I’d initially planned to find my own apartment and move in alone, but by then, I was so used to living with Alex that I didn’t want to leave. He’d officially asked me to move in with him on our six-month anniversary, and I’d been over the moon about it. I loved him more than ever before, especially because he was so good at taking care of me. It was truly like being with the best man in the world.
Just after Rebecca and I had rekindled our friendship – we’d started slowly, having drinks together a few times a week, things like that – she met someone. A chubby brunette named Alice, who fell hard and fast for my best friend. They were the cutest couple, and it was great to finally see Rebecca so happy. Best of all, it made me feel as though she’d truly moved on from her weird obsession with me.
I was getting to my feet just as the front door opened and Alice walked in. When she saw me, she smiled.
“Hey, Molly,” Alice said. “I didn’t know you were coming over today. How are things going?”
I smiled happily. “Good,” I said. “I can’t stay for too long, Alex said he’s actually going to cook dinner for me tonight.”
Rebecca burst out laughing. “You might want to have a backup plan,” she said. “I’m pretty sure that to Alex, ‘cooking’ means mac and cheese from a box and soup from a can.”
I shrugged. “I love mac and cheese,” I said honestly. “And besides, I love Alex. I think it’s sweet.”
Rebecca shook her head. “You’re hopeless,” she said. “But I’m glad you found happiness and somehow managed to change my asshole of a brother into a good man.”
I nodded. “It wasn’t on purpose,” I said.
“No, he’s totally transformed,” Rebecca said. She turned to Alice. “Alice, you wouldn’t believe this, but my brother used to be the biggest player in Rolling Hills.”
Alice snickered. “It’s not hard to imagine,” she said. She sat down next to Rebecca and started rubbing her back.
I nodded. “He was like that before, but not now.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “Speaking of family, are you coming to dinner this weekend? Mom is making a really big deal about it for some reason.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Alex told me he had a surprise for me, and that we’d go to your parents to celebrate.”
Rebecca blushed. “Cool,” she said. “I’m glad Mom finally came around.”
“Me, too.” When I’d first gotten together with Alex, his mother hadn’t exactly been…welcoming. But after a few months, when she realized I truly loved her son, she relaxed We weren’t super close, but I was enjoying building a relationship with her.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. There was a text from Alex that read: “coming home soon? I have a surprise for u.”
I blushed. “I’ve got to get going,” I said. “I think Alex is starting dinner.”
Rebecca laughed. “If you get food poisoning and want us to bring you some soup later, let me know.” She stood up and hugged me. I waved to Alice, then grabbed my bag and headed outside. Alex’s shiny Mustang was parked on the curb and I grinned when I saw him.
“Hey,” Alex said. “I thought I’d offer you a ride home.”
I smiled happily. “Thank you,” I said. Climbing into the car, I leaned over and kissed him. As always, kissing Alex made my heart thump faster and my nipples stiffen with excitement.
Alex pulled away. “I have a surprise for you at home,” he said.
“You mentioned,” I said, flushing. “What is it?”
Alex laughed. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise!”
I grew anxious and excited as Alex drove across town. As soon as we stepped inside our condo, I gasped. The living room was filled with peonies – my favorite flower – and takeout from Spice Nation, my favorite Indian place, was set up at the table.
“This is better than your cooking,” I said, grinning. My stomach rumbled and I leaned over to kiss Alex.
“I’m glad you approve,” Alex said, raising an eyebrow. “Because there’s one other thing I want from you.”
“Oh yeah?” I blushed and bit my lip. “What?”
Alex dropped to one knee. When he pulled a small Cartier box from his pocket, I gasped.
“Molly Peters, will you make me the happiest man on earth by doing me the honor of becoming my wife?” Alex’s blue eyes shone with sincerity.
“Oh my god!” I squeaked. “Yes! Yes!”
Alex got to his feet and slid the beautiful diamond ring onto my finger. He pulled me into a close hug and kissed my neck. Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes and I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
“I love you,” Alex said, pulling away, just so he could look at me. “I always will, Molly.”
Happiness filled my chest and I couldn’t keep from crying. I was torn between staring into the face of my fiancé or staring at my ring.
“I love you, too,” I said softly. “You’ve made me the happiest woman on earth.”
Alex grinned. “Good,” he said. “I hope I can do that every day, Molly.” He reached up to wipe a tear from my cheek. “I love you more than anything, and I will always care for and protect you.” He smirked. “And give you lots of orgasms. I promise to do that, too.”
I blushed. “You’d better,” I said quietly. “Because I’m looking forward to a long, happy, orgasmic life with you.”
As I closed my eyes and nestled my head into Alex’s neck, I knew that everything had finally turned out just like a fairy tale. I’d never expected to find this kind of happiness, but becoming Mrs. Alex Travers was a dream come true. I had no idea what the future would hold – but I knew that as long as Alex and I were together, everything would be absolutely perfect.
Train Me Daddy
Blurb
June
I’ve never been in love, but when I see him, I think this could be real.
