It was obvious she was embarrassed, but I needed some further clarification on what she was trying to say. “We’ve only been at this for a few minutes Brooke, and I haven’t even gotten to the good stuff. I’m well aware that it takes women a lot longer than men. Just because I can get off from a few strokes of your talented hand doesn’t mean I expect the same from you.”
She eyed me cautiously. “How do you know so much about women?”
I chuckled. “I’ve done my research. I don’t have the dangerous bad boy thing like Grady does. And I’m not a hot shot jock like Ford. I’m a sweater vest, glasses wearing principal, Brooke. I need to have a few tricks up my sleeve to get the ladies.”
She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. “I think you’re the sexiest guy I’ve ever met.”
If it weren’t for what I saw in her eyes, I would have thought she was lying.
Moving back to lay half on top of her, I whispered in her ear, “You come first, Brooke. I don’t care if it takes all damn night.”
She laughed, and I could feel the tension draining from her body as I resumed my careful seduction of her mouth. And I was serious. I could only be so lucky to have Brooke in my bed, sighing my name all night long.
After I peeled off her shirt and tossed her bra on the floor, I lavished attention on her full breasts. The way she held my head tightly to her chest let me know I was doing something right.
When I began to kiss my way down her stomach and dip my tongue under the waistband of her shorts, I felt her tense up again.
“Relax, baby,” I purred. “We’re just getting to the good stuff.”
I peeled her shorts and panties down her legs and tossed them on the floor. Starting with her toes, I kissed and licked my way back up her long legs, leaving not one inch of smooth skin untouched. My technique seemed to be working, because Brooke was no longer apprehensive or tense. Her legs quivered when I reached her inner thighs. Her hands were in my hair, and I doubt she realized she was pulling me upward.
When I took the first long lick up the very center of her, she jerked her hips up and cried out. Settling in, I licked and sucked until her whole body was trembling and then backed off. I repeated this pattern a few times until her tight grip on my hair kept me from pulling back.
“Adam, please,” Brooke moaned on a shaky breath.
Well, since she asked so nicely… I concentrated my efforts on the one spot that would send her over the edge. I felt her body tighten up before the quaking release washed over her.
“Oh, God!” she screamed, and I was pretty sure I was going to have some bald spots. But it was worth it. So totally worth it.
When she finally pushed me away from her overly sensitive skin, I crawled back up her body and grinned at her.
She laughed and draped both arms over her head in a pose of total relaxation. “What are you smiling about?”
“You.”
Brooke took another minute to come down from the high I had given her. Then she turned to me and slipped her hand under my shirt and up my back.
“Am I allowed to touch you now?”
Groaning, I pulled her close. “You can touch me anyway you want.”
And, man, did she ever.
Chapter Nineteen
Brooke
Gram rolled her carry-on bag into the kitchen just as I packed up the last of the food. I hurried over to take it from her and place it by the back door. Gram was going to visit her other sister in Pennsylvania for the weekend.
“Do you want me to get the rest of your luggage from upstairs?”
Gram laughed and lowered herself into one of the kitchen chairs. “That’s all I’m taking, dear.”
I eyed her small bag. “But you’re going to be gone for three days,” I stated, genuinely confused by how someone could survive with that little for that long.
“Not everyone needs to take their full wardrobe with them when they travel,” Gram teased.
“I like to have choices,” I huffed.
“I know you do, dear. Now, you have Gloria’s number, don’t you? And make sure that man of yours keeps his eye out around here. I don’t like the idea of leaving you all alone.”
I rolled my eyes at her unnecessary worry. “Yes, I have Gloria’s number. And you’re going to be leaving me alone plenty when you move to Florida in two months.”
Her lips pursed together. “Yes, I’ve been thinking that’s not such a good idea. I’m not sure you’re ready to be on your own.”
I had been thinking the same thing, but I wanted Gram to do what was best for her. And living in an ocean side condo was the best thing she could do.
“Gram, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to be on my own. But now’s as good a time as any to jump in with both feet. This weekend will be like a trial run for me. If I don’t burn down the house or sink into a deep depression, I think we’ll be good to go.”
She patted my hand as she rose. “You be careful, Brooke. And I’ll be back on Monday, just in time for your mother’s visit.”
“Oh, goody,” I said, completely without excitement.
“With me moving away, it would be nice if she would settle here. You would have some family close.”
I hardly thought of my mother as family, but I kept that to myself. Gram was forever hopeful that her daughter would stop being such a deadbeat and do the right thing for once. I was forever hopeful she would go away and never return.
After I saw Gram off on her trip, I came back inside and got ready to go visit Adam at school. It was Friday and my day off. I was going to surprise him and take him lunch. We hadn’t been able to see each other much over the last two weeks. Loraine had been on vacation, so I had worked nearly every day.
Tonight we were having our sixth date, and Adam was going to cook me dinner. At my house because his kitchen was so small and ill equipped. My toes were already tingling with anticipation of a repeat of the night we shared after the carnival.
When I was sure I had everything I needed, I drove to the school. I identified myself at the door and was buzzed inside. I hadn’t been inside the elementary school since I was a student there, but almost nothing had changed.
