The Master Class

by Louisa Bacio

  “Let me help you with that.” Lucy brought over a bottle of aloe gel and squirted some onto his hand.

  “Not even going to rub it on me yourself?” he asked.

  “You have to earn that ritual,” she replied, swatting his cock away.

  “Ouch, harsh woman. How about Clarissa? Going to call that vixen to help me work the kinks out?”

  Lucy settled a hand on her hip and looked him over. “Don’t you ever learn? You’re here for ‘couples’ therapy. You need to learn how to handle being part of a couple. You have to think of more than yourself.”

  Her words stung his pride. “What are you talking about? Clarissa always comes first. I make sure she’s well satisfied before I come. Well, except for when it’s out of my hands,” he backtracked.

  “You don’t get it,” Lucy said. “You ‘please’ her as if it’s some type of chore, a means to the end of your own pleasure. Part of being in a relationship means it has to be about her—not you. She’s not a means to your end.”

  With that parting comment, Lucy turned and stalked toward the outer door. Hand on the doorknob, she paused. “I know she loves you. Now you need to figure out how to get it all worked out before she decides it’s never going to happen.”

  The slam of the door left Mario standing there, his aloe-slimmed hand holding his cock, and wondering where the hell it had all gone so wrong.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Back at her residence, Lucy had one of those “honey, I’m home” moments, expecting Clarissa to meet her at the door, give her some sort of welcome. Instead, her voice echoed off the walls.

  “That’s weird,” she said, walking forward and switching on a light. Maybe she went to sleep early? Usually, every lamp in the place would be on, rather than the entire place dark.

  In the kitchen, the hook for Clarissa’s keys was empty. Lucy’s heart skipped a beat, only to increase that much faster. Where could she have gone? It isn’t like her to take off without letting me know she’s going out. Maybe she forgot them in her purse.

  As Lucy walked down the hallway, the feeling of dread increased. A home feels different empty, than it does when it’s full of love. She couldn’t explain what it was, but somewhere, deep down, she knew what she’d find when she reached the bedroom. She flicked on the light: empty. Something made her open the closet doors—Clarissa’s suitcases were gone, along with the majority of her clothes.

  What the hell had happened? Lucy thought back through their interactions today. Did anything seem to foreshadow her leaving? No. They hadn’t gotten into any fights. After Clarissa had told Lucy about Mario’s proposition at the event, she’d kissed Lucy’s cheek. It wasn’t the sexiest kiss, but Clarissa often wasn’t super affectionate in front of others. She wasn’t into PDA.

  No, nothing that had taken place could have given her any indication that something was wrong. Lucy tried Clarissa on her cell. It went straight to voice mail. She sent her a text: “Please call me. Where are you?” She received no response. She tried calling one more time, with no luck.

  Mario. The thought of him made her blood simmer. She blamed him. Everything had been fine between them until he showed up again. Well, he wasn’t going to get off easy. Something more must have happened between them, and he was going to fix it. Set on a plan of action, she headed back toward the dining room and called him.

  “You need to come over right away,” she said. “Something’s happened.”

  She didn’t wait for a response, only hung up the phone. Within minutes, he was there, knocking on the door.

  “Her stuff is all gone.” Ms. Lucy leaned against the doorjamb, as though only the wall was holding her up. Seriously, if she moved aside, she might collapse.

  “What do you mean ‘gone’?” Mario stepped past her and into the apartment. “How could that be?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like I left her alone for that long. Either it was spur-of-the-moment, or she’d been planning it for a long time.”

  Once the words left Lucy’s mouth, she thought No duh. Spur-of-the-moment or planned? What other choice is there?

  Walking toward the back of the house, he continued to talk, “Did you check all her drawers and the closet?”

  “Oh no, only her purse was missing. What do you think?”

  He ignored the sarcasm. “Did you see this coming?”

  Lucy shook her head. “I should have. She’s a runner. She ran from you. What made me think she wouldn’t run from me, from us?”

