by Aurora Rey
Olivia kept her hands on Joss, continued pinching and tugging in a way that sent a throbbing ache straight to Joss’s clit. Joss eased herself onto the bed, pulling Olivia with her. She lay flat on her back and said to Olivia, “I want you to straddle me.”
Olivia released Joss’s nipples and complied, placing a knee on either side of Joss’s torso. Joss put her hands onto Olivia’s hips and guided her down. When she felt Olivia’s wetness against her, she groaned again. It seemed as though her plan was working. Now if only she could remain coherent long enough to see it through. “Do you like that? Does it feel good?”
“Yes.” Olivia’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Good. I want you to move against me, but I don’t want you to come. Do you understand?”
Olivia locked eyes with her. “Yes.”
Olivia began to move, slowly at first. The thrust of her hips against Joss’s pelvis made Joss ache to be inside her, to fill her and feel her come. When she thought she couldn’t stand it anymore, Joss grasped Olivia’s thighs. “I need you to stop now.”
“But.” The word came out and then Olivia seemed to remember herself, the role she’d created. She didn’t say anything else.
“I want you to please me,” Joss said. “You can use your fingers, but not your mouth.”
If Olivia was bothered by the instructions, she didn’t show it. Joss didn’t say it was because if Olivia put her mouth on her, she’d be done. Olivia moved to a kneeling position next to Joss. She ran her hand over Joss’s abdomen, down her thigh. Joss shifted to give her access and Olivia wasted no time sliding her fingers to where Joss needed her most. Joss watched Olivia, the focus and determination evident on her face. It was clear that everything else that had happened that day was forgotten, at least for the moment.
As Olivia stroked, Joss gave herself over to it. She was even more turned on than she’d realized and the orgasm hit her, hard and fast. Joss worked to regain her breath, aware that Olivia was still kneeling beside her. “Lie down,” she said, trying to keep her tone gentle, but firm.
Joss rolled onto her side, propping herself up so she could look into Olivia’s eyes. “That was amazing. You are amazing.”
Olivia offered a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Did you like being told what to do?”
“Yes.” Olivia blushed when she said it, turning Joss on all over again.
“Do you want me to please you now?”
A barely perceptible nod. “Yes.”
Joss made a trail of kisses from Olivia’s collarbone to her navel. Olivia writhed beneath her. “Okay. But not yet.”
Olivia’s eyes, which she had closed, opened, revealing a combination of longing and apprehension. Joss moved back up her body and lay next to her. “Like I told you before, I don’t want you to come. Do you understand?”
Another nod.
Joss trailed her hand down Olivia’s body and between her legs. Without even touching her, Joss could tell how wet she was. After only a grazing caress, she moved her hand away. She traced Olivia’s ribs, the soft skin on the underside of her breasts. She moved so that she was braced over her, enjoying the position of dominance.
Olivia moaned and moved against her, burying her hands in Joss’s hair. Joss continued her assault, reveling in Olivia’s incoherent mumbling. She moved over her, letting her sweat-soaked skin glide over Olivia’s body. After a while, words ceased and Olivia’s breath grew short and fast. Joss slid into her, felt her clamp down. Even more than her own orgasm, this was what she wanted. The melding of their bodies made Joss feel powerful, like anything was possible.
She pushed into her again and again. Olivia’s body bucked and writhed. It was a good thing Joss had come or the sheer force of Olivia’s need might have pushed her over the edge.
“Now. Olivia, come for me now.”
Within seconds, she felt Olivia stiffen, heard her scream.
When Olivia went lax, Joss shifted and took her into her arms. Olivia trembled for a long while, to the point Joss worried that something was wrong. She kissed the top of Olivia’s head, stroked her back. “You okay?”
Joss felt Olivia nod against her. “Can we stay just like this?”
“Of course.” Joss reached over and turned off the light. It didn’t take long for Olivia’s breathing to even out. Relieved that she was asleep, Joss kissed her again and allowed herself to drift off.
Chapter Twenty-eight
The magic of the worry-free weekend gave way to Monday and all its typical concerns. Olivia taught her two American lit sections, held office hours. With the second paper due at the end of the week, the line outside her door was long. There were quick questions about formatting and panicked students who’d yet to decide what they were writing about. By the time the last one left, she had a pounding headache and was almost late for the faculty meeting.
Olivia walked into the conference room, scanning for Gina. She didn’t notice Gerald slide up next to her.
“I know we’re not supposed to talk about it, but I wanted to tell you how glad I am that this whole unsavory mess is behind you.” His smile was an unsettling mix of condescension and smarm.
“Excuse me?” Olivia had heard just fine, but the comment had caught her off guard and she needed a moment to get her wits about her.
Gerald leaned in conspiratorially, as though they were the oldest and dearest of friends. “I never believed a word of it. Maybe a few people did, but no one of real consequence. Do you have any idea who started the rumors in the first place?”
Olivia had no way of knowing whether he’d heard about the allegations through the grapevine or knew because he’d instigated them in the first place. She set her jaw. “I really don’t. If you’ll excuse me, I need to talk with Gina before the meeting starts.”
