by Brynne Asher
She called me out in front of everyone when I missed her lecture last time and who knows what she’ll do after I skipped again today. I don’t understand why she can’t be like every other professor on earth, letting their college students dig their own educational graves without being humiliated in front of their peers.
“Wait.” Link looks from his mother to me. “You two know each other?”
I open my mouth to answer, but, of course, she doesn’t allow me to speak. “Ms. Carpino is in my Monday-Wednesday-Friday nine o’clock class. Although lately, her attendance has been spotty. But now that I’ve found her here with you,” she flips a hand toward her son, “it makes sense. Of course, you’re a bad influence.”
I look at Link who’s staring at me with a what-the-fuck expression mixed with an apology, even though he can’t help that his mom is the Bitch Queen. He points to his mother as he asks me, “She’s the professor you were telling me about?”
My stomach drops before I mutter, “Link.”
“For God’s sake, Lincoln, can you not find a woman your own age at that bar of yours?” Dr. Eubanks rolls her eyes and I wince before Link turns to glare at his mother.
Taking a place by my side, he crosses his arms and demands, “What are you doing here?”
Probably because of the stick up her ass, Link’s mother stands straight, towering over me in her old-lady pumps—they shouldn’t even be classified as heels—she’s tall, at least five-ten. Putting one hand to her hip, she gracefully smooths her shoulder-length bleach-blond hair before leveling her blue eyes on her son. “You haven’t returned my calls and I want to inform you of our plans for the holidays. Your father and I have decided to use the time off at Thanksgiving to take a trip to New York City. There’s a traveling artifact exhibit from the Elizabethan Era your father has been dying to see and I’d like to take in a few shows—maybe do some shopping. We will be here for Christmas, and since you won’t answer my calls, I came to extend an invitation.”
All I can think of is thank goodness for the Elizabethan Era, whenever that was, and that she made the point to invite her son to Christmas. What kind of mother is she?
“You could’ve left all this in a voicemail,” Link sighs, as if the Forester/Eubanks Holiday Schedule is hurting his brain. But given his mother, it might. “We have plans for Thanksgiving,” he pauses and throws me a smirk before finishing, “and I’m going to Nebraska for Christmas.”
I still haven’t uttered a word, but my eyes widen when he informs me he’ll be coming home with me to experience a Carpino Christmas. He has no idea what’s in store for him.
“Nebraska?” Dr. Eubanks sneers, as if Link were thinking about celebrating the holiday in a third world country.
Link smiles as if there’s nothing in the world that makes him happier than pissing off his mother. He puts an arm around me, pulling my stiff frame to his side. “Yeah. I’ve never seen Nebraska.”
Dr. Eubanks narrows her eyes on her son before they slice to me. “Well, then. We’ll just have to hold out for Easter. Maybe this will have blown over by then.”
“Not gonna happen,” Link chimes happily before lowering his voice. “And you’d better stop giving Avery shit in class. I know you’ve been brought up in front of the board before for questionable ethics toward students. You might be tenured, but don’t pretend that didn’t strike a blow to your inflated ego, not to mention a mark on your career. Leave her the fuck alone.”
I tense at his words and pinch his side to get him to shut up. I don’t need anyone spurring on Dr. Eubanks—she’s bad enough as it is.
Her face flames as she glares at her son. “I cannot believe you’d talk to me like that. I don’t know what she’s told you, but I’ve done nothing wrong. She could stand to take her education more seriously.”
Link pulls me closer. “For your information, she had a bad day yesterday. She was attacked in the library on campus. She’s fine now, but I think she deserved a morning off.”
Dr. Eubanks’ eyes come to me and widen. “That was you?’
Word must travel fast across campus. I hitch a shoulder and open my mouth to say something, but Link butts in. “It was. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re on our way out.”
She tucks her clutch under her arm in a huff. “Your father and I would like to see you more than twice a year.”
“Really?” Link asks. “Or do you just need me to show my face at major holidays so you don’t have to explain why your son doesn’t want to spend time with you? You’ve expressed your disappointment in my choices over and over again. I turned down all those scholarships because I had no desire to turn out like you or dad. You didn’t accept it—that’s on you, not me.”
For the first time since I laid eyes on her, there seems to be a hairline crack in Dr. Eubanks’ bitchy shell. “We’ve gone over this several times, but I still don’t understand how you could turn down your choice of full-rides and instead run to Las Vegas, of all places, to pursue boxing … only to end up a bouncer.”
“I own a business, Mom, and I’m not even thirty. Life doesn’t suck.”
I’m learning so much as I stand here, watching the Eubanks/Forester family drama play out and I bet this has happened many times over. I can tell it takes her great effort, but she swallows all the nasty words I expected her to spew and she softens her voice a touch. “Maybe we could see you before Christmas. We can meet for dinner.” She glances to me and sighs. “You can even bring a date.”
Link rubs his face and shakes his head. “I’ve got a busy few weeks, but we’ll see.”
His mom looks to me and adds, “A campus-wide notice and warning went out yesterday. I’m very sorry about what happened to you, Ms. Carpino. I do hope you’re okay.”
