Basic Chemistry: LOVE 101 - WILLOW BAY NOVELLA

by Layne, Harlow

  “I definitely won’t waste your time and promise to be there right on time.” Although I might have to kick the asses of the two others who canceled on her. What the fuck? “Surely there are others who would take their spots. I saw a decent-sized line waiting to sign up the other day.”

  “Yes, I asked, and they declined. It’s strange.” She watches the last of the class leave the room and then looks at me. “I’m surprised half the class didn’t drop already.”

  Clasping my hands behind my back, I chuckle at her words. “If they’re like me and plan to graduate this spring, they don’t have that luxury. We need this class.”

  “Then why did they cancel?” She muses to herself.

  “Maybe you intimidate them,” I shrug because I have no idea. It pisses me off they’ve made her feel this way.

  She narrows her eyes at me, but there’s a little upturn of her lips as she says, “You better not cancel on me, or I’m going to think I’ve got bad breath or body odor. And I might just fail you.”

  “Trust me, you don’t have either. In fact, you smell…” I take in her scent, but I can’t place it at first. It eludes me until it pops into my head. “You smell like vanilla and honey.”

  “Really?” She pulls a strand of hair in front of her nose and sniffs.

  “Yeah. Why is that?” Does she use some other fragrance?

  “I’ve just never had anyone say they can smell my shampoo and body wash. You must have a good nose.”

  I’ve never thought of myself as having a good sense of smell. In fact, normally, I can barely smell anything except for my roommates’ sweaty gym clothes.

  I shrug it off.

  “When we meet tomorrow night, please have some research paper topics picked out. I can help you choose one, and we can start going over the finer points of what you want to talk about.” She sets her pen down and then looks up at me. “I do understand this paper is a big part of your grade and required for you to graduate. I hope I can be of help.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll help me.” I fight back the smirk that tries desperately to take over my face.

  She picks up a stack of papers and starts to go through them. “I’m sorry to keep you so long. You should go before you’re late to your next class.”

  I don’t mention I don’t have another class for another three hours. If I can help it, I don’t take any classes before ten in the morning. Unfortunately for me, her class is at eight, three days a week. At least I have an incentive to get up in the morning. If she was some ugly old bastard, I’d probably sleep right through my alarm.

  I give her a little wave as students start to file inside the classroom. I guess her schedule is packed, and that’s why she has an eight am class. Either that or she’s a morning person. “I’ll see you tomorrow at six.”

  “Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Landry.”

  There’s something about the way she calls me mister that has my blood pumping in all the wrong places right now. I haven’t gotten hard in a classroom since middle school, when my English teacher used to wear low-cut blouses and bend over to read off her desk, giving all the boys a show. I swear she knew what she was doing. If we ever stepped out of line, she’d go to her desk to start to write us up, and then we’d get a peek at her perky breasts and stop whatever we were doing to drool. Needless to say, we tried to get in trouble all the time.

  Instead of going to see how Walker’s doing, I decide to head back to the house I share with two other guys and get some more sleep. My house isn’t much. In fact, it’s a fucking dump, but it’s what we can afford, and it’s so much cheaper than living in the dorms. My poor mom was working double shifts to be able to afford to pay for my food and lodging. That’s when I found a cheap house to rent through the school year and found two roommates to share the expenses with.

  It’s about a five-minute walk to get to the house from campus. The day is starting to warm up, and I know when I have to go to my classes later, I’m going to be sweating my balls off.

  The house is quiet when I walk inside. Not that I expected anything different. Neither of my roommates has class until eleven, so they’re likely sound asleep—like I should be.

  Leaving my backpack by the front door, I step out of my shoes and head straight for my room. I hit the switch to turn on the ceiling fan and throw myself face-first on the bed.

  I try to fall asleep, but I can’t get my fucking chemistry teacher out of my head. The way she wears tight skirts that mold to her perfect ass and those sexy red lips of hers.

  I give up the fight and open my nightstand, where I pull out a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues.

  Slipping my shorts down, I pull out my semi-hard cock. I pump a good amount of lotion onto my hand and start to stroke. If nothing else, the skin of my cock is going to be the softest in all of Willow Bay with how many times I jerk thinking about my teacher.

  I’ve found the only way to get her out of my head is to get myself off to thoughts of her. Since I first laid eyes on her I’ve already jerked myself off eight times in the last week.

  Only after I’ve imagined taking Ms. Hart with her bent over her desk and smacking her ass until it’s as good and red as her lipstick do I fall asleep.

  4

  I wonder if Ms. Hart will notice that I showered, put on my best casual clothes, and put on a little aftershave for our date, I mean tutoring session tonight?

  It would feel more like a date if we were meeting somewhere else besides her office, although I do like the thought of it just being the two of us alone together. Since it is dinner time, I stop by the only pizza place in town and grab something for us to eat.

  Arriving a few minutes early, I find the door to her office is closed, and I’m not sure what to do. Do I wait? Or knock on the door? I hear voices, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. Whoever’s in there, I’m only giving them five minutes because, after that, they’ll be interfering with my time with her.