Even Louise was still there as Adam’s secretary. She had always seemed so scary when I was a kid, and it seemed she still was. When I walked into the reception area where she sat, she lowered her chin and looked at me over the top of her glasses. They were connected to a silver chain that looped around her neck. I wondered if she really needed glasses or if she wore them just to look more formidable.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m here to see Adam…um, Mr. Branigan. I brought him lunch,” I said, holding up the little picnic basket I had packed.
“Hmmm, well Mr. Branigan is observing a class right now. You can wait if you like.”
“Okay,” I said and started to walk toward his office.
“You can wait out here,” Louise clarified sternly.
“Oh, right.”
I sat down and endured ten long minutes of silence as Louise typed quickly on her keyboard. When I heard voices in the hall, I tensed up. There was one voice I recognized, and it was not the one I was waiting for. Judging from the sour look on Louise’s face, she wasn’t too thrilled about it either.
Angela swept into the office in a swirl of perfume and fake laughter. She was with one of the older teachers that I recognized from my time as a student. What was she doing here? Adam hadn’t mentioned her lately, and I had hoped she had gone back to wherever she came from. Unfortunately that was not the case.
Angela glanced my way, but the narrowing of her eyes was the only acknowledgment she gave me. When she walked past me with the other woman into the student lounge off the reception area, I flipped her off. She didn’t see me, but it made me feel better. Until I saw Louise giving me the evil eye.
Shrinking down in my seat a little, I rolled my eyes. Here I was sitting outside the principal’s office and feeling like I’d been sent here be
cause I was in trouble.
Angela’s loud cackly laugh drifted out of the lounge. Because of the open door, I had no trouble hearing what she was saying.
“It’s one thing to sow your oats in private, but to let her come to the school…and dressed like that?” Angela said, and I heard the other woman agree.
What’s wrong with the way I was dressed. Sure I wasn’t wearing a cardigan set and a string of pearls, but there was nothing wrong with my high heeled boots, skinny jeans and v neck sweater. Was there?
The two women walked out of the lounge, and Angela’s eyes glowed with pure venom. She didn’t even know me, but she sure knew how to hit me where it hurt.
Louise cleared her throat and snapped, “Some people are trying to work here. Please keep your private conversations in private.”
The teacher hurried out the door, and even Angela looked dutifully scolded as she followed. For some reason I was no longer feeling like surprising Adam was a good idea. I took the picnic basket over and set it on Louise’s desk.
“Can you let Mr. Branigan know I dropped this off for him?”
Louise’s sharp eyes glanced from the basket to me. “I think he would prefer if you waited for him.”
“No, I have to go. Thank you.”
When I was back in my car, I cursed myself for being such a coward. Adam was my boyfriend, but Angela made me feel like I was the other woman. Again.
Checking the time, I thought that Poppy would probably be home from her morning classes by now. Taking a chance that she wasn’t working today, I stopped by her house on my way home.
Her car was parked on the street, and she answered on the first knock.
“Hi, Brooke! Come on in.”
“Hi. I won’t stay long. I just needed help with something.”
There were textbooks spread out over the coffee table.
“Stay as long as you want. I could use a break from studying. What’s up?”
I flopped down onto the couch and unzipped my boots.
“Tonight is my sixth date with Adam, and I want it to be perfect.”
“Ooooh. The sixth date, huh?” She obviously remembered the rules and what that meant.
“Well, if you want to look sexy, you came to the wrong place. You should wade through Lindsay’s closet. Or your own.”
I twisted a lock of hair around my fingers. “That’s the thing. I want to look less sexy. I want to look like a girl he could take home to meet his mother.”
Poppy looked confused. “Are you going to meet his mother tonight or are you going to have hot screaming sex?”
I rolled my eyes. “I want to look more like a girlfriend and less like a one night stand.”
“Well, if you want boring and plain, then I’m your girl.”
Poppy was anything but boring and plain. Ford would have set her straight if he heard her talking like that. But her clothes were a bit on the blah side. Exactly what I was looking for.
We spent over an hour going through Poppy’s closet. After trying on almost everything, I borrowed a pair of jeans that fit well but weren’t tight and a cardigan set. I had never seen Poppy wear it, and she said it was a gift from her mom. Her wardrobe consisted mainly of jeans and t-shirts or leggings and sweatshirts. As a college student who taught yoga, she didn’t have much reason for dressing up.
With my conservative outfit in hand, I headed home to take a nap and then get ready for my date. That was my plan anyway.
However, there was an unfamiliar car parked in my driveway when I got home. Gram was gone for the weekend, so it wasn’t someone visiting her. Adam was at work, so it wasn’t someone to see him. That left only one possibility.
My stomach sank at the prospect of who it could be. As I parked and walked around to the front of the house, sure enough, there was my mother sitting on the front porch smoking a cigarette.
Being only sixteen years older than me, she wasn’t even forty yet. I must have gotten my good genes from her, because she still looked good even after years of drinking, drugs and hard partying. Her hair was the same vibrant shade of red, and her body was still rocking. My green eyes must be the only thing I got from my father, because hers were blue.