  The stress of everything piled up, and Lucy reached the exploding point. Fuck the breaking point. It felt like pieces of her life were being ripped apart from her psyche, leaving her with missing chunks. She’d given her heart to Clarissa, and look where it got her. Was the woman afraid, or was Lucy not enough?

  Damn. She’d fought against those feelings for too long. Clarissa had decided to leave. It didn’t mean it was Lucy’s fault.

  In the kitchen, Mario picked up a piece of paper. Lucy hadn’t seen a note. How did she miss it? Because she hadn’t been looking for a note, only her lover.

  “This note doesn’t make any sense,” Mario said. “‘You two would be better off without me.’ I hate to say it, but she brought us together and feels like the glue holding us. I only came here because of her.”

  She pondered what Mario was saying. If Clarissa wasn’t part of the relationship equation, would Lucy ever choose to be with Mario? Alone? They had no ties. Clarissa acted as the complete middle ground between them. It was more of an either/or than both together. Right? Maybe now, going forward, but without Clarissa ever being there? Lucy couldn’t imagine it. What did that say for their potential as a threesome? Was it not real?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” he stumbled over his words. The look on Lucy’s face must have alerted him to his slip. Both of them loved Clarissa, but where did they stand with each other? They’d started out as adversaries, but the dynamic had slowly begun to shift. Were they moving toward something else?

  As Lucy gazed at Mario, she admitted how attractive she found him. She’d kept thinking about what Clarissa had liked about him, but those were qualities she found fascinating too. Were she and Mario like parents who get married for the sake of a pregnancy and who don’t stay together if something happens to the child?

  A stabbing pain to the heart rocked Lucy, and she dropped to the sofa and tucked a cushion into her lap.

  “I’m not sure if I can go through this again.” She buried her head in her hands and focused on the good. Maybe Clarissa was taking a break, or it was some sort of misunderstanding. Just because she’d packed her bags and left didn’t mean she wasn’t coming back, right?

  Who was Lucy fooling? She’d probably run for the ferry and wouldn’t be looking back.

  “Hey, love.” Mario ran his fingers through Lucy’s hair, offering comfort. The trails of sensation traveled through her body, and she sighed. As his hand neared her cheek, she tilted her head to the side and caught his thumb in her mouth. She kissed it, and he matched her intake of breath.

  Lightly, she twirled her tongue over the thick pad before sucking it in while keeping eye contact with him.

  The unspoken need between the two of them escalated. Right now, it wasn’t about Clarissa, but their desires and connection. Could two legs of the triangle exist without the corresponding hypotenuse?

  Mario sank onto the couch next to her. He brushed the tears away from her face. “If you keep that up, we’re not going to be leaving this condo anytime soon,” he teased.

  “I know you came here, to the school, looking for Clarissa, but have you rethought at all where you want the relationship to go?” Lucy asked. “We’re fighting against each other for her affections, and look what happens: she leaves us both.”

  With a sigh, he leaned back against the cushions. “I don’t know. I’m getting a little tired of chasing her, especially when she doesn’t seem to want to be caught.” He ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up.
/>   It had been a long time since she’d been with a man—on a personal level, not for a lesson at school. While Mario was strong, there was something sensitive about him too. He possessed a fragile quality that pulled her. She denounced the feeling. She was being too emotional and didn’t need to make any decisions she’d soon regret.

  “You know, I’ve never been with anyone, had sex with someone, besides Clarissa,” he admitted.

  “What?” Lucy said and then reevaluated her tone. “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? I don’t remember seeing that on your application. Then again, I didn’t take that close a look at it once I found out your connection.”

  One shoulder lifted, and he glanced away. “It’s true. We’ve been promised to each other forever, and the thought of being with someone else never felt right.”

  She waited for the next part that didn’t come. “And now?”

  “Things are kind of different between us, right? She’s thrown us together and all but given us explicit permission to be together. It’s just a matter of semantics.”