The only thing is,…
He’s not just a single dad, he’s the father of one of my students.
He’s rich, gorgeous, and charming.
What would he want with a naïve little girl like me?
All I know is that I’ve never been this turned on in my life. My body is begging for more. But somehow I know that playing with fire is only going to get me burned.
Thomas
After my divorce, I swore off women.
That is, until I saw her. Petite, pale, with masses of black hair and intense eyes.
I know I have to have her. Her sweet body is begging for me to dominate her, to make her mine.
The problem?
I think I might be falling in more than just lust.
Chapter One
June
“Come to order, please!” I stood up and clapped my hands together, staring at my kids and waiting for them to calm down. My words had no effect – the room full of fifth graders was just as loud and noisy as it had been thirty seconds ago.
“Calm down!” I yelled, clapping my hands again and smacking my palms on the desk. This time, thankfully, the room fell silent.
“Thank you all,” I said, smiling tightly. “I know the day is almost over, and tomorrow’s--”
“Tomorrow's Friday!”
“Yes,” I said. I could feel my smile fading. “Tomorrow is Friday, and that means we've got a lot of work before the weekend.”
My class let out a collective groan. “Miss Rogers, it's so warm outside!”
“Yeah, it's like summer!”
“Except not as good 'cause the pool's not open!”
“Please!” I yelled, holding my hand in the air. “Please, guys, calm down. We've only got one more assignment for the day, okay? And then if you all are good, you can have a treat from the Treat Apple.” I pointed to the small, plastic apple on my desk filled with individually-wrapped candies.
The class let out a collective enthusiastic murmur and I sat down behind my desk. Grabbing a handful of photocopied papers, I handed them over my desk to my teacher's assistant, Ruth.
>
“Thanks June,” Ruth said. She rolled her eyes. “They're really a handful today, aren't they?”
I nodded. “Just tell them to read the paragraph and write a short summary at the bottom – no more than fifty words, okay?”
Ruth nodded. I sighed as she began walking around the room and passing out the papers. I had no idea what was in the water of P.S. 151, but whatever it was, I hoped it wouldn't be around for much longer. This was only my second year teaching, and I was already starting to feel like I needed a vacation.
The year had started off well. Kids were always so well-behaved during the first month or so of school. But now that we were well into October, they were starting to bounce off the walls. It didn't help that the weather outside in New York City was still as warm as summer, albeit with less humidity. Seeing the kids get all excited to go home and play was making me a little nostalgic for my own youth.
Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of pencils scratching on papers. Ruth sat down heavily at her desk and rolled her eyes. She was an older woman – probably in her mid-fifties – who had come back to work after going through a surprise divorce. When she'd first been assigned to me, I'd been nervous. After all, I was only twenty-two...I couldn't stop thinking about how difficult life would be if Ruth tried to boss me around. But thankfully, Ruth had always been a perfect coworker. She was good at calming the kids down, and honestly, I think they respected her a little more than they respected me. It's probably her age, I thought as I watched her. These kids are probably used to teachers as old as their grandparents.
Back in college, I'd had no idea that I wanted to teach fifth-graders. I'd initially thought about younger kids. But I'd been assigned to a sixth-grade classroom for student teaching, and something about the older kids really intrigued me. They weren't babies anymore, but almost on the brink of becoming real little people. I loved the idea of influencing kids, for the better, and helping them to become better people.
The sudden sound of a girl crying out made me snap my head up and stare. Brett March, a particularly difficult student, was standing beside Lily Bulger and tugging at one of her pigtails. Lily's face was red and streaked with tears, and Brett was staring down at the little girl with a cruel, mocking smile.
“Miss Rogers!” Lily cried. “Brett won't leave me alone!”
“She started it!” Brett retorted. “She wouldn't let me do my work!”
I leapt from my chair and strode over. “Brett, you leave Lily alone right now!”
Brett glared at me defiantly. I wondered what his deal was – at the beginning of the year, he'd been so sweet and well-behaved. But over the last few weeks, I'd noticed a definite change in his personality for the worse – almost like he'd become a different person. I knew children at this age were right on the cusp of puberty, but Brett exhibited such anger that it almost frightened me.
Lily was looking up at me, her green eyes filled with tears. Truth be told, I found her fairly annoying. She was a little princess who cried if she didn't get her way, but she was too much of a goody-two shoes to have initiated anything. I sometimes had a feeling the other children were just as annoyed with her as I was, but still – that didn't warrant an attack from Brett.
“Miss Rogers, I wasn't doing anything, I swear!” Brett howled. “I told you, she started it! She wouldn't stop sticking her tongue out at me!”
I sighed. “Brett, I'm going to have to call your parents about this,” I said slowly. “This is the third time this week you've deliberately harmed another student!”
Brett gave me a sulky expression. “Fine,” he said. “Do it. Call them. See if I care.” He turned on his heel and slouched back to his desk.
“Brett,” I said in a warning tone. “Aren't you forgetting something?”
