Kept by the Professor

by Sasha Gold

  I proceed with a very bad idea. “I could cook you breakfast.”

  “Don’t you have class?”

  “Not until this afternoon.”

  “How about we cook together?”

  Swallowing hard, I nod. Why is it that half the stuff that comes out of this man’s mouth sounds like it has a double meaning? He follows me inside. This is the second time he’s been in my house. The first time was only a few hours ago. It feels like it’s been years.

  We wash up. I set out bacon and eggs. He mans the stove while I brew coffee. I stem some strawberries. When I pop one in my mouth, he gives me a side-eye. Feeling brave, I lift one to his mouth and he takes it from my fingers. His lips send a jolt of sparks down my arm and across my torso. I give a murmur of surprise as my nipples grow hard and sensitive.

  “This is dangerous.” His lips quirk. “Reckless.”

  “I’m delirious from lack of sleep. Exhaustion makes me feel reckless.”

  “Really?” He arches his brow, turns off the stove, shoves the pan aside and moves closer. “How reckless?”

  He towers over me. His broad shoulders and powerful physique make me feel small and vulnerable. But instead of wanting to gain some distance from him, I want to get closer. I want to inhale his scent, run my fingertips across the hard expanse of his chest.

  Before I can answer, he tugs my ponytail holder and lets my hair tumble past my shoulders. He runs his fingers through the strands. A groan rumbles across his chest. The look in his eyes darkens from playful to something else entirely. Lust. Hunger. Desire.

  Gathering the long tresses, he winds my hair around his hand. Tightening his fist, he tugs my hair just enough to give a little sting, but definitely enough to show he’s in charge. There’s a predatory gleam in his eye. My heart jackhammers against my ribs.

  “Ryker,” I whisper. “Why did you pay the vet bill?”

  He lowers to whisper in my ear. “Because I want to kiss you.”

  “That’s… sort of wrong.”

  “It’s totally wrong.”

  His presses a soft kiss below my ear. The touch of his lips against that tender spot sends a surge of need through my body. Sparks dance across my skin. My legs weaken. I sway unsteadily. His hold tightens. He lifts me off my feet. The instant he has me in his arms, things happen so quickly, my mind blurs. His mouth is on my neck. My legs wrap around his waist.

  He bumps a bookshelf. It crashes to the floor. Something rolls down the hall. A chair tips over. The table scritches across the hardwood floor, and then he’s laying me down on the couch. He brushes a kiss across my lips and then draws back, a smile curving his mouth. That wasn’t much of a kiss. I can’t hold back a moan because I need more.

  Ryker’s eyes glitter with wicked amusement. “Your turn.”

  “To kiss you?”

  “Right. Then you can tell me if my kiss makes you feel something.”

  He hasn’t even given me a proper kiss and he’s wrecked my brain along with parts of my house. Trying to evade his predatory look, I tear my eyes from his and steal a quick glance at the path of destruction.

  He cups my jaw and coaxes my attention back to him. “You’re fixing to lose your turn.”

  “This is more than a kiss,” I whisper.

  “Damned straight. It’s a challenge. I want to be the man who is going to give you your first, real kiss.”

  This – every bit of this – is all sorts of insane. He paid the dog’s bill so he could kiss me? He’s carried me to the couch and sprawled across me demanding a kiss because of a challenge. Anger flickers inside me, trying desperately to ignite.

  “Time’s up,” he says softly. “I think I’ve diagnosed the problem.”

  The anger flares a little hotter. Thank goodness. I press my lips together and shake my head. I’m sure the gesture makes me look like I’m a bratty middle-schooler, but for some reason he laughs and nods.

  “Right,” he says. “I understand now. The problem is pretty clear.”

  “You’re full of it,” I snap. I try to wriggle away from him, but he pushes me back to the cushions.

  He grasps my wrists and lifts them over my head and lowers, stopping when his lips are just a fraction of an inch from mine. “You’re afraid to give up control.”

  “I am?”

  “You don’t have to be afraid, Lilly.” He almost sounds like he’s taunting me. “It’s just a kiss.”

