CHAPTER 51: SPARKS AND HUNGER

The booth was warm with chatter, the polished table crowded with plates of steak, salmon, and truffle fries.

Wine glasses clinked, laughter floated easily, and for the first time that night, the group seemed to settle into a rhythm that wasn’t just about the movie or the teasing undercurrents.

It was simply about being together.

By now, even Tisha’s presence at the table felt natural, as if she had always been a part of their little circle.

Sarah, cheeks flushed with excitement, leaned forward as she swirled her spoon in a bowl of mousse. "Honestly? Tonight has been perfect. The movie, the food, everything. I’m just... ugh, so happy." She giggled, nudging Danny with her shoulder.

Danny gave her a half-smile, his arm still draped lazily around her. "Yeah," he said, his tone relaxed now.

"Not gonna lie, I didn’t think it would all click like this. But... it kinda did." His eyes flicked across the table to Tisha, and though a trace of suspicion lingered, there was a genuine ease in his voice.

Mike jabbed his fork toward Tisha with a grin. "I’ll admit it. I thought you’d be too... I don’t know... professor-y? But you’re actually cool. Like, scary hot cool. Which is unfair, but hey, we’ll allow it."

Sarah smacked his arm with a laugh. "Mike! Don’t be gross." But her own smile at Tisha was bright, warm. "Seriously, though... you made the night epic."

Tisha rested her chin lightly against her hand, her hazel eyes glittering in the chandelier light. Her smile was soft, touched with something deeper.

"You’re all too sweet. Honestly, I was feeling a little guilty at first, crashing your reunion like this. But... it’s been so much fun. Like stepping into a younger version of myself I’d almost forgotten existed." She let her fingers trace the rim of her wine glass, her smile playful yet sincere.

Her eyes cut toward Alex, mischievous even in honesty. "This isn’t the last one, is it, Alex?"

Every eye shifted to him. Alex leaned back, his grin slow, easy, carrying that same cool charm he’d worn in the theater.

His hand brushed casually against Tisha’s beneath the table, unseen. "Definitely not," he said, his voice firm but warm. "You’re stuck with us now."

Sarah beamed at that, her excitement bubbling over. "Yes! Group tradition officially expanded."

Mike raised his glass dramatically. "To our new member, Dr. Tisha, the hottest addition to Blackwood’s unofficial squad."

Danny chuckled, shaking his head but finally lifting his glass too. "Alright, fine. I’ll drink to that."

Tisha laughed, melodic and low, the sound wrapping around Alex like velvet. She clinked her glass with theirs, her smile curving into something wicked just for him. "Then it’s settled," she purred softly. "Not the last... by far."

The dinner drifted to its natural end, laughter and lingering stories softening into a warm afterglow. Plates were cleared, wine glasses emptied, and one by one.

Tisha sat back in her chair for a moment longer, savoring the rare lightness blooming in her chest. She had almost talked herself out of coming tonight, afraid of intruding, of feeling out of place among Alex and his friends.

But the gamble had paid off... she felt alive, younger, mischievous in a way she hadn’t in years. And Alex... every glance, every stolen brush of tension between them only wound her tighter, stoking a giddy anticipation she could no longer ignore.

She shifted closer, letting her shoulder brush his in a deliberate slip. Then, her lips found his ear, her breath spilling warm against his skin as she whispered, voice dripping with intoxication, almost trembling with want.

"Let’s go... I can’t wait anymore."

Her hand slid under the table, brushing his thigh, and the sharp hunger in her eyes left no room for doubt. Alex caught the glance, his lips twitching into a grin.

He straightened, lifting his glass for one last sip. "Alright, guys," he said casually, rising from his seat, "I’ll see you all in college. Tonight was fun... better than I expected."

Mike raised his brows, smirking. "Leaving already? Don’t tell me you’ve got homework."

Sarah giggled, and Danny just gave a lazy wave.

Alex only shrugged, smooth and unbothered, while Tisha pushed back her chair with a little too much haste. She gave the group a polite smile before sliding past him, her fingers finding his wrist as though she feared he might slip away.

Mike, never one to miss a beat, leaned toward Danny with a mischievous grin as Tisha and Alex headed for the exit. "This is life, man. Our boy’s got the hottest professor on the planet wrapped around him."

