by J. L. Beck
Gabe cleared his throat. “Yeah, this is Professor Young.” His dazed look wasn’t quite masked, but to my relief, Brett started laughing.
“Yeah, that’s right. You have to take the scrubby freshman classes.” I glared at Brett, and his laughter stopped immediately. “We’re actually half-brother/sister. We have different fathers.”
“Ah, that explains the different last names.”
Speaking of my father, well, technically “step,” he waltzed up to us. Couldn’t I catch a freaking break?
“Gabe, I see you met my daughter, Addy.”
“She’s my Anthropology professor,” Gabe said as his gaze connected with mine. My insides warmed from his intense stare, and I shifted my stance to hide my response.
“Yes, I told her it was a stupid subject to study, but she’s stubborn. Biology or chemistry would’ve been more suited—”
“Dad,” Brett warned.
“What? I was right. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have found a job.”
My jaw clamped down as my stoic face slipped into place, and I tried not to glare at the man who raised me since I was three. Not once had he ever respected my field. Heat flamed in my cheeks with the weight of Gabe’s stare, but I was too embarrassed to look at him.
“Dad, did you need something?” Brett asked, salvaging the conversation. He was always saving me.
“Ah, yes. I needed help with the grill. I don’t understand why your mother refused to hire a caterer.”
Gabe stayed behind as Brett followed Dad. A moment passed, and I turned to Gabe, nudging my chin for him to follow. I slipped past the sliding glass doors with Gabe not far behind, and we wormed our way to my old bedroom. Luckily, the house was empty, but by that point, my anger had boiled to the point that I no longer cared if we got caught.
When we pushed through my bedroom door, I turned to Gabe to apologize for Dad’s behavior, but my words were cut off with a searing kiss. His lips were warm and soft, and I barely heard the click of the door shutting behind us. His growl rumbling in his throat had me surrendering to my desire. His fingers weaved through my hair, deepening his kiss.
We broke for air, and I grabbed hold of Gabe’s hand, leading him to my bed. I sunk into the mattress with Gabe by my side. He squeezed my hand and brought it up to his lips. His eyes beamed from the hint of moonlight shining through the window as he stared at me. If I only knew his true intentions.
“What do you want from me, Gabe?”
“What do you mean?” His brows furrowed as his stare deepened.
“I just meant, you should be chasing someone like Raquel. She’s your age, and Brett said you’d hit it off.”
“Your brother needs to know when to keep his mouth shut.”
“He said you’re a player.”
His eyes closed, and he shook his head. The low, guilt-ridden groan didn’t sound promising, and I wished I could retract the statement.
“Why didn’t you tell me about playing rugby?”
“Because of girls like Raquel.” He reopened his eyes, and the hard lines crowning his face softened. “I’ve had my fill of them wanting me for my looks or my status. I had fun, real fun, playing on the soccer field with you.”
I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress a smile. “Your good looks may have helped some.”
“Oh, they did, did they?”
I yelped as he rolled me onto my back. “Some, I said ‘some’.” I laughed, but his mouth cut me off again. God, I loved kissing him.
He shifted and kissed my chin then planted small pecks along my neck down to my chest. His hand slid up my side and stopped at the underside of my breast. With a slight squeeze, his mouth shoved the V-neck to the side and his thumb pushed the bra far enough to expose my tightened bud. I gasped when his teeth grazed the nipple, my body heating areas I’d prefer to remain cold. At least for tonight.
His other hand moved lower until his deft fingers splayed across my abdomen, my body soaking every sensation as if it was starved. He slid his hand to my hip as he continued to savor my breast.
“We can’t do this,” I panted.
“We so can.” He inched my skirt up and grazed a thumb across my underwear. A current of want charged through my body, eliciting a moan.
“I can’t have sex while there’s a party outside.”
“I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give me.”
He slid further on top and rejoined his mouth with mine. His kiss deepened as he positioned his groin right against my highly sensitized area, and he began moving back and forth in a slow motion. This felt good, so right. I couldn’t imagine how it’d feel if we were naked. His hands found mine, and he wove our fingers together, raising them above my head. His hips continued their movements, groin swirling against my clit. Pleasure kept slowly building until I couldn’t take much more. He rubbed faster against me until a ripple of pleasure exploded through my body. He swallowed my moan as I rode out the sensations overcoming my body. I came down from my release and moved my hips toward him for one more feel.
“Oh, shit,” he said through gritted teeth. He thrust his hips against me as he pumped out his own release. With one last thrust, he collapsed on top of me, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “Jesus, I don’t think I’ve come in my pants since junior high.”
He rolled off of me and pulled me in his arms. We laid there, spooning, and I never felt so content.
“I probably need to rejoin the party, not that they’d miss me,” I said after a few minutes.
“I’d miss you.” He squeezed me tighter and planted a small kiss on my shoulder before raising up. “I need to clean up if we’re going to go back out there.”
“The bathroom is down the hall.” By the warmth flooding my face, I was grateful for the darkness.
