Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice by Abigail Reynolds

mouth to ask what he thought he was doing, but before any words could come out, he was kissing her hungrily, tangling his hands in her hair. And she was responding, as if there had been no quarrel between them, as if she had no choice once he touched her, as if she had to steal every possible second with him.
       They were in full view of anyone who might step out into the hall or come up the stairs. The thought was enough to shock Cassie out of her state of confused desire. She stepped back, but not far enough for safety. His hands were still on her face, her cheeks, her neck, and she didn't want him to stop. The way he was looking at her made her entire body hunger for his touch.
       "Not here." She glanced around nervously.
       His hands dropped to his sides. "Come back to the house with me."
       She wanted to say yes, to forget everything she had decided, to live in the moment and pretend this wasn't going to hurt later on. "I can't. Erin's going to need me."
       He must have been able to hear the conflict in her voice. "Later, then."
       How could she have a PhD and still feel as if she had forgotten how to speak English? "I… don't know."
       There was a sound from inside the lab. Cassie looked in and saw Erin in tears, as she had expected. She glanced at Calder. "She's going to fall apart if he drags this out any longer."
       Calder nodded silently and moved past her into the lab. "Scott, it's time to hit the road."
       "What?" Scott said. "Oh, right." He kissed Erin lightly one more time. "I'll be back next weekend, and I'm only two hours away."
       Erin tried to sniff back her tears. "Drive carefully."
       "I'll email you as soon as I'm home." At the door Scott gave Cassie a friendly kiss on the cheek.
       "Bye, Scott." Cassie was far more aware of the man standing behind him.
       With one last glance at Erin, Scott left the lab. Calder, following him, paused only a moment to touch the back of Cassie's hand.
       Erin's hands were over her face. Cassie seized the distraction and put her arm around her.
       "It's okay, sweetie. He'll be back in just a few days."
       "It won't be the same. It won't ever be the same again."
       Cassie hugged her. "You don't know that. Give him
    a chance. He's not some young grad student getting his first whiff of freedom."
       "He doesn't love me." Erin started to cry harder.
       "Did he say that?"
       "He didn't need to. It's who he is. He's wonderful, warm, thoughtful, and fun, but his feelings are off-limits. He doesn't go there."
       "That doesn't mean he doesn't care about you." Cassie half-led Erin to a lab stool. She knew from experience Erin's reaction could go on for some time.
       By the time Erin was finally calm and back at work, if halfheartedly, Cassie felt exhausted. Too many emotional ups and downs. What had happened to the nice, calm life she had planned for herself? Calder Westing had happened to it, for one thing.
       What had she been thinking, letting him kiss her like that, not to mention kissing him back? Or perhaps that was the entire problem. She hadn't been thinking. She had been feeling. He could make her forget herself with just a look. He had only said a dozen or so words to her, no more than twenty, she was sure.
       Was he waiting for her at Scott's house, wondering if she would come? It was crazy. Why had he suddenly decided he wanted her again? It wasn't just amusement value this time, she was sure of that, but she was equally certain all he wanted was her body. Still, she remembered what he had said about not being ready to leave yet. She knew what it felt like, the sense of grasping at the last days of summer. Perhaps that was why. She somehow represented the summer to him.
       She would be out of her mind to go. It would be asking to be hurt. She might as well stick her hand over a lighted Bunsen burner. It wasn't as if she wanted to hold on to this long, lonely summer. She