by Louisa Bacio
She dropped her head in her hands and tried to shake it off.
“Listen, I’ve seen you two together. It’s real. Don’t doubt that. I haven’t been there before, a love triangle. I’m happy Sam doesn’t have any exes, male or female, vying for his attention. Ultimately, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Although they were only words, what Johnny said made her feel better. When she was alone with Clarissa, she knew they clicked. The last six months hadn’t been a lie. It wasn’t like Clarissa had taken up with Lucy just to avoid a confrontation with Mario. Right?
Inside, her heart ripped, strips of love being jerked from her and discarded like an orchid no longer in bloom. She hardened herself from the pain. If she didn’t put herself out there, it wouldn’t hurt so much. And yet, turning off the love at this point was impossible. She couldn’t admit that it didn’t matter. It did.
Clarissa had become her everything. She’d rather lose the school than lose her love. And if she couldn’t focus on the university, then there would be the chance of losing everything.
Who’d want to be taught by a woman who couldn’t keep her own lover satisfied?
“Whatever you’re thinking, you have to stop,” Johnny said. He tapped the side of her forehead in emphasis. On any other day, she’d grab his hand. Now, she willingly let him reprimand her. “Do you know what you want?”
How come it was so easy to imagine them together? She loved Clarissa. Lucy was torn between fighting for her love and letting her be with the man she most evidentially wanted. Good God, and the way he took the pain of the piercing. A tingling tightened her nipples at the thought. He’d surprised her in a few different ways.
Mario didn’t back down. He didn’t cave, and he certainly didn’t run away. He had proven himself to be not only loyal, but strong. Despite hating him, she had to admit she admired him too.
“He was fucking hot, wasn’t he?” Lucy said in a whisper.
“Oooh, Mamma. Was he ever. Believe you me, I can’t wait to go home to Sam and tell him all about that fine piece of ass. Mmmmhmmm. He’s going to fuel some sweet fantasies tonight. Have you had a piece of him?”
The curved muscles on his thighs, all the way down to his calves. The way he held Lucy’s gaze in defiance. The strong clench of his jaw as he came. She wanted to hold his cock and feel it pump out its pleasure.
She wasn’t ready to admit it, was she? Oh heaven help her, she had a crush on Mario.
“No, I haven’t. Not yet.”
* * *
“I’ve got to go check on her.” Clarissa pulled away.
Before she could get far, Mario clasped her wrist. “Wait. Stay with me for a minute. I’m the one that just went through hell to prove how much I care about you.”
It was like the entire universe throbbed behind his nipple. Something so small that he usually took for granted. It was a simple part of his body. Right now, though, it was the center of all feeling, which radiated out.
She paused, concern on her face. “Did it hurt a lot?”
“Hell, yes.” He tried to think of an example she’d understand. “Do you remember back in fifth grade when we were playing baseball in the street and Mikey walloped the ball and it smacked me in the face, bloodied my lip and knocked out my tooth?”
For a full week, he’d had a fat lip.
“Yessss.”
“Worse than that.”
She winced and caressed his face. Her touch brought him back and made him feel whole. Forget about the sexual stuff. Sure, it was more than good. But the day-to-day companionship, the physical connection, that’s what he craved. He leaned into her hand, staring into her brilliant, blue eyes. Her pupils widened as if she knew what was coming next. He was going to kiss her, and at the last moment she moved her head slightly and his lips landed on the corner of her mouth.
“No cigar, eh? You’ll suck my dick but not kiss me?”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I don’t know how to explain it.”
Holding up his hands, he backed away. “No explanation necessary. I get it. Lucy ordered you to do the other, and somehow kissing me doesn’t feel right.”
“I know it sounds stupid.”
“Like a Julia Roberts/Pretty Woman thing?” Once riled, his anger continued to fume. “It’s all right to fuck the clients, but heaven forbid she kisses them?”
“Don’t be mad.”
“Too late. You know, I’m not giving up. You still care about me, and I will have you back in my life. All of you.”
