by Bee Daniels
"You're so wet for me, Mel," Noah whispered against her lips. "Get up for me."
She did, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, Noah pulled her yoga pants to the floor. Melanie giggled as he kissed her hip while removing her panties. She pulled him up to his feet, pressing kisses against his neck as he unbuckled his pants. Layer by layer, they removed each other's clothes until they were naked. Noah reached for his wallet, and before he could take the condom out himself, Melanie did it for him even going as far as placing it on him. It was sexy when she took control like that, showing that she desired him just as much as he desired her.
Noah dropped back down on the couch, and Melanie followed him down, climbing on top of him before she slowly descended on his length all the way to the hilt. Melanie closed her eyes as she bit down on her lip before she bounced up and down on him, and Noah met her, thrusting upward.
She was so wet, and a part of Noah wished that there was no condom between them so he could really feel how sweet Melanie was. But the other part of him, the sensible one, knew that he wasn't ready for the responsibilities that went along with unprotected sex. He trusted that Melanie had taken care of herself and didn't have any sexually transmitted diseases. But he didn't trust that his pullout game would be enough, especially after the first time they had made that mistake, which Noah didn't do often at all.
His father always warned him of getting a girl pregnant before his career started, and though Noah has dismissed many of his father's rules, that wasn't one of them. Bringing life to the world was a serious thing, and he only wanted to do it with the woman he would marry when they were both stable and ready to raise a child. Noah wasn't ready to be a father yet, but as Melanie rose up and down on his dick, soon to milk him of all his worth, a part of him felt like it would be a waste if it wasn't inside of her.
"Oh," Melanie moaned, grinding on top of him. Her moans were music to his ears and were sending him over the edge. Afraid of losing control too fast, and not wanting this to be over, Noah stopped her, breathing heavily. Melanie whimpered as Noah pulled her up before he put her on all fours and took her from behind. He fucked into her, enjoying the way her ass bounced on his cock. It looked so fucking good.
Melanie gasped, and Noah kept thrusting even after he felt her clench around him as she orgasmed. He thrust inside of her until he came himself. He fell heavily on top of her back, spent and satisfied. Well, at least satisfied for now. Just feeling her body beneath his made him want to go for round two.
"Christmas sex is great," Noah murmured in Melanie's ear, and he smiled when he saw her roll her eyes.
After they both caught their breaths, they showered together. And though they were supposed to clean their bodies, with the way they touched each other, they couldn't help but have each other again before they finally came out.
After dressing, they laid on the couch together, watching Home Alone until Melanie went back to her room to grab something. When she came back, she had a small neatly wrapped box in her hand.
"You got me a gift too?" Noah asked as he felt a warm feeling in his chest. Their relationship was so new that he hadn't expected her to get him a gift. And even if she hadn't gotten him one, being with her was a gift enough alone. Even so, Noah was happy that she had gotten him one.
"Yeah," Melanie said shyly as she placed the small box in his hand. "I hope you like it."
"It doesn't matter what it is, I'll love it," Noah said, and he meant it because the simple fact she had gotten a present for him was enough alone. The thought of Melanie thinking about him without him having to ask her that he wanted a gift made him happy.
Noah had none of the poise Melanie had, and immediately, he ripped through the wrapping and opened his gift. To his delight and surprise, inside of the box was a gold necklace with a pair of hockey sticks. Noah pulled it out of the box, taking a closer look at it. On the front of the hockey stick, was his name. But on the back of the opposite hockey stick, it had Melanie's name.
"I saw it by chance," Melanie explained, "while I was passing by the mall, and I thought it suited you. You said you wished you had me with you at every game, and I thought this was the way I can always be with you even when I'm not there."
Noah swallowed thickly, moved by her gift. He looked into Melanie's sweet brown eyes, taking in the sight of the woman who made him most happy before he pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly.
"Okay, don't break my bones now," Melanie joked, and Noah laughed before he dropped a kiss on her head.
When he pulled back, Melanie took the opportunity to take the necklace and put it on his neck.
"Do you like it?" Melanie asked, admiring the necklace.
"I love it," Noah said. "I love it a lot, and I'll always wear it."
Melanie smiled brightly, and Noah pulled her into a hug again. This was a better Christmas than he would have ever imagined it to be, and Melanie had made it that way just being next to him.
As they sat together, watching the rest of Home Alone, Noah couldn't help but think about what the next semester would bring. Everything would be different. He wouldn't see her every day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He wouldn't see her during tutoring. It would all be new for them.
"Merry Christmas, Melanie," Noah told her.
"Merry Christmas, Noah," she said back, kissing his cheek.
Noah hoped it would be this way forever.
CHAPTER
37
NOAH
“N
OW THAT WE’VE MADE IT TO THE FINALS. We have a very good chance of taking it all the way home. But, to achieve that, we need you at your best, Noah," Coach Benson said, leaning back his seat. They sat across from another in his office during practice. The rest of the players were doing drills while Noah spoke to Coach Benson privately.
