Getting Schooled

by Parker, Ali

There wasn’t a single thing I could say that would make him feel better. So I took him out of the truck and held him tightly. He wrapped his arms around me and nestled his face in the groove of my shoulder, and I walked him up the path to the front doors, where I knew Ms. Jasmine would be waiting for us on the other side, just like she did every morning.

  “Pax?” I said softly.

  He held me tighter, his little fingers tightening in the fabric of my plaid flannel shirt.

  “Pax. It’s time to say goodbye. I’ll be back to get you just like every day. Okay? You can tell me all about what you learned and what you did, and we’ll have a nice night just you and me. Sound good?”

  He shook his head and muffled a sob into my shoulder.

  I stroked his hair as my heart ached for my son, and then I dropped to a knee to set him down. He clung to me tighter. I took his wrists, patiently and gently pried him off, and then looked up to find Ms. Jasmine standing in the doorway, smiling down at us.

  “Good morning, Paxton. Here. Take my hand. We’ll go to your desk together.”

  Paxton still reached for me, but Ms. Jasmine took his hand. I blew him a kiss, told him I loved him, and watched as my son disappeared inside the school. The sound of his sniffling faded away, and I pushed myself up to my feet, the weight of Paxton’s anxiety weighing heavily on me.

  One day, it will be easier, I told myself as I walked back to my truck. One day, you’ll wish for these moments back.

  The truck engine rumbled as I pulled away from the curb and drove down the street to Annapolis Secondary. My mind wandered, and I thought of Paxton and Gwen and everything going on, and I ached for a break. Just a day to get my bearings and focus on something that made the rest of the world fade away.

  Something like Emelia.

  Oh yeah. That would be a hell of a way to spend the afternoon.

  I stepped on the gas.

  When I parked in my designated space outside the high school, I looked down the street for Emelia. She usually walked to school in the mornings, it only being about fifteen minutes down the road from her house.

  I spotted her coming after a couple minutes. As per usual, she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, a blue one today, and a blazer. Her tennis shoes seemed even whiter than normal, and she walked with purpose toward the school.

  I jogged across the lot, hopped up on the curb, and caught her by the elbow.

  Emelia whirled to me and loose strands of hair got caught up in her lip gloss. “Jace. What are you doing?”

  I pulled her down the sidewalk a few paces and then onto the grass to duck behind the trunk of a tree so we were out of sight of the school. I looked both ways before dropping my voice and meeting her gaze. “Let’s play hooky today.”

  “What? I can’t do that. I just started this job and—”

  “So? We’re entitled to one sick day a month. Let’s take one. You and me. We deserve it, don’t we?”

  “I don’t know if deserve is the right word.”

  I frowned.

  Emelia peered up at me and stroked my jaw before remembering where we were. Her hand fell to her side. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah,” I said, waving away her concern. “Yeah. Everything is fine. I just had a rough time with drop off and Paxton this morning.”

  “It won’t last forever.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “Don’t let it get you down.”

  “I know something that would cheer me up.”

  Emelia put her hand on her hip. “Nice try, buddy. I’m not that easy.”

  “Come on,” I said, stepping in close, forcing her to move back so that she was pushed up against the tree. She tilted her head back to stare up at me, and the leaves overhead rustled in a gentle breeze. Her lips parted ever so slowly, and I lowered my head, teasing her with only a couple of inches between us. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. You. Me. My bed. No kids. No interruptions. Just us and an entire afternoon to spend however we damn well please.”

  Emelia swallowed.

  I lifted my hand to caress her cheek. Her eyes closed and fluttered back open, and a little sigh escaped her lips. “It’s irresponsible.”

  I could see she was straining. So I left a soft kiss on her lips. When I pulled away, she was bright pink. I chuckled deeply. “Are you telling me you don’t want me between those thighs of yours? Because I could spend hours—”

  “Jace.” Her voice was a hiss, and she swatted at me. “This is not the time or the place to say such things.”

