**Writer's comment: Thank you to the three readers who offered feedback (although I'm not quite sure if the "mooore chapters" comment was a request for additional writing or an expression of horror at the amount of writing that was already there g). It is both helpful and appreciated.**
The instant he introduced himself to the class, all doubt was removed from Janet's mind. There was no mistaking that velvety baritone voice. She knew it was he.
The shock began to abate, only to be replaced with a flood of almost painfully visceral memories. No longer was she sitting in a classroom; her mind had transported her back to that night…to that castle…to that bedroom. The delicious warmth of his lips and tongue caressing her bare skin. The weight of his body on top of her own. Wave after wave of pure physical ecstasy washing over her as he moved inside her, at first gently, then with greater urgency and power…
Suddenly she was jolted out of her fantasy by a hand gently shaking her shoulder. She looked up, startled, and saw Frank smiling at her, looking as if he were trying not to laugh. "Everyone in the class is introducing themselves. Would you care to follow suit?"
She blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Janet Weiss."
"Thank you for joining us, Ms. Weiss." He smiled again, and returned to the front of the classroom as the introductions continued.
Janet wanted to cry. It wasn't bad enough that she'd managed to arouse herself with her memories of that night; now she had to add acute embarrassment to the emotional mix. What made it even worse was the sensation she had when she looked up at him…the feeling that he knew exactly what she'd been thinking. She tried to dismiss the thought. He possessed many gifts, true, but he'd never claimed to be a mind reader.
The rest of the class passed with excruciating slowness. She found it impossible to concentrate on what he was saying; all she could think about was speaking with him afterward. She had to find out if he remembered her; had to find out what had brought him out of apparent death and into her chemistry classroom…and back into her life.
Finally, it was over. She waited in her seat, with growing impatience and irritation, as a large group of students – mostly female – gathered around his desk, complimenting him on the class and asking question after inane question. At last, they were alone.
Frank looked over at her, smiled, and sighed. "I suppose we need to talk."
Janet approached his desk. "So you do remember me, then?"
Frank raised his eyebrows. "Of course I remember you. How on earth could I not?"
"Well, I wasn't sure. You didn't react at all when you saw me. I was afraid that, well, maybe I wasn't all that memorable."
Frank shook his head, then took her hand. "I assure you, you were quite memorable indeed."
She flushed, basking in both the compliment and the sensation of her hand resting in his. Finally, she worked up the courage to ask the question that had been haunting her from the moment she saw him. "How can you be here? I…I saw you die. What happened?"
He let go of her hand and sighed again. "I didn't die. It's a long story, and one you deserve to hear. But I can't tell it here or now."
"When, then? Do you have any time this afternoon?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm teaching another class at 3:00, then I have a faculty meeting at 4 that will probably last a couple of hours."
"What about after that?"
"I'm afraid I'm having dinner with…a friend this evening."
Janet's frustration was growing by the second. "We need to talk this out. Can we get together after you're finished with dinner? You can drop by my apartment."
He looked at her for a long moment. Somehow he wasn't comfortable about meeting her at night, particularly at her apartment. But by the same token, it wouldn't be fair to leave her hanging. She deserved answers to the many questions she had to have. Besides, it wasn't as if these were matters that could be discussed in a public place.
"Very well." He tore a piece of paper out of a notebook he kept in his briefcase. "Write down your address for me, and I'll stop by. I imagine it will be sometime between 8 and 9."
Eagerly she wrote down her address and phone number. "Here you go."
Frank took the sheet of paper, and put it in his wallet. "Okay. I'll see you later tonight."
Janet smiled. "Great. And…Frank?"
"Yes?"
"I'm so glad you didn't die."
Frank looked back at her. "Thank you. I'm glad, too…at least most of the time."
He turned and left.
