Page 14 of Silk Sheets

My obedience seemed to please him with the way he straightened up and eased back. “The latter, of course.”

My heart skipped a beat. The thought itself made my stomach twist in anxiety—a pinch of forbidden curiosity growing in my core.Oh?

“Creep,” my eyes narrowed, and he brushed his tongue on the inside of his cheek.

A deep pulsing unraveled between my thighs at the thought and when his scent drifted into my nose, it intensified.

His hand lifted and he pulled something from my hair, showing me three attached flower petals. He stepped back with his free hand behind his back and nodded toward his car. “Go on.”

With my heart raging in my chest, I suppressed a groan.Well, Professor Hale… two can play that game.I plastered the most polite smile on my face.

“Yes,sir.” My reply was smooth—igniting the unmissable spark of hunger behind his eyes.

I headed over and let the sponge fall into the bucket, water splashing on my carves. Slowly bending over to retrieve it, I made sure to arch my ass just enough.

I moved around to his side of the car, dragging the soapy sponge over the windshield, then along the window—pausing just as I reached his driver-side mirror.

Our eyes met in the reflection of the window, and I smiled. Innocently.Dangerously.

“You always look like you’re trying not to say something,” I murmured, dragging the sponge in a slow circle over the glass.

“I’m trying not todosomething,” he murmured, almost too low for me to catch it but I was already staring at his lips. The muscle in his jaw ticked— his circulating eyes not leaving me. Not when I walked around the car and slid the sponge over the hood like a caress, eyes locked on his.

Not even when the water sprayed, drenching me—hair damp, shirt soaked through, nipples hard and visible beneath the thin fabric.

I was playing a game. And from the fire in his eyes, he was one breath away from losing it. And maybe… I wanted him to.

“Excuse me,” he said, taking a step back but before he turned, he looked at me again. “Be careful when tempting me with something next time, Miss King. You might not be entirely ready when you get what you want.”

I watched him walk away from me and suddenly, my chest sank with a relieving exhale. My brain nearly brushed over his words until I paused.That sounded like a challenge.

* * *

As the day filled with washing multiple cars and having fun, it seemed like everything was going extremely well.

There were way more cars than we had anticipated, but to be fair that wasn’t surprising.A bunch of college cheerleaders offering a car washing service?It’s every college boy’s fantasy.

I was able to catch a few glimpses of Professor Hale here and there. Otherwise, he was nowhere to be seen. The last time I saw him, I caught his gaze lingering on my legs as I bent over the hood of a car, trying to clean the windshield.I liked it.

“Hey, I’m going to get something to eat. You two want anything?” Asher asked Solace and I—snapping me back to reality.

“No, thank you,” we smiled in unison and he nodded, leaving us. Solace let out a long, exasperated sigh and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“My fingers are already pruning,” she whined.

“It’s for a good cause,” I reminded her.

We started setting up at around 9 a.m. and at 12 p.m. we were officially ready to start washing cars. It was almost 5 p.m. so I completely understood her exhaustion.

I spotted Professor Hale standing close by, arms crossed over his crisp button-up, his usual unreadable expression in place. Hewas speaking to another male professor, and I couldn’t help but stare at his drool worthy physique.

“You might want to be a little less obvious,” Solace whispered, dunking a rag into the bucket of soapy water.

Feigning innocence, I tucked a damp strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She simply scoffed, smiled, and turned away, but I couldn’t help but smile too. I adjusted the hem of my tank top, just enough to be casual but flattering before picking up the garden hose.

Holding it out, I twisted the nozzle experimentally, aiming at the car in front of me.