Luca craned his head back, looking at us between the bucket seats. Before he could say a word, Dante blurted out, “We’re a couple. I like her, she likes me, get used to it.” I almost released an exhale of relief, thinking that wasn’t so bad.
Sabrina twisted around, her face next to Luca’s. “Yay! I’m so happy.” She then pecked Luca’s cheek before turning back and clapping her hands. “This is fabulous, right honey?”
“Fucking awesome.” Luca’s eyes ricocheted between us, but when Dante laced his fingers with mine it forced Luca’s line of sight down. “Seriously, though, as long as you both are happy, I’m happy. But, for what it’s worth, I’m Switzerland,” he said, raising a brow and staring at his brother for a few seconds longer than necessary.
The two exchanged an unspoken dialog before Dante barked, “Just drive.”
After Luca finally pulled away from the house, Sabrina sighed. “I love this place.” Luca grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. “Dante, did you know the reason Luca and I are together is because of Cassie and that house?”
“That’s not true,” Luca refuted. “I would have come to you eventually.”
Sabrina’s nose crinkled. “Eventually?”
I interjected, “Hey, what matters is it worked out, right?”
Dante added, “All I know is my brother is the happiest he’s ever been. How you two got there is inconsequential.”
“What about you two? How did that happen? At Vanessa’s party you wanted to kill each other.” Sabrina turned into her super sleuth hair stylist / therapist mode.
“Yeah, I’d like to know that too.” Luca’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, where mine landed on his reflection.
“Are you asking for details, brother? You know how it goes, food, conversation, and before you know it, one thing leads to another, clothes come off…”
“Enough,” Luca snapped, stopping Dante’s explanation right before my smack to his chest did. “I meant, you two weren’t exactly subtle that you screwed around when you got back soaking wet yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” Dante and I looked at each other with a grin. Were we that obvious yesterday? Assuming he wondered the same, I then heard him say, “It’s been happening for weeks,” earning himself the slap I held back before. “What?”
“Weeks?” Luca’s head pivoted, only to whip right back to watching the road.
“Don’t listen to him, it’s only been one week or so.” I tried placating him.
“Still!” As Luca freaked out, I could see the lift of Sabrina’s left cheek, revealing a smug smile. “Babe, did you know about this?”
“No, but I think it’s great.” Her hand landed on Luca’s thigh. “Stop with the third degree.”
“Thank you, Sabrina. I think it’s great too. I was getting tired of hiding how much I want to devour this beauty.”
“Dante.” Where my expression was one of mortification, my sexy cohort’s face beamed with a steadfast tranquility like he hadn’t a care in the world.
He opened his mouth to speak, only for the Bluetooth to chime with an incoming call. “Saved by the bell,” he said, winking at me before kissing my cheek.
“Weird. That’s my mom’s number,” Sabrina said, pressing the accept button on the touchscreen panel. “Hi, Mom. Is everything okay?”
“It’s me, Mommy. Where’s Luca?”
“I’m here, buddy. What’s wrong?”
“Scottie is wrong… again.”
Sabrina released a burst of air. “Mikey, you made me nervous. What are you and Scottie fighting about now?”
The adorable voice I missed went on to detail the latest fight between him and his best friend. When I had them both in my class, the two were inseparable yet argued about any and everything they could.
As Mikey rambled, Dante tugged on my hand, bringing me closer. Expecting him to whisper an apology into my ear, his lips landed on mine in a very intimate kiss, forcing me to push him away and causing him to chuckle.
“It’s not funny,” Mikey whined.
“I’m not laughing, buddy,” Luca quickly responded. Even while he placated his girlfriend’s son, the rearview mirror clearly revealed the exasperation he felt through his expression. “That was my brother.”
“Oh, Uncle Dante is there? Did you beat him in soccer again?” Mikey, like a squirrel, abandoned his earlier rant.
“He wishes,” Dante said before Luca could agree with him. “Yes, it’s me, Mikey. I look forward to showing you who has better soccer skills.”
