Devil's Kiss (Sunset Cove #2) (13 page)

“I’m sure she wouldn’t see it that way.”

“Yeah, but I would,” Derek said softly. “I can’t do that to her. I love that family like it’s my own. I wish it was.”

Jordan’s heart ached at the longing he heard in Derek’s voice, and he had a sudden thought of his own family. He really should give his mother a call. It’d been a few weeks, and he knew she’d love to hear from him.
 

As he fiddled with the sleeve of his coffee cup, Jordan knew what he was about to do next was unwise. It was likely the dumbest idea he’d had to date, and really, he didn’t do dumb. But there was no way he was going to let Derek leave this café to go back to some motel full of God only knew what.
 

“What if you come and stay with me?”

The words sounded odd, even to his own ears as they fell off his tongue. But Derek’s stunned look of
what the fuck
made them feel even more out of place.
 

“You can’t be serious.”

“Why can’t I?” Jordan shot back, even as the voice in his head was telling him this was a bad idea
.
But he was already in it now. If he backed out he’d look like he was worried, or worse, thinking this would be some kind of illicit setup where he moved a sexy student into his rich penthouse to fuck—
 

“Well, for starters,” Derek said, breaking Jordan from his completely inappropriate thoughts, “I’m pretty positive you don’t like me too much.”

“That’s not true.”

Derek’s eyebrows winged up until they practically hit his hairline. Okay, so they’d had a few run-ins as professor and student, but that didn’t mean Jordan disliked him. “It’s not my job to make you think that I
like
you or that we’re friends, Derek. It’s my job to teach you.”

An unreadable spark lit Derek’s blue eyes, then he sat up in his chair as if he found it difficult to sit still.

“Wouldn’t you get in trouble?” he asked. “You know, if someone found out?”

Yes.
“Maybe. But I can’t let you sleep in some flea-infested motel. What kind of person would I be if I saw someone in trouble and didn’t help them? It’s not like it would be permanent. And I’m not your teacher anymore, so there’s no conflict of interest with your grades.”

Derek chewed on his upper lip and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not some kind of charity case, you know.”

“Oh, for God’s sake.” Jordan blew out an exasperated breath. Patience was never one of his strong suits. “This isn’t charity. Trust me, I contribute to plenty of those and know the difference. This isn’t pity either. It isn’t anything other than me offering you a spare room and bed to sleep in. My place is—” He stopped himself from saying
enormous
. “I have a couple of spare rooms. You can take one until you can apply for, and move into, an apartment. Much better than wasting your money on some place that isn’t safe.”

“So, you’re doing this because you’re worried about my safety? I thought you said I was a badass.”
 

“The only person you’re going to require safety from in the next few seconds is me if you don’t stop acting like such a shit.”

Derek finally relaxed and chuckled, the sound breaking the tension for the first time since the conversation had taken a turn toward the serious.
 

“You keep implying that you could take me on and win. But I gotta say, Devaney, I’m not buying it.”

Jordan finished his coffee then placed his cup on the table, silently sizing Derek up. The guy may have him beat in size, but when it came to confidence, Jordan didn’t doubt himself for one second.
 

He got to his feet and took a step forward so he was standing beside the table and Derek, who was smirking up at him.

“First, don’t call me Devaney. My name is Jordan, unless you see me in school, where it will always be
Professor
Devaney.” His reprimand was meant to come out professional and keep the two of them on the same page after this odd conversation. But Derek’s eyes darkened and Jordan’s breath caught at the desire swirling in them.
 

Oh shit, he likes it when I get on him like this,
and fuck if that didn’t keep his mouth from delivering words he knew that he shouldn’t.

“Second. If I ever decided to take you on in
any
capacity, you can rest assured by the end of it
you
would be the one to surrender. Not the other way around. Now, if you’re interested in the offer, I’ll show you my place.”

When Derek pushed his chair back and unfolded himself from the chair, the wooden scrape of the legs on the floor was the only sound Jordan could hear over the thumping of his heart.
 