Noah digested his coach's words, nodding. He didn't think himself arrogant; he wasn't the only important member on the team. Noah knew Coach Benson was putting so much pressure on him because he had the biggest chances of getting drafted compared to anyone else on the team.
Most people who wanted to play in the NHL didn't go to college. Noah made that choice because he had something to prove; because he wanted recruiters and his future teammates to see him as more than Allen Walker's son, who skated there on his father's name. Hell, Noah wanted his father to see him as more as a man outside of him who could create his own legacy with his own skills. A few of the other players had the potential to get drafted, but most players on the team hockey careers would end here.
The pressure Coach Benson put on him was so he could be the best, and Noah didn't mind it at all. When Noah first joined this team, he had been worried that he had bit off more than he can chew. At first, his father wanted him to go straight to the league, with him already speaking to prospective teams on his behalf. But when Noah first decided to make his own way, he decided that to prove his skill, he couldn't go to one of the best colleges with the best teams. So, he decided it was best to come to Weston. Their team hadn't been terrible, but until he had come here, the same year Coach Benson had come, the team hadn't made it to the finals in years. Now, they were still in the game with a huge possibility of winning. Noah couldn't start to slack and let arrogance get to him.
"Okay, Coach," Noah said.
"And to do that, you need to keep your head in the game. Don't distract yourself with unnecessary things. I hope this time around you did not choose any courses that would be too hard for you." Coach Benson gave him a pointed glare, and Noah couldn't help but laugh. He would never make that mistake again. He doubted he would ever come across another professor like Melanie, and though technically, picking that psychology course had been one of the best decisions of his life, he did not want to test it out twice. Besides, he doubted that he would ever be able to find another hot professor like Melanie ever again. He would stick with the gold he had found and never go back.
"I picked my courses for the next semester,
and none of them are hard. Don't worry. I checked RateMyProfessor this time," Noah joked, and Coach Benson nodded relieved.
"Okay, no school troubles, and no girl troubles either. I know you're the big shot on campus because of who you are but lay off it. The last thing I need is you boohooing about some girl you accidentally got pregnant so that it can knock you off your game."
Noah grinned, amused by Coach Benson's advice. "You don't have to worry about any of that. You probably won't hear about me with too many girls this semester anyway. I'm only focused on one now."
Coach Benson blinked, surprised, and Noah could not blame him. He was not necessarily known for being a one-person guy. He never had the chance to, and many of the girls he had shared his bed with did not capture his interest beyond that. But now that he was with Melanie, all of his focus would be on hockey and her. There would be no other girls in his life when he had the woman he wanted beside him. He was no fool and would do nothing that would cause him to lose Melanie after he fought so hard to have her.
"Still," Coach Benson said as he leaned lower in his seat, causing his rolling chair to squeak. "Be careful about these girls. Excuse my language and no disrespect, but they're vultures. They see a player like you, and already they're ready to be wives because they're looking for a payday. Don't let one of these vultures get their hooks on you before you become a man too soon in every sense of the word. They know where you're going, kid, and the potential you have. Don't give them the opportunity to leech on that."
Noah understood what his coach was saying. He had been warned many times before even by his own father, who told him to be careful. Most girls either wanted him for his looks or to be with a hockey player. But Noah didn't have to worry about that with Melanie. She wasn't like that at all.
Noah knew how much Melanie wanted to avoid a relationship with him. Besides, from the way Melanie lived, she clearly had her own and was a grown woman who could take care of herself. She didn't look at him like he was a piggy bank. Melanie wanted him for him, not for who he could be.
"Again," Noah said, grinning, feeling pride in his chest, knowing he was with someone like Melanie. "You don't have to worry about this. She isn't like that."
"Who is this girl, anyway?" Coach Benson asked curiously as he sat up, leaning his elbows on the table. "The way you're talking, you sound like you're in love. Have I ever seen her?"
"Sorry, Coach. Got to keep things like this private, but one day, I'll tell you who she is."
Really, right now, Noah wanted to tell Coach Benson the truth. But he still remembered the conversation he had with Melanie the night before the break was over. They would keep their relationship a secret for now.
"Well, I'm glad you found yourself a nice girl so you can settle down and stop messing with all the girls' skirts on campus. Now, only if I can find myself the perfect woman," Coach Benson said, shaking his head before he grinned to himself. "Well, technically, I did find her. I just have to get her to see why I'm a great guy now. Word of advice, when you start dating women, you'll realize that you have to work hard for them. No amount of pretty words is going to get them to want to be with you. They want more than that."
"Who is it?" Noah asked, though he suspected who it was.
"Professor Bryant," Coach Benson said, grinning. "One of these days, I'm going to get her to go out on a date with me."
Noah couldn't stop the frown forming on his face. It was moments like these that he really wished he could tell the truth. He didn't like the silly grin on Coach Benson's face like he was imagining himself being with Melanie. Noah didn't like it at all. Melanie was his, and he wanted the whole world to know that, and eventually, they would.
