Naughty Professor - A Standalone Teacher Romance

by Claire Adams

  "That's not Joshua's style," Corsica said between pursed lips.

  "What about your style?" I fought the urge to shake her. "What about this great break you got? Don't you want to enjoy it? It's not just a 'fun summer job' and I don't want to hear you knocking it down like that."

  She spun to face me with flashing eyes. "It's just a few nights of singing. I'm not in it for the money, but the money will be important when our little deal is done. I need to pay my rent, buy food, and support myself."

  "Corsica, please. I know what it's like to be scared of giving up everything for a dream, but you have to believe it's worth it."

  "Says the man that did it all with a golden parachute," she snapped.

  I cursed my father again. "I never intended to take anything from my father then and I'm not going to now."

  "But you have the comfort of knowing it's there if you need it." Corsica wrapped her arms around her. "I don't have anything or anyone. Once I'm done helping you, I'm on my own again, and I have to make sure I can make it. The chances of making it on a singer's salary is very, very slim and you know it."

  "So it's not worth it?"

  Corsica turned away from me, back to the waves. "You don't understand. It's working out for you and it always will. I swear there's some twisted law in the universe that says the rich will always get what they want while the poor will always have to work. So, I don't care if Joshua didn't say congratulations. He actually has my best interests at heart. You just want me to walk out on a ledge and hope I can keep my balance when the waves hit."

  A huge swell sprayed us with cold salt water. Corsica shivered and headed back up the path to the house.

  "Wait." I didn't know what to say, but I couldn't stand the idea of her leaving with Joshua. "I just want you to be happy. You can't tell me that he makes you happy."

  "What do you care if he makes me happy or not?" Corsica snapped.

  "Because I want to." She stopped on the path, and I reached out to spin her around. "I know you're helping me out this summer, but I want to help you, too. Didn't the audition make you happy? Aren't you excited to sing?"

  Her shoulders stiffened again. "Thanks for the introductions and the audition. I owe you one."

  I tipped her stubborn chin up so I could look into her eyes. "You don't owe me anything. That's the difference between me and him. Joshua thinks you owe him for all the careful grooming he's done. He expects that now you'll repay him by slipping right into the picture he's formed of his perfect life. You're not two-dimensional, and you can't let him do that to you."

  Corsica's eyes burned. "What if I like the look of his perfect life? What if that's what would make me happy?"

  "Liar," I snarled and caught her lips in a hard kiss. All the words I couldn't form pushed their way into that kiss as I held her tight.

  Corsica pushed her fists between us, but then her hands flattened out on my chest. When her fingers gripped the front of my shirt, I was lost. The kiss consumed us both. It inhaled the salty sea spray, the roar of the waves, and the curious call of her ex-boyfriend.

  We didn't hear Xavier until he was two feet away and laughing. "Guess that answers my question about the gentleman waiting in the driveway," he chuckled.

  Corsica pushed free of me. "I have to go."

  Xavier blocked her way. "I hope not. Alice has invited us to her place for dinner. No, that's putting it mildly. She's invited us for the big summer solstice celebration and, I promise you, it is not something you are going to want to miss."

  "And I'm not missing a chance to show-off my fiancée." I dropped my voice for her ears only, "And, we still have an agreement, right?"

  She scowled at me, then took a deep breath and addressed my father. "Luckily, I'm in the mood to celebrate. I got a singing gig today."

  They went together to break the news to Joshua, and I took my time. I knew I had won the evening by default and it wasn't enough. I was starting to wonder how much of Corsica would ever be enough. I had never wanted a woman so entirely and it was starting to worry me.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Corsica - 13

  "I'm sorry, Joshua, really I am, but I have a previous engagement tonight." I watched Joshua transform as he noticed Xavier Templeton.

  His smile was wider, the dimple giving a practiced wink. "Mr. Templeton, I'm sorry if I'm trespassing. I'll get out of your hair."

  Xavier waved an absent hand at Joshua and waited for Penn to walk up the front steps. "We'll give you two a moment."

