Page 44 of Classroom Confessions

Damn him. I stood and yanked the door open before either of them could knock.

Rebecca squealed and held out her arms. “Fitz, you little terror. How are you getting out?”

I handed the dog over with one hand, the other fisted around the doorknob as I stared down Ethan. “I’d be happy to come over and check out the apartment. Maybe there’s a loose frame he’s squeezing through.”

Rebecca kissed Fitz’s head. “That would be great.” Her soft expression could mean anything, but the languid way she moved, like all her bones had gone soft, was something I’d only seen after we’d had sex.

“Can we come in?” Ethan made it a question, but the arched brow and solid hand on Rebecca’s spine made sure I said yes.

Opening the door wide, I stepped back. “Not that it’s any of my business, but what the hell are you doing with Rebecca?” My voice carried my anger, making sure neither of them missed it.

“Sit down, David.” Ethan perched on the edge of the nearest chair. Rebecca sat on the arm, her foot swinging back and forth. She crooned to Fitz, but her gaze swung back and forth between me and Ethan.

She devastated me with a look that made me want to crawl on my knees over my own hardwood floors while begging her to change her mind. No woman had ever taken me this low, not even Carrie. I hated it.

“Why are you with Rebecca?” I shot the question directly at Ethan.

Ethan sat forward, bracing his arms on his thighs. “Rebecca and I talked earlier.” He twitched toward her but kept his eyes on me. “We had sex, David. Rebecca and I were in bed when you called.”

“Motherfucking, backstabbing bastard.” I lunged to my feet, ready to choke him. Or punch him. I’d take any kind of release from the hot, searing pain tearing through me. Betrayal. I’d felt it this hard one other time and swore I’d never feel that much ever again. “After all that bullshit about keeping our distance so we didn’t lose our jobs or hurt Rebecca, you go behind our backs and do this?” My hand swept out in an arc that knocked into the lamp on the side table. It wobbled but stayed upright.

“Like you and Cole went behind mine?” Ethan stood. A flash of fury sparked but then fizzled. He held out both hands. “You’re right. What I did had nothing to do with you and Cole. I wanted Rebecca. She agreed.”

“Is that true?” I turned away from Ethan. If I looked at him much longer, I might do something I’d regret. “Did you change your mind? About him? About us?”

Ethan was the main reason we’d agreed to leave Rebecca alone. She gave us that big speech and then left, and Ethan reiterated her points. He made sense, but what I felt for Rebecca went beyond sense. I’d ignored Ethan the first time he warned us away from Rebecca. I should have ignored him that time, too. If I had, it could have been me in Rebecca’s bed today.

Rebecca stood slowly, her body flushed and cheeks pink. She walked right up to me until every breath brought the scent of her straight to my brain. “Yes. Ethan and I talked, and even though the risks are high, I wanted to have sex with him.” She held me hostage with a look. “I still want all of you. Even though I know I shouldn’t. I should keep my distance and protect you.”

“We can protect ourselves.” I plucked the strand of hair that had fallen over her cheek and rubbed it between my thumb and forefinger. “I appreciate the concern, but we should make decisions for ourselves.”

“I’m going to call Cole. He deserves to be here too.” Ethan backed into the kitchen with his phone to his ear.

I scratched Fitz under the chin, never breaking eye contact with Rebecca.

“Don’t be mad at him.” Her silky tone shivered through me. A flash of a frown appeared, then fell into worry. “I don’t want anyone mad about this.”

“I’m not mad at him.” I chuckled when she scoffed. “Okay, I’m a little pissed.” I tipped her chin up. “I’m more upset that we could have been together this whole time. I’ve missed you.”

“Cole’s on his way.” Ethan returned, taking his seat and crossing his ankle over his knee.

I tried to ignore him, but Ethan’s personality always took up more space than any man should. There was a reason we tended to listen to him. Fuck if I knew why I’d let him persuade me this time. I’d known leaving Rebecca alone was an unsustainable goal. I understood how Cole felt when he found out about me and Rebecca. I didn’t like not knowing. “He treated you well?” I asked Rebecca, but Ethan’s eyebrows rose.

“Are we going to start sharing all our sexual encounters?” He picked up a book from the coffee table and flipped through it. “Are you going to tell me what happened between the three of you?”

“No fighting.” Rebecca lowered Fitz to the floor and took my hand. She led me to the couch and tugged me down to sit beside her. “This only works if we’re all open and honest with each other.”

“Then we should wait on Cole.” I tucked my spine into the corner of the couch. Rebecca followed me down, her shoulder notching into the space between my ribs and the cushion. Her cheek settled on my chest, and I watched Ethan while I played with her hair, winding it around my finger, then letting it go and smoothing it down her arm.

He watched every movement, but there was neither anger nor jealousy in the look. He almost looked curious. Maybe even a little bit turned on by the sight of Rebecca with me. I tried to imagine him and Rebecca together. I made it as far as Rebecca on her knees in front of him before I slammed the mental door closed. No sense torturing myself.

“I like your hands.” Rebecca picked up my other hand and held it up to her face. “You have strong hands. Long fingers.” She traced the veins running across the back of my hand, then down over my knuckles. “What did you do before you became a history professor?”

My hand stilled on her arm, the fingertips just shy of her breast. “I worked with my dad. He was a farmer in Texas.”

“I thought so.” She kissed the row of calluses on my palm, the ones I’d never lost despite years in a classroom. “You have manly hands. I like them.” A sexy huskiness crept into her voice. “I like when you touch me with them.”

A pounding knock slammed the front door. Cole shoved his way into the house, eyes wild and hair standing on end like he’d run all the way. “I’m here.”

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