His POV
I felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of Ina in her current state, but her words caught me off guard. "Miss Lovelace, that's not appropriate," I tried to steer the conversation away from her suggestion.
But she leaned in closer, her eyes half-lidded and her breath reeking of whiskey, "Come on, Professor. We're both adults here. No one has to know."
I looked into Ina's eyes, seeing the pain and hurt behind her words. I wanted to find the bastard who had caused her this pain and make him pay. But that will be taken care of later.
"Ina," I said, dropping the formal title, "You should go home. It's late, and you're in no state to be making decisions like this."
Her face contorted into a frown, the alcohol making her more stubborn. "And why not? You don't want me?"
Her question hung in the air, and I had to remind myself that she wasn't in her right mind. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's not about what I want," I replied carefully. "You're not sober, and I won't take advantage of you."
Ina leaned back, her eyes narrowing as she studied me. "You're not interested in me, then?" she asked, her voice slightly petulant. "You don't find me attractive?"
Not attractive? That's an understatement. I thought to myself as I looked at her.
I spoke firmly, standing up from my seat. "Ina, please be obedient and let me take you home. You can't stay here like this."
She grumbled under her breath, but stood up shakily, leaning against the bar for support. "Fine," she muttered, her words still slightly slurred. "But I don't want to be alone."
I suppressed a sigh, knowing that arguing with her would be pointless. "Alright," I said, steadying her with a firm grip on her arm.
"You can stay at my place until you're sober. But no more drinking, and we're going straight back to my apartment, understood?"
She nodded, her head lolling to the side a bit. "Fine, bossy professor," she mumbled, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips despite her intoxication.
I lead her towards the door, keeping my grip on her arm tight to prevent her from falling. The cool night air hit us as we stepped outside, the stars above us like tiny pinpricks in the dark canvas of the sky.
As I helped her into the passenger seat of my car, she turned to me with a drunken smile on her face. "You know, Professor," she said, her words slurring slightly, "You're so handsome."
I chuckled softly, trying to ignore the warmth that spread through me at her drunken compliment. "Thanks, Ina," I replied, shutting the car door and walking around to the driver's side.
I got into the car and started the engine, stealing a quick glance at Ina. She was slumped in her seat, her eyes half-lidded as she stared out the window with a dazed expression on her face.
As I drove, Ina suddenly spoke up, her voice slurred but still carrying an air of sass. "You know, Professor, you could get any woman you want. Why are you still single?"
I was taken aback by her question, not expecting such a forward comment from her. "That's... a complicated question, Ina," I replied, keeping my eyes on the road ahead.
"But you didn't answer," she persisted, her head lolling to the side as she looked at me. "You're smart, you're handsome, you're charming... what's the problem?"
I chuckled softly at her drunken compliments. She was clearly far from sober, but there was something endearing about her bluntness. "You really think I'm all those things?" I asked, stealing a brief glance at her.
Her eyes roamed over me, and she reached out, her hand poking my arm. "And you have a nice, solid body," she said, a little slur in her voice. "Don't pretend you don't notice the stares from all the women at the college."
I let out a soft chuckle at her drunken compliment, amused by her brazen honesty. "Well, I appreciate the confidence boost," I replied, keeping my eyes focused on the road.
"It's not just a boost, Professor," she said, suddenly sitting up straight. "You really are hot." Her words were more pronounced this time, and her gaze was fixed on me intently.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her words and didn't respond. Her drunken flirting was both amusing and enticing, but I knew better than to engage further. Instead, I kept my focus on the road and the task of getting her safe and sound to my place.
Ina pouted, seemingly annoyed by my lack of response. She scooched closer, her body pressing against the center console between us. "You're no fun," she mumbled, her breath warm against my neck.
"Ina," I said, my voice strained as I fought to keep my control, "Trust me. You might not understand right now, but once you sober up, you'll be thankful I didn't take advantage of you in your current state."
She pouted again, her eyes narrowing. "Stop treating me like a child," she grumbled, her fingers tracing along the collar of my shirt. "I'm a grown woman, I can make my own decisions."
"Enough, Ina," I said firmly, pushing her back into the passenger seat and buckling her in.
"You're not making any decisions tonight. You're drunk, and I'm not going to let you do anything you'll regret. So stop fooling around and settle down."
Ina huffed, her pout deepening. "You're such a buzzkill," she muttered, slumping back into her seat. "You don't know how to have any fun."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her comment. "Making smart decisions isn't the same as being a buzzkill," I replied, the corners of my mouth twitching as I tried to maintain a serious expression. "And right now, the smart decision is getting you safely to my place, where you can sober up and sleep this off."
She grumbled something under her breath, but remained silent for the rest of the ride. I kept a close eye on her, making sure she didn't try to do anything foolish while we were on the road.