  "And, nice to see you again, Mr. Penn," Joshua called.

  I worried that Penn was going to turn around and throttle him right there in the driveway. The sparks of jealousy I had seen in his eyes had turned into a four-alarm fire when we kissed. Now that his father had interrupted us again, Penn looked ready to explode.

  Joshua waited until they had gone inside the mansion and then he turned to me with a frown. "You're making good contacts here, I'll give you that, but I really wish you would let me help you. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about cultivating relationships like that."

  I licked my lips where they still tingled and wondered how Joshua would feel if I told him about the confusing relationship tangle I was getting into with Penn. I didn't even understand it myself. One moment, he was kissing me blissful and the next, he was answering a business call. One moment, we were flirting and touching like a real couple and the next, he'd turned it all into a lie we had to perform for his parents.

  Why wasn't I packing up and going back to Santa Cruz with Joshua? I wondered.

  He was still outlining the correct way to befriend someone as rich as Xavier Templeton, and I had my answer. Joshua was only interested in furthering his own career and I was to be a useful tool. Maybe Penn was right, because I could easily imagine the tight squeeze I would feel after Joshua pushed me into the role he'd envisioned.

  Penn, on the other hand, let me dangle.

  "Corsica? Are you listening?"

  I brushed back my hair with an impatient swipe. "I have to go inside and get ready. I'm sorry, Joshua."

  "Wait, wait, wait," he gave an incredulous laugh. "You can't seriously be telling me you plan on staying here. Is it the singing? You can find a place in Santa Cruz; there's that karaoke place all the tourists like. I just can't stand here and let you make the wrong decision."

  "It's my decision," I ground out. "I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, and I'm saying goodnight. Goodnight, Joshua."

  His expression was a mix of shock and pity. It was still irritating me as we drove towards Alice's encampment outside Pinnacles. Joshua honestly believed that I wasn't able to choose what was best for me.

  Xavier pulled me out of my furious thoughts. "Have you ever heard the term 'glamping?'"

  I blinked. "I think so. It's a mix of glamour and camping, right?"

  He signaled the driver to slow down so he could roll down the window. "I thought you might like the look of it more than sleeping in a bag in the dirt. Each tent is equipped with a full size bed, a solar-powered ceiling fan, and butler service. Who needs coolers and dirty campfire food when you have a man with a silver tray?"

  Penn snorted. "It's ridiculous. Even Corsica can see that it's a total waste. If that's what you want, then you should be in a fancy hotel."

  "Like the Ritz-Carlton?" I snapped.

  His eyes narrowed. "Exactly."

  I looked back out the window at the tents and spotted a chandelier illuminating one. "I think I would like glamping. All the comforts along with the peace and quiet of nature."

  "Where's the peace and quiet when a butler keeps checking in on you?" Penn asked.

  "What, you don't think I'm capable of making up my own mind about what kind of tent to stay in?" My voice rose a notch before I could get myself under control. "I can make my own decisions, thank you very much."

  Penn leaned forward across the seat. "Then before you decide, you should consider the alternatives. Imagine it's just you in the woods. Y
ou have a tent and a sleeping bag and everything you actually need. The difference is, you don't have any of the extras to weigh you down. There's no one there to judge your choices; there's no complicated choices at all. All you have to do is survive. I'm telling you, that's the most relaxed I've ever felt."

  I hated to admit that his argument appealed to me. It had been a long time since I hadn't felt tested, graded, and compared to others. Roughing it in the woods meant I would have no one to impress and no one to please but myself.

  And Penn. The thought seared through my mind before I could stop it. Ideas of how we would be together jumbled any counter-argument I might have been able to form.

  Xavier chuckled. "And here we are at the spa."

  I took one look at the artfully carved wooden doors and expensive Moroccan lamps and crowed with triumph. "See? Even your mother can appreciate a little luxury now and again."

  Penn laughed. "Alice? In the spa? No, she's out back. Her clients meet her in a tee-pee at the edge of the trees."

  I saw the tee-pee seconds before the flap flung open and Alice emerged. I was stumbling along the ice plant path in my heels when she met us with a flourish.

