Be My Forever: The Complete Series Box Set

by Lauren Wood

  This job was nothing to me. It was a means to an end. The first chance I got, I would be on the first flight to some war ravaged country at the expense of my editor. There were too many freelance photographers without journalistic integrity. It was something vastly lacking from the next generation which I hoped to instill in their young minds.

  I was at the door to the threshold and I steeled myself for the unnerving looks in my direction. Some would know me by reputation and others would learn through the power of the internet.

  I was looking for something that I couldn’t get from my wife. We had a daughter just entering her first year in college. She had cast aside any of our hopes by going to a party school in Miami.

  These kids underneath this roof had no choice. Most of them were crippled by financial hardships. They would grab onto just about anything to break free of the depressing Chicago winters.

  “I know some of you are expecting this to be a cakewalk. I won’t be following any kind of curriculum. I have been given the freedom to show you what real journalism is all about. I’m going to place you within the stories and make you live them through the eyes of the subjects. I’m fair but harsh when it comes to grades. I don’t believe in grading on a curve. You do the work, excel at it and we’ll never have a problem where I will have to call you after class.” I wasn’t even looking at them and they were pretty much faceless strangers.

  I strode with a confidence that I didn’t feel I had. I scrawled my name on the blackboard in bold letters so that anybody could see it even if they were sitting at the back of the class. I opened the briefcase and took out the necessary teaching supplies.

  “If you can’t handle hard work then you know where the door is. This might be a night class, but I still take this seriously. Those who are here because you want a pat on the back then I suggest you turn around and go back out the same way you came.” I felt in my element. Having this kind of control made me feel like I had their futures in the palm of my hand.

  “I was wondering what your position is regarding the story you did in Nicaragua.” The feminine tone caught me off guard. I had no idea anybody even remembered. It was a harrowing ordeal and had me a prisoner of a contingent of soldiers for almost three weeks.

  “I don’t have time to get into the details.” I turned my attention to the girl who had asked the question. I was quite surprised to see that it was the same young impressionable face I had seen at registration last week. Her name was Rita.

  Chapter 3

  Rita

  I sat there through his first class completely taken by his teaching style. He walked around carrying this wooden stick with intricate carvings. It was as if he was using it to keep our undivided attention.

  “I’ve given you a lot to think about. I have random assignments which I expect you to complete by tomorrow morning. I want you to give this 100%. There’s too much uncertainty in this world and you need to recognize the cracks in society. This will determine whether or not you will be staying in my class.” I could tell from the way that the other women were squirming in their seats that they wanted him to give them private lessons.

  I put up my hand, waving it slightly to make sure the class ring on my finger caught the light in just the right way.

  He was bigger than life. I wasn’t expecting him to take a personal interest. We weren’t just numbers and he spoke to us like we were equals.

  “Rita…it appears you have a question to address the classroom. Please, do us the honor of standing to make sure everybody hears you.” I wasn’t expecting to be singled out. Public speaking was not my strong suit.

  Taking a deep breath, I put my hands on the desk and got up to see that everybody was watching me. If this was a nightmare then I would’ve been in my underwear.

  “I was just wondering what direction you want us to take for this assignment. I was thinking something unorthodox and maybe drawing outside the lines.” I had my assignment and I wanted to tweak it slightly to get more bang for my buck.

  “I want you to figure it out on your own. The only way that any of you are going to learn is by first-hand experience. The classroom is only one small component. The only thing I require is that you write me something that is going to keep my attention from the first word to the last.” He was moving his hands around in the air. The shirt that he was wearing was struggling against his muscular physique.

  I sat back down and scribbled some notes which I was going to use as a template. The rest of the students filed out stopping momentarily to speak to him.

  This shadow loomed over me. He took my paper and ripped into confetti. He tossed it into the air with the pieces floating like a snowstorm around us. He didn’t say a word, but his manner gave the impression he wasn’t happy. I was a little shell shocked to respond to this obvious invasion of my privacy.

  The door closed, leaving me alone with a man twice my age and old enough to be my father.

  “I suspect you are an over achiever. I know this goes against everything you believe, but making notes is old school. I want you to learn to use your God given instincts.” I could see some of his chest hairs with a few slightly discolored than the rest of them. It gave him character and life experience. It was something that I was vastly lacking.

  “I always…take notes and I don’t consider myself an over achiever.” I was a little tongue tied for the first time in my life. “I do try to make sure there are no avenues left unexplored.” Under the pale moon outside the window, his glaring expression had me frozen in place.

  “You need to go outside your comfort zone. This assignment isn’t going to help you to shake things up. I’m going to amend my decision.” He took the assignment out of my hands and he ran a black marker through the entire thing. I was stunned. This was the first time I was left without a safety net. It was scary and exciting at the same time.

