Sweet Chemistry

by September Roberts

Kate beamed at him. “Good job. Now the carrots.”

  When he was done, James looked at the piles of prepared veggies on the cutting board.

  “See? Two parts onion, one part carrot and one part celery. Now we cook. Do you have a sauté pan?”

  “Um. I don’t know.” He pointed to the cupboard that held his pots and pans. Hopefully they weren’t all covered with dust.

  Kate squatted down and pulled out a large stockpot and a frying pan. “This will work, and the big pot will be perfect for the noodles. Preheat the pan over medium low.”

  She grabbed the bottle of olive oil and splashed the pan. “It’s shimmering already, so add your veg.”

  James did as he was told and stirred them. Kate added garlic at one point, and complimented his attention to the veggies, which were turning a nice golden color.

  “Where’s the wine opener?” After she found it, Kate opened the bottle of wine and splashed the pan, turning the veggies a deep maroon. She put the cork back in the bottle. “The rest is for dinner.” She smiled at him. “Do you have a balcony where I can chill this? I think it’s the perfect temperature outside for red wine.”

  James pointed through the living room to the sliding door, which led to a private enclosed balcony.

  “Damn,” Kate called from outside. “I left my light on again.” She was looking at the building facing his.

  All this time, she lived across the street and he never knew. No wonder she had been able to get home so easily the first night they were together. He followed her finger, which was pointing to an illuminated window. He counted: three stories up, fourth window from the right.

  “Get back in the kitchen. A chef never leaves his pan,” she chided.

  James jumped and ran back to the stove, picking up the spatula and stirring the veggies again.

  By the time they added the tomatoes and seasonings, the kitchen was filled with the most amazing aroma. Kate tasted the sauce. Her face puckered. “Too acidic. Now we need to neutralize. Get the baking soda.”

  “How much?” He pulled the bright yellow box from the counter.

  “We go by taste. It won’t take much. Start with a pinch.”

  The sauce foamed and turned pink while he stirred, and when she tasted it again, she declared it fit for consumption.

  While they waited for the water to boil, the oven preheated and Kate set a new timer. James shook his head. “How did you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Make everything so it would finish all at the same time?”

  “Timing is the most important part of making a meal.” She smiled again. “The bread needs to cool slightly, to give the starch molecules a chance to solidify before we cut, which I know will take about ten minutes, and that is exactly how much time it takes to cook and drain spaghetti.”

  “I’m impressed. That’s all.”

  Her cheeks flushed pink. “Thanks. Will you set the table?”

  It had been a long time since he’d set a table for anyone but himself. He could get used to this.

  When James took the first bite of his meal, he couldn’t believe he’d helped make it. “This is amazing.” He bit into a piece of fluffy warm bread. “Oh man, that’s even more amazing.”

  Kate grinned.

  “Thank you for teaching me.” It was her company he enjoyed more than anything else, and this time, she wasn’t leaving.

  They carried their wine glasses into the living room after they finished eating, and sat on the couch next to each other. Kate tucked her foot under her and faced him.

  “I really am sorry for not calling you sooner, after the first time I mean. My stupid brother.” James shook his head.

  “What does your brother have to do with anything?”

  “He told me not to call you. He told me to play it cool.”

  Kate laughed. “Meg did the same thing. She took my phone.”

  James’ shoulders relaxed.

  “What would you have said?” Kate whispered.

  “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “Mm hmm,” she hummed, urging him to continue.

  “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding about Tim.”

  “We’ve already discussed that. Anything else?” Kate’s eyes burned into his.

  “I’ve never wanted someone as much as I want you, and if you weren’t my student…” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He wasn’t listening to himself, since it clearly didn’t matter if she was his student. He hated himself for wanting her so much. He leaned toward her, fixated on her mouth. “If you weren’t my student…”

  She gasped when his mouth descended on hers, his tongue urgently pushing her lips apart, seeking entrance. Her tongue joined his. She pulled away from him and shook her head.

  “But you’re my professor, and I’m your student.”

  “That’s the problem. Those two things don’t make me happy. You make me happy.” He kissed her sweetly. “Is this unwanted?” If she didn’t want him, he needed to know now.

  “What?”

  “This.” He gestured between their bodies. “Us. You and me.”

  “Wanted. Very wanted…but I don’t want to be that girl.”

  “And I don’t want to be that kind of professor.” He was sure he could keep her a secret for the next five weeks. It was the semester after that was going to kill him.

  “I want this. I want you. But what if someone found out? You could lose your job. I could be expelled.” Worry creased her forehead.

  She was voicing his concerns, which were slowly being quieted by his growing desire to take what he wanted. Her. “No one is going to find out from me.”

  “We can be careful,” Kate offered. She licked her lips.

  His brain was shutting down. Nothing else mattered because no one was going to find out. “Yes. So careful. We can be professional at the university, but here…” James kissed her again and their arms got tangled in an attempt to get closer to each other.

  Kate crawled into his lap and put her arms around his neck. He gripped her hips and pulled her body against his. She moaned into his mouth when their bodies bumped together. His fingers followed her spine, lifting her shirt.