  “No. But my bed is the place. And we can make the time.” I took her hand. “Come with me. Let me spoil you.”

  “Jace, I—”

  I pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell me no again. I want to make you come. I want to feel your thighs around me.” Her eyes darted back and forth between mine. My cock twitched in my pants, and my mouth went dry with need. “I want to taste you.”

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “Please what?” I challenged.

  A smile touched her pretty mouth. A mouth I had great plans for. “Please take me to your house.”

  “Get in the truck.”

  Chapter 22

  Emelia

  Jace put the truck in park, and then he shot a devilish look in my direction.

  My pulse fluttered like the wings of a very horny fairy.

  The drive had been as short as it was agonizing. Every fraction of a mile that passed beneath the tires was a fraction of a mile closer to Jace’s house and, therefore, his bed.

  And good Lord, did I yearn to be there, spread out beneath him, naked, ready for the taking.

  A deep chuckle left him when he caught me staring at his crotch. He’d been hard the whole ride over. It didn’t help that I’d had my hand in his lap the whole drive, of course. I’d been massaging and teasing and remembering how good it felt the last time we did this.

  “Get out,” Jace said.

  I did. Then we hurried up the driveway together to his front door, where he fumbled to get the key in the lock.

  I ran my hands up his back, over his shoulders, and then wrapped my arms around him as I went to the tips of my toes. I was just tall enough to rest my chin on his shoulder and lean in close to his ear. I was sure he could feel the heat of my breath on the back of his neck when I whispered, “Struggling?”

  He rolled his neck. “Please. Don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m distracted. All right?”

  “Please?” I mused, trailing a finger across the top of his shoulders, torturing myself just as much as I was torturing him. The key slid into the lock as I reached down, moved my hands around to the front of his hips, and slipped my fingers into the waistband of his jeans.

  Jace pushed the door open. It swung in wide as he grabbed my hands to still my touch and turned toward me, his grip on my wrists tightening. “Manners aren’t going to work with you, are they?”

  I bit my bottom lip and shook my head.

  That devilish gleam returned to his green eyes. “Good. Get your ass in my house.”

  As soon as I stepped over the threshold, Jace closed in behind me. He kicked the door closed with such force the frame shook. I yelped. He smirked, grabbed me by the elbow, twirled me around, and pushed me against the now closed front door.

  I strained against him as a test as he locked the door on my right side. He held me fast. My knees wobbled, and my muscles sang with need as he straightened, towering over me.

  “I thought you wanted me in the bedroom?” I dared to ask.

  “We have time.”

  He smothered my smile with a hungry kiss, and as soon as our lips touched, I gave in to him. He pinned me against the door and pressed one knee between my legs, and I ran my hands up his chest and then his neck to hold his face. His stubble whispered against my palms, and I reveled in the masculinity of him. His scent. The effortless force he used to keep me in place. His control.

  The ever-growing erection in his jeans.
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br />   Jace tugged at the waistband of my jeans in a silent plea for me to take them off. I pushed my hips toward him in a dare. He responded, flicked open the button, and drew down my fly. I giggled softly as he pressed his palm flat to my lower tummy and then slid it down until his fingers slipped beneath my panties.

  A shaky breath passed between my lips when he ran his fingers over my clit. Every fiber of my body was on high alert, tense and eager for his touch, and now that I had it, I was descending into blissful euphoria. That familiar knot formed in my core as heat gathered between my legs.

  Jace pressed deeper down and eased a finger inside me.

  I clung to his shoulders. My breath caught in my throat. I gazed up at him, and he smirked down at me, pleased with the way he was effortlessly making me fall apart.

  “And you wanted to go to work,” he scoffed and nudged my cheek to the side with his own.

  I rested my head against the wall and closed my eyes as he curled his fingers in a come-hither motion and flicked them inside me. The sensation was wild and deep.

