Page 61 of Taming His Teacher

More of the anxiety is nudged away and I smile, a blush warming my cheeks. A small noise from him follows, definitely not a laugh, and his fingers tighten on the back of the couch. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and that’s his to me. I lift one palm from the floor and place it gingerly in front of me, redistributing my weight. I do the same with my opposite knee and the pattern continues until I’m at his feet. His hand is in front of my face, resting next to his thigh, and I give in to my urge to kiss the back of it, my tongue circling a knuckle.

Another small noise encourages the beginning of another circle, but I’m stopped by his hand fisting in my hair tight against my skull. My mouth falls open in a mewl.

“Did I say you could touch?”

“No, Zach.”

“Then don’t touch. That’s your warning. Next time, you’ll be punished. Understood?”

“Yes, Zach.”

The rules. There aren’t many, yet, but that’s one of them. I can’t believe I’ve forgotten already. I’m in for a long night.

His grip loosens and he tugs gently. “I said you could sit with me and now you may.”

I climb onto his lap and clutch my hands in front of me, my whole body rigid. He hasn’t said I can touch him yet, and I don’t want to get in trouble again.

He strokes my back, his hand warm against my spine. “Good girl, waiting for permission. Now you can touch.”

I don’t hesitate, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his neck. His arms circle my ribcage and he holds me tight against him, rocking me.

“You’re shaking, lamb. Am I being too rough with you? Do you want to stop?”

“No!” I clutch him tighter and the vibration of his laugh echoes in my chest.

“All right, we won’t stop. But I’m going to keep you here for a few minutes, okay?”

I nod my agreement into his neck and my hold on him slackens as he returns to making loops on my back. My tremors stop, and my breath comes easier. He calls to this nervous part of me, the bit I keep tucked away, not daring to show anyone how deeply ill at ease I am being let loose on this earth without more guidance. But I don’t have to hide it anymore. Shep doesn’t think this is a pathetic weakness to be exploited. It’s something to be treasured, soothed, enjoyed.

When my breath has slowed to its normal rhythm and I nuzzle at his jaw, he grasps the back of my neck. I lengthen it to give him a better grip.

“Are you ready to keep going?”

“Yes, Zach.”

I lean back and look him in the eyes. The same blue eyes I remember almost tripping myself over four years ago. But his face is different than it was. He’s had to hoe a hard path and I want to make something easy, pleasant for him. His hand from my neck has slipped to cup my face and he strokes my cheek with his thumb.

“I never thought I’d get to do this. You married Will and I—” A tremor runs through me, same as it always does when I think of Will.

Shep hushes me. “I’m sorry, we won’t talk about him. I just wanted to tell you how…” His eyes look off to some faraway place. It’s not surprising two math teachers would fumble their way through words. But I’m hanging on each awkward syllable. “Blessed I feel to be holding you. I could be content with this.”

Blessed. Shep’s about as religious as I am, which is not at all, and though it’s not quite the right word, it’s the exact sentiment I would use. “Fortunate” doesn’t cut it. “You don’t have to be.”

Lust explodes behind his eyes, dilating his pupils, and he urges my head toward his. We kiss, and he lets me take the lead, showing him what I want. Slow and languorous with teasing bites and closed-mouth flirtings before encouraging more with a lick of his lower lip and a firm bite that makes him groan and claim my mouth with his tongue.

I’m crushed in his arms, at his mercy as he plunders my mouth, our tongues tangling and stroking. After several minutes of being ravished, I’m squirming, grinding my hips into his lap, rubbing against his hardness, which makes me want him more.

He scoops me up and I remember when he carried me on that awful day. This is so much better, though the safe, cared-for sensation is the same. He carries me down the hall to my room and lays me on my made bed, standing back to take me in. The look on his face… He could be looking at the most precious work of art, a priceless masterpiece. I flush from hair to chest under the intensity of his gaze. So this is what they mean when they say “worship.” I’d always thought that was a fiction, a fantasy, but he’s in front of me right now. I hope my eyes on him are making him feel the same.

* * *

Shep

Erin’s hair is splashed over her pillow and her cheeks have pinked to that rosy shade I love. The same shade I will be making her ass in the not-so-distant future. But for tonight, I’ll treat her with kid gloves, make her feel good. Earn her trust as she’s earned mine.

I hope she can’t tell my heart is pounding a mile a fucking minute, trying to beat its way out of my chest. Whatever adolescence I have left in me is giving a war whoop at the idea of finally getting to fuck a girl. While most of me is staidly thinking,No, you’re going to make love to your girlfriend who you’ve loved since the day you saw her, a horny eighteen-year-old who didn’t know I’d make him wait Four. Fucking. Years for this is screaming,Aw, hell yeah, man!and I let him, because goddamn.

She’s all soft and eager. I want so badly to be allowed into her warmth. An intimacy I’ve earned. And it’s not because of what she thinks she knows about me. Sure, we’d done the infatuation thing, but we’ve laid our cards on the table and what’s left is something that makes my heart steady.

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