  She grunted in frustration and then pulled her shirt off. Her hair stuck to her face, inviting him to smooth it back. He admired her beautiful flushed skin and her pink lacy bra. As much as he appreciated the prettiness of the garment, he was happier to see it join her shirt on the floor. He sighed and then rolled her nipples between his fingers as she continued to grind against him.

  Her breath caught and then a low moan escaped her lips. Her body shook, sending vibrations through his legs. A pink glow spread across her pale skin.

  “Did you just come?”

  She nodded. “I’m surprised it took that long. I’ve really missed you.”

  He kissed her again and held her tightly as he stood. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her heat against his stomach as he carried her to his bedroom. He growled and then put her down next to his low bed. “Is this okay?” He kneeled between her legs and held his breath while he waited for her to answer.

  “Yes.” Her voice was breathy and drove him wild. She tugged his shirt off and traced the outline of his muscles before kissing him again.

  James pulled back the blanket and top sheet and pushed her over, making her hair fan out around her head and her breasts bounce. He caressed her nipples again and then dragged his fingers down to the waistband of her jeans. He made a strangled noise when he opened her jeans and found matching pink panties. With one quick tug, her jeans were on the floor. He leaned over her and trailed kisses along her belly, grazing her soft, sweet-smelling skin.

  James sat back on his heels and pulled her panties off, repositioning her right leg over his shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed the inside of her thigh. She twitched as he blew on her heated skin.

  Kate grunted and arched her body.

  He smiled at her attempt to gain contact with his mouth, and
blew again. Before she could complain, his tongue darted out, separating the delicate folds hiding her sex. Her skin was hot and swollen, and the more his tongue moved, the more flushed she became. He lifted her left leg onto his other shoulder, and she squeezed his head with her thighs and moaned as he thrust his tongue inside her. He alternately rubbed her clit and fucked her with his tongue. It didn’t take long for her to come again, screaming and thrashing against the bed. He licked her slit one more time, letting her tanginess invade every part of his mouth.

  James reluctantly pulled away from her and crawled to the nightstand where he retrieved a condom.

  Kate watched him struggle to open his pants and the condom wrapper at the same time. He failed miserably at both. She sat up and rubbed against the bulge in his pants. “Let me help you.”

  His movements stilled and his eyes widened as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She pulled him closer, until he was between her legs and she pushed his pants and boxers down. Eye level with his cock, Kate leaned toward him and opened her mouth. She looked up as her tongue flicked across the head.

  James let out a long, slow breath and gasped as she sucked him into her mouth. She wrapped her hands around the base of his cock and hummed; the vibrations from her mouth only adding to his pleasure. She closed her eyes and rotated her head as she moved back up, swirling her tongue as his dick moved in her mouth. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  She established a quick rhythm of sucking and licking, bringing him right to the edge and then slowed down. His breath was rough and his moans came out in fragments.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Kate asked, holding his cock and flicking her tongue across the head.

  Words would not form in his dry mouth, so he nodded and handed her the condom. He wouldn’t last long at this rate.

  She smiled and ripped the package open with her teeth. When she sucked him back into her mouth, he moaned and his hips jerked. With one final swirl of her tongue, she pulled away and unrolled the condom onto his shiny dick. She held her hand out and pulled him down onto the bed with her.

  Kate wrapped her leg around his body, pulling him between her thighs as she rolled onto her back. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and gripped his ass. He tilted his hips and sank down, the head of his cock pushing just inside her. She lifted to meet him, forcing him deeper.

  “Oh fuck,” he whispered. “I missed you, Kate.” It was freeing to finally say her name.

  Kate took a deep breath. “I missed you too, James.” Hearing his name on her lips felt almost as good as being inside her. She kissed him again, sweet and slow as their bodies got reacquainted.

  James pulled out of her almost all the way and spiraled his hips as he drove back into her. Kate moaned each time their bodies collided, and the sound of her obvious pleasure was forcing him to focus his energy on extending this moment. The veins on Kate’s neck bulged, and she screamed as she came. He nearly lost it again as her pussy squeezed him with each contraction, and he knew it wouldn’t be much longer before he joined her.

  She locked her feet behind his ass and pulled him against her, harder and faster. With one final thrust, they came together with their mouths locked and limbs tangled. James leaned on his forearms while he caught his breath, admiring the sight of her flushed skin and happy face. He rolled away from her and shuddered at the loss of contact. Kate was still panting and rolled toward him just as he stood and headed for the bathroom.

  “I’ll be right back.” He threw the condom in the garbage and cleaned the sticky residue off his dick. When he got back to the bedroom, Kate had crawled under the covers making a perfect outline of her body. James didn’t know if he should join her or get dressed, and she patted the bed next to her, making his decision easy. He slid under the covers and tucked his arm under his head. He smiled when she snuggled closer, nuzzling her face against his chest.

  She inhaled and moaned. “You smell so good. Why do you smell so good?”

  James scoffed. “You’re the one who smells good. Not me. Believe me, it was painful to give your hoodie back to you.” He grinned because he knew he would be able to smell her on his sheets again for days.