Even if they were a bit stuffy, I’m taken off guard by the first nice words I’ve ever heard from her. Offering her a small smile, I give my head a little shake. “I’m okay. I was lucky.”
Taking a deep breath before exhaling it, she looks back to her son. “I’ll call soon to set up dinner. I do hope you will pick up the phone for a change.”
Link doesn’t offer an answer and watches his mother move efficiently out the door. After a few moments, I break the silence. “I cannot believe your mother is Dr. Eubanks. With the different last names, I had no idea.”
I look up at him and he shakes his head. “I can’t believe it most of the time, either. She doesn’t believe in marriage. Even though they’re considered common law after thirty-two years together, we don’t share the same last name. She works in the psychology department. I had no idea you’d have any contact with her being in early child development. I’m sorry.”
“It is a little odd that she teaches child psych.” I bite my lip and now feel guilty for bad-mouthing his mom, even though it doesn’t look like he has any patience for her either. “She doesn’t seem very … empathetic.”
He grins. “No. Empathetic is not how I would describe Dr. Nancy Eubanks.”
I raise a brow. “Good luck finding a date for that dinner.”
He smiles and turns me toward his bedroom where he threw my bags earlier. “Go get ready. We need to go. And don’t you dare think about wearing what you wore the night we met. You’re not showing that much skin ever again.”
I roll my eyes. “If you’re locking me up in your office, what does it matter?”
He levels his eyes on me, looking serious, a little scary, and a lot hot. “From now on, your skin is just for me. I’ll buy you some turtlenecks.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, knowing exactly what I’ll wear just to show him. He told me to pack for at least a few days, which meant I packed for two weeks. A girl never knows what she’ll be in the mood to wear. Now, I’m glad I did.
Chapter 13 – Reckoning
just when you think
the storm is over
Harry Brownlow
“I’m just rolling into town,” I say to Bearden. Can’t believe I had to drive. Took me two-and-a-half fucking
days and too damn many hours. I couldn’t get on a plane—damn probation. “Where am I meeting you? I’m tired of waiting. That mother-fucker is going down after what he did to me.”
“You can’t show your face here. I can barely show mine after getting canned. There was no reason for you to come all this way. I have it taken care of and it’s happening tonight.” Adam Bearden is almost too controlled at times. If he hadn’t worked under me for so many years, I’d think he was working both sides.
“Forester took everything from me. I have to start from scratch and add more fucking managers to work between me and the action just to stay off the grid. I want to see his life fall apart in front of him.”
Bearden sighs into the phone. “You get caught, you better not take me down with you.”
“Just tell me where to meet you and shut the fuck up.”
I enter the address into my GPS and head that way. I’m so thirsty for reckoning, I’m fucking parched.
Chapter 14 – Only You
looking down
from heaven
Link
I unlock my office door and when I walk through, she’s nowhere to be seen.
“Avery?” My tall desk chair swivels around and she sits up, not appearing guilty to have been caught red-handed searching through my drawers. I lean my shoulder on the glass wall and ask, “What are you doing?”
“Looking for something,” she admits freely.
Her books and papers are strewn over my desk with her laptop open. She said she was going to catch up on school work, but the last time I came in, she was doodling words and notes on blank music sheets.
I frown. “What are you looking for?”
“Condoms,” she states with conviction and maybe a little bit of frustration.
I lose my frown and tip my head, not able to hide my smirk. “You won’t find any.”
She leans back in my chair and crosses her arms, frustrated.
“Don’t look pissed, little one. I don’t need any here because I’ve never wanted to fuck anyone at work.”
She throws her sass at me. “That’s good to know, I guess, but someone needs to be in charge of birth control. From your response last night, I’ve decided that person needs to be me. You, Lincoln, cannot be trusted with the responsibility.”
I smile and ignore the topic of condoms. “Don’t call me Lincoln, baby.”
“I might call you everything in the book until you go buy some super-strength condoms.”
“I’ll add it to my grocery list,” I mock her.
“You have no groceries!” she exclaims. “You’ll never buy condoms. This is why I’m putting myself in charge.”
“You sure seem in the mood for a condom.”
She twists her dark hair around her index finger. “I’m only thinking ahead.”
“No, you’re thinking about my head.”
She widens her eyes. “Link.”
“The one on my dick.”
She tries not to smile and even though the lights are low, I swear a blush crawls up her neck. “Stop it.”
“Because you want it,” I keep on.
“No,” she drawls. “I’m thinking in advance,” she widens her eyes, “because you’re going to do all the things you’re so good at and I need to make sure condoms are on hand while I’m thinking straight.”
I push off the wall and hold my hand out for her. “Come here.”
She doesn’t move. “Do you have a condom in your pocket?”
My mouth tips on one side. “No.”
Her shoulders slump. “Seriously?”
“Baby. Come here. We don’t need a condom. I’ll be creative.”
Her eyes flare and finally, she slowly stands. I reach back and lock my office door as I watch her move to me, and for the first time tonight, I don’t fight my dick from getting hard.
When I told her to get ready, I thought she’d throw on a pair of her sexy-ass jeans that fit her like a second skin with maybe a sweatshirt. But no.