On those words, he gathered his clothes and stormed out, butt-naked. Who cared? It was a sex school. Plenty of people were in various stages of undress all the time. If he wanted to walk back to his room bare-assessed, no one should care.
The cold stones against his feet and even chillier San Francisco night soothed his anger fast. Rather than talking to Clarissa, he reacted. He stopped to look back to see if she was following him. That would be a negative. Ahead, he heard the sound of voices. It was Ms. Lucy and the torturer, aka Johnny. Both looked surprised to see him.
As if checking out a worthy opponent, Ms. Lucy gave him a full head-to-toe evaluation before asking, “Where’s Clarissa?”
“Back there. We’ll call this round a draw.”
With as much honor as he could muster, he clomped off to his room.
The hot water of the shower stung the new piercing, and he took extra special care to be careful of it when toweling off. Each brush near the area with the towel made him cringe. He couldn’t stand the thought of putting a shirt on, so he went without for now. Maybe for sleeping he could cover it with a big-ass bandage. What a wimp. He grabbed the package Johnny left, which included aftercare instructions and some medical tape. Fine, so for sleeping, after tonight, all he needed was to use some medical tape. The rest of the time, it needed to “breathe” in order to heal.
Once the personal care was complete, he headed to the kitchenette to grab something for dinner. What he wouldn’t do for some of Momma’s lasagna about now or a run to the grocery store so he could do some real cooking. Maybe he should break into the school’s kitchen. He hadn’t called home since coming here, and they were probably going out of their minds with worry. First Clarissa dropped off the face of the earth, and then he did. Sure, he’d warned them they probably wouldn’t hear from him for a while, but they wouldn’t believe him.
The school had a strict policy about no contact with the outside world once they were in session. He’d turned over all electronics, including his cell phone and tablet. Even if he wanted to get ahold of someone, it wasn’t permitted.
After scrounging up some odds and ends—he didn’t feel like going to the cafeteria and facing others—he settled onto the couch and looked at the time. It was barely 10:00. Now what the hell? There were a few textbooks he could glimpse through, but looking at sexual positions without a willing partner didn’t sound promising.
Who would have though it: enrolled at a sex university, and he’d be bored on a Friday night?
Chapter Eleven
The next day Clarissa and Ms. Lucy sat at the dining room table planning strategy. As they got to know the students, they reevaluated their needs. Clarissa eyed her lover with trepidation. Although they slept in the same bed, Lucy stayed on the opposite side and didn’t stray an arm over the center divide.
It was a lousy end to a trying week. They didn’t go to sleep angry; they merely went to bed. Clarissa had gone from having two potential partners to both of them being pissed off at her. She didn’t understand what had Lucy’s panties in a wad. She’d been the one who had ordered Clarissa to “service” Mario. What did she expect to happen? Being with him was second nature for her.
She hadn’t meant to turn away when he tried to kiss her, either. The look of hurt on his face was even worse than hearing him curse during the piercing.
“Sounds promising,” Clarissa said. “Don’t forget you keep telling Blaine and Wayne that they
can get more involved. How about you set them up with a threesome demonstration? I’m sure you’ll find a few women who would volunteer for the position.”
“Do they share women?” Lucy asked with her eyebrow raised. “How do you know that and I somehow don’t?”
“It’s not something I’ve experienced myself.” Heat flushed her face under Lucy’s scrutiny. “I’ve just heard them talking, that’s all.”
Maybe the answer would appease Lucy and she’d drop the subject. Clarissa probably shouldn’t have said anything about it. It might give Lucy ideas on what position to put her in.
Lucy placed her elbows on the table and leaned over. “What do you think of the concept? Being with more than one lover at a time?”
The question made her sputter her tea. “It sounds like it could be interesting…”
“‘Interesting’ as in you’d be willing to do it? Try it out?”
“Perhaps, if it was the right partners.” Clarissa always tried to answer honestly. If anything, she’d learned that through her sessions at the school.