  Lucy scooted over until her thigh pressed against his. Had he even had time to shower after their session? Probably not. “Maybe that was her intention,” she said. Tentatively, she reached up and stroked his thick, black hair. At the end of the day, stubble shadowed his face. He’d leave rub burns. “Maybe we need to stop fighting and join together.”

  Mario angled his body toward hers and slipped his arm behind her back. For a few beats, they stared at each other, waiting for one or the other to stop the madness. She couldn’t take her eyes off his full lips. He’d be strong and powerful. An equal in bed. Light shifted in his eyes, and it was like blinking during a duel. She knew he’d made his decision.

  She moved forward at the same time as Mario slanted his lips against hers. Hunger. No sense fighting the attraction. They didn’t have to be enemies. They were destined to be lovers.

  His lips were insistent, chapped, slightly rough. She teased his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, and he took it, sucking her tongue into her mouth and capturing her breath. She wrapped her hands around his head, tunneling into his hair and dragging him closer, consuming his pain along with his passion.

  The kiss connected them, interlocking their souls on another level. She’d seen him naked, but right now it felt as if they they were laying open their hearts. Bits and pieces of hers fused, building a bridge to let him in. The strength behind his kiss promised to protect and cherish, and she took every stroke and buried it deep.

  Upon breaking free, they leaned against each other, forehead to forehead. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  A streak of dark adrenaline spiked through Lucy’s body. They could chase Clarissa down immediately, or—really—they could give her a little time. Losing an hour or two wouldn’t make that much of a difference. Instead, she thought about what they had to gain.

  “More than anything right now,” she said. “I need to know what it’s like to be with you. I need you.”

  “And Clarissa? What happens to her?” he asked.

  Lucy fought against the tears threatening to come and ruin the moment. “She chose to leave. We’ll find her, but right now she put us together. Right now, it’s about us.”

  Without any further invitation, Mario swept Lucy up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. “You are so incredibly beautiful,” he said, “and sexy. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine being with a woman like you.”

  She giggled. Giggled? He made her feel delicate, and cherished. She was more used to men being afraid of her, bowing to her wishes. Despite the roles they’d been through so far, Mario treated her as an equal. Her breasts pressed up into his face, and as he walked, he tongued her cleavage.

  As they reached the bed, he plunked her down in the middle of the bed without ceremony. Her ass literally bounced.

  “You know how good you look? I can barely contain myself.” He shifted his cock to the side in his jeans.

  Lucy yanked down her corset, exposing her breasts and pumping them up. “Who says you need to? I bet you’re still hot from earlier tonight.”

  With a low-level growl, he pounced, licking her nipples until they were super-hard points. He slid his hand into her panties. His index finger glided into her cleft. “I can’t believe how fuckin’ hot you are!” he said.

  “Why? I may not always let it show, but punishing you earlier turned me on. Do you want me to stop?” She dipped her hand into the pocket of his jeans, grabbing his cock.

  “Good Lord, no,” he exclaimed. He rubbed his thumb over her clit. “How about you? Want to call a time out?”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Lucy overturned the scenario quickly. “I want you to take off your clothes and climb in here with me.”

  Stepping up behind her, Mario asked Ms. Lucy to turn around. He unsnapped the corset hooks one by one by one. Lucy exhaled. Taking off the metal contraption always felt so good at the end of the night.

  By the time she was completely undressed, Ms. Lucy had decided she was ready to bare more than her body to him.

  * * *

  Mario kicked away any doubts. He wasn’t cheating on Clarissa. Not only had she given explicit permission for him to join the school and be with Lucy, she’d left him on more than one occasion. He wasn’t a saint. He could only wait and hope for her to change her mind for so long.

  Easily, he complied with Lucy’s orders and removed his remaining clothes, then climbed into bed with Lucy. Their bed.