“I can’t wait… Mom, can we go to the park tomorrow so I can play soccer with Luca and Uncle Dante?”
“No. Tomorrow is school shopping day,” Sabrina said, quickly derailing his excitement train.
“Oh, man. I hate school.”
“Hey, I heard that.” Silence allowed me to then say, “It’s Miss Brooks. You’re busted, little man.”
“Please don’t tell Mr. Carson,” he pleaded. “Jared said he and his mom saw you and Mr. Carson eating pizza, and he’s your boyfriend, and now my teacher, and he’ll be upset if he knows I hate school.”
“Um…” I said, as Dante leaned closer and said, “Boyfriend?”
“Mikey, that’s not true,” Sabrina interjected. “Luca is driving. Can we continue this when we see you in a few hours? Grandma and Grandpa are bringing you to Luca’s apartment tonight.”
“Oh, yay. Can Luca make me his carboonairia again?”
“Carbonara,” Luca corrected.
“That’s what I said.”
“Yes, I’ll make you carbonara. Now be good and we’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” The line went dead before his mother could add any farewell of her own.
Sabrina twisted, her eyes wide with concern. “I’m so sorry about that.”
With a wave of my hand, I said, “Stop. There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s just six-year-olds gossiping.” The levity in my voice did little to remove the bafflement from Dante’s face. Sabrina smiled and faced forward.
“Who’s this Carson person?”
Despite the fact Dante’s question had been asked in a normal tone of voice, I lowered mine to say, “He’s only a colleague.”
“Who likes her,” Luca offered.
“Seriously?” I glared at him through the mirror. These Benedettos had no filter.
“What?” My friend asked with a shrug. “It’s true.”
“Anyway…” Sabrina gave her boyfriend the same evil eye I had. “I guess we’re having carbonara for dinner,” she said, changing the subject. “Would you two like to join us?”
Before I could say we’d love to, mainly to avoid being alone because I knew an interrogation was imminent, Dante answered for both of us. “We’ll take a rain check,” he said, confirming I had a lot of explaining to do.
Dante
That was the longest fucking ride in history. With each question that popped into my mind regarding this Carson prick, two more followed. By the time we finally made it into the city, I had a list a mile long. Of course, accepting gossip from a six-year-old seemed all kinds of ridiculous, but my brother’s quip, and Cassie’s avoidance of the subject, was what instigated my curiosity and annoyance.
Leaving Cassie no choice but to come back to my apartment, I dropped our bags with a resounding thud the moment we stepped into the door.
“Okay, I get you’re mad…” She turned, hands on hips, scowl twisting her perfect pink lips. “Like I said, he’s just a colleague, and we’re friends.” The pause probably had been intended for my response, but none came. She went on to say, “Yes, he does like me, but besides a few casual dates, nothing happened.” I took one step closer, and she instinctively took one step back. “Pizza… a few walks in the park… a kiss on the cheek,” she added, aware that with each of my steps, she ran out of space before hitting my kitchen counter. “Then you came along…”
I killed her explanation when I first crushed her body and then her mouth to mine. Every ounce
of ire, confusion, jealousy, and want that I’d held in for the past three fucking hours surged forward through that kiss. I left her panting for air and clasping my T-shirt. The way her pupils swallowed the cornflower irises of her eyes, the way her creamy skin flushed pink, denoted she wanted just what I needed.
My attention focused on the column of her throat working a nervous swallow. “He’s just a nice guy I work with, Dante.”
“Exactly. A nice guy that you see every fucking day, who probably wants to have ordinary sex with you. I’m not that guy, Cassandra. If you haven’t realized that already, let me spell it out for you. We will never have mundane sex… ever. There will be times I’ll tie you to my bed and fuck your cunt until it pulses around me in need of release.” Her hips bucked forward, subconsciously, perhaps, but I took the opportunity to grind my growing erection against her. “I’ll suck your swollen clit until you beg me to stop, and even then, I won’t until your taste is seared on my tongue. Your nipples will beg me to bite them, to take them between my teeth until pain turns to pleasure. You will come at my hand, tongue, and cock more times than you can count. I will ruin you for all other men—nice or not. Do you understand me?”