  I’m not afraid. Maybe I should be. He’s tossed me around like I’m a rag doll. There’s a debris trail across the room, one that leads straight to Ryker. He’s like a force of nature, and being so close to him makes me realize how much bigger he is than me. His shoulders have to be twice the span of mine. His arms look like tree trunks, and those hands look like they could bend steel.

  I can feel the power of his thickly muscled chest and it steals my breath. But I’m not afraid. Not really, even though he’s got my wrists in an iron grip and I’m pinned beneath him.

  He holds me in place, right where he wants me, and presses his lips to mine. The kiss is soft and tender, and once more I’m aware of the need for more. Any argument I had a moment before vanishes. I give myself over to him. I relax, sink into the pillows and submit to his touch.

  Another sound, this time more of a desperate whimper, escapes my lips. He gives me an answering growl and deepens the kiss, claiming my mouth with his. His chest muscles tighten, turning to wrought iron, rubbing against my breasts and making me squirm. I need more of his kiss. More of his touch. Just more.

  He releases my wrists and trails his palms down my arms to my torso. His fingers tighten around my side. He explores the length of my neck with small biting kisses as I thread my fingers through his hair. I arch beneath him, offering more of my neck. A low growl of approval rumbles across his chest. His rough, unshaven jaw abrades my skin. The sting makes me gasp, but I don’t want him to stop. Not ever.

  His hand slips below my shirt. With a smooth flick of his fingers, my bra is unsnapped and he cups my bare breast. An instant later he’s stroking my nipple with his hard, callused thumb.

  “Oh, Ryker,” I breathe. The shock of his hand on bare skin sends waves of desire burning down my body. I’m trembling beneath him.

  His hand stills. “Okay, sweetheart?”

  “Yes.” I close my eyes and nod. “Please.”

  His laugh is soft and teasing and maybe even a little self-satisfied. I should smack his hand away. Instead I’m bowing my back, seeking more of his wicked touch.

  His breath is warm against my neck. “You’re so beautiful. So sexy.”

  He kisses my breast and in a single, astonishing instant, he sucks my nipple between his lips. And I think I’ve just fainted. But no. I close my eyes and try to keep breathing so I don’t actually faint. He draws my nipple into his hot mouth. Soft, pleading sounds briefly draw my attention until I realize the sounds are coming from me.

  He strokes his tongue across my nipple.

  A rush of sensation swirls inside me. My defenses crumble. I cling to him. My body was made for this, made for him, and every single one of my responses is in answer to his masterful touch. A wave of arousal washes over me, lifting me, awakening me and carrying me with a force I can’t stop. He’s just kissing my breast, nothing more, so how come I feel like I might come hard? He’s not even touching my wet pussy.

  I’m panting and begging. He holds me in his arms, teasing me mercilessly with his lips and tongue. My thoughts blur. I arch and cry out. A shudder rolls through my body as I breathe his name. He wraps me in a tighter hold as my climax crests and slowly subsides. We lay together, a tangle of limbs, both of us trying to catch our breath. My mind spins. Shock gives way to mortification. He strokes my cheek, traces his finger along my jaw. I glance at him but quickly look away, unable to hold his gaze for longer than just an instant.

  I swallow hard, trying to think of what to say. I suppose this is the part where I do something for him, but I can’t imagine making him lose his mind.
My dilemma must be pretty obvious because he kisses me gently.

  “You should rest,” he says, his voice gruff.

  I try to sit up, but he stops me, setting a hand on my shoulder to coax me back. He tugs a blanket from the back of the couch and spreads it across me. The movements are slow, deliberate and incredibly tender, but his expression gives nothing away. I don’t want to know what he’s thinking. I just want to hide under the blanket.

  He leans down to kiss me, a gesture so sweet that it wrecks my fragile defenses.

  “I didn’t know it could be like that,” I whisper.

  “Neither did I,” he says quietly.

  Chapter Six

  Ryker

  I leave Lilly’s house because I need to get away. Now. If I don’t leave now, I know I’ll give in to the lust burning through my veins. I could just take her. Make her mine.

  But I won’t.