  I tried to tell him I was glad I came home with him, but the words were lost on me. I was consumed by the feeling of his leg between my thighs, of his hand down my pants, of his stubbled cheek grazing mine, and the warmth of his breath on my neck.

  Jace chuckled. It vibrated deep in his chest, and I moaned.

  He pressed another finger inside me. “Spread your legs.”

  I did.

  Jace nipped at my lips. I trembled.

  He fucked me hard and fast with his fingers. My legs nearly gave out, my knees buckling, but he kept me where I was, one shoulder pressed against mine, his knee between my legs.

  I whimpered desperately, and my grip in his shirt tightened.

  “Thatta girl,” he cooed.

  It pushed me over the edge. I let out a sharp cry as he pushed deep inside me. My orgasm rocked me, and little white lights burst behind my eyelids. Jace silenced my moans with a kiss. His tongue explored my mouth hungrily, and I rolled my hips against his hand.

  He broke our kiss. “Now we go to the bedroom.”

  Jace led me by the hand down the hall to his bedroom. He shouldered the door open, took me by the hips, turned me around, and then threw me backward so I landed on the bed on my back. I gazed up at him as he popped open the buttons of his shirt. He worked slowly. Tediously. He moved like a man who knew how much time we had before us and who intended on taking advantage of every minute. He didn’t rush. His movements were controlled and at ease, and it turned me on even more.

  I pulled my jeans down over my hips and legs and threw them on the floor. Jace stepped out of his. Then I discarded my shirt and so did he, and he stood before me in his tight boxers, and I lay on the bed in my mismatched bra and underwear. Had I known this was going to go down, I would have worn something cuter, but the gray bra and black cotton panties would have to do for now.

  “You’re so sexy,” Jace muttered, his green eyes raking over me.

  With a cocky little smile, I ran my hands under the straps of my panties, teasing him. “Come and get it, big boy.”

  His grin cracked, showing me his perfect white teeth as he came to the bed on his knees and crawled on top of me. I hooked a hand behind his neck and pulled him down to me for more sweet kisses.

  They didn’t stay sweet for long.

  Soon, we were caught up in each other, my leg hooked around his, tongues practically shoved down each other’s throats as we tried to consume each other’s souls.

  I’d only ever felt this kind of passion two times prior to this.

  Last week, in the cab of his truck and six years ago at John and Marie’s wedding. Back then, this kind of feeling had felt like a trap. Like it could only be this good one time before reality squashed the heat and the chemistry and turned it into something more mundane.

  But each time we were together like this, the flame only burned hotter.

  It defied all logic—all logic and magazine advice columns and “real talks” on social media about what real-life modern-day relationships were like. In other words, managing your expectations so you weren’t holding out for your Prince Charming to come sweep you off your feet, treat you like a queen, worship the ground you walk on, but slap your ass in bed and maybe choke you a little if you were into that kind of thing.

  A girl like me had started to accept that a perfect man didn’t exist. There was no way you could check off all those boxes and have the kind, patient man of your dreams and still have wild, hot, sweaty, kinky sex.

  But I’d been wrong before.

  Jace ran a hand along my collarbone and then let his hand rest on the base of my throat. His thumb traced figure-eight patterns there. He cupped the back of my neck and lifted my head to him for more kisses. I reached down between his legs and stroked him over his boxers, and he moaned softly into my mouth, setting my veins on fire.

  Jace pushed himself up and pulled my panties off. Then he had me take my bra off, and he stripped out of his boxers. The feeling of our bare skin pressed up against each other was a rush in itself, but I wanted more. No, needed more. I needed all of him.

  Now.

  “Condom?” I panted.

  Jace rolled off of me toward the nightstand on the right side of the bed. He fumbled with the drawer, which got stuck, cursed under his breath, and shook it aggressively until it slid open, the contents rattling around inside.

  I rolled onto my stomach and rested my chin on my knuckles while I waited.