“Any combination you find the sexiest?” Lucy trailed her fingertips over Clarissa’s arm, causing the hairs to rise. “You know, two women, two men, one of each?”
“Probably one of each, a man and a woman/” Clarissa’s mind jumped to being in bed with Ms. Lucy and Mario, and she gulped. Could she have everything her heart and her body desired? Or was this purely hypothetical on Lucy’s part? “You know, the best of both worlds.”
“Yes, I know exactly how it is,” Lucy said, making some notes on her schedule. “All too well. Any other insights into the staff or curriculum you’d like to share?”
Clarissa blinked and then looked at Lucy again. She wasn’t used to the overly jealous tone. Did she like Clarissa’s fantasy, or was it too much? It was impossible to read her.
“That’s it for now,” Clarissa said.
“Good.” Lucy pushed her chair back and got up from the table. “If you don’t mind cleaning up here, I’ve got some plans to make for this afternoon.”
The physical and emotional distance between them grew. Rather than bringing them together, Clarissa felt like the couples sessions were tearing them apart.
* * *
The green-eyed monster fueled the next couples lessons for Lucy. She didn’t like to admit to jealousy, but the culmination of the fight for Clarissa with Mario, and Clarissa’s comments about Blaine and Wayne had pushed her over the edge. She ignored the hurt in Clarissa’s eyes as she left the room. All Lucy focused on was the lesson she’d teach them while having more than a little bit of fun.
Never one to give up a potential teaching moment, Lucy walked to the various departments at the school and planned the special program. She’d thought of the perfect couple to enlist in the day’s activities: the hot military woman Kimmie, and her husband Tucker. Lucy was sure Kimmie had some fantasies after being with her all-male unit for so very long. She’d also seemed like the type of woman who wouldn’t cheat on her husband. Yes, she was restless, and not settled back at home. But a large part of that restlessness was the unresolved fantasies. Poor Tucker wasn’t sure how to handle his wife. He was willing to do “anything” in order to make her happy. Well, Lucy was about to test that resolution.
Planning the props and costumes took the better part of a few hours. Fortunately, the school had a network of alum and suppliers in the nearby area who were always ready to help in a pinch.
At lunchtime, she sent out the most basic of instructions and two packages to the couple, assignments to others in the program, including Clarissa and Mario, and got ready to sit down with Blaine and Wayne.
The twin brothers wore a sexy-fied version of camo fatigues. The bottoms had been cut into tight shorts that curved over their perfect asses, and they wore crisp, green, tailored shirts over black tank tops. They’d tucked their long, bleached-out surfer hair into matching green caps. The overall effect made them look dangerous. Too pretty to be true, but just right for the situation and scenario ahead.
If Kimmie wanted a military gang-bang, they were going to give it to her. Once she worked out the fantasy, maybe she’d get back to focusing on her marriage. Or maybe it wouldn’t be quite what she expected.
A knocked on the door alerted them to Reed’s presence. His background in police work came in handy in many different situations.
He whistled long and high. taking a look at the two men. “Ms. Lucy, you outdid yourself again. If I wasn’t engaged to the perfect woman, then I might have to try out these two myself.”
“Oh go on,” Wayne said, cocking his hip to the side and waving off Reed’s compliment.
“Now that attitude won’t get you anywhere,” Reed said. “For this thing, you two have to man up and take the situation seriously. Do you think you’ll be able to do that?”
“Sir, yes, sir,” Blaine said, giving a halfhearted salute.
Reed sighed deeply and made eye contact with Lucy.
“You’ve got an hour,” she informed them. “They don’t have to be perfect, just good enough. The acting bit doesn’t have to last that long.” She paused to look the two over. Quite handsome. She’d been using the men in the front office as a sort of bait for prospective students, but as they’d proven themselves and requested more responsibilities, it was time to allow them to move on.
Now they had to prove their worth.
