a sigh. "It's just going to be difficult facing Mickey in classs. How am I supposed to pretend that nothing ever happened between us?"

"The same way you've gotten through difficult things in the past." Tiffany bumped her shoulder. "With your head held high and that inner strength of yours. It may be awkward at first, but it will get easier. The hurt will fade, and you'll be able to move on to find someone who can commit to you fully."

Adrianna stared up at the cloudless blue sky, the sun warm on her face. She wanted to believe there was truth in Tiffany's words. That she could get over Mickey and this heartbreak and eventually find happiness again.

Maybe not today, or even next month. But she had hope for the future, however fragile. And for now, that would have to be enough.