“Thank God you’re home. I thought I was going to freeze to death sitting out here,” she said dramatically.
It was probably in the fifties. A little cold for the end of September, but nowhere near freezing. But she had been living in California for years, so she wasn’t used to the New York weather anymore.
“You’re early, Naomi. You’re not supposed to be here until next week.”
“Yeah, well, my job finished up early.”
I interpreted that as she got fired before she could quit. I unlocked the front door and Naomi slung a duffle bag over her shoulder and followed me inside. Looking around, she whistled.
“The place looks good. I can’t believe Mom finally remodeled and brought the house out of the 1900s.”
The remodeling had taken place four years earlier, and Naomi had been here once since then. She was probably too high during her last visit to remember anything.
“Gram’s out of town until Monday, and I have plans tonight. So you’re going to have to entertain yourself,” I said as I started walking up the stairs to my room.
Looking over my shoulder I saw she looked slightly disappointed. I briefly regretted that I wouldn’t be able to watch her tonight and keep her out of trouble. But my date with Adam was too important.
I also realized we wouldn’t be able to cook here now. Even if Naomi found something to do out of the house, I wasn’t going to risk her randomly walking in on us. In my room I set Poppy’s clothes on the bed and pulled my phone out of my purse. I saw there was a text from Adam waiting on me.
Adam: Thanks for lunch. I wish I could have seen you.
Me: You’re welcome. I had stuff to do.
Adam: Looking forward to tonight.
Me: Me too. But we need to do it at your house.
Adam: We can do it wherever you want.
I smacked my hand on my forehead. I hadn’t meant it like that.
Me: The cooking. We have to cook dinner at your place.
Adam: Cooking? Is that what you kids are calling it now?
I rolled my eyes at my phone.
Me: My mom showed up early.
Adam: Oh. Are you okay?
Me: Yes. Can’t wait to see you.
Adam: Four hours.
I smiled knowing he was counting down the hours until our six o’clock date.
My mom stepped into my room and I immediately regretted not shutting my door.
“Do you want to go out and get some lunch?” she asked.
“I already ate,” I lied. I had been planning to eat with Adam, but that didn’t work out. But spending the afternoon with Naomi was not appealing, and I would probably have to pay for her.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll just go unpack and see you later,” she said.
“Okay.” I kicked the door shut behind her and locked it to prevent anymore unwanted visits. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep when I lay down.
Thank God I had set my alarm for 5:00, because I was still in a dead sleep when it went off. My first instinct was to hit snooze, and then I remembered why I had to get up. My date with Adam. And I only had one hour to get ready.
I jumped into the shower and dried my hair in record time. Instead of my usual sexy waves, I straightened my hair and slipped on a head band. After putting on Poppy’s clothes, I studied my reflection in the mirror that hung on the back of my door.
Scrunching up my nose, I thought I looked like a Sunday school teacher. But that’s what I was going for, I reminded myself. If things progressed with Adam, I hoped to someday meet his parents. The girl in the mirror was the type of girl parents would like.
Naomi was sprawled on the couch with a beer in her hand when I walked through on my way to the kitchen.
“I have a date, so I don’t know when or if I’ll be back.”
&
nbsp; She looked me up and down. “You look…nice.”
“Thanks.”
And with that I left. Adam’s car wasn’t in the driveway yet, so I sat on the back porch. It was better than sitting inside and making inane small talk with my so called mother.
Chapter Twenty
Adam
Being a Friday, most of the teachers high-tailed it out of here right after the dismissal bell rang at 3:45 pm. I was itching to run for the doors too, but I stayed until 5:00 pm like I always did. It wouldn’t set a good precedent to start leaving early too. But the second that minute hand ticked to the twelve, I was locking my door and bidding a good weekend to Louise.
Mrs. Larkin was supposed to have dropped off some proposals for new PTO events today, but she hadn’t shown yet. She could leave them with Louise or put them in my box if she showed up after I left. But no way in hell was I waiting around any longer.
In my hands I carried my briefcase as well as the picnic basket that Lindsay had brought me for lunch. It was a pleasant surprise when I returned to my office over the lunch hour, but I felt a surge of disappointment that I had missed seeing her. We hadn’t had much time together over the past couple of weeks, and I was missing her. Not to mention the fact that this was our sixth date didn’t escape me. Not for a second.
When I pulled into the grocery store, I had to scrap my original plans for dinner. My kitchenette could not support the meal I wanted to make. I grabbed a basket and walked aimlessly through the aisles waiting for inspiration to strike. My cooking skills were limited, so it wasn’t like I had a huge repertoire of recipes to pull from.
I was weighing the possibility of serving her pizza - again - when I heard a familiar voice.
“Adam.”
Thankfully I was facing the other way so Angela couldn’t see the expression that crossed my face. Or maybe she should. Clearly she wasn’t getting the hint. Just today she had popped by the school to have lunch with one of the teachers who was suddenly her new best friend. Angela had informed me before she left that she was only in town for a few more days. Thank God. But she would be returning in October to interview for an assistant professor position at the local college. Fuck.
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