  Sitting down on the lone chair in the hall, I place the pizza box on my lap and pull out my phone to see where Walker’s playing this weekend. There’s no doubt that he’ll be playing somewhere, and I only hope it’s close. My old car gets the worst gas mileage, and a trip down to LA would seriously cut into my savings.

  Merrick: Hey, are you playing this weekend?

  Walker: Are you coming?

  I roll my eyes because it’s like he knows if he gets me to say yes, I’ll drive the three fucking hours to LA or wherever he’s playing to keep my word.

  Merrick: Depends on where. I can’t spend my whole night driving. I’ve already got a shit ton of homework.

  Walker: Do you think you can drive the twenty minutes it will take you to go to the next town over?

  Merrick: Yes, fucker.

  Of course, I can.

  Send me the deets and I’ll be there.

  Walker: Cool. I’ll see you Saturday.

  I look at the time and see there’s one minute left before it turns six o’clock. It’s probably in my best interest not to be a total asshole the first time we’re going to spend time alone, but it’s looking like the asshole in me is going to take over and ruin my plan. I can barely sit still.

  Annoyed, I stand, about ready to barge inside when the door opens, and some guy is standing there hugging my woman. I want to rage and beat my chest with my fists, but I hold back. Barely.

  He barely glances at me, limping as he passes. Limp aside, he’s a tall, athletic fucker who I’ve never seen before.

  Ms. Hart moves to peek out her door. “Mr. Landry, I’m glad you didn’t cancel on me. I thought it was something I did in class to scare all the kids away.”

  I’m not sure what she could be talking about. She’s done nothing that would scare anyone away. In fact, all she’s done is make me obsessed with her. Okay, so maybe that doesn’t make me very objective.

  “I wish I could tell you why, but I have no clue.” I think of my class, and while I’ve had a few classes with most of them, I don�
��t talk to them unless we have to do a project together. “I don’t really know any of them all that well to get the four-one-one on why they’re running scared from you.”

  We both laugh at my statement because who the hell would run from her. No one. Instead, she might be the one running from me once she figures out what I have planned for her.

  Moving out of the doorway, she goes to sit behind her desk. Fuck, how am I going to put any moves on her with the desk in between us? “Why don’t we get started, shall we?”

  Sitting down in the chair across from her, I hold up the pizza box. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be hungry, so I got us a pizza.”

  She picks up her pen and then sits it back down again. “That’s very sweet of you, Mr. Landry.”

  “You can call me Merrick. Mr. Landry sounds so… formal,” I laugh. I don’t want this to feel like a business meeting.

  “Okay, Merrick,” she says my name like she’s tasting it on her tongue and likes it. “You can call me Roxie, but only when we’re not in class. I don’t want the other students to be calling me by my first name.”

  “I can do that.” Internally I’m fist-pumping because I’m already getting to know her, and she’s letting her guard down. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I got a half veggie, half meat lovers.”

  “Oh, you really didn’t have to do that, but I do appreciate it. While I don’t normally skip lunch, a student needed some help today and ate up all my time. Next time, I’ll bring the food. How does that sound?”

  Sounds like a date.

  I don’t say that, though. Instead, I agree and try to figure out how we can meet somewhere else for our next session.

  I hold the pizza box out to her, and she takes a slice. I take one as well and start eating because I’m fucking starving. I missed lunch before my classes because I was too busy thinking of her to do anything else.

  She takes a delicate bite while I’m shoving half the slice in my mouth. “I know it’s early, but have you decided on the topic for your research paper?”

  Fuck, she’s getting straight to the point.

  “Not yet. I’ve picked a few and thought I’d run them by you and see what you think.” The economic side of chemistry really isn’t my thing, so I don’t know what I want to write a ten-page paper on. If I had a choice, it would either be nothing or her, but neither are my choices.

  We talk through a few of the ideas I have for my research, and then she sits back in her seat and brings her pen to her mouth.

  I’ve never wanted to be an inanimate object more in my life than I want to be that damn pen. She’s always messing with it, and at first, I didn’t think anything of it. Just that it’s a normal pen, but as I can’t take my eyes away from where she’s got it between those red lips of hers, I see that it’s not a regular pen. It’s expensive and a glossy red to match those damn lips of hers.

  “Did you bring your laptop with you?” She finally asks.

  Now it’s time for me to decide if I’m going to tell her the truth or if I’m going to lie so I can hopefully get around to the other side of the desk.

  As much as I hate lying, I do anyway. “I left it at home. The battery was almost dead, and I wasn’t sure if you’d have a place in here for me to plug into. I’ll make sure to bring it with me next time.” The lie feels heavy on my tongue, but when she rolls her chair to the right to make space for me, my guilt disappears.

  “Next time, bring it, but for now, come around here so you can see what I’m seeing. After hearing your ideas, I think you can do more. The only problem is, I don’t know how much information is on the internet you can use for your paper. We might have to spend a couple of our sessions in the library.” She bites down on her bottom lip, and it’s all I can do to not remove it with my thumb and ask her to bite me instead.