God, the guy was overwhelming, but Jordan would be damned if he moved back.

“Duly noted,
Jordan
. And yes, I’m interested.” Derek’s voice was raspy, and Jordan knew exactly where his mind had gone because, damn it, despite his good intentions, his had gone there too. He wasn’t sure if he should stress that this was
just
a living arrangement, but then he remembered their previous conversation in the car and figured it was pretty clear on both their sides that they definitely were
not
interested in something as complicated as fucking each other would be.
 

So with that in mind, Jordan backed up and picked up the paper bag that held Derek’s uneaten salted caramel bar.

“Good. Then let’s go. On the way over, you can explain to me again why you don’t eat sweets, because
that
is just plain wrong.”

CHAPTER NINE

WHEN JORDAN TURNED the car into a driveway that led down under a high-rise building situated on the main strip of Sunset, Derek leaned toward the window and craned his head to look up at the towering structure.

“Christ, how many floors are in this building?”

A chuckle came from the man maneuvering his car through the rows of pillars until he turned into what had to be a designated spot, because it was the only one free in that row.

“Twenty-eight.”

“Twenty-
eight
? Get the fuck out of here. That’s insane.”

“Mhmm,” Jordan agreed. “I know. It seems ridiculous. But I swear the view is totally worth it.”

Derek got out of the car and moved to the trunk to get his bag, and when he shut it he saw Jordan standing over by the path that led to a lit private entrance. “The view from where? The roof?”

As they walked toward the glass doors, Derek automatically opened it and Jordan glanced at him, the expression in his professor’s eyes warm, as though he appreciated the gesture, before it flashed back to neutral.
 

“Thank you,” Jordan murmured as he passed by and moved toward the only elevator, where he pulled a keycard from his pocket and slipped it into the metallic panel. When the door slid open, Jordan held it and gave a crooked grin, returning Derek’s chivalrous gesture. “After you.”

Derek walked inside the small confines, and when Jordan followed and the door swooshed shut, he was made highly aware of his size. The elevator was narrow, personal in a sense, and the two of them only just fit comfortably together side by side with their arms touching.

He let his eyes move up the panel, expecting to see twenty-eight buttons to choose from, but there was nothing on the walls except the shiny metallic finish of the elevator. High in the right-hand corner was a small screen that seemed a little odd, but before he could get the words out, Jordan said, “It’s a TV screen and camera.”

Derek’s head whipped around so he was facing Jordan, who laughed. “Oh, no need to panic. It’s not currently on.”

Derek frowned. “Why’s it there? And where’s the button for your floor?”

Jordan shifted to rest his back against one side of the elevator. “It’s there for me to see who is stopping by, and there are no buttons because this elevator
only
goes to my floor.”

Huh?
Derek was confused. What did he mean, the elevator only went to his floor? Jordan wasn’t making any sense, but then Derek remembered that the professor was rich. Very fucking rich, apparently.

He opened his mouth, about to ask what floor they were going to, but before any words could come out, the elevator came to a smooth stop and a soft “ding” sounded.
 

“Here we are,” Jordan announced as the door opened and he pushed off the wall to head out into his condo. “Floor twenty-eight.”
 

Derek watched Jordan head out into a huge open space, and as he stepped off the elevator to follow, his jaw almost hit the floor.

Oh my fucking God.
 

The room that spread out in front of him was ridiculous.
 

As in it looked ridiculously expensive. Derek froze in place, not willing to take a step further in case he happened to break something with his huge feet or duffel bag.

The room was unlike anything he’d ever seen in his life. As far as the eye could see, the cream marble floors that were accented with flecks of brown shone so brightly that they reflected the elaborate chandelier that hung center stage like an art piece. Hell, it probably was. Directly under the light was an U-shaped couch that beautifully complemented the tones of the space. It sat atop a rectangular rug that Derek was positive looked more comfortable than his bed at home.