She walked out of my bedroom in a sweater dress that clung to every curve of her body. It dipped too low and showed too much leg—legs that looked longer than normal from the high-heeled ankle boots. I couldn’t help myself, I had to kiss her before I told her to change. That was not what I had in mind when I told her to wear something that didn’t show too much skin.
After a ten-minute argument, I realized if I wanted Avery as mine, I’d have to get used to her wearing whatever the fuck she wanted and not be able to do shit about it. I guess all the hours I spend punching a bag for exercise will be well worth it when I have to beat the shit out of any man who looks at her too long.
She’s since kicked off her boots and is walking to me barefoot with a resigned look on her face. “I meant for when we got back to your house, but I’ll come over to kiss you.”
“The walls are tinted.” I motion to the glass overlooking my bar that’s only half full since security is on high alert. We hear the music and hum of the crowd, it’s just not at the decibel it normally is. “We can see out, but no one can see in.”
Her eyes widen and she looks down toward the band. “Really?”
“Really.” I step behind her and take her hands, pressing them onto the glass. Reaching for the hem of her dress, I pull.
She brings her hands down to stop me. “This is crazy. Are you sure no one can see us?”
I put her hands back to the glass and lean down to whisper in her ear. “After our argument earlier, you think I’d stand here and play with you while the world watches?”
She looks to me. “I guess not.”
I shake my head. “You wearing this to dinner was bad enough.”
I pull it up over her hips again and reach for her panties, pushing them until they fall to her feet. Her head falls back against my chest as she mutters, “Holy shit.”
“You wet for me?” I reach around and don’t waste any time, dipping my fingers in her pussy. I’m not disappointed—she’s always wet for me. “Look at the stage, baby.”
She opens her eyes and looks down as I start to finger fuck her.
“Someday,” I make my movements lazy, “I’m going to fuck you against this glass while your music is being played down there. It’s what brought you to me and we’ll celebrate—just the two of us—looking down on the world.”
“Link,” she whispers and reaches back to palm my raging hard-on through my jeans. “This is what I meant. You’re going to make me not care about being irresponsible.”
I tug the button and zipper on my jeans, freeing my cock. Rubbing it on the small of her back, I whisper, “Only with you, little one. Only you.”
She turns around to look up at me. Her dress is still bunched at her hips and she’s bare from the waist down. There’s no doubt in my mind—it’s only her for me.
Taking my cock in her hands, she licks her lips before I lose her deep brown eyes and, surprising me, she drops to her knees.
I groan. “Baby.”
“Look at your stage,” she taunts, peeking up from under her thick lashes, my cock aimed at those beautiful lips.
I shake my head and gather her thick hair in my hands. “Can’t look away from you. Not with that hungry look on your gorgeous face.”
She sticks her tongue out, running it up my shaft. When she circles my tip, I force myself to breathe deep so I can memorize this moment.
I fist her hair and when she looks up to me, she slides my cock between her lips.
Fucking heaven.
“Spread your legs, baby. Touch yourself,” I demand.
Her mouth goes slack around my dick and her eyes go wide. I nod, pulling her hair tighter and she drops a hand from my thigh as she shifts on her knees. When she drops a hand between her legs, I get her mouth back as she goes to town on my cock and her pussy.
Sucking, moaning, licking—she takes me deep as I guide her, loving the feel of her hair in my hands as I fuck her mouth.
But I want her and I don’t give a fuck if we don’t have
a condom. I pull on her hair one more time and she looks confused.
“I want you, baby,” I say and take her hand, leading her to the sofa that sits opposite my desk. Her face is flushed and I know that expression. She’s worked herself into a frenzy and is close. I want to be inside her when she comes. I push her down over the arm of the couch and she looks back at me. Shifting her legs apart, I watch her face fall into a sexual bliss when I fill her with two fingers and rub her clit.
It doesn’t take long and she doesn’t do anything to quiet her moans, her melody dancing with the muted music and buzz created by my bar. A sound so sweet, I want her to recreate it in a song. I don’t waste a second. Holding her by the hips, I slide inside.
She had me worked into such a state, I take her hard, slamming into her and grip her hips, pulling her to me.
“Yes.”
“Baby,” I growl. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Looking down at her, bent over my sofa with her ass in the air, offering everything to me—I’ve never felt this way. Not even close. I don’t give a shit if she gets pregnant and I’ve never taken anyone bare. Even though planting my child in her is something I could get on board with fast, I don’t want to stress her.
For her sake, I pull out at the last second and come all over her ass and clothes.
I lean down to kiss her temple. “I made a mess on your dress.”
She smiles as she drags her eyes open. “You really hate this dress, don’t you?”
“I fucking love this dress. It’s the way everyone else looks at you while you’re wearing it that I hate.”
“I’m not sure what you expect me to wear now.”
I kiss her one more time, pulling her up with me. Reaching for the bottom of her dress, I pull it up and over her head. “I’ve got something you can wear.”
I hear a banging outside my office door. Avery grabs her dress and cleans herself up as she makes her way to grab her panties. “I think the glass walls freak me out now more after the fact than it did while you were fucking me.”