* * *
One of the outside courtyards had been transformed into a campsite, complete with a desert-toned tent. Inside, it was more luxurious than the real thing. In the center of the structure was a giant, oversized cot—big enough for an entire platoon, Mario had thought when he first saw it. Strings of rounded bulbs hung from the rafters, and the scent of jasmine and spices filled the air.
Everyone was dressed in some sort of fatigues. Beside him, Clarissa looked adorable in her stark white uniform—what there was of it, anyway. Loud voices sounded from outside, and the material blocking the door pulled back. The two young guys who he’d seen in the main office came in, escorting a blindfolded woman.
“I don’t understand. What’s going on? What did I do?” she asked. “Tucker. Tucker! Are you here?”
Her husband followed behind the trio, and when he opened his mouth to respond, Ms. Lucy waved him off. With a scowl, he fell back a few steps and came to stand next to Mario.
“Don’t know why I ever agreed to come here,” Tucker said.
Mario gave him a good-natured pat on the back. “It’ll turn out all right,” he said, as supportive as possible.
“Look at them, though.” Tucker gestured toward the military-wonder-twins. “How the hell am I ever going to compete with them? Once she gets a taste of being with a hot stud again, she’d going to want nothing to do with me.”
“That’s doubtful.” Clarissa sidled up next to him, rubbing her hand down his arm. His eyes grew wide at the touch.
“What do you mean?” he said, alternating his gaze between Clarissa and his wife being laid out on the cot.
“Well, wouldn’t you want me?” She drew up on her tiptoes and leaned against him so his arm rested between her breasts. “Would you take me if you could?” she whispered into his ear, loud enough for Mario to hear.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, girlie, and don’t take this the wrong way, you’re a mighty fine-looking woman, but I love my wife,” he replied, backing away and breaking the physical connection.
“Good.” She nodded. “Now what do you think your wife would say?”
“Damn, but it’s her fantasy,” he said. “She’s the one aching for all these new experiences. Me, I was happy with things the way they were.”
“Really?” Mario chimed in. “Because in our orientation, if I recall, you said something about hoping to rekindle the magic between you. So there are no existing problems you’d like solved?”
The overhead lights in the room dimmed, and along the walls sconces lit up. Shadows of orange-and-yellow flames danced against the
white walls, casting a warm glow all around.
“Well, we could use a bit more loving,” Tucker admitted. “But I figure it would work itself out eventually.”
“Or you’d lose her,” Mario said.
“What do you know?” Tucker fisted his hands, and Clarissa stepped between them.
“If she wanted to leave you, she would have,” she said, eyeing Mario the entire time she soothed the other man. “She has her life invested in you, and she wants to work things out.”
“How do you know?” Tucker asked. “What insight do you have?”
“The story’s a little bit too close to home.” She touched her right fist to her chest and closed her eyes for a few beats. When she opened them, they were wet with tears. “But you have to stay strong in knowing that in the end, it’ll all work out.”
The smile she flashed Mario then, made him get lost in memory. Emotion lodged in his throat. It reminded him of when he’d walked in on another guy asking Clarissa to the senior prom. While she talked to the douche bag, she looked at Mario the entire time. It was like a tenuous connection linked them. Finally, the guy had turned and seen Mario standing there, and he got lost super quick. But it didn’t seem like Lucy was going anywhere, and he was pedaling fast to keep up without a break to catch his breath.
“How come you two sound like you know what you’re talking about?” Tucker asked. “Wait a second, are you talking about my wife and I, or you two?”
“Right now, right here, it’s all about that lovely wife of yours down there,” Clarissa said without hesitating at all, “and you. Making both of you happy.”
“With those two lame…” Tucker stopped midsentence as Blaine approached Kimmie and unbuttoned her jean shorts. As he slid them down her legs, he got down on his knees and buried his mouth against her pussy.
The woman cried out and pressed her crotch against his face. Wayne came around behind her and lifted her T-shirt, exposing a pale pink bra. He cupped her breasts through the lacy material and flicked his fingers against her nipples.