Her eyes, now wild with lust, looked into mine. “Is this how it’s going to be with us? Are you always going to act like a possessive Neanderthal? Has that worked for you in the past?”
“No, I’ve never felt the need to act like one in the past.”
The heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks shot up. “Oh, is that so? But you feel the need to control me?”
“This isn’t control, Cassandra. It’s just a reminder in case this nice guy tries to get more than friendship from you.”
“I don’t need a reminder. I’m not the girl who falls into bed with men on a whim, or one who gives in easily to any man who pays the slightest bit of attention to her. What would you like to hear? That when I close my eyes at night, it’s you I dream of? That when I think about being with you, I want to reach into my panties and touch myself?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I want. And, come tomorrow, when you look at Mr. Carson, I want you to remember what I’m about to do to you.”
She coyly worried her bottom lip, bringing her body flush with mine. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Mark you. Defile you. Ruin you… prove to you that your body was meant for mine.”
Her pink tongue swiped across the seam of her lips. “Yet you’re still talking.”
If I wasn’t so dead set on fucking the sarcasm out of her, I’d laugh. But instead, I pulled her into my bedroom and ordered her to get on my bed. She complied and, even fully clothed, the sight of her turned my cock to stone. “Kneel in the center and then get naked.” I strolled over to my dresser and picked up one of my many cameras. It was time to broach the subject, to push her comfort zone. Sure enough, Cassie’s eyes widened in shock. “Go on, do it slowly, Cassandra.”
“Dante, I… I’m not sure I can do this. Having naked pictures taken of me where others could possibly see them…”
“Only my eyes will see them. Trust me?” I brought the camera to my face and focused through the viewfinder. Cassie’s tits rose and fell with each deep breath, but otherwise she had yet to move.
Like a deer caught in headlights, she stared at me. “I don’t know how to do this… will you direct me?”
“Yes.” Wanting to capture her innocence before I turned it into unadulterated lust, I snapped a few shots. The sound of the clicks caused her breath to catch. “Relax. Start with your tank top. Grip the hem and slowly drag it up over your head. Before tossing it aside, I want you to hold a pose with your arms raised.” Cassie complied. Bashful eyes looked up at me through her long lashes. “Smile, beautiful.”
Her tentative movements made her sexier than she already was. Little did she know how the camera was eating her up. Seven more clicks in rapid succession fired before her eyes met mine again. “Now your bra. Lower the right strap, letting it drape on your arm. I want your eyes to follow it.”
Cassie didn’t know it, but she was a natural. The tilt of her head made her silky blond hair drape over her face, causing a curtain of intrigue. “Fucking perfect.” I moved around the room, capturing different angles. “Now the other side, then unhook it and let it drop.”
Like a good student, Cassie followed directions. When her bra hit the top of her legs, exposing two flawless breasts with nipples so hard they could cut glass, I added, “Touch yourself. Caress your breasts like you’d want me to.”
This time she didn’t hesitate or waver in her movements. Expecting her to be soft and gentle, my cock jerked when she aggressively tugged her nipples between her thumb and forefinger in a hard pinch. “Jesus Christ,” I hissed through gritted teeth. My finger held down the shutter button, not wanting to miss one second. But when Cassie took it upon herself to slide her right hand into her shorts, I went from instructor to witness.
For the first time, the small square that brought images to life felt inconsequential. I abandoned my initial goal of capturing each sexy nuance that Cassie could offer. A smirk spread across those lips I craved when she looked at my tented shorts. Various retorts flew into my mind, but none made their way out of my mouth. And then she lifted her hand to lick her middle finger… game over. Fuck, I thought I had the upper hand in this little game, and with one look, one calculated move, she took control.
She watched me place the camera down. Like a seductress, she said, “Is there a problem?”