  Jace fetched a condom, tore the wrapper open, and rolled the rubber on. When he turned back to me, my ankles were crossed, and I was smiling up at him.

  “What?” he asked, his eyes flicking from mine to my bare ass and my legs swinging back and forth.

  “Nothing,” I said simply.

  He narrowed his eyes, not buying it, but he didn’t press. I was happy. That was all. He moved around behind me. I made to roll over for him, but he kept me in place with a hand on each of my hips.

  I looked over my shoulder at him as he ran his cock between my ass cheeks.

  I giggled.

  “You’ve got a great ass,” he said huskily.

  I wiggled it for him. He slapped me. I yelped and then lifted my hips off the bed, feeling his swollen cock rocking back and forth. I bit my bottom lip and willed him to give me what I wanted.

  Jace slid his cock down and then pushed forward, sliding deep into my pussy.

  I bit my lower lip and moaned. My eyes practically rolled back in my head as he filled me up.

  “Fuck,” Jace growled.

  He rocked his hips. I dropped my forehead to the bed and let out a content sigh, letting the pleasure roll through me, giving in to the pressure.

  Jace dropped down over me, bracing himself with a hand over each of my shoulders. I tilted my head back to find myself looking up at him. It was a strain to do so since I was lying flat on my belly, but it was worth it. He took hold of my shoulder and held on to me as he buried himself deeper. My eyes fluttered closed.

  Then his hand slid from my shoulder to my neck. He forced me to look up at him and then descended upon me for breathless kisses. I could hardly get any air, but I didn’t care. He moaned and so did I, and every thrust brought me closer to the edge of another climax.

  My fingers curled in the sheets.

  I lifted my hips off the bed.

  Jace fucked me harder. His breath shuddered out of him, and he released my throat. Air rushed into my lungs. My head spun. My toes curled.

  “Yes!” I cried.

  Jace rocked against me, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and pushed me down into the bed. It creaked beneath us as he fucked me hard and deep. I came in seconds. My cries were muffled by the bedding, and Jace growled above me as he came undone.

  Chapter 23

  Jace

  Neither me nor Emelia had bothered putting our clothes back on after three rounds of ravenous fucking. She’d stayed in bed while I went to the kitchen to cut up some fresh
pineapples, strawberries, and watermelon. I brought it back into the bedroom on a tray and found her lying on her back with her legs apart. The soles of her feet were pressed together, and her knees were bent, and she had a hand between her legs and was swirling her fingertips over her clit.

  I put the tray down on my dresser and fucked her silly.

  Then, when the morning gave way to afternoon, we sat half wrapped up in the blankets, popping pieces of fruit into our mouths, and talked about things that didn’t matter.

  All the while, I waited impatiently to recover so I could get right back where I wanted to be—inside her.

  Emelia leaned back on the pillows and sighed contently. “You were right. We needed a day like this, just the two of us, to regroup.”

  “Regroup,” I mused. “Yes. That’s what we’re doing.”

  She giggled and pushed at my shoulder. “Don’t be a smart ass. You know what I’m saying.”

  “Sure.”

  She rolled her eyes and then rolled onto her side. She propped her head up in one hand and watched as I raised a strawberry to my mouth. “Yes?” I asked.

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Nothing. I’m just constantly surprised by how well things are going. I didn’t expect to move to Annapolis and feel so at home, so quickly. Does that make sense?”

  “Definitely.”

  She picked at a loose thread at the top of my duvet. “I think it’s because of you.”

  “Really?”

  “You helped me settle in at work. And being with you… it feels like we’ve been together a lot longer. You know? Like we’ve known each other for ages, and we didn’t lose the last six years.” She blushed and shook her head, hiding her face under the blankets. “I know how wishy washy that sounds.”

  “It’s not wishy washy. I feel the same way.”

  She dropped the blanket and blinked at me. “Really?”

  “Really. It’s like everything that happened between the wedding and now was supposed to happen exactly as it did so we were both ready for each other when our lives synced up again.”