Getting Schooled (Craving #9) Read online

  “Do you think we could go to your office and have a private conversation?” he asked.

  “We can have one here.” She looked around to confirm no one was in ear shot.

  “Are you planning on contradicting everything I say?” His eyes crinkled with humor.

  “Of course not. I didn’t…” She broke off. “This way.”

  Once inside her office, he locked the door. Again. He pulled the curtain over the little window that looked out at one of the top floors of a dorm building. Rebecca’s nerves rose like waves in a storm. Whatever this man offered, she wanted.

  He didn’t kiss her. Instead, to Rebecca’s surprise, her sexy carpenter turned her to face away from him. She felt his hands on her back, gently kneading tired muscles but at the same time forcing her to lean over her pristine desk. While the edges were rounded, the cold metal connected with her stomach as his calloused hand first unbuttoned and then went under the front of her shirt, finding and fondling her breast. The risk thrilled her.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  He nibbled her ear lobe. “You need to be quiet now. I know you love to command the classroom, and you were amazing today, but for once you need to let someone else take charge.”

  She tried to turn and face him, but he wouldn’t let her. “Jayson,” she begged.

  His hand found her nipple and gently pinched it, making it bud under her bra. His voice was gravelly, sounding sharp and sexy at the same time. “Stop. Here’s the deal. We’re not going to have sex, but I’m going to make you come. After that, you decide. If you want more, you know where to find me.”

  He removed his hand from her breast and guided her into place. He placed her arms on each side of her, gently forcing her to rest on her elbows, arching her back over the desk. She couldn’t see what he planned to do.

  “Brace yourself, but I don’t want to hear another word.” He pulled her skirt up, exposing her purple thong. “You’re too beautiful. Someone should write a poem about your body.” He fondled her backside and then placed a gentle kiss on each cheek.

  Rebecca was wet, hot, and ready. One part of her couldn’t believe she was allowing Jason to control what was happening in her office, but the other part of her didn’t want it to stop.

  She felt his hand move to her inside thigh, and the part of her that couldn’t let go of control won out. She attempted to twist around.

  Jayson guided Rebecca back to her original position. She wasn’t prepared for the sound of the smack and the sting as Jason’s hand connected against her ass.

  “What the…” She couldn’t finish her less than ladylike sentence as Jayson’s hand covered her mouth.

  “Shhh, baby. What did I say?” His whispered words kissed her ear. “You need to learn to listen. Be quiet and enjoy giving up control for a few minutes. If you don’t listen, the spanking will get harder.” As if to prove his point, he spanked her again. She felt the pain for a moment, followed by a release she didn’t know possible.

  “Will you be quiet?” he asked.

  She nodded, and he removed his hand from her mouth.

  “Your ass is perfect. So round and lush.”

  She felt both of his hands on it, kneading it to take the sting out of the spanking he just gave her. He spread her legs apart and sank down between them.

  Her small-group session with Jayson had ended at 7:30, and most staff had left for the day or were teaching their own classes, but students and faculty always lingered, and many times former students dropped in to say hello. Doubts overwhelmed her desire.

  “Stop.” She tried to turn around. “Jayson, what are you doing now?”

  He stood back up. “You’re a slow learner, aren’t you?” He gently pushed her back down against the desk. The smack of his hand against her backside reverberated through the small, closed area. A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye, and yet the trivial dose of pain led her to release the recent weights dragging her down: her divorce, turning forty, the onslaught of rushed publications. Going beyond the release from the spanking, desire built between her thighs. A hot ember turned to a lit fire.

  “You’ll be a good girl now?” Jayson asked.

  She nodded her head.

  Again, he spread her legs, this time wider than the last, as if testing her. She felt the strain of skirt fabric as he pushed it out of the way. And then his lips trailed up her inner thigh, a finger sliding inside her and then two. The feeling of his fingers moving inside her almost pushed her over the edge.

  She couldn’t have stopped the moan that escaped to save her life.

  “Hold on, Professor.” His lips teased her, slowly moving higher until they replaced his finger at her most sweet and sensitive core. She fought for control.

  She groaned, slowly losing to desire as his lips sucked her gently. Her world slipped sideways, and she was thankful for the support of the desk under her.

  Rebecca wasn’t sure how much more she could take when his tongue replaced his lips. Passion, like fire, consumed her. She was on the verge of release but wrestled for control. One little part of her didn’t want to give in to the pleasure he gave her, but Jayson was relentless and, unable to hold back, she blissfully went over the edge.

  Chapter 4

  She woke up totally relaxed but alone in her bed on a sunny Saturday. The curtains had been drawn back, and a hazy morning exposed her room to spring warmth. She relished the tranquility for a few minutes before kernels of doubt occupied her thoughts. Three weeks had flown by with Jayson in her life. Last night, after multiple orgasms, she sent him home. They still had not had sex, they were amazing together in the dark, but when she thought about what she participated in—an affair with a younger man who was her student—her skin iced. She’d soon be forced to reclaim control and call it off. But she didn’t want to, at least not yet.