Gabe stood to leave, but kissed me warmly before walking to the door. When his hand wrapped around the doorknob, he glanced back at me. “Just so you know, I have every intention of collecting my winnings.” Then he grinned wickedly and winked. “Unblock my number because we’re going out tomorrow.”
He exited with me staring slack-jawed at the door. Jesus, what we did was wrong, so wrong. And so was this sudden anticipation racing through my veins. But I’d be a fool to not know this also changed everything.
4
“Are you going to tell me where you’re going?” Amelia asked as she flopped down on my bed and idly flipped through a magazine.
I crossed the room to the closet and yanked it open so hard I was surprised the door didn’t fly off its hinges. “No.”
“For someone who’s getting dressed to go out, you’re in a pissy mood.”
I ignored her and pulled the sweater over my head. Dark-wash skinny jeans sat low on my hips, and I’d opted for flats instead of heels. I must’ve changed my shoes like five times.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled, nerves twisting my stomach. I fixed my hair in the mirror before turning back to my best friend. I wanted to tell her, and I almost did. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. I knew what her reaction would be.
You’d risk everything for a good lay?
She wouldn’t get it. No one would. They wouldn’t know how thoughts of Gabe Harris filled my mind day and night. How the memory of his body against mine was burned into my brain.
It still shocked me how heated things had gotten between us. I wasn’t one to act on my impulses, my desires. I was one to wait and wait. It took me six months to sleep with my last boyfriend. Yet, I’d shaved tonight as if sex was perfectly acceptable on a first date.
With a student.
A student!
My student.
I closed my eyes with a deep sigh.
Sometimes it felt good to break the rules. I was being rebellious for the first time in my life. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, and I was ready.
Amelia was still waiting for an answer, but she’d be waiting a very long time.
“I’m out of here.” I grabbed my jac
ket and keys near the door and walked out to my car.
I drove towards campus where the entire rugby team lived in a crappy house on the outskirts. Gabe didn’t have a car at school so it was up to me to pick him up. My eyes darted between windows to make sure no one saw me in the neighborhood.
Yep, I was paranoid.
I parked one street over from his house as we’d planned and texted him I was there. There was no need it seemed, because as soon as I hit send, he came jogging toward the car with graceful movements and a wide grin.
He climbed in and threw a duffle bag in the back. I stepped on the gas and sped down the road.
“This whole stealth thing is kind of fun.” He laughed.
“I had to lie to my best friend, so speak for yourself.”
“Hey, at least your best friend isn’t likely to beat your ass if he finds out.”
“Brett can beat your ass?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Well, he can try.” He laughed again and relaxed back into the seat.
I didn’t know how he was so cool about everything. My muscles were so tight I feared they would snap. My hands clenched around the steering wheel as I started to second guess myself yet again.
“Turn here,” Gabe instructed.
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere no one is likely to see us.”
My shoulders relaxed with relief. We couldn’t stay anywhere near campus. The ride was silent as we drove for a while. Neither of us knew what to say to each other.
“Right there.” Gabe pointed to a small road that turned off of the main drag, and I knew instantly where we were going.
I’d grown up in town and knew every inch of it, including the more secluded parts. The narrow road wound around before dead ending in a tiny parking lot. I pulled in and shut off the car. The heavy silence became too much so I threw my door open and jumped out.
Walking a few paces away, I put my hands on my head and breathed deeply. When I turned, I realized Gabe had followed me. His broad chest blocked my path back to the car.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Madison.” He put a hand on each of my shoulders and turned me to look at him. “I’m your student. You’re my professor. There’s no changing that and frankly, if you can’t get over it, then we’re done here.”
“You think it’s as simple as getting over it?”
“Yeah, I kinda do.”
I looked up into his eyes as he stared right into me, knowing he was right. That was the moment. I could decide to play by the rules or I could decide to do something that I wanted for a change.
“Fucking hell,” I breathed seconds before raising up on my toes to crash my lips against his.
He groaned, and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard, sending shivers right down to my bones. He spun me around and pressed me against the hood of the car, his fingers digging into my hips.
I threaded my fingers through his hair and tugged. He kissed me harder, his tongue waging a war for dominance with mine.
With a grunt, he ripped his lips away and took a step back. “Promise you won’t go back to telling me we can’t do this tomorrow.”
“I promise.”
An elated grin spread slowly from one side of his face to the other. “Then we have a date to get started on.”
He leaned into the car and pulled out his duffle, swinging it over one shoulder and extending his free hand to me. I took it and let him lead me down the path.
Beyond the trees surrounding the parking lot was a small field with a water tower looming over it. Bright yellow dandelions dotted the grass. I knew they were nothing more than weeds, but I’d always loved them anyway.
As a kid, I’d spent hours upon hours on this field playing soccer with my friends.
“This is where we’re going for our date?” I asked skeptically.
His grin turned sheepish. “It was the only place I could think of where we wouldn’t be seen.”
Of course. Secrecy. I’d secretly hoped he’d brought me here knowing it was a place I belonged. But that was a silly fantasy. Gabe and I barely knew each other.
