Free Lessons in Love by Victoria Sinclair

Emily. What the hell are we doing?’ She shook her head, unable to form any sort of coherent thought, let alone a coherent reply. He looked at the hand which he still held in his own, frowning slightly at the pinkened area where the water had splashed her. As he raised the hand to his lips, Emily felt herself shudder, and a liquid warmth filled her groin as he gently brought the hand to his mouth and kissed it.
    ‘Oh, Nicholas,’ she moaned, able to form words at last, but only barely. His mouth rained gentle kisses over her hand, and then with one swift, decisive movement he pulled her towards him and brought his mouth down to her own. His lips captured hers between them, and a wave of such intense pleasure washed over her that her legs almost gave way beneath her. Completely oblivious to anything but the feel of Nicholas against her, and her response to his touch, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, feeling the length of his body against her own, knowing instantly that he was just as in thrall to the passion as she was.
    His tongue probed her mouth, and she reciprocated in kind, pleased to feel his body shudder against her as she did so. His hands, which had been wrapped around her back, now moved to explore the contours of her body, and as they did, she unconsciously writhed in response to his touch, which only seemed to inflame him further.
    ‘What…what time are they getting home?’ he muttered. For a moment she was so lost she was unable to answer, unsure what he was asking. Then she remembered Veronica and Steven, and a wave of guilt washed over her so suddenly that it shocked her into pulling abruptly from his embrace. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, paling slightly at the look on her face.
    ‘I…we…can’t do this Nicholas. They could be home at any time and…and…we just can’t do this.’ All her pent up emotions threatened to burst out of her, and she wrapped her arms around herself in a primitive instinct of protection.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ he stated flatly. ‘I must have misread the signals you sent my way.’ He took a further step back from her, a frown creasing his features.
    ‘No…no. But Nicholas, you’re my lecturer! And…and what about your girlfriend? I thought you were planning on getting married, starting a family.’ Her voice was desperate, confused, but pleading with him at the same time.
    ‘My girlfriend? What about you, Emily? I may have been wrong about you and Mark Overington,’ he said, looking at her sharply as he did so, ‘but I can’t be wrong about that man I saw you with yesterday!’ She stared at him in open mouthed shock. What was he insinuating about her? If she did have a boyfriend, which she most assuredly did not, she would not be behaving in such a way with any other man! Would she? The frightening thought assailed her that maybe Nicholas Cavanaugh would have this dramatic effect on her whether or not she were involved. The thought was so discomfiting, she lashed out at him in anger.
    ‘You didn’t answer my question! What about that redhead I saw you with yesterday? You can’t tell me that the two of you are just friends. And you know full well this should never have happened! I may be attracted to you, but I did not initiate this encounter.’
    ‘Fine. We’ll end it right now, shall we?’ His voice was cold, barely repressed tension perceptible beneath the surface.
    ‘No. Wait. I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know where we’re going with this.’ Don’t leave, she pleaded with him silently. She couldn’t bear it if he walked out on her now. ‘And I have to know if there’s someone else. There’s not…I mean…I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t know what you think you saw, but Sam and I are just friends.’
    ‘Just friends?’ He raised a sardonic eyebrow.
    ‘Yes!’ she said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. ‘We went to school together and were catching up. That’s all.’ Nicholas nodded slowly, cocking his head