Page 50 of Swiped By My Dad's Best Friend
He grinned. “Really?”
“We’ll be studying,” I said firmly. “We can do some test review tonight, and tomorrow you can spend the day at the library while I’m leading my seminar.”
His smile dropped. “We haven’t even had sex. When are we going to do that, Daddy? All this time, I’ve been waiting to see you again…”
He trailed his index finger down my arm. The little minx. He knew what hearing the word Daddy did to me. I caught his hand, brought it to my mouth, and gave it a little nip.
“Ow!”
I licked the small pinch.
“Behave,” I said. “If you want sexual favors, you’ll have to earn them.”
A light came back into his eyes. “Oh, hell yeah. How do I earn them?”
“Tonight? By getting at least twenty review questions correct after we take a look at your test material. Tomorrow, by returning from the library with notes, a list of citations, and an outline ready to go.”
He slumped back against the pillows. “Slave driver.”
“Well, I could ask you to deny yourself orgasms all weekend if that’s a better incentive.”
He looked torn. “It might be less torturous.”
“Cooper, think about your goals. Do you want to help your frat win this contest? Do you want to help Simon stay in school with the prize money? Make this project of yours into something sustainable long-term?”
“I do.” He chewed his lip. “I know it sounds like I’m giving up. It’s just, I can’t half-ass this, Trace. If I want to bring my grade up enough…I have to hit it out of the ballpark. And it’s been a really long time since I’ve tried that hard.”
“It comes back to what I said to you before. You have to believe in yourself.” At his skeptical look, I added, “Yes, you have to put in the work too. But it starts with believing you can attain a goal. If you give up before you start, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Start envisioning success, put in the work, and I am confident you’ll meet your goals.”
“Said like a man who meets his goals.”
“We all struggle, Cooper. You know my business has been slow. That’s why I’m here. Teaching this class wasn’t easy for me. I was nervous, definitely pushed out of my comfort zone. But I had to find a way to get through it, if only for my crew’s sake. I don’t want to cut anyone’s pay, or heaven forbid, their whole job. This side project gives me a little buffer, a little time to try to find a solution. And I don’t know if thereisa solution, but I’m sure as hell not giving up before I even try.”
Cooper mulled that over a moment, then nodded decisively. “You’re right. I have to try. I get so overwhelmed that I just want to stick my head in the sand and hide. But I’m tired of avoiding my life. Iwantto change.”
I kissed him gently. “Then you will. Believe that.”
He threw back the blankets, climbing out of bed stark naked. Watching that expanse of skin stretched over supple muscle, I kind of regretted using sex as an incentive. I’d missed him too, missed physical intimacy and not just visual. I wanted to feel him under me, around me. I’d learned a lot about his desires and pleasure points through our sexy games on Skype, but I wanted to explore more, learn all his secrets.
Cooper tugged on his clothes, and I sighed mournfully. I’d just have to be patient—for his sake.
15
COOPER
“What is the law of diminishing marginal utility?”
Trace reclined against the headboard, my Micro Economics textbook open on his lap.
“Uh, shit. I know this one.” I knocked a fist against my head, trying to shake something loose. My brain felt sluggish despite it only being eight p.m.
“Take your time,” Trace said. “Think about the possibilities. What does diminishing mean?”
“Something going down.”
He nodded. “Right, so diminishing marginal utility?”
I wracked my brain for the answer. I remembered reading this phrase. I’d reviewed test material for nearly an hour, while Trace finished up his own lesson planning and ordered us some curry. He’d checked my food preferences, seemingly worried frat boys might only eat pizza.
