Conidia had her head lowered, trying to hide the blush rising on her cheeks as she scribbled down whatever her research guide was telling her.
He—Mr. Kayson—her guide, ranked Kelis level (handsome beyond measure), and she felt static just sitting beside him.
No one else seemed to notice anything.
Only she knew the secret flutter inside her chest.
They moved ahead as her handsome guide showed her the location for that day's field study.
Conidia felt lucky—not just because he was good-looking, but because he was smart, calm, and solved every doubt she had. She had genuinely learned so much from him.
She stole a few admiring glances at him—at his broad shoulders, his upright posture, and the way he explained things.
Her cheeks burned. Her body reacted in ways she didn't expect.
She felt her coochie getting wet just watching him.
Later that day, while the rest of her classmates were assigned different locations, only she and Mr. Kayson remained together.
The survey was done.
They decided to grab dinner before heading back.
At the restaurant, she relaxed.
They ordered snails and crab foie pastry—Conidia's favorite.
Eating it made her cheeks flush again.
Mr. Kayson noticed.
He looked at her pink cheeks and smiled.
His gaze slipped to her lips—how they parted as she sucked in the snail, how her tongue licked it clean.
His mouth felt dry with every slow, sensual bite she took.
After dinner, they returned to their rooms.
Conidia was exhausted.
She undressed, slipped into the bathtub, and sighed deeply. The warm water relaxed her sore muscles.
She didn't realize when she started dozing off, her head slowly dipping toward the water.
The bathroom door creaked open.
Mr. Kayson entered with a dark expression.
A towel hung low on his waist, his chiseled chest still wet from his own bath.
Without a word, he came over and gently lifted Conidia out of the tub.
She barely stirred.
He carried her into the bedroom, placed her on the bed, covered her with a soft quilt, and went back into the bathroom.
When he returned, he slid into bed beside her, her breathing soft and steady.
"She must be tired from all the work," he thought.
He brushed a gentle kiss on her forehead before closing his eyes.