Even if he was a personal friend of Mistress Susan.

We were sponsoring more scholarships to our college than ever, and every dollar I could save could help someone have a better life.

Ivy took her seat as well, two rows away from the raised platform at the front of the room. We were on the second floor, and the late afternoon sunlight poured in through a row of windows on the west side of the room. That light caught Ivy’s hair and it blazed in a way that had me entranced. Then she leaned forward so she could talk to the brunette woman with big white hoop earrings in front of her. I thought it was the same person who’d been sitting next to Ivy in our last class together, and I leaned forward into the aisle to get a better look.

“Excuse me, Mr. Sterns, do you mind moving so I can teach my class?”

Embarrassment had my cheeks going heated, no doubt much to Mistress Susan’s amusement.

“Sorry about that, Mistress Susan,” I said as I swiftly moved back into my seat.

I leaned back and looked up at her, towering above me as I was seated. She wore a pair of wicked-looking tan patent-leather heels. They went well with her tan 80s-style belted dress that showed off her tiny waist and impressive cleavage. Large pearl studs graced her ears but her nose was missing the usual septum piercing. Behind her trailed her submissive and boyfriend, Tyler, dressed in a preppie green sweater and tan pants. His light-brown and silver hair had been feathered back, and it looked like he’d grown a mustache since I’d last seen him. I thought it made him kind of look like my sixth grade science teacher. He gave a rueful shake of his head as he passed, grinning the whole way. No doubt he found it hilarious to watch me get my butt chewed by Susan. We’d had more than one beer together, and I liked the funny man and his easygoing nature.

Why he was attracted to a bitch like Susan I’ll never know, but he was so I had to be respectful to his Mistress. And I was in her classroom, taking a class she was more than qualified to teach. The rules were very clear that it didn’t matter if you were a Dominant, submissive, or whatever. The instructors or professors were the ones who had the power to boot you from their class instantly, no questions asked.

Knowing Mistress Susan expected more of an apology than the one I’d given, I inwardly sighed and said, “Forgive me for not noticing when a lady has entered the room.”

That mollified her, a little bit, and she dismissed me with a sniff then strolled past me. “Do try to pay attention, Caleb. There is much you could learn from this class on self-control.”

That rankled a bit, and Tyler hid a smile as he followed his Mistress.

I glanced over at Ivy and found her looking back at me, clearly laughing behind her raised hand.

I subtly shot her the bird.

That only made her laugh harder.

Red faced, she shook her head at me and smiled so bright I couldn’t help but smile back in return.

Her smile fell a little bit, then reformed into something softer.

Something infinitely more powerful.

The bell for class beginning rang and I turned my attention to the front of the room.

As much as I wanted to spend the entire class staring at my obsession, if Mistress Susan caught me spacing out, she would no doubt call me on it.

I was not going to give that woman any excuse to torment me.

The room grew dimmer as the sun began to disappear over the horizon, creating an intimate atmosphere that Mistress Susan furthered by sitting on a wide, black leather couch rather than sitting behind the desk near the wall facing away from the windows. Tyler sat on the floor next to her, and she idly ran her hand through his hair. Crossing her long legs, she gave everyone a friendly, happy smile.

I wanted to shout to everyone to be careful, that her smile was a lie, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Welcome to my class on edging and orgasm denial,” Susan said and I could easily hear her through the speakers at the back corners of the room. “I have always had a fondness for this particular kink, one that my submissive shares. Isn’t that right, Tyler?”

He grinned up at her, his affection open and easy. “I love whatever you love, my Mistress.”

She gave his cheek a sharp slap, a pink handprint appearing on his skin as she said, “Honest answers only, Tyler. You know I don’t like pretty drivel.”

He rested his head against her thigh as he said, “I both love and hate it. The orgasms are intense, the connection between us powerful, but the frustration is….”

“Exquisite?” Mistress Susan said with a small smile.

“Not quite,” Tyler replied in such a dry tone that everyone laughed. “More like the ultimate itch that I can’t scratch. And it just gets more and more intense and irritating until I think I’ll go out of my mind. But the relief is so, so good when you finally let me climax. I swear I come so hard I nearly black out.”

Mistress Susan gave him a dry look, the lines around her mouth deepening as she said, “You find my technique irritating?”

He immediately took her hand and placed a kiss on it. “Only in the best of ways.”