  "I can't wait! You have to tell me all about the engagement and the wedding plans now this instant," Alice said.

  "Don't you want to talk about your treatments-"

  Alice cut me off as she looped an arm through mine and one through Penn's. She turned to her son. "What kind of wedding are we thinking about?"

  Penn gave me a twinkling glance. "Something off the beaten path, closer to nature," he said.

  Xavier immediately started to argue in my defense and Alice swooped ahead to take him on. I crammed an elbow in Penn's side. "I know you're teasing me, but it's already backfired. Your mother loves the idea. You've made her happy."

  Penn watched his parents walking arm-in-arm and frowned. "She looks so pale."

  "But she's smiling. And, she's in good company."

  His frown turned to a scowl. "I'm never going to agree with you there."

  I stopped him on the path and let his parents go ahead. "How can you say that? Xavier makes her happy; he's helping her through all of this. And she's forgiven him. Can't you see how much lighter that makes her? You're still letting it weigh you down."

  "I didn't ask for it," Penn snapped.

  I laid a hand on his stubbled cheek. "What if I want to see you happy, too?"

  Penn's dark eyes softened. "Now you're going to use my arguments against me?"

  "Only if they work," I teased.

  Alice caught us smiling at each other. "I just can't wait. I got you an early engagement present! My friend Tabitha has time to see you both tonight."

  Xavier groaned. "No. Why? The last thing newlyweds should face is a psychic."

  "A psychic?" My stomach iced over. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on between Penn and me, so I didn't know why I should be worried that a perfect stranger could.

  Penn looked as worried as me. "There's no rush. We came to see you."

  "And, I love you for it," Alice said. She pushed him towards a rustic trailhead marker. "Trust me. Talking to Tabitha is a great place to start. Maybe she can help you two sort out this argument about the style of wedding you want."

  "That's true," I couldn't help but tease Penn and get a little revenge. "I have been leaning more towards a landmark wedding location, like maybe the Legion of Honor in San Francisco."

  "No way," Penn snorted. He grabbed my hand and dragged me down the path. "All right, Mother, it looks like my bride-to-be and I will meet up with you in a little while."

  "Don't rush Tabitha," Alice called.

  I glanced back as Alice tucked herself under Xavier's arm. "I don't think she wants us to hurry. Looks like they might want a little private time themselves."

  "I want to erase that thought from my head," Penn said.

  "Maybe that's what we can ask the psychic about," I suggested.

  The thought of this Tabitha person being able to see more than the normal person could perceive worried me. What if she took one look at me and knew I was falling for Penn?

  It seemed impossible. I mean, we looked like complete opposites. Penn was wearing cargo shorts and a faded tee-shirt. I was in dressy, black capri pants and a blouse. One glance from a normal person would confirm that we just didn't mesh, but what would a psychic say?

  Would she know that I lay awake at night? Would she know how many times I counted out the steps between our rooms without getting out of bed? I tried to think of it as an alternative to counting sheep, but it only left me wide awake.

  "We could get lost in the woods," Penn suggested.

  I looked off the darkening edges of the path and weighed my options. Get eaten by wild animals or sit across from a supposed psychic. "You don't think she's the real thing, do you?"

  "Don't you believe in psychics?" Penn asked.

  I stopped on the path despite the fading light. "Do you?”

  "I believe people can be a lot more powerful than they appear. Maybe she's just very perceptive."

  That didn't comfort me at all. It didn't take a perceptive person to notice I was hand-in-hand with Penn out in the woods, instead of across a linen tablecloth with Joshua. I'd made my choice, but even I wasn't sure how far it went. And, I wasn't ready for someone else to show me. Or, worse, tell Penn.

  The trail was uneven, but well packed. Penn lead the way, but took the time to explain. "The spa's motto is mind, body, and spirit. The manicured gardens and luxuries are supposed to be for the body. Then there are the outdoor classes and guided activities. And, there's this. They made the path to look rustic."