His eyes flicked to Sarah, curled against Danny, their easy affection a stark contrast to his own empty seat. His grin faltered, a mock pout crossing his face.

"Shit, look at you two, all lovey-dovey. I’m the only lonely bastard here, aren’t I?" He laughed, loud and self-deprecating, tossing a napkin at Danny, who chuckled and shook his head.

Sarah giggled, nudging Mike. "You’ll survive, drama king. Go find your own Tisha."

Danny’s eyes followed Alex and Tisha, a flicker of curiosity lingering. "Alex is... something else," he muttered, half-amused, half-suspicious, still piecing together their dynamic.

Mike slouched in the booth, still chuckling at his own joke, when his phone buzzed sharply in his pocket. He pulled it out, expecting a group chat quip, but froze as he saw the sender: an unknown number.

His heart skipped as he opened the message, the screen glowing in the dim light.

"Hey Mike... I feel a little silly texting this, but I couldn’t keep it in anymore. Would you maybe want to grab dinner with me tomorrow?"

Mike’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening as a rush of adrenaline surged through him. The words looked simple, almost innocent, yet they tangled him in a knot of questions and possibility.

Who the hell was this? His chest buzzed with the sharp sting of surprise, but beneath it, a thrill spread... warm, dizzying, impossible to ignore.

For the first time in ages, confusion didn’t feel like emptiness. It felt like something might finally be happening.

___

Outside, the night air was cooler, but Tisha’s urgency burned hotter. She almost dragged him, heels clicking on the pavement, toward her car. Her grip was tight, her breath quick.

The elegant professor mask had cracked... now there was only a woman aching for what she had been holding back all evening.

"Someone’s impatient," Alex teased, letting her drag him along, his grin widening when she shot him a heated look over her shoulder.

"You have no idea," she breathed.

As they made their way toward the parking lot, Alex trailed just a step behind, his eyes locked on the sway of Tisha’s hips. Her deliberate rhythm, the playful roll of her ass with each step, told him she knew exactly what she was doing... driving him insane on purpose.

The moment they reached her car, Alex’s patience shattered. In one swift motion, he spun her around and pinned her back against the cool metal, his mouth crashing down on hers in a deep, hungry kiss. She whimpered at the suddenness, melting into him, but soon her own fire erupted, lips devouring him back, her nails scraping his shirt. Her eyes glowed crimson with raw, unfiltered lust.

Alex broke just enough to growl against her lips, his breath ragged with frustration.

"So desperate, huh? Couldn’t wait to torture me in that hall, grinding on me, whispering in my ear like a fucking tease?" His grip tightened on her waist, pulling her hard against him. "Now you’ll get the lesson you’ve been begging for."

Tisha’s lips curved into a wicked smile, her voice sultry and taunting even as she gasped.

"Mmm... then teach me, Alex. Show me how rough a student can be... this professor doesn’t want to stay behind."

Her tongue flicked across his lips before she kissed him again, harder this time, like she was daring him to lose control completely.

Her taunt had barely left her lips before Alex’s hands abandoned patience altogether. One slid higher, fingers closing around the swell of her breast, kneading through the thin fabric until she broke against his mouth with a desperate moan.

The other hand trailed down, possessive, gripping her thigh and pulling her flush to him, his touch bold, claiming, relentless.

Tisha’s breath hitched, her nails clawing at his shoulders as his hand began its slow, dangerous climb beneath the hem of her dress. Heat coiled tighter and tighter, every nerve in her body sparking with the threat of surrender.

And then—

BEEEEEEP!

The sharp blare of a car horn shattered the moment, jerking them both back to reality.

Alex froze, his forehead still pressed to hers, both of them panting, wild-eyed, their bodies trembling from the edge they’d just been dragged to.

A car rolled past, headlights slicing through the dark. The driver leaned out, hollering, "Get a room!" before roaring away.

Tisha flinched, frustration flashing across her face. "Perfect," she muttered, voice edged with exasperation. "Even the universe wants to ruin this."

Alex only chuckled, wicked grin carved across his lips, his hand still firmly in place. "The universe can honk all it wants," he said, low and certain, eyes locked on hers. "I’m not going anywhere."