He set the bag down and started pulling things out. First was a blanket, then two packaged sandwiches and a bag of chips. When he pulled out a bottle of Jameson, a laugh burst out of me.
“I would’ve brought wine,” he explained. “But, honestly, I can’t stomach the stuff, and didn’t know what kind to buy. I stood in the wine aisle of the store staring at all the bottles for so long my head started to hurt. I wanted it to be perfect for you though. I hope the whisky is okay.”
The unexpected sweetness brought a smile to my face. I reached out and touched his cheek as a shy smile played on his lips.
“I know you’re probably used to more than sandwiches and whisky in a park.”
I took the bottle of whisky from his hands and unscrewed the cap before taking a small drink. It burned going down, but I’d always preferred it to wine anyway. My parents bought the most expensive wines. It was used to impress. Gabe didn’t want to impress me, he wanted to know me.
“This is perfect.”
We didn’t talk much as we began to eat, but our eyes connected in between bites.
I’d finished half my sandwich when I decided to speak. “Growing up, this was my favorite place in the world. I’d always come here to escape my parents.”
“I use it to get away from campus,” he said. “It’s like a whole other world. It’s quiet and…”
“Private,” I finished for him.
He nodded. “I don’t get much of that being on the rugby team.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you don’t love being a star at school.”
He chuckled briefly. “There are definitely perks. But there are also expectations.”
“I get that.”
“Can I ask you a question?” He finished his sandwich and set the wrapper down.
“Sure. Can’t promise an answer though.”
“Why are you here?”
I shifted nervously. “Because I can’t seem to help myself around you.”
He grinned. “That’s good to know, but I actually meant in this town. You obviously don’t like teaching.”
“Oh.” My cheeks reddened. “How do you know teaching dumb college jocks isn’t what I’ve always wanted to do with my life?”
He leaned close. “Dumb college jock, huh?”
I couldn’t breathe when he was so close, and he’d seemed to realize that.
Ass.
He gave me a quick kiss before leaning back with a smirk firmly in place. “Come on. Give me a real answer.”
I sighed. “It’s near impossible to find a job in anthropology.”
“Are you trying to go on some dig in Egypt or something?”
I laughed and shook my head. “You don’t actually know what anthropologists do, do you?”
“I might if my professor wasn’t so distracting during class.”
“I want to get into marketing research. There are firms that study various cultures and what works regarding that culture.”
“Then why aren’t you doing that?”
“I didn’t find a job in a suitable time-frame for my step-father so he and the dean set me up with this gig.”
“Hmmm.” His eyes scrutinized me, and I wouldn’t have felt more exposed if I were naked. “Do you always do what’s expected of you?”
I watched him for a long moment and then rose on my knees to move towards him. He stayed frozen as I straddled his lap, feeling him harden beneath me. I leaned over to grab the bottle of Jameson and took a sip. I was feeling the whisky now as it buzzed through me. I set it back down, making sure to shift in Gabe’s lap as I leaned forward.
I stopped with my lips inches from his. “No one would expect me to be here with you.” I leaned in as if I was going to kiss him and then rolled to the side and jumped to my feet. “And you expected different from me right then.”
I scrunched up my face in distaste.
“For some unknown reason,” he said. “You seem to hate the game I love more than just about anything. Have you ever even played?”
“I prefer soccer.”
“No shit.” He chuckled. “And I prefer red-heads, but here we are.”
I ran my hand through my short blonde hair and laughed. “If you’d like, I can leave and go find you your redhead.”
He jumped to his feet and caught me around the waist. “Not a chance. I prefer you, everything about you. Have I told you how fucking hot you are?”
I ducked out of his arms, taking the ball with me. “So, what? Do I just kick this thing? It’s really not any different than soccer.”
He sucked in a breath like I’d just shot him.
I laughed. “Relax. I’m not that big of an idiot. So, where’s the basket I shoot it in?”
A groan sounded in his throat, and I laughed again, throwing the ball in the air before catching it easily. I was a born athlete, but had always hated rugby on principle. Growing up in a town obsessed with it would do that to you. Not to mention my brother who lived and died by the game.
I kicked off my flats and dug my bare toes into the soft grass as I looked back at him. “Damn, that feels good.”
“Uh huh.” His gaze blazed as it travelled the length of my body.
“I meant the grass, perv. I hate shoes.”
He wiped a hand over his face and plucked the ball from my hands. “The first rule I’ll teach you is to always pass the ball backwards.”
“What? I was hoping you’d teach me that huddle thing you guys do.” I smiled innocently. “You know, where you get close.” Stepping up to him, I pressed my chest against his and lowered my voice. “And you jump all over each other.”
He dipped his head and when he spoke, his breath was warm on my face. “I’m trying to be a good guy here with the romance and the talk. I don’t do this for just anyone, and you’re making it very difficult.”
“Good is overrated. Don’t you think?”
In one swift movement, he tossed the ball to the side and brought his hands to my back as his mouth claimed mine. I let my hands wander up his solid arms before gripping him tightly.