“Photoshoot is over.”
She batted her lashes and said with a pout, “But I was just starting to get into it.” In the depths of her eyes, I knew that she knew she was playing with fire.
“The only one getting into anything is me.” Leveling her with a pointed look, I stripped out of my clothes, moved onto the bed, and removed her shorts and panties with one swift tug. Once I had her naked, she tracked my path to the dresser, where I pulled out a pair of silver handcuffs. Seeing her breath accelerate caused a smug grin to spread on my face.
“You okay with this?” I asked, holding them up and waiting for her consent.
“More than.”
“I knew you were a kinky girl. It’s time to kick it up a notch.” She remained silent until I had her properly restrained. And then, one by one, I ticked off all the things I said I would do to her a few minutes earlier. I sucked her swollen clit until she begged me to stop. I bit and nipped every part of her, marking her, owning her. I tormented by hand, tongue, and cock, having her come more times than she could count.
The last thing I did was to plunge in slowly, making good on my promise to ruin her for all other men.
Chapter 17
Cassie
With the school year well on its way, it was funny how quickly the days flew by when a sexy photographer demanded so many of them.
I had spent most of my weekends with Dante… whom I couldn’t get enough of. He pushed my sexual palate to new heights. He raised the bar, created an appetite for more, and eliminated the word mundane from my vocabulary.
It was easy to get lost in our hot relationship, but I needed to maintain some semblance of a routine during the week, or not only would my job suffer, my independence would. Of course, I was over the moon Dante wanted to spend as much time with me as he could.
On my request, we had yet to officially come out as a couple. That meant a lot of our dates ended at his place or mine. Dante enjoyed teasing me over my naivety because he was sure we were only fooling ourselves.
When the weekend came to an end, the same argument occurred when I insisted on sleeping in my own bed alone. The man didn’t understand that even though I only taught five-year-olds, my days started early, and my evenings ended the same way. For instance, I came in extra early to change the apples on my bulletin board to pumpkins in preparation for fall. That meant I was in bed last night by nine.
My job meant everything to me. I wouldn’t change a thing. And as exciting as my personal life had
suddenly become, I relished the familiarity of my weekday schedule.
I was already in love with the kids in my class. Eleven little boys and ten little girls who would one day be our leaders and our voices, kids who would hopefully make a difference in the world.
Some may think being a kindergarten teacher consisted of coloring in the lines and recess, but even though those things did exist, I did my best to include life lessons with everything we did. I had created a professional show-and-tell of sorts a few years back. Twice a month, one of the parents would come in to explain their job to the kids. It always made the kids’ day, taking them away from schoolwork for an hour or so, yet teaching them so much more than they learned in books.
Today, Lianna’s dad, the firefighter, was our Career Champion. Firefighters were always a hit with kids. They’d get red hats and ask about driving in the big trucks and sliding down poles. It couldn’t have been planned better since rain was coming down in sheets, which prohibited enjoying the playground during recess.
I grabbed my purse and bagged lunch from the bottom drawer of my desk before leading the kids to the cafeteria. Sounds of chatter and laughter, which warranted any and all lunch moderators to take a pain reliever before entering the room, filtered down the hallway. Thankful that I wasn’t one of them today, I waved to my class and went to the teachers’ lounge to relax for the next forty-five minutes.
Bland yellow walls, plain wooden tables, and worn carpet didn’t boast of relaxation, but the serene quiet normally did. Except today, a few teacher’s aides were clamoring about a man they’d seen in the office.
I’ve never seen anyone that looked like him before.
Do you think he’s a new teacher? I wonder if he needs help setting up his classroom.
I hope he’s single.
I hope he isn’t a parent.
Rather than eavesdrop or inquire about who they were talking about, I decided to sit by myself and enjoy my meal in peace. No sooner had I unfolded the brown paper bag when a page came over the loudspeaker. “Miss Brooks, please report to the office. Miss Brooks, please report to the office.”
The Mr. Wrong Series Page 93