  Beneath his tongue, Lucy’s skin tasted salty and full of life. The redhead lay against the cool sheets, naked beneath him. He couldn’t help compare her to Clarissa. She was more muscular and curvy. He knew the physical strength she possessed. Right now, she was showing him another part of her psyche, a softer and more personal side, and he wouldn’t let her down.

  “Condoms—are in the top drawer.” Lucy stretched toward the nightstand, showing him the way. Mario appreciated her curves for a moment before retrieving one and gliding it on.

  With both hands, Lucy grabbed his cock and stroked him, loving him. Every moment felt sure, and she guided him between her legs. She moved a hand behind the small of his back, holding him in place. He fingered her pussy, making sure she was good and ready for him—no doubt there—and pushed the head of his cock in. As he breached her opening, he looked at her face. Eyes closed, she bit her lower lip. Something about her expression made him hesitate.

  “Lucy, open up for me,” he coaxed.

  She spread her legs a little wider and scooched down, pushing herself onto him. She felt amazing.

  “No, your eyes. Open your eyes and look at me.”

  Lucy’s green eyes shined bright like emeralds in the moonlight. As she gazed at him, her pupils dilated even more. “Yes,” she said.

  “Don’t go somewhere off in your head. I want you here with me. Every moment through this. We’re in this together.”

  The sides of her mouth turned up in a sexy smile. “You’ve got it. I’m here with you.”

  The moment he knew he had her, he plunged in all the way. She flexed her inner muscles, and he felt that added stimulation. He slipped one hand under her ass and held her in place as he picked up the speed.

  Grunting and moaning, they met each other thrust for thrust. Their bodies were slick with sweat as he rocked into Lucy. Her hair spread out on the pillows, and her breasts bounced with his movements.

  “Uh, uh, uh,” she grunted. It wasn’t sexy, but it felt damn sexy.

  Every nerve ending in his body lit on fire, poised to explode at any moment. His balls tightened, and he wanted to draw out the experience a bit longer so he slowed the pace.

  “Don’t stop,” Lucy said. “I’m so close.”

  With both hands, she held on to his ass and rocked herself against him. Her clit rubbed on the base of his cock. He leaned over, caught her nipple in his mouth and sucked hard.

  “Yes, that’s brilliant.” She turned her head to
the side, nipping at his arm as her climax overtook her.

  “That’s it, baby, ride it.” He continued to thrust into her, pushing her further over into a blissful oblivion until a tingling spread across his lower back and an explosion of sensation rocked his body. His come shot off into the condom, and he pounded into Lucy until every drop had been spent.

  Once done, he held on to the base of the rubber and pulled out, then wrapped it in some tissues and disposed of it in the bedside trash can.

  Lucy lay on her side, facing away from him. Mario spooned against her, resting one arm over her rib cage, and his cock settled into the cleft of her ass. He kissed the back of her head.

  “That was beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, emotion making her voice crack.

  “Are you all right?” Worry nagged at him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, especially while achieving his own pleasure.

  “Yes, just wasn’t what I was expecting, and sometimes, you know, that can affect you. I’m good. Really.”

  “It’s all right,” he soothed. “We’ll find her.”

  Mario snuggled in next to her, listening to Lucy’s breathing even out. It was funny to be so close to someone he didn’t expect. When he’d come to the school, he had one goal in mind: win Clarissa back and bring her home. Now, he wasn’t quite sure what the future held. The house settled around him, creaking and groaning, while the wind battled outside, and he tried not to think about what might be too much.

  Chapter Fourteen

  This time when she ran, Clarissa had nowhere to go. She couldn’t return home, because the family would call Mario and he’d come for her. She’d gone from one coast to the opposite and still hadn’t found what she needed.

  That wasn’t true, or fair. Clarissa leaned against the wall of the parking structure, taking comfort in its cool, solid surface. She might not be able to stand on her own. Sobs racked her body, and the joy in her heart withered the farther she got away from Mario and Ms. Lucy.