  I could tell that his attention to detail had caught sight of the white leather skirt clinging to my flesh. I only had to move a fraction of an inch. He turned and adjusted himself thinking that I had no clue.

  “I don’t know why I have to be any different than all the rest.” I looked down at the new assignment and was livid to learn of what he wanted me to do. I had no idea how he could possibly know, but this was throwing me into the lion’s den. He was expecting me to put my head in its mouth metaphorically speaking.

  “This will teach you to stay after class when everybody else goes about their business. I don’t want to make you feel small. There’s no shame in being afraid. I read the essay of each of my students when they registered for my class. The question remains if you are able to see your true potential.” He was in the perfect position to look down my shirt. I could feel my nipples rubbing obscenely against my bra.

  “I can’t do this. You can’t make me.” The subject he had given me was my father. I was to interview him and ask him the hard questions. I already had the fuel to make the fire.” Damian was white lightning born to drive me wild. I wanted more of our verbal sparring match.

  “It’s entirely up to you, but I suspect you will rise above your own unhealthy fear. I could be wrong. You could fold like a piece of paper. Show me what this means to you and how far you’re willing to go to live your dream.” His biceps were huge and when they flexed, I almost creamed a little inside of my panties. It wasn’t the only muscle that had garnered my attention.

  The one more prevalent was quite the healthy specimen of a man. He was not average by any means and the thickness had me wondering if seeing it up close and personal would ruin the suspense.

  “The only thing that I can promise is to try.” I tried to get up, but he grabbed my wrists and held me in place. I felt like his prisoner. My thighs were quivering at the possibility of him having his way with me.

  “I have never liked that word. Trying is for losers. You will exceed my expectations because you have no choice. Come back with juicy details and we can determine if you are the right fit for this profession. Not everybody is c
ut out for hard-nosed journalism. You might be better served to interview for puff pieces. Those teachers that told you there is no right or wrong answers were lying to you.” I felt like an anvil was on top of my chest. I was flushed and my nipples could cut through glass.

  “I don’t know what you want from me. You’re throwing me into the deep end without a lifeline. I’m either going to sink or swim with this assignment.” There was no happy medium.

  “I told you from the very beginning this wasn’t going to be easy. If you were expecting me to smile sweetly and let you slide by then you are in for rude awakening. I expect nothing but the best and the tough assignments give you character. All of you need to develop a thick skin. Breaking into this field is going to take a person with grapefruits.” I was trying to hide the shame of my condition. It was difficult with him staring through me like he could see through to my very soul.

  “I will do it, but not because you said to. I’ve been putting this off long enough. I doubt my relationship with my father will ever be the same again. I can’t live my life for him.” I was getting in touch with my feelings at the same time undressing him with my eyes.

  There was a tattoo on his left forearm of what looked like a spider with long legs crisscrossing over his wrist. There was something foreboding almost sinister in the way that he was looking at me.

  “Everybody has to face the one thing they need to overcome. It’s the anchor around your ankle. You have the key to free you from the burden. I want you to use it.” He seemed to have my best interest at heart. He could have been a father figure. I did want to call him daddy, but it would take on a whole different context.

  “I’ve been procrastinating and I know the writing on the wall. Any campaign is ripe with controversy and Scandal. He claims to run a clean campaign, but I know the truth better than anyone.” To shine a light on his faults would only encourage his rival to use it against him. There had to be something in the water for me to even think about doing this.

  I was trying to catch my breath. His package was a sight for sore eyes. I was trying to tell myself never again was I going to drown in a man’s eyes. Standing at the shore of my sexual sanity was the crashing waves of indecision.

  “I know you can do this, Rita. I believe in you.” I felt imbued and ready for my close up.

  Chapter 4

  Damian

  I couldn’t stop thinking about her and the way that she looked like a deer in the headlights. I wasn’t sure if I was asking too much. She was young and deserving of the benefit of the doubt.

  I was tempted to use the address she had given me to check up on her. She was a big girl and she knew the consequences of her actions. It was a big step. It was one that she was destined to take with or without my interference.

  Waking up in a cold sweat, I turned to the photograph that she had left me during registration. Those Emerald green eyes had me placing my fingers along the length of my member. I could imagine what she would look like on her knees gazing up at me with admiration. It was causing me to think about taking matters into my own hands.

  I refrained and resorted to dousing the flame underneath the cool spray of the shower. It only stunted my excitement for the time being.

  Her body was made for sin. I was just the kind of guy who could easily get her to do something she would never think about doing on her own.

  I heard the phone and somehow I knew it was going to be her. There was no point in making her wait for a response. I was desperate to hear her voice. I wanted to use it to fuel the fire of my excitement.

  There was only heavy breathing and the awkward silence was deafening. I waited feeling like this was her chance to make the first move.