Brett turned to me with a sullen look on his face. “What?”
I jerked my head towards Lily. She was still sitting at her desk, pouting, her cheeks red with anger.
“Apologize, please,” I said.
Brett groaned. “Sorry, Lily,” he muttered.
I knew I should make him do it again, but I was tired. It had been a long day – honestly, I was just as excited for Friday as the kids, but only because I needed a break.
“Thank you, Brett,” I said. “You may take your seat now.”
Ruth collected the papers and shortly after, the bell rang. The kids screamed and ran from their seats. I didn't even have the energy to make them line up at the door like usual, while they waited for their buses and parents to bring them home. I was so drained – part of me even wanted to call in sick tomorrow, or ask Ruth to cover most of the day. But I knew I couldn't be getting so lazy. After all, it was only my second year teaching.
When the kids and Ruth had gone, I settled behind my desk with a feeling of dread in my stomach. I knew Brett's home situation was slightly unusual – he lived alone with his father – and I wondered if in part, that was the reason why he was acting out. Maybe there was something odd going on at home – maybe there was something beyond my control.
I looked up Brett's father's number, then dialed and held the phone to my ear.
“Hello, this is Hannah. How may I help you?”
I frowned. On Brett's contact page, his mother was listed as Marlene.
“I'm calling for Thomas March,” I said. “I'm June Rogers – Brett's teacher.”
“Oh,” Hannah cooed. “Want me to take a message?”
I frowned. She sounded annoyingly chipper. “No,” I said curtly. “I really need to speak to Mr. March, if possible.” I cringed – if possible? Really? I knew I needed to start being a lot more assertive if I was going to make it as a teacher.
Hannah sighed. “Fine,” she snapped. “Hold please.” Before I could agree, I heard a click followed by elevator music. After just a few moments, there was another click and a deep masculine voice filled my ear.
“Hello, this is Thomas.”
“Hi, Mr. March,” I said. “I'm calling about your son – Brett.”
“Oh. What's the problem?”
I sighed. “Mr. March, I'd really rather discuss this in person. Would you be able to come by the school tomorrow evening, say around three-thirty?”
“Of course.” I shivered. Thomas's voice was thrilling and deep. After listening to the sound of ten-year-old kids all day, it filled me with a kind of pleasure that made me blush.
“Thank you,” I said. “I really mean it.”
“Not a problem. Brett is my first priority.”
We hung up and I shivered again, suddenly nervous about tomorrow. I hadn't had very many parent-teacher conferences, and they'd all gone pretty well...but I'd never had to call a parent about a child's behavior before and I wondered how Mr. March was going to take the news.
When I got home, my roommate Angela was sitting on the couch and watching a movie. She grinned when she saw me. Angela worked at an investment bank, from six-thirty in the morning until three in the afternoon. She was the only person I knew who had a similar schedule to me. That wasn't why we lived together, though – we'd been best friends ever since college, when we'd been assigned as roommates, freshman year. I wouldn't have survived Hunter College without her, and I was still grateful that we were close friends.
“What a day,” I groaned. “I felt like I was behind that desk forever!”
Angela smiled sympathetically before yawning. “I know,” she said. “I opened a bottle of wine. It's in the fridge, you want?”
I hauled myself off the couch and walked into the kitchen, kicking off my heels on the tiled floor. Sure enough, there was a jumbo-size bottle of a white blend in the fridge, and I poured some into a plastic wine glass sitting on the counter.
“How was your day?”
Angela rolled her eyes. “Not any better,” she said. “I had to deal with some really needy clients over at the clearing firm.”
We clinked glasses and I told her all about Brett and Lily.
“You did the right thing,” Angel
a said. “Don't worry about that, June.”
“It's not that.” I shook my head. “I’m not worried that I did the wrong thing, exactly, but Mr. March...I dunno. His voice was so powerful and intense.”
Angela snickered. “Sounds like someone has a crush,” she teased.
I blushed hotly and shook my head. “It's not that,” I told her. “It's just...I don't know. I wonder if he's going to be angry that he has to come in and deal with his son.”
Angela shrugged. “Well, he's a parent, and his kid screwed up,” she said. “Don't beat yourself up, June. You'll be fine. That kid was being a little brat.”
I nodded. As much as I knew Angela was correct, that didn't quell my nerves about the meeting tomorrow. After dinner, when I went to bed, I lay there for hours, staring at the ceiling and wondering how it was going to go.
–
In the morning, I wore my favorite outfit – a grey pencil skirt with a cream blouse – and put on my highest pair of heels. Teachers were allowed to wear jeans on Fridays, but I had a feeling that Mr. March was going to come in looking incredibly professional, and I didn't want him to think that I was just a kid. There was also the fact that I was so young – I wondered if he would blame me, for being an inexperienced teacher? Plus, my wide eyes and pale face had a habit of making me look even younger. My stomach sank when I realized that no amount of fancy clothing would make me look professional enough to teach a billionaire's son.
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