  I wobbled around a corner after him and saw another trail sign. "Meditation Grove?"

  "One of my mother's favorite places. She leads groups here at least twice a week. Or she did." He kicked a few rocks loose along the path. "I looked on the schedule, and she's been taking a lot of time off."

  I squeezed his hand. "Resting is good. It means she's trying to take care of herself. She’s trying to fight this thing."

  I was still concentrating on Penn's worry for his mother when we came to the next sign. "Let's get this over with, huh?" he said and marched me past a sign that read “Psychic Consultant.”

  "Come in," a musical voice called from the old-fashioned expedition tent. "It may seem silly, but I know why you're here."

  "And who we are," Penn snorted. "My mother sent us."

  "Of course, of course, and I'll get to you, Alice's son." Tabitha stood up from a brightly colored rug and took both my hands. "But first, I want to comfort Corsica. May I embrace you, my dear?"

  Her faded sea blue eyes were so sincere that my heart bobbed in response. Tabitha enclosed me in a gentle hug, and her soft, silvered hair brushed my cheek. I blinked back sudden tears and thanked her in a whisper. It had been a long time since I felt the gentle support of a mother.

  "Your mother's fight with cancer was so hard on you," Tabitha said. She straightened up and smoothed my hair back from my face.

  Penn snorted again. "You mean my mother, don't you? Need to get your notes straightened out?"

  "My mother died of cancer," I told him.

  The gold fleck in Penn's eyes stood out as he gaped at me. "You never told me that. How could you not tell me that?"

  Tabitha stepped between us. "Because she was helping you. She was playing the part you assigned her. What part is that?"

  Penn cleared his throat. "Corsica is my fiancée. I'm sure Alice thinks that's an archaic role, but Corsica came here to help my family."

  "As if she was part of it already." Tabitha smiled at Penn.

  He turned away from her and skimmed over the knickknacks she had lined up on a rough wooden shelf. "We'd really like to focus on the here and now. So, I don't mind if we make this quick."

  Tabitha sat on the rug and pulled me down beside her. "Obviously the past and the future are not easy to think about for either of you. Though, it is part of what bi
nds you so close together."

  Penn met my eyes and pulled a goofy expression behind Tabitha's back. I felt a tug in my chest as it occurred to me he might not want to be tied to me. "So we're a good match?"

  "Doesn't everyone tell you that?" Tabitha asked.

  I scoffed. "Everyone tells us we look good together but, as you can see, Penn doesn't put a lot of stock in looks."

  Tabitha laughed. "You both look past that, but it's always when the other one is looking. Oh, I love seeing the silly mistakes of new love. Just remember that mistakes can be fixed. Giving up is the only thing that's permanent. Everything else passes."

  Penn scrubbed his neck and offered me a hand. "Great, thanks. We'll tell Alice you were full of useful advice. Now, we don't want to keep you from the celebrations."

  Tabitha stood up from the rug with an ease that defied her age. She lifted the tent flap to let us out. "Happy summer solstice-the longest day of the year. Too bad that also means it's the shortest night. Enjoy it while you can."

  I thanked the elderly woman before Penn yanked me out of the tent. By the time we reached the path again, I wrenched my arm from his grip. "Stop pulling me along. I'm not some prop."

  He spun around on the narrow wooded path. "No, you're not."

  "Then, I'm just a silly mistake?"

  Penn's shoulders sagged. "I didn't know about your mother. No wonder you're such a comfort. Bringing you along wasn't a mistake for me, but I bet it feels like one to you."

  It felt like there were floodwaters pressing against my heart. I wanted to open up and let them rush over me, but I was too afraid.

  I had always thought my parents’ marriage was a mistake. My beautiful mother trapped in that little town with nothing much. Then, I had seen how much they loved each other and how it killed my father when she died. I knew love was like drowning, and I was scared of it.

  I tipped my chin up. "I'm not as shallow as you think. This trip has given me other things besides a nice mansion to stay in. I don't think I made a mistake."

  He took my hands with the lightest of touches and lifted them to his lips. "Thank you."