  Not without taking my time. She deserves a sweet and slow seduction because Lilly’s different. As the sun rose and lit her face, my world shifted. I looked at her and knew. Lilly’s mine. My girl. My forever. I suspected as much when I first saw her standing in the middle of the kitchen. Part of me tried to deny the strong attraction. Any doubt I tried to hold on to fell away the moment before I told her I’d do anything for her. And then, like a fool, I’d kissed her. I hadn’t expected more than a kiss but things escalated. I felt like I’d died and gone to heaven when she clung to me and fell apart.

  I stand on her front step, wishing I could go back to her. I push the thought away and start back to my house. Even though I can’t stop thinking about her climax, I’m pissed that I gave in to temptation because, if she thought I was a player before, she’s going to be certain now.

  When I get to the back porch, I yank the door open so hard one of the hinges rips free. The door hangs by the other. Wood splinters jut from the gash in the doorframe. Muttering a curse, I punch the metal plate back into the wood with the palm of my hand, close the door and lean against the wood panel. I close my eyes as my brain replays what just happened.

  The whole thing started as a kiss, a freaking hot kiss, and ended with some sort of natural phenomenon. An eclipse or a tidal wave. Maybe an earthquake thrown in for good measure. I groan as I recall the soft, desperate sound of her orgasm. My only regret is that I didn’t see her face as she came for me.

  Tonight. I’m going to have her in my bed tonight. I’m going to have my bedroom ablaze with candles and the flowers she likes. I’ll see the instant she comes apart. I’ll watch my little Lilly’s moment of truth.

  I have to work today, but after I’m done with classes, I’m going to set my plan in motion. Dinner. Romance. A slow, sensuous seduction. My thoughts turn to having Lilly in my bed and kissing every inch of her body. If she can climax with my mouth on her breast, I’d like to see what else I can do to her sweet, innocent body.

  Upstairs, I strip, eager to get out of my jeans and boxers. They’re about to cut off my blood circulation to my cock because I can’t stop thinking about her scent, the silky softness of her skin and the taste of her kiss.

  A slow, wicked burn of lust burns my veins. I stand beneath the shower head, welcoming the cold water as it sprays across my shoulders. She’d writhed in my arms. When she came, she melted. Her sweet cries echo in my mind. A snarl tears from my throat. My muscles tense. I can’t stop the loop of film and sound that winds through my mind.

  I close my eyes and see her, naked on my bed, but with the covers pulled up to her eyes. I’m standing beside the bed, telling her that she woke me in the middle of the night, and I’m angry. I reach down and start to pull the blanket away, and she grabs it and pulls it completely over her head.

  The sassy mouth. Her fine ass. It’s too much. I roar like a beast and throw the blanket off her, pouncing on her and kissing, nipping and licking every part of her. The movie in my mind is playing at hyper speed, and then I bury my face between her legs, my hands behind her knees, pushing her legs back to open her up… and the thought makes me cum. I mean, I actually cum, standing here in the shower, with cold water hitting my back. Not a full load, but a small orgasm that would normally be a step toward the full one. I reach down and squeeze the head of my cock, and there it is, precum.

  This girl is like no other I’ve ever met. Not even in my teen years did I have that happen, like a wet dream while fully awake. I run my hand up and down my shaft, using the precum as a lubricant, because, that’s what it is, and I briefly consider jacking off all the way to the end. But I want to save it for her. I want to give it all to her, my size, my load… my love.

  My love… What am I saying? And then it hits me. I’m done. Done with being a bachelor. Twenty four hours ago I was riding my motorcycle, just another job ahead of me. Now, I’m done, slave to my heart, and I like how it feels.

  I quickly soap and rinse, remembering that I have a job, students to teach, and I haven’t done anything to prep for it. I dry off quickly and go to shave. I lift the razor to my jaw, but my hands shake so I toss the razor aside in disgust. My first day of work. I’d like to show up clean-shaven. That’s not going to fucking happen, not without bloodshed.

  I try to keep her from my thoughts, but I can’t help picturing how she looked when I left her, sleeping on the couch, her blonde hair framing her pretty face, her clothes rumpled and a lacy bra dangling from the armrest.