  She clicks around on the screen and starts going to different websites, but I don’t pay any attention. Being this close to her and her vanilla and honey scent is driving me wild. It’s all I can do to keep my hands and body to myself. I want to pounce on top of her like a lion and make her mine.

  Shaking my head, I try to follow along, but I fail spectacularly. All the blood has traveled from my brain to my dick, where it’s currently throbbing behind my zipper, causing me pain. If there was any way to adjust myself without drawing attention to the bulge in my jeans, I would, but there’s no way in hell she won’t notice.

  Although maybe it would be a good thing. Maybe this is what I need to get her to start thinking of me as someone other than her student.

  Still, it’s too early. The first time we’re alone together, I don’t want her to think I’m some creeper and cancel the rest of our sessions. So instead, I shift in my seat, making it look like I’m trying to get a better look at what she’s showing me.

  But it’s no use. Unless I physically move my dick from behind my zipper, I’m going to be in pain.

  The words she’s saying barely register. Why does she have such a profound effect on me? I’ve never been this hard over a girl, or so… obsessed is the best word to describe it. She’s constantly on my mind, in my dreams, in my fantasies, and being this close to her is only going to make it harder for me to forget about her until class tomorrow morning.

  “I can tell I’ve given you a lot to think about. Why don’t you use the week to decide on what you want to research, and then I’ll help you get started next Thursday. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds good.” I clear my throat of the lust that’s built up inside while I’ve sat beside her and stand. I turn and adjust myself before I look back at her. “Do you want to meet in the library next time? I can reserve a room if you want.”

  Ms. Hart leans back in her chair and looks me over. Like really looks me over like this is the first time she’s seeing me, and I can’t help but stand a little taller.

  Her mouth parts and her dark brown eyes sweep up and down my body. Maybe this won’t be so hard after all.

  She shakes her head and looks to her computer screen for a moment. “Why don’t we meet here again next week, and we’ll go from there. If you decide on a topic before we meet, you can email me, and I’ll see what resources the library has.”

  And just when I thought she’d be easy to get naked. That’s okay, though. The first time I take her, I want it to be here in her office. I want to shove all the papers off her desk as I stare down at her sweet ass bent over her desk.

  I just need to step up my game.

  5

  Standing by the bar as I wait for Crimson Heat to come on, I swear I spot my chemistry teacher in the crowd. I blink a few times as if it’s the lighting playing tricks on me. If it’s anything, it’s my mind playing tricks. I’ve never had a woman under my skin like this, and nothing’s even happened between us.

  Yet.

  When the woman across the room still looks like my new obsession, I shake my head and rub my eyes. It can’t be her. Why would she be at a bar in Loganville?

  If it is her, I need to be closer, and if it’s not, maybe I can pretend she is Roxie and use her to get my teacher out of my system.

  I signal the bartender for two more beers, not wanting to come to her empty-handed. I slide him a ten-dollar bill when he sets them down in front of me.

  I look down at my wrinkled shirt and stained jeans. Why didn’t I do laundry this week so I’d have something to wear? If it is Roxie, she’s going to see what a slob I normally am. I groan but continue walking toward her. Tonight could be my chance. We’re away from school, and there’s alcohol involved—at least on my part.

  With only about a foot of space separating us, I stop and take her in. From here, I can almost smell her vanilla and honey scent. She’s swaying to the beat of the music playing over the speakers until Walker’s band comes on. She’s got the front of her hair pinned up, showing the delicate column of her neck and her pale skin. I’m driven by the need to mark her.

  Almost as if she can feel my eyes on her, Roxie turns and looks startled
to see me for a second, but then the corners of her lips lift. Eliminating the distance between us, I tip one of the beers toward her and clank it against her plastic cup.

  Leaning in close, I speak loud enough for her to hear me. “I thought that was you. Do you want a beer?”

  Her nose scrunches up as she looks down at her full drink. “I’m not really a beer girl, but I’m not sure it can be worse than this.” She tilts her cup in my direction, and it looks like fruit punch. Leaning down to smell it, I nearly swat it out of her hand because it smells like gasoline.

  “I’m pretty sure there’s not much that smells worse than that. Have you drunk any?”

  “Not yet. I’ve been working up my courage to take a sip. I guess you can say you saved me from poisoning myself with this…” she shakes the cup. “Whatever this is.”

  “What did you order?” I trade her the beer I got for her with the offending drink.

  “I’m not sure. They don’t have many options here, so I said to give me the special.”

  “Yeah, this is more of a beer joint. I’m a guy, and even I try not to use the bathroom here.”

  She moves closer as she takes a sip of beer. “I’m taking it you’ve been here before.”

  I nod and get closer still until there’s barely any room separating us. “A few times. My best friend is in the band.” She looks around, taking in the cramped, dark room. “I take it this is your first time here,” she nods and continues to sway to the beat. “So, what made you decide to come out tonight?”

  She turns away, and I don’t miss the blush staining her cheeks even in the dark lighting. Taking a large sip of her beer, which makes her face scrunch up, she finally turns back to me. “This is embarrassing. I was supposed to meet a date, but he backed out at the last minute.”