  As Rebecca stretched under the sheets, she contemplated how much she liked Jayson. The almost sex was hotter than anything she’d previously experienced, and she couldn’t wait to teach class Tuesday for the chance to interact again. Each time they met, Rebecca wanted him, all of him. There was a depth to Jayson. He recited Shakespeare’s sonnets and E.E. Cummings. They debated current educational policy and the failure to engage students in the high school classroom. She found herself turned on by so much more than his chiseled body and pure blue eyes.

  As memories of their night together came into focus, Rebecca’s body buzzed all over. Without him available, she’d have to take care of her own needs. That was easy. All she had to do was think about how his eyes darkened with passion, the way he kissed her, and licked her most intimate places, and she was done for.

  It was no surprise Rebecca found herself back in her office after Tuesday’s class with Jayson unbuttoning her emerald green shirt. He had locked the door but left the window shade up. He moved her in front of it before pushing up the underwire of her bra and freeing her breasts.

  He gently kissed one while he moved his hand up to knead the other. “You are so soft and warm.”

  “What are you doing?” Her head arched back, her perky breasts demanding more of his touch.

  “We’re going to give the freshman in the dorm a show. Up for it?” He turned her around so she was naked from the midriff up and facing the window. If anyone looked out the window of the dorm, the professor would be on display.

  She didn’t care who watched as his hand slipped between her legs. Her body was happy to perform for him and others, if that was what he wanted.

  The knock on the door startled them both.

  “Beckster, are you in there?”

  Surprise entered her eyes as fast as the red blush spread across her neck. “That’s my ex-husband, Ron,” she whispered as she pulled away.

  Jayson was already righting her bra. He pulled her arms into the shirt and began buttoning it. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “One moment.” She smoothed back the hair he’d let out from her clip and fastened the top button o
f her blouse before pulling on her suit jacket. Jayson sat in the chair by her desk when she moved to unlock and open the door. She cracked it open halfway.

  “What are you doing here, Ron?” She tried to limit his view of the room with her body.

  “I’ve been cleaning the basement and found a few things I thought you might want.” Ron had bought her out of their residence, keeping the small colonial house they once called home together. Rebecca used the money she received from the divorce settlement to buy a condo. The house had always been more his than hers.

  Jayson stood and introduced himself with a wave. “You’re Dr. Locklear’s ex-husband?”

  Rebecca turned to the carpenter, horrified.

  “Now is not the time,” Rebecca said tartly.

  She saw Ron take in her flushed complexion and chapped lips as he looked quizzically into the office. “Let me put these on the desk for you.” He used the box to push her aside.

  She pursed her lips and thought, Let boys be boys.

  “I’m in the professor’s class. She’s amazing.” Jayson’s eyes gleamed with the light of a predator.

  “I know,” Ron said.

  His gaze moved over Rebecca like he was seeing her for the first time.

  Jayson sat back down in the chair. “How’d you two meet?”

  Ron happily supplied the information. “We met at the university when Rebecca was a graduate student in literature and I was an assistant professor in anthropology.”

  “It feels like an eternity ago.” She appraised her ex now, hoping to view him the way Jayson did. His tawny blond hair, fading to gray at the temples, was mussed by the walk across campus. He looked professional in his charcoal pullover sweater with patches on the elbows and bright blue tie. His face reminded her of a statue, chiseled lines made by an artist’s brush. She understood why many of his graduate assistants found him attractive. Worse, she no longer had any reason to feel morally superior.

  They hadn’t parted enemies. While Rebecca had been hurt by the cheating, she had slowly grown distant. They mutually recognized the time had arrived to move on with their individual lives. She hadn’t even been surprised by the affairs. Their life in the bedroom had grown stale and routine. Sex was slated for birthdays, special occasions, and the infrequent night of too much alcohol. Going through mediation, they spared the expense of lawyers and stayed cordial enough to text occasionally, but Rebecca wanted time and space away from him most of all.

  Ron stepped closer to Jayson in the cramped office and appraised him as he dropped the cardboard box on her desk. “I didn’t get to meet you officially before.” He stuck out a hand.

  The two locked palms in a show of male dominance that Rebecca found funny. It could be a scene out of a novel that could lead to a class discussion of male archetypes.

  She wasn’t a trophy to be fought over, but one part of her appreciated the display. “Thank you, Ron, for bringing by my stuff.” She tried to relieve some of the escalating tension. “If you find anything else, I’d be happy to pick it up.”

  He dropped Jayson’s hand. “Not a problem. I’m right across campus.” His eyes never left the other man’s face. “Can I have a few moments of your time, Beckster? There’s something I want to discuss.”

  She couldn’t say no. “Of course. Jayson, I’ll see you in class.”

  He stood slowly, rising to his full height, which was a few inches taller than Ron. He smiled at her before closing the door as he exited.

  The moment he did, Ron turned to her. “You can’t be serious.” He ran a hand through his hair.

  “Excuse me?” She didn’t want a lecture, especially from her cheating ex-husband.