CHAPTER
38
MELANIE
T
HE SPRING SEMESTER OFFICIALLY STARTED, AND MELANIE HAD MORE COURSES THAN SHE HAD FOR THE FALL. Melanie didn't mind it too much. After having many patients and handling the problems of others, it was somewhat freeing to use her knowledge to help other people learn instead.
This time she was teaching an upper-level course, and surprisingly, Melanie saw quite a few of her old students, including Julie. When Melanie saw her, Julie waved at her, and Melanie was happy to see Julie in her class again. Julie grasped the concepts with ease compared to most of her students. She was also very thoughtful and empathetic, which were traits many great psychologists needed to have— a curiosity about the human brain. If she kept it up, she could be a great psychologist one day.
After class finished, all of Melanie's students filed out of her classroom except for one— Julie. She approached Melanie at her desk.
“Glad to see you in my class, Julie,” Melanie said, greeting her with a warm smile. Julie smiled back.
“Thanks, Professor Bryant,” she said. When Melanie noticed the way Julie buckled back and forth on the bottom of her heels, and how her eyes darted around in nowhere in particular, Melanie could tell Julie had come to her with a question.
“How may I help you, Julie? Was there something you didn’t understand on the syllabus?” Melanie asked curiously, wondering what Julie had to ask her. Luckily, unlike Melanie's other classes, there was not another class that immediately followed this one with this being her last course for the day.
“I want to ask if I can be one of your student helpers,” Julie said as she nervously played with the straps on her bag. “I really want to learn more, and I think if I’m able to work under you, I’ll be able to do that. Now that I’ve changed my major to psychology, I really want to catch up and learn as much as I possibly can.”
“So, you want to be like a Teacher’s Assistant?” Melanie asked. Usually, Teacher’s Assistants were only reserved for grad students. And Melanie wasn’t quite sure that she really needed a student helper, but seeing how eager Julie was to learn, Melanie felt bad at the thought of denying her. Julie was a smart girl who genuinely held an interest in psychology. Melanie didn't want to be the one to deter her from learning more. Besides, it never hurt to have too much help.
“Okay,” Melanie said, ignoring the nagging part of her that told her this was a bad idea; that nagging part that knew about Julie’s crush on Noah. But then again, it didn’t really matter too much. It’s not like Noah was taking one of her classes, nor could Melanie stop it if Noah and Julie were to take another course together this year. With general courses, anything was possible.
“You can help during my Developmental Psychology course on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.”
“Oh my gosh,” Julie said as she bounced on her heels. “Thank you so much, Professor Bryant. I really appreciate this.”
“Do you have a class coming up now?” Melanie asked as she grabbed her bag. Julie shook her head.
“Good. Follow me to my office so I can give you some of the things you need. The students will ask you questions, so it will be helpful that you remain ahead of them as much as you can.”
While they walked out of the building across the campus to Prince Hall, where Melanie’s office was, Melanie went over some of the things Julie would need to do. Though Melanie was glad that Julie was eager, that didn’t mean she would simply go easy on her because of it either. Julie would have to work hard if she wanted this, and Melanie would not put up with her slacking or missing days. The one thing Melanie hated most in this world were people half-assing their jobs.
When they finally made it to her office, Melanie sorted through some of her paperwork for her Developmental Psychology course while also printing out some of the necessary files Julie would need. They were barely in her office for ten minutes before there was a knock on her door, and someone stepped inside. Melanie sucked in a breath when she saw Noah. Noah gave her a warm smile, the one he always gave her in the mornings before he kissed her breathless. That smile immediately disappeared when he saw Julie. He arched a brow, confused. Melanie couldn’t blame him. It wasn't her office hours, and Melanie forgot that she told Noah this morning that a
round this time, they would leave campus so they could get lunch together.
“Hey, Noah,” Julie said as she stood from her chair. A deep frown appeared on her face as she looked at him curiously. “Wait. Why are you here? You aren’t a psychology major.”
Once again, Melanie found herself breathless. To say she was scared was an understatement. She was terrified. When Melanie realized she and Noah would be leaving their safe haven to go out into the real world, she knew that everything would change for them. Melanie knew she would have to worry about the judgment of others, and that they would have to keep their relationship a secret. She also knew that it was small moments like these that could escalate into something big. One small moment of someone noticing something strange could change everything. Julie could go from asking why Noah was here now to later asking why Noah was always spending time with his professor. That’s how it always started and almost always ended tragically.
Melanie tried to find some excuse to tell Julie so she would not become suspicious of their relationship. At first, it would have been easy to say that Noah was here for classwork or tutoring. But Noah wasn’t a psychology major, and he had already passed her class. There was really no reason for him being here, not one that people would believe anyway.
“I don’t take psychology courses anymore because I don’t have the time, but I really enjoyed learning it, so Mel— Professor Bryant was nice enough to keep teaching me during her spare time. I still like to learn from her. She’s a great…motivator.”
Melanie slapped on a forced smile as her eyes glared daggers at him. She had a feeling that motivator comment had a double meaning to it.
When Melanie heard her printer beep, indicating that everything had been printed, she grabbed the last of the paperwork Julie would need and handed them to her.