  I don’t even have her cell number, and not because I accidentally, on-purpose didn’t get it like I might have done in the past. I need more of this girl tonight. No, that’s not true. I need all of this girl. The sounds she made belong to me. I own them. I own them today and I own every single sound of pleasure that she’ll ever make.

  I wrap my towel around my hips and go to my office. It’s not totally set up, but I have what I need. I don’t have access to the student records yet, at least not officially. That’s not a problem. Not for me. I bypass the security questions. Seven seconds later, I have Miss Lilly Wharton’s cell number.

  Let her sleep, the angel on my shoulder scolds. On my other shoulder, the devil scoffs. Fuck sleep, right? I text her, a brief message about dinner tonight. I shouldn’t take a student out, but I’m a little beyond caring about that shit.

  She texts back. Maybe.

  Say yes, or I’ll spank you. I reply.

  A minute passes. I imagine she’s outraged by the idea, but I’ll bet she’s thinking a little about it too.

  I’ll think about it

  Two spankings

  That’s disgusting

  Three

  Fine! Dinner! Yes!

  I toss the phone to the bed with a snort of amusement. I’d like to text back the word ‘four’ but refrain. I need to get my thoughts in line with something that halfway resembles professionalism. I dress in jeans, boots and a reasonably presentable button-down. A sports coat and tie hide some of the wrinkles.

  A job alert comes in, a short five-day consult in Oulu, Finland. I don’t think so. The last time I went to northern Finland in the summer, my sleep was all sorts of fucked up for a month. I need more than two hours of darkness at night, thank you very much. Plus, I’m not leaving Lilly even if the paycheck is six figures.

  Another text from my sister, bitching that I didn’t come by the ranch before starting work at Grenville College. The whole reason I took a job here was to be close to home for a bit. She doesn’t appreciate the gesture, though, and demands that I come to dinner. Soon. The text is laced with a few insults. I have to smile at my sister’s message.

  Too busy. After the semester’s over.

  Headhunters from all over the world offer me a small fortune for a few days’ work. Billionaires, mega corporations and governments listen to every word I say about cyber security. My sister texts me back to remind me that I’m her little, nuisance brother. Nice. Dinner is officially two weeks from today. That’s when mom and dad can make it. I’d better be there if I know what’s good for me. I fire a text back, assuring her I’ll be there.

/>   I drive to school to meet with the dean. We talk about the two classes I’m teaching. It’s pretty straightforward. The programming class is on a familiar language, and the other is an underclass math course that I could teach in my sleep.

  The dean wants to show me some of the school’s systems, but I avoid the subject. I was hired to install cyber security protocols for the school, but the work won’t start until classes are done. I’m not on the clock, technically, until classes are over and don’t want to start the project till then.

  I’m just filling in for the last two weeks of the semester, a last-minute request. I agreed because I enjoy teaching. Once that’s out of the way, I have a one-month contract to install CS procedures for Grenville, just like I’ve done for a dozen other schools and government agencies.

  I head to my third-floor office in the faculty wing. I have a meeting in half an hour with my TA, after that I have the computer class. The freshman math class is mid-afternoon which isn’t exactly the best time for first-year students. I wonder if any of them will bother showing up for a three o’clock class. Lilly sends me a text, acting all awkward about the dog’s vet bill. She’s wondering if I really think the dog belongs to me. I respond to her from inside my office. I should leave her the hell alone, at least until the semester is over, but I won’t.

  I text her back. We’ll talk over dinner.

  She doesn’t respond.

  After ten minutes, I text her again. How is the dog?

  He’s fine. Surgery went well. Maybe I’ll tell you about it later.

  Maybe? How did we get back to maybe?

  I can’t help smiling, thinking of the little guy. Last night he was in sad shape. I can’t stand to see an animal suffer. I’m relieved he’s come through surgery. I’m also pleased that I have a living creature bonding me to Lilly, something other than the kiss we shared this morning. I can’t stop thinking about the kiss, but I can tell she’s embarrassed. She’s giving me push-back and the vet bill gives me a bargaining chip. Yeah, I’m a bastard. I’m in it to win it.