  “It’s so obvious what the two of you are doing. And in your office.” He made a circle, as if noticing the space for the first time. “What are you thinking?”

  “You have no right to be judgmental.” Resentment welled up inside her. He had been the one who cheated. And more than once.

  “You’re right, but I learned from those experiences. Remember I was disciplined the last time and almost lost my position here. Then you and the divorce. It taught me not to find my relationships at work.”

  “We’re not the same.” She stepped away from him.

  “After what I witnessed, that sounds hypocritical.” He sat down.

  “You have no right to comment on what I do or don’t do in my life. Don’t get comfortable. You’re not staying.” She paced the confines in an attempt to get her thoughts in line.

  “I hope to.” His hazel eyes met hers.

  “What do you mean?” Confusion and fear laced her words.

  “I miss you, and I want you back in my life. We rushed into the divorce. I think we should try therapy and see if we can fix things.” He reached for her hand.

  She pulled back, accidentally bumping into a file cabinet. “No, we made the right decision. We talked all this out in mediation. What changed?”

  “I don’t want to give up on us.” He stood, moving close, not letting her escape his reach. He took one of her hands in his.

  “Is it because you can’t use class anymore as your personal dating service? Just because you don’t have a willing supply of young women doesn’t automatically mean we should get back together.”

  “It’s more than that.” He gently squeezed her hand.

  His touch reminded her of all she’d left behind. As peeved as she’d been that Ron cheated, there had also been many good memories she cherished. She understood their relationship, and it offered familiarity and comfort. They had shared nearly fifteen years together as a married couple, and most of them had been good. “Is it?”

  “If you don’t want to try, that’s fine. I can’t make you, but if you don’t break it off with your student, I’m going to the dean.”

  She pulled her hand away and opened the door. “Out! I don’t do blackmail.”

  Chapter 5

  She hadn’t been able to stop seeing Jayson, but with only a couple weeks of the school semester left, she made sure to take the relationship off campus.

  Rebecca started her Saturday planning to pamper herself alongside her best friend Amanda, who worked as an Administrative Assistant at the college. After dinner, she would meet Jayson at a club to hear his friends who played in a local band. While excited about the evening, she also feared she’d look out of place. Or worse, she’d run into students she had taught at the college.

  Heading outside, she stumbled at the doorstep. Red roses neatly organized in a vase sat on the cold stone steps as she exited the condo. Rebecca smiled until she read the card.

  Give me another chance.–Ron

  He couldn’t really believe they were meant to get back together, could he? She left the roses where they were on the stoop, but Ron’s threat to go to administration weighed on her like a stack of literary anthologies.

  She drove to meet Amanda at the salon, located in a strip mall in the downtown area. She lucked into a parking spot and was happy to see the petite blonde already inside.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Rebecca said as she entered.

  “Just got here. Manicures and pedicures await us.” They picked colors, and the receptionist ushered them to the back where they sat side by side in plush chairs and enjoyed the pampering.

  Amanda turned to her and demanded, “Fill me in on the latest.”

  The professor shook her head in confusion. “Ron wants to get back together. He had roses delivered this morning.”

  “Wait. What?” Amanda’s freckled nose scrunched. Her hazel eyes held bewilderment. “I thought you were with the boy toy?”

  Rebecca laughed. “I am, but I can’t control Ron.”

  “Do you want to get back together with him?”

  “Absolutely not. If nothing else, Jayson has shown me there was so much missing from my previous relationship, especially in the bedroom, but it doesn’t look like Ron is going away anytime soon. I guess he doesn’t believe I’ve found something new.”


  “Maybe he dislikes the fact you found someone else quickly. Maybe he finally realized how great he had it all these years. Now that he’s on his own, he probably hates it.”

  She shrugged. “That’s not my problem anymore.”

  Amanda affirmed the sentiment with a nod. “Now fill me in on the boy toy.”

  Rebecca did just that.

  After manicures and pedicures were complete, Rebecca went in back to get waxed and buffed while Amanda left to get highlights.

  That evening, dressed in skin-tight black jeans that hugged her curves and a low-cut, light pink t-shirt with a lace fringe, Rebecca was ready for the night. She added a light, cropped zip jacket to finish the outfit before getting into her car and driving to Club Haven, located across town. She texted Jayson to let him know she’d arrived. He replied to meet him inside at the bar.

  The interior, sleekly designed with high ceilings, exposed pipes, and lots of shining metal, was loud. Rowdy patrons lined up two and three deep at the bar, drinking and waiting for the band to begin. Jayson waved her over and handed her a beer, which she gratefully took a long sip of.

  “You look amazing.” His eyes turned hungry as he examined her outfit.

  “Thank you. You look pretty spiffy yourself.” Vibrant royal blue eyes stood out against the background of his dark brown hair and olive green shirt. She’d never seen a sexier man. She wanted him now more than ever.

  He glimpsed at his watch. “The band will play in a half hour. Up for a shot?”

  She didn’t have work tomorrow. There was no reason to refuse. She nodded, and soon tequila shots lined the bar top in front of her. “Now I really feel old. I haven’t done shots in years.”