Page 89 of Damaged Protector
Clearing my throat around the golf ball that seemed to be wedged there, I continued, attempting to sound as professional as possible with this fucked up subject matter. “I was sexually harassed by one of my professors. When he made unwelcome advances, I punched him in the nose.”
The redhead’s lips tilted up into a slight smile, which bolstered my sinking confidence just a bit. “The professor got to the dean before I did and told his story first, which the dean believed because this professor was an esteemed, tenured member of the faculty, and I was just… me.”
Everyone was silent for a few long, tortuous moments before the brunette leaned forward on her forearms. “Ms. Fitz… Mallori… I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Her lips pressed together for a second before she added. “It was very brave of you to share your story with us, and I apologize that we pressed you for an answer to something so private. We didn’t realize.”
I returned her smile with a tentative one of my own. “It’s okay. You were just asking your questions. There’s no way you could have known what happened.”
The man gave me a small nod and smoothed a hand down his green-striped tie. “Thank you for coming in today, Ms. Fitz. We’ll let you know our decision.”
And with that… I was dismissed.
Chapter 27
I managed to get inside my car before I let the tears start to fall. Grabbing a wad of fast food napkins from my glove box, I held them against my face and sobbed.
There was no way I was getting that grant. They probably thought I was a volatile, violent crazy person. I’d wanted this so badly, wanted to handle my own affairs and not be beholden to anyone else.
After dabbing my eyes one more time, I tossed the balled-up napkins in the passenger seat and put my car in gear. I was fifteen minutes into the half-hour drive when my phone rang.
I didn’t recognize the number, but I answered it anyway on a hiccuping “Hello.”
“Ms. Fitz.” I recognized his voice immediately and mentally prepared myself for the rejection. “This is Robert Nelson, one of your interviewers from earlier.”
“Yes, Mr. Nelson.”
“The Carmine Foundation is very pleased to let you know that you’ll be receiving one of our grants this year.” Everything faded out for a while as I pulled to the side of the interstate and put my car in park. I was in complete shock. The man was still speaking when my hearing eventually returned. “...very competitive this year, but you were one of the top candidates we interviewed.”
“I’m… wow. I’m a little stunned right now, to be honest.”
I could hear the smile in his voice. “Your honesty was what sealed the deal for you. I have two daughters, and I hope one day they’ll grow up to be as intelligent and brave as you.”
“Not to sound like a broken record, but wow again.”
His chuckle vibrated my ear before his voice turned serious. “I’m very sorry for what happened to you, Ms. Fitz, and I’d like to apologize on behalf of my gender. I can’t believe stuff like this is still happening in this day and age.” His sentiment warmed me.
We wrapped up the call with him promising to have all the paperwork sent to me by the end of next week, and I pulled back into the late afternoon traffic.
I squealed, the sound reverberating around the inside of my little Honda, before turning on my upbeat playlist. Swaying in my seat, I danced happily as I sang along until I pulled into the driveway.
Hawk’s truck was in the garage, and I pulled off my heels and ran up the steps, excited to tell him the news. He was shirtless, just coming down the hallway rubbing his freshly showered hair with a towel when I burst through the front door, dropped my shoes, and tossed my purse on the coffee table.
“I got it!” I yelled, running toward him. Without pausing, he picked me up and twirled me around in a circle.
“I knew you would, Bee. We’ll celebrate with whatever kind of sundaes you want tonight.”
“Thank you for believing in me,” I told him, tightening my arms around his neck. I’d only been here for about a month, but in that time, Hawk had come to mean so much to me. He was my friend, roommate, supporter, and fellow cat parent, but…
I couldn’t stop thinking about that night. The one with all the kissing. And other things. I blushed every time I thought about sitting on top of him, feeling him harden between my legs. And the hungry way he’d kissed me lived rent free in my mind.
That hadn’t happened since, but we’d seemed somehow freer with each other after that evening when I’d slept in his bed. We were more comfortable together, our hands often touching while we were on the couch watching movies. Sometimes, I leaned against his shoulder, and his big arm would surround me.
He always smelled so damn good, and I took every opportunity I could to inhale that masculine scent. I only wished he wanted a repeat of that night… and maybe more. Sometimes, I thought he did. The way those dark eyes burned into me made me wonder if he was having the same illicit thoughts as me. But he never acted on them.
Hawk was still holding me up by the waist, his arms binding me to him, and holy shit! Is he hard right now?
Trying to ignore what I felt pressed against my stomach, I pulled my head back and smiled at him as we stopped spinning. “The interview was going so well, and then one of them asked why I had quit school last year.”
The space between his eyebrows narrowed. “Fuck, what did you say?”