Jordan tossed his bag on the couch and made his way over to the floor-to-ceiling doors that provided a stunning view of a deck setting fit for a king. There were chaise lounges, a table that was likely designed to be used indoors but had somehow made it to Jordan’s balcony, and, yes, a hot tub and pool at the far end of the balcony. The spread beyond the spacious living room was not only impressive, it was out of this world.

Who lived like this?

Jordan unlatched the doors and shoved them open so the night breeze could filter inside, then he headed into the kitchen to open his fridge and pull out a bottle of wine. When he turned back with a bottle in his hand and two glasses, his eyes found Derek exactly where he’d left him, and he grinned.

“You can come in, you know. Just put your bag there until we can work out all the details.”

Derek’s heart raced at breakneck speed as he looked around the opulent space and shook his head.
 

This had been a terrible mistake. What was he doing here? This wasn’t where he belonged. This was
so
not what he’d expected when Jordan had said he could come and crash at his place.
 

He’d stupidly imagined a cramped room where he could stash his bag and do his homework. Not some playboy penthouse that screamed sex, money, and success. He felt like a fucking failure.
 

A loser failure that was going to throw up at any moment.

 
“I don’t think this is such a good idea. I’m just gonna go,” he said as he backed up, and as he went to hightail it out of there, he noticed two tall podiums flanking either side of the elevator, with beautiful bronze sculptures on it that were likely worth more than he would ever hope to make in his life.

Yeah, okay, Derek Pearson does
not
belong in a place like this.

“Wait,” Jordan said from behind him, and Derek could hear each footfall on the cream tiles as he came closer. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Derek shut his eyes and willed his voice to sound normal as he turned to Jordan, who was looking at him with confusion and worry written all over his face.

“Derek,” he said softly, and reached a hand out to touch him, but suddenly everything about this situation and the reason why Derek was there bubbled to the surface and had him backing up, as if a simple touch would make him fall apart.
 

“Derek. Let me help you. I
want
to help you.”

Derek swallowed past the massive lump and shook his head as his eyes flew around the room again. “Why, Jordan?” he asked. “You don’t know me. Hell, for all you know I might rob you blind in the middle of the night.”

Jordan took a cautious step toward him and squeezed his arm. “You’re right. You could. Don’t go for those statues behind you, though—they weigh a ton, and honestly, the silverware in the dining room is worth more and is lighter.”

When Derek’s eyes widened, Jordan squeezed again. “I’m just kidding. Relax. I don’t make it a habit to bring strangers back to my place, but I’m also a pretty good study on people. And yes, you’re right, I don’t know you that well. But I once knew someone like you who was in trouble. Someone who needed a little guidance and help.” He gave a rueful grin and then added, “Someone who was a bit of a punk.”

That made Derek laugh. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” Jordan nodded. “He was a total shit. But someone took him under their wing, and I think he turned out okay.”

Derek contemplated the man watching him with a steady and friendly gaze, and thought how ironic it was that it was the same man he’d expected to despise throughout college.

“I still think he’s a bit of a shit, just for the record.”

Jordan’s grin was blinding as he dropped his hand. “You’re probably right, but now he thinks he can get away with it on the basis of his good looks and charm.”

Derek sighed as he let his eyes drift around the condo again, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “Just how rich are you?”

Jordan gave a fabulously snotty laugh and flick of his wrist. “Beyond your wildest imagination,
dahling
.”

Derek scoffed. “You’re a little unbalanced, aren’t you?”

“No. I’m very well adjusted. Just spoiled rotten. But at least I admit it.”

Derek’s lips twitched. He knew that Jordan was purposefully overexaggerating to ease the tension that’d been in the room.
 

“Think you can put up with that?” Jordan asked, his eyebrow raised in challenge.

Was he kidding? This place was a fucking palace. If anything, Derek felt weird just being here in the first place. Who was he to say if Jordan should act one way or another?

“Yeah…I think I can manage. But only if you’re sure.”

Jordan took on a serious tone that belied his earlier frivolousness. “I am. Of course, we’ll need to set up some ground rules. The first of which will be no smoking in or on the premises of the Palisades, Mr. Marlboro Man.
Capiche
?”