Page 70 of Taming His Teacher

The emotions rage behind the soft curves of her gently upturned nose, her pink cheeks, and her pretty mouth, but she reins it in and then squeezes my hand. “Yes, Zach.”

My father is still ranting, something about calling off my attack bitch, but I don’t care. “Mom, I’m sorry. We gotta go.”

She nods tightly. “Probably best.”

I’m turning the key in the ignition when there’s a knock on my window. Caleb’s standing there, scrawny arms crossed over his narrow chest. I roll down the window and he leans in, his hair brushing the roof. “I wanted to say thank you before you go. It was fun.”

“When this blows over, I’ll see if you can’t come up for a couple of weeks this summer, okay? I’m sorry. I know what he’s going to be like when we leave, and I—”

Caleb shrugs. “I’m used to it. Besides, it was kind of awesome.”

“Awesome?”

“Yeah, I thought Erin was going to punch Dad when he called her a cunt.”

“Caleb!” We’ve both shouted at him and he smirks.

“I know, I know, I won’t say that word again. Promise. Thanks for the cookies, Erin. Bye, Zach.”

He scrubs a hand through my hair in a weird reversal of our usual roles and I watch him walk back toward the house, wishing I could throw his lanky frame in the backseat and drive off. Instead I grip the wheel and back out of the driveway, onto my street, through town and onto the highway.

Erin doesn’t say anything during the ride home, but keeps a hand above my knee; a reminder she’s still here and has no intention of leaving no matter what she saw. When we get back to campus, I park behind Sullivan and we trudge up the stairs to her apartment, where I strip her naked and bury myself in her until I forget my name.

Chapter 20

Erin

Now I know. How Shep grew up, how Caleb is growing up. Why Shep is so quietly desperate to get him out of there. Blue-collar living doesn’t bother me, but the way his dad talked to me? I’m a stranger. I can’t imagine how he must talk to his sons. Or their mother. And for how long? How a man like Shep came out of a house like that, I don’t know. The chances of Caleb coming out as well are a long shot, but those Shepherd boys seem to be defying the odds.

Shep’s been so quiet since we got back, barely getting out instructions last night. Sometimes he was rough with me, but more often it seemed like he wanted to lose himself and forget everything. I don’t want him to forget everything. I want him to remember his life here, with me, but I’ll do whatever I can to help him bury the rest, leaving a trail of cookie crumbs should Caleb be able to follow.

Shep has to leave tonight for Fort Lauderdale and today was supposed to be one long play session I’ve been looking forward to. It’s hard enough to steal time to be together at all, never mind to find the time and space for him to do rude things to me that—despite my fears about the translations of fantasy into reality—I’ve really enjoyed.

But after yesterday… He’s wrapped around me, still asleep after a fitful night. I slide a hand from the cut of his hip, up the muscles of his back, and grip the top of his shoulder. I kiss his neck and he stirs, holding me tighter.

“I’m so sorry about yesterday—”

I hush him with a finger over his lips. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can we have our day like we were planning to? Pretty please?”

The corner of his mouth tugs up and I trace the curve with my fingertip. “Since you’ve said pretty please, how can I say no?”

We eat breakfast and then Shep guides me to the bathroom, telling me to strip and get in the shower. “Are you coming, too?”

“Yes, I’m coming, too.”

I climb under the spray and wet down my hair before Shep pushes the curtain aside and steps in. He leans against the far wall and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Go about your business. I want to watch you.”

“Yes, Zach.”

I soap up my hair, rinse it out and then slather on my conditioner and rinse that out, too. When I wipe the water that’s streamed over my face from my eyes, Shep’s pressed against the tiles, but his arms aren’t crossed anymore. Oh, no. Instead, he’s closed a fist around his…his cock and he’s stroking himself idly.

“You’re so pretty, Erin. Did you know that?”

It’s not something many people have said to me but I don’t want to sound like I’m fishing for compliments, either. “You’ve said so, Zach.”

“I’m not the only one who thinks so. You have beautiful eyes and the cutest nose. And your mouth…” He sucks a breath between his teeth and grips himself harder, sliding faster. “Every time I look at your mouth, I think of you sucking me off.”

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