  “I’m emotionally drained. I just got through with grilling my father mercilessly. I didn’t make him cry, but I did shock him.” It was past midnight and I could hear the defeat in the tone of her voice.

  “I’m looking forward to reading your interview with your father.” I saw no reason to compound the issue by making her relive the ordeal over again.

  “I had no idea that I had that kind of venom in my mouth. I was relentless and I don’t think he recognized the same little girl he raised. We had a necessary heart to heart. There was a lot of yelling and screaming from the both of us. I never shied away from the heated argument. I think I earned his respect by standing up to him.” The brief exchange we had during class had made a certain part of my anatomy stand up and salute. It was a good soldier and ready to forge ahead into battle.

  “I’m proud of you.” It was the hour of her reckoning and she had stood up to the one person she admired the most.

  “I can’t sleep and I think that I’m going to go out for a long walk to clear my head. There are jogging paths behind my house. I was wondering if you would like to join me. I know that it’s not right for us to socialize outside of the classroom. I feel like I could learn a lot from you. It’s a matter of whether or not you are willing to put in the work.” She was using my words against me. I didn’t think that it was a good idea to mix business with pleasure. There was one raging part of my libido pulling me in the direction of doing something quite taboo.

  “You’re not in any frame of mind to make any rash decisions.”

  “I’m old enough to know better and young enough to feel this ache inside. This is an open invitation and one that I think that you should seriously consider. You’ll recognize me by the red baseball hat. I’m not sure what I’m going to wear. Surprises can be fun.” I felt torn in two directions. The one where I was taking her into my arms had a distinct advantage.

  “You’re only 20 years old and you should be thinking about boys your own age.” I was trying to cut this off at the pass before we did anything we were going to regret in the morning.

  “I see the way you look at me. There’s no denying there’s a mutual attraction. Nobody will know. They’re not going to hear it from me. You’ve been preaching taking risks and maybe you should take your own advice. It could be the best decision of your life.” Justifying going out at this time of night to meet a student was tantamount to career suicide.

  “I don’t think you understand what you’re asking me to do. A proposition like this could be taken two different ways.” I was lying under the sheets and there was the telltale tent making the decision for me.

  “I’m asking you to be a friend and what happens is between two consenting adults.” I knew the old adage of hurting the ones we loved. I didn’t know that my heart could be open to the possibility of love again. It had been shattered into a million pieces and picking them up seemed like a daunting task.

  “I could get fired for this and I’m not sure that it’s worth the fleeting moments of pleasure.” I was already building up quite the load in my balls by the mere mention of anything untoward.

  “I’m not suggesting anything is going to happen. I just need to see your face and what happens after that is up to the both of us. I’m not just giving you my body. What kind of girl did you take me for? I don’t sleep with professors. I know some girls use their bodies to get ahead, but that’s not me.” She sounded sincere, but I knew there was no way that I could trust myself with her.

  It didn’t help that I was completely naked underneath the sheets. This was my time to see how far she was willing to go. I had a delicious idea which would turn up the heat a few degrees.

  “Let’s say that we did meet and what exactly did you have in mind. Treat this as another writing assignment and be as graphic as possible. I don’t want you to leave anything out.” I was daring her to do something totally out of character and I was half expecting to hear the slam of the phone in my ear.

  “I want… I want…damn it…do I really have to do this?” I had her on the bubble and I only had to guide her by the hand to get her to relinquish her control.

  “I want to make sure this isn’t some sort of game. Tell me in your own words what you want to do and maybe you’ll be surprised by the response you get. It could
be worse and you could be standing in front of me making this grand gesture.” I had my hand wrapped around the hardness of my appendage.

  “I want… I want you… I want your hard…dripping cock…in my mouth. I want to feel the head heavy on my tongue and to let you plow forward until you’re making me gag on it.” I wasn’t expecting her to be open with her dirty talk. It had taken some coaxing.

  “Please continue and you have my black silk sheets ready to burn with the flame of your voice.” I gave it one stroke and it produced the first sign of arousal.

  “I’ll take you in my hand and stroke you at the same time. I will swirl around the head and lick up the evidence of your excitement. It will become my paramount mission in life. I want you to be ready to break my…my…cherry.” I never took her for being a virgin and this was something that I had never crossed off my bucket list.

  “I’m surprised that you haven’t done anything already and a little flattered that you have chosen me to be your first.” The catch in her throat caused my cock to jerk noticeably in my hand. The vein along the back was throbbing and I didn’t think that I could get any harder.

  “I have my hand down my panties and your cock in my mouth. I can feel it getting ready to shoot ropes of your sweet cream into my mouth. I know that I can take you over the edge, but I want you to wait. Waiting might seem like cruel and unusual punishment