by Vivian Wood
Smiling wanly, I wave my lemonade glass. “Not for the time being. Honestly I am just glad that your brother sleeps inside the house most nights. So… one step at a time.”
She smirks. “Now might be the time to tell you that you have a very dark hickey on your neck.”
“What?” My hand goes to my neck. “Where?”
Olivia just shrugs, amused with herself. I’m about to head to the bathroom and find a mirror when Nate speaks up.
“Can I have everyone’s attention, please? Just for a minute, because I would like to say a thing or two about Grayson and Rachel.”
The whole party turns to hear Nate. I look at Grayson, biting my lip. He crosses the room, reaching for me already as I am reaching for him. I raise my eyebrows at Grayson, asking him silently what Nate could have to say about us. But he just shrugs and drains his cup of lemonade.
Nate clears his throat. “I’ve only known Rachel a few months. But I’ve known Grayson for a few years, so I feel somewhat qualified to speak about them. That’s alright, isn’t it?”
He directs his words at Grayson, who rolls his eyes. Laughter ripples through the small party.
“Seeing you two together makes my chest ache,” Nate says. “I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous. But if there was anyone who deserved someone that is unreservedly and unabashedly in their corner, it is Grayson. When I first met Grayson—”
“Don’t ruin your speech for the wedding!” Aiden calls. Everyone laughs. I feel my cheeks heating.
Nate shakes his head. “Seriously. When I met him, Grayson was a different person. He was haunted. And lonely.”
I slide my arms around Grayson, nuzzling his shoulder. He embraces me.
“I asked him why he was interested in being a park ranger. He said that it was the only job he could do where he wouldn’t be asked to do anything he couldn’t do. I asked what he couldn’t do. And he said he couldn’t stand to be in enclosed spaces, he couldn’t talk to a lot of people, and he refused to be in charge of anyone else. I thought those were pretty compelling reasons. I hired him on the spot.”
Olivia leans close and whispers to me. “Yeah, because he’s awesome.”
“For three years I watched him work out his angst. I don’t know if any of you have seen him driving a post into the ground, but a little anger goes a long way.” One of the female rangers hoots to the amusement of the crowd.
My eyes mist up. Hearing these things makes me think that Grayson has undergone a lot of changes too. Painful changes, but on the whole they’ve made him a better, happier person. I can’t be mad about that.
Nate continues. “Anyway, I waited. I wondered if anything could change Grayson. And then Rachel stepped into camp…”
Everyone applauds and I blush scarlet, ducking my head.
“The rest, as they say, is history. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.” A few people laugh. “I just want to raise a glass to you two. I hope that everything from here on out is easy. You deserve it.”
There is a little more applause. Grayson surprises me by doubling down; he leans over and plants a kiss on my lips, which only makes everyone applaud louder.
He pulls back for a second. “I love you, Rachel.”
Looking into those deep blue eyes, I feel cherished. “I love you too, Grayson. So much it hurts.”
He hugs me, his neck smelling like Old Spice and clean male. I close my eyes and enjoy every second of it, clinging to him. When he finally breaks away and takes my hand, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
“Are you ready to start moving things inside? Once that happens, there are no take-backs. You are stuck with me,” he jokes.
“Promise?”
He smiles, bringing my palm up to his lips. He kisses it lightly. “Always.”
I kiss his lips and then lead him toward the door.
Our happily ever after starts right now.
The End
44
Eve
January
I sit in the third row of my biology class, watching as students filter in. All the chairs are set up in alternating rows, stacked like an amphitheater. At the center of the room is a desk, stacked high with medical textbooks. Behind that is a chalkboard.
Just looking at that blank chalkboard makes me a little sick with worry.
I was the first here, but I chose this seat anyway.
Middle of the room. Middle of the pack. No need to draw attention to myself just yet.
It’s only the first day. Fidgeting with my pen, I make sure that my binder is ready. This is my first day of med school, my very first class.
Yes, I’m starting a semester late. When I first applied to the University of Washington, they accepted me… only for my father to mess up my admission at the last minute by being… well… like he is.
Controlling and gruff, he refused to finish filling out the financial paperwork until the last minute. A quick flight home, some serious groveling, and letting him show me off at his law firm got through that.
When I returned though, I found my spot had been filled. I had to wait for someone to drop out before another spot opened up.
So now I’m sitting in my first class, which should be starting any minute now. My index cards already read Dr. Finanster— Cell and Tissue Biology. All around me, students are sitting down, shuffling papers, preparing.
The guy to my right opens his laptop, queuing up a note taking software.
What is that software? Why don't I know about it?
Should I know about it?
Anxiety blossoms in my chest. I’ve done everything I knew how to do, every single thing I could think of… but what if it’s not enough? What if I am so much dumber than the other kids?
God, Dr. Finanster is going to walk right into this room and just know. He’ll take one look at me and realize that I’ll never make it. Breathing in and out through my nose, I flip my binder open and study the quick chart I made. Dr. Finanster peers out at me from the photo I have glued to one corner of the chart.
He’s old. He’s British. Apparently he likes to talk about Camus and his own collection of parakeets.
I did my research. I just hope it pays off.
I close my eyes and breathe. There is no way that he’ll just be able to spot the future dropouts right away. That’s just something I came up with because I already respect Dr. Finanster so much. I am just intimidating myself for no reason.
It would help if he wasn’t late to the beginning of his own class, though.
“I’m here, I’m here,” calls a male voice. Way too young to be Dr. Finanster, and yet… “Don’t worry. I’m going to be taking this course over from Dr. Finanster.”
Opening my eyes, I look down to the center of the room. There is a young man standing at the chalkboard, facing away as he writes. The hair starts to stand up on my arms for some reason.
Why does the doctor look… familiar?
“I am Dr. Carter Morgan,” he says, scrawling his name on the board.
My jaw drops as he turns around. And there he is: tall, dark, drop dead hot…
Definitely the same man that I hooked up with a few weeks ago.
“Shit,” I mumble.
I am so, so very screwed.
Sinful Teacher, Carter and Eve’s book, is coming at the end of 2020! Join my newsletter for Hot Teacher Rules news!
45
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Thank you for reading Sinful Chance. I know that if you liked this, you’ll love The Wicked Prince… It’s the story of Stellan and Margot. It is set in the glamorous world of the Dirty Royals... and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
I’m handsome, obscenely wealthy, and straight-laced. Duty and honor come before what I want. I already have a list of wealthy, beautifu
l girls that are ready to marry me. When I meet pretty, pink haired, punk-rock Margot, I make myself a deal. I can take her... but only for one earth shattering night.
Proud, rebellious, a perfect body made for sin. Margot is my weakness; it’s too bad that she’s also a journalist. When she shows up again in Copenhagen, she is tasked with doing a story about me and the future of the royal line.
And me? I can look at Margot all I want... but never ever touch her. So instead I throw up my walls, insisting that our night together was a mistake. It sparks a fire, a growing tension between us.
Every time our hands brush, every single lustful glance, every damn time she bites her lip... Eventually, even my strong will can’t overcome temptation. Though it’s wrong, though my life is already all plotted out, I can't resist her.
I need her, in my bed and in my life.
It’s inevitable. The only question is, once I give in and take what I need... will having Margot just one more time be enough?
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46
Grayson
“Just a little further,” I whisper in Rachel’s ear. “Don’t peek.”
I have my arms around her, my hands in front of her eyes. Guiding her gently up the path toward the new house, I grin.
She giggles. “This is awfully familiar.”
“You love it,” I intone, kissing her ear.
She shivers. “No argument there. I love almost everything you do.”
Coming to a stop, I drop my hands. “Okay. You can open your eyes now.”
She does. Gasping, she stares at the newly completed bungalow. It’s two bedrooms and one bathroom, which she knew. But I’ve had the finishing touches put on, including painting the whole house a vivid robin’s egg blue. The trim is bright white.
Rachel’s hands fly up to her lips. “Oh my god!” She turns to me, her eyes misting over. “It’s so beyond perfect. Can we go inside?”
“You’d better.”
I smile as she runs up to the house, letting herself in the front door. Trailing bahenind her, I prop myself up in the doorframe and watch as she looks around. Her eyes are bright and excited as she takes the open floor plan in. The living room and kitchen are kind of all one space, separated only by a (blah).
“Look at these floors!” she exclaims about the smooth, locally sourced pine wood. “I love that you have the same wood for the kitchen cabinets.”
“Let’s go explore the back of the house,” I suggest lightly.
Inside though, I’m sweating a little.
“Yes, I have to check out the bedrooms!” she declares. She’s a little
I check my pockets for the hundredth time, feeling around for the ring. It’s still there, so I smile as I follow her into the larger bedroom. There is a whole picnic laid out there. A blanket is underneath the picnic, the wine glasses are already set out and candles already lit.
Rachel looks at me, shocked. “You did this?”
Chuckling, I pull her close and brush a kiss against her lips. “I did.”
She’s still so emotional, her eyes shining with tears as she sits down on the blanket. “I love it, Grayson.”
“That’s good,” I smirk, sitting beside her.
She rolls her eyes, wiping at them. “Thank you for setting all of this up.”
Reaching over to the picnic basket, I flip open the lid. I lift out a bottle of champagne, popping the cork smoothly. “Bubbly?”
She smiles and grabs her glass, thrusting it out to me. “Thanks.”
I pour her a glass then I pour my own. “I feel like we should toast.”
She raises her champagne flute. “To our new house?”
I raise my flute. “Mmm… more like… to new beginnings.”
“Oh, that’s a good one.” She clinks her glass against mine.
I take sip of the wine, finding it sweet and bubbly against my tongue. I dont really go in for alcohol but this is a special occasion. I figure one glass won’t kill me.
Rachel surprises me with a kiss on the cheek. I smile at her, my heart starting to beat a little faster.
Now is the right time. I’m going to ask Rachel to marry me, if I can get the words out.
Setting my wine down, I take her hand and interweave our fingers. Kissing them briefly, I bring them to rest against my heart. She looks up at me, her eyes brimming with love.
For a minute, I am without words. I swallow against the emotions in the base of my throat.
“Rachel…” I say, reaching my free hand out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Yes, Grayson?” she says, smiling gently.
“I just want to say… I am so glad that we found each other again. Things may have been rough at first…”
She laughs. “A little, yes.”
“Still. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you here too. This… us moving in to our house together… it’s just amazing.” I slide my hand down to my pocket, working the ring out.
As soon as she sees it, she cups both of her hands over her mouth. “Are you serious right now?”
“As serious as ever.”
I push myself onto one knee, grabbing her hand. She bursts into tears.
“Gray!”
“Let me just do this.”
She tearfully nods. “Okay…”
“Rachel Black. Since you’ve come into my life, nothing has ever felt so right as this. Would you please do me the honor of being my wife?”
My heart thumps against my ribs.
Wiping away the first wave of tears, she smiles. She mouths the word yes, though she is crying too hard to actually say it.
I slide the ring on her finger, a dainty emerald surrounded by diamonds. Rachel launches herself at me, burying herself in my arms. She kisses me, cupping my cheek.
She said yes.
That thought ringing in my head, I can’t stop the kiss from turning into fucking. Hell, io wouldn’t even if I could.
I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive at this moment.
47
Rachel
“You know what I want, more than anything right now?” he says, reaching out and caressing my hip.
“What?” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“Get naked and get in our new bathroom. Then sit on the side of the tub for me.”
I turn bright pink, but I know I have to do it. I slowly take off my shirt and shorts, then bra, exposing my breasts to him, my pink nipples pebbling in the steamy air. I see him suck in a breath and then bite his lip. It’s so sexy when he does that, I don’t think that it’s fair.
He follows me into the bathroom. I’m aware of my pounding heart as I shimmy out of my panties, leaving me completely naked. Vulnerable.
“Sit,” he commands, his eyes roving over my naked skin. He kneels, but his order leaves no doubt of who is in charge here.
Grayson moves forward, reaching up to tug my mouth down to his. I bury my fingers in his short, dark hair as he invades my mouth, our tongues dancing together.
I feel his hands on my knees, pushing them open wide. I resist at first, until he stops for a second and murmurs, “Relax, Rachel”. I let him part my knees, baring my pussy.
I expect him to go right for it, but he doesn’t. Instead he moves closer, kissing my jaw, my neck, my shoulder. I run my hands along his strong shoulders, feeling the muscles in his upper back as they move.
He kisses my right breast, cupping my bare flesh and closing his lips over my nipple. I throw my head back and groan as he sucks and licks at it, using his teeth to draw my nipple to a hardened point.
“Gray,” I gasp, beginning to writhe against him. I feel my pussy growing wet, and I am just brazen enough to press my mound against his chest.
He releases my breast from his mouth with a loud pop, kissing his way down to the top of my mound. I hazily hear a voice in the back of my head saying that Grayson is really here, in my bathroom, and he’s about to eat my pus
sy. Is this real?
In the past, before today, I would have thought it wasn’t possible.
Grayson runs the tip of his tongue up and down my slit, teasing me. “Grayson…” I implore. “Please.”
He kisses my thigh instead. “Please what?”
“Just… please,” I say, scooting forward an inch. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”
He considers me idly, kissing my inner thigh a bit more. When he withdraws, I can’t help it.
“Grayson!” I whine.
But he surprises me again by pulling me down to the bathroom floor.
“We need more space,” he says simply.
He starts to strip, first his clingy dark shirt, showing off his pecs and biceps and abs in a stunning display. Then his black jeans, his legs long but powerful, each nearly the size of my body. Soon he’s left wearing only damp, black boxer briefs…
And I might be drooling a bit. Grayson moves toward me, as sinuous and powerful as a jungle cat. I move back on the floor, but he grabs me by the ankle.
“Stay,” he orders.
My eyes go wide; he can give me commands anytime, I swear. He lays down beside me, his eyes burning like twin firebrands. I roll onto my side, using my knee to try to hide my nudity a little, but he won’t have it.
“Uh uh,” he says, pushing my knee back. “There’s no reason to hide from me. You are gorgeous, every inch of you.”
I flush, nodding a little. He trails his hand from my collarbone to my breast, and down to my hip, giving it a squeeze.
“You’re so fucking pretty, Rachel,” he tells me, meeting my eyes. “You drive me crazy, almost every day, just by being yourself. I can hardly stand it.”
I don’t respond right away. I wouldn’t even know how to begin answering that kind of compliment. Finally, I manage, “I feel that way about you, too.”