  Kate drew lazy circles on his chest, which tickled in the most delicious way. He unfolded his arm and rested it against her back, his fingers grazing the top of her ass. He held her and smiled. Everything was perfect.

  “Do you have a roommate?” James asked, breaking the comfortable silence that surrounded them.

  “Nope. I have a single. I waited three years for a single and I finally got one. Meg did too. We considered moving in together at one point, but after spending a night in her room last year, I was certain I could never live with a friend. It’s just as hard sharing a space with someone you’re related to. Like my parents; even after all the years they’ve been together, they still snap out at each other sometimes.”

  “Do you see them often?”

  Kate shook her head. “No. They live in Kemmerer, Wyoming, so I only see them for major holidays. How about you? Do you see your family?”

  “My brother, Jeff. I have dinner with his family on Sundays. It’s nice. My parents and I aren’t close. I don’t think my dad ever got over the fact I didn’t want to take over his business.”

  “That’s hard. My mom and dad are jewelers, and it bores me to tears. Luckily, they always knew I would never stay.”

  “I’ve never been to Wyoming. I’m a Californian, bred and raised.”

  “It’s windy and flat. You’re not missing out.”

  “Are you going home for Thanksgiving?” His heart raced. Surely she could feel it.

  “Not this year. Tickets are too expensive.”

  “Do you think, maybe, you’d, um, like to come with me to Jeff and Heather’s?” It was a battle to get each word out of his mouth.

  Kate pushed up onto her elbow and smiled down at him. “James, are you inviting me to have dinner with you again?”

  “Yes, but I was kind of hoping you would have dinner with me before then too. It’s over three weeks away.”

  “I think I could arrange that.”

  “Dinner before, or Thanksgiving?”

  “Both.”

  “Good.” He kissed her, effectively ending the conversation.

  When she pulled away from him, her cheeks were a brand new shade of pink. “Hey, before I go, can I take a shower?”

  James frowned. “Um, sure.” The moment had been so perfect, and now she wanted to leave. He wasn’t ready for that.

  “Not that I feel dirty or anything,” Kate added quickly. “I just never get to shower by myself. Communal showers, you know?”

  She pranced across the room naked, rousing his dick. He sat on the edge of the bed and fidgeted. He glanced at the nightstand. The drawer full of condoms was still partially open. He sighed and then pulled on a pair of lounge pants.

  It took him less than a minute to collect her clothes. He placed a clean towel on the edge of the sink on top of her clothes. “There’s a clean towel on the sink.”

  “Thanks!” Her voice was wet and warm.

  It wasn’t just the heat trapped in the small room making his head swim. It was happiness. Resisting the temptation to join her, he went back to his bedroom and waited.

  The water turned off. “Thanks for bringing my clothes in here.”

  “You’re welcome.” He tried to lean casually on his bed, but he was too restless to hold the pose. He started pacing.

  When the bathroom door opened, his body froze mid-step. Kate’s hair was tousled and she was only wearing her jeans and pink bra. She was biting her lip, like she did when she was concentrating on something. “Um, can I borrow a shirt?” She was looking at the floor.

  A smile crept across his face. “Sure, I’ve got shirts in that drawer.”

  Kate shook her head. “I want it to smell like you.”

  He grinned. She wanted a shirt he had worn. “How about this one?” He lifted the University of Santa Barbara shirt he had
just worn out of the laundry hamper.

  She nodded and smiled. She brought the crumpled fabric to her nose and inhaled. “Thank you.” She tugged it over her head and smiled again. She retrieved her pink shirt from the bathroom and tucked it under the pillow in his bed. “Now you’ll have something to remember me by.”

  James laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. “As if I could ever forget you.”

  Chapter 11

  Kate walked home in a daze. Dinner was amazing, and what happened after was spectacular. James was sweet and hard all at once. It was perfect. She had never been with someone who knew how to read her like he did.

  She almost told him about her meeting yesterday. Almost. She was so comfortable in his arms, but at the last second, she lost her nerve and asked if she could use his shower. Maybe one day she would share her plan with him.

  Having a shower alone was marvelous, but what was even better was how considerate he was. He put out a towel, folded her clothes, and gave her privacy. She was a little nervous about walking out of the room naked. Yes, they had just had sex, but she still wasn’t accustomed to parading around naked in front of him…yet.

  * * * *

  Halloween didn’t hold the same appeal it did when Kate was little. When she was ten, Halloween was a day of costumes, candy, and fun. Now, it was just a Wednesday.

  As Kate got ready for her morning classes, she parted her hair and tied a pair of horns to her head. She bought them at a craft fair last year. The horns were burgundy and scaly-looking. The cord was black and when her hair fell back in place, it was hidden.

  She had slept in James’ shirt, and before she left, she tucked it under her pillow. She wanted her bed to smell like him.

  Tim laughed when she came into class. “They look natural. Especially with that satisfied look on your face.”

  Kate held her finger to her lips and shook her head. “Shh.”

  “Coffee?”

  “Fine.”

  James seemed to appreciate her horns too. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. It was safer that way. After all, they agreed to be professional at school. She didn’t linger after class, but she flashed James her phone.