Olivia had expected the meeting to be awkward. Mostly, she expected people to avoid her, offer uncomfortable but reassuring smiles. Leave it to Gerald to go for the jugular not thirty seconds after she walked into the room. Apparently, she should have taken Gina up on her offer to walk in together and remain engrossed in conversation until the meeting was under way. At least Gina was there. She didn’t have to come in for the meeting, but she did. She said it had nothing to do with offering moral support, but Olivia knew better. Gina wasn’t that invested in committee elections.
Olivia made her way over to where Gina had secured a pair of seats and flopped down next to her. “I’m officially a punch line.”
“You are not.”
“Gerald couldn’t wait to assure me he never doubted my innocence.”
“Gerald is an ass and a half.”
“Still.”
“Still nothing.”
Tim called the meeting to order. After approving the minutes of the prior meeting and congratulating Gina on the recent birth, he launched into the agenda. Two members of the department were scheduled to be on sabbatical in the spring and one had taken an emergency medical leave to have a hernia operation. That left holes on one departmental and two college-wide committees. Olivia had planned to volunteer for the departmental curriculum committee. Since there were no major curricular changes on the horizon, it would boost her service record without demanding an inordinate amount of time. Gerald chaired that committee, though, and Olivia could no longer bear the idea of spending any more time with him than was absolutely necessary.
Tim read the description of the Academic Coordinating Committee. It met two Fridays a month starting at three p.m. and was responsible for university-wide curricular and academic policy decisions. Of all the committees on campus, it had the reputation of being one of the most arduous, so much so that junior faculty were often advised to steer clear of it because it could suck so much time away from research. When he asked for volunteers, no hands went up. Olivia decided it was just the sort of commitment that could help her regain her footing. She raised her hand.
“I’ll do it.”
Tim looked at her like she’d grown a second
head. Gina kicked her under the table.
“That’s a very generous offer, Olivia,” Tim said.
“I second the nomination.” Olivia glanced over and realized it was Gerald who’d spoken.
“Are there any other nominations?” Tim look physically pained.
“I nominate Professor Stevens.” Gina’s voice dripped disdain.
Gerald chimed in. “While I appreciate Professor Morello’s vote of confidence, I’m not eligible to serve based on my position as chair of the Curriculum Committee.”
Tim nodded. “This is true. Are there any other nominations?”
Silence.
“All those in favor of Olivia’s appointment say ‘aye.’”
There was a chorus of “ayes.”
“All opposed?”
Silence.
“Olivia Bennett is hereby the English Department representative to ACC.”
The meeting dragged on for another half hour. Olivia half listened to the other committee appointments, discussion of a cleaning schedule for the departmental refrigerator, and the upcoming retirement reception for Leonard Barken. The larger part of her mind was consumed with the formulation of her new plan.
She’d serve on ACC. She’d be the most thorough, collegial member in the history of the committee. She’d also revamp the annual Freshman Essay Prize that she’d been tasked with overseeing the year before. She’d market it, promote it, and make sure her name was attached. She’d do that and kick her research into high gear. If she could get a new draft ready to send out and a couple of conference papers, her portfolio would go from solid to noteworthy. Even if there was gossip, it would drown in the sea of her accomplishments and she’d be granted tenure. At the end of the day, that’s what mattered.
After the meeting, Gina headed home to the boys and Olivia went back to her office. She put on some music and told herself she couldn’t leave until she’d graded ten of the nineteen papers stacked on her desk. An hour later, she’d only managed to plow through four of them. Realizing she’d been hunched over her desk, she leaned back and tried to stretch out the kink that had developed in her neck and shoulder blades. If she could just get to the halfway point tonight, she could finish tomorrow and hand papers back on Thursday. She cracked her knuckles and got back to work.
The next time Olivia looked up, the sky outside her window had gone dark. She glanced at the clock just as her phone pinged. The clock said it was 7:15 and the text message was from Joss. Shit.
Dinner is almost ready. Will I see you soon?
Between Joss having to help Ben with a project and Olivia having a lot of student meetings, they hadn’t seen each other for a couple of days. Since they’d been spending so much time at Olivia’s, Joss had offered to make dinner at her place. Olivia quickly typed a reply and gathered her things.
I’m on my way!
Olivia caught herself speeding on the way and forced herself to slow down. When she pulled into the driveway, the lights were burning and the whole house seemed to emit a welcoming glow. She grabbed her bag and hustled up the porch steps. Just as she reached for the knob, Joss opened the door.
“I’m so sorry I’m late.”
Joss kissed her firmly on the mouth. “It’s all good. I’m glad you’re here. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. I was grading after the faculty meeting and completely lost track of time.”
Joss shook her head and smiled. “That is such a teacher thing to say.”
Not only was dinner made, but the table was set and a fire crackled in the fireplace. Ethel was curled up on her bed, snoring away. “A girl could get used to this.”
Joss served two plates of lasagna. “I know the last couple of weeks have been rough. I wanted you to have one less thing to worry about.”
“That means a lot to me.” Olivia took a bite. “Wow, this is good.”
“Thanks. I’ve got your back. Remember that.”
“I will.”
“How was the faculty meeting?”
“Gerald got a dig in, but it’s fine. Gina came in to offer moral support, which was great. I also had an epiphany.”
“An epiphany?”
“Yes, and now I have a plan.”
Joss had no idea what she was talking about, but was happy that Olivia felt back in control of her life at school. “All right. What’s the plan?”
“I don’t know how many people know about the investigation, nor do I have any way of finding out.”
“Right.”
“So what I need is some good PR. Having something good will balance out the negative if there is any. If not, it will only make people think more highly of me.”
Joss understood the logic. She wasn’t sure about the agenda, or the need, but it wasn’t her call to make. “What’s going to be your good PR?”
Olivia smiled, clearly proud of herself. “I volunteered for the crappiest committee on campus.”
“Okay.” Joss wondered if she was missing something or if that was the entirety of Olivia’s plan. Even now, she did not get academia.
“Someone in the department had to do it, so I raised my hand. It will look good on my C.V. and it will give me more name recognition across campus.”
“So why is it the crappiest committee, then?”
“It’s time consuming and the meetings are notorious for running long.” Olivia glanced away briefly. “And they’re on Friday afternoons.”
“That doesn’t seem terrible.”
Olivia perked up. “It really isn’t. I figure if I do that, ramp up my research a bit, and kill it in the classroom, I’ll be back on track.”
Joss frowned. Something in Olivia’s tone worried her. She sounded almost manic. “Babe, I’m all for doing a great job, but, well, were you ever really off track?”
Olivia considered for a moment. “No. I’d say I hit a bump, slowed down a little. I just need to pick up steam again.”
Joss still had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing, but she wanted to be supportive. She lifted her glass. “Here’s to picking up steam, then.”
Olivia clinked Joss’s raised glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Over the next week, Olivia worked late more nights than not. Joss worked plenty of late nights herself, but she tried to be considerate if someone was waiting—or cooking—for her. And as much as Joss loved to cook, she was getting a little tired of making things she could keep warm until Olivia showed up. But Olivia always seemed to have one more meeting, one more paper to grade, one more email to send. Olivia seemed to be loving it, though, and her week off for Thanksgiving would be here soon enough. So Joss tried to stay positive, offering words of encouragement and back rubs, listening to stories about people who, had she worked with them, would have driven her nuts.
The first Friday Olivia had an ACC meeting, Joss suggested dinner out. She decided it would be a way of celebrating Olivia’s new committee appointment. Even if it made her uneasy, Joss wanted to support Olivia’s take-charge approach to her career. Besides, they hardly ever went out on dates. While that fact had never bothered her, at this point she thought they could stand to shake things up a bit.
Joss suggested they meet at Maxie’s at 7:30, figuring Olivia would have more than enough time to finish her meeting and wrap up whatever else she needed to do before the weekend. She hoped the happy-hour vibe would help to set the tone for a work-free, stress-free couple of days. That would be good for both of them.
Feeling upbeat, she invited Ben to join her for a beer at the Westy at 6:00. Since they were working on different projects again, Joss hadn’t seen him all week. The weather was promising winter more than lingering fall, so they bypassed the patio and headed inside. Joss ordered a couple of pints and then joined him at one of the hi-top tables in the corner.
“To Friday night.” Ben lifted his glass.
“I’ll drink to that.” Joss tapped her glass against his. “How the hell are you?”
“Can’t c
omplain. I have a fourth date tonight, so that’s something.”
Joss raised a brow. “That is something. You think it might be serious?”
Ben shrugged. “You know, I’m kind of hoping it is. Becca is great and I’m feeling a little tired of the dating scene.”
“Wow, that’s even more serious than I thought.”
“I’m not shopping for rings or anything, but I feel like there’s potential. And the potential feels good.”
Her little brother was growing up. It made Joss proud, if a little wistful. “That’s great, Ben. I hope it only gets better.”
“Thanks. I think she might be a keeper.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
“All in good time. Perhaps a nice Sunday dinner like you did with Olivia. That seemed to go over well.”
Joss nodded. “I was nervous, but it was great. I didn’t do it with the idea of taking us to the next level, but it definitely helped things along.”
“Speaking of, how are you?”
Joss smiled. “I’m good.”
“That didn’t sound all that convincing. What’s up? I thought things were settling back down.”
Ben knew about the turmoil at Olivia’s job, as well as the ostensible resolution. “That’s just it. Olivia was completely cleared, but she’s acting like she has something to prove.”
Ben cocked his head to one side. “What would she have to prove?”
“I think she’s convinced there are lingering rumors about her. She’s decided that the best way to deal with that is to go into some kind of professional overdrive.”
Ben nodded. “Like overcompensation.”
Ben was more perceptive than Joss gave him credit for. She regretted not confiding in him sooner. “Yes, exactly. She’s working on two articles and has joined this insanely demanding committee. She’s actually at a meeting right now.”
Ben made a face. “On a Friday night?”
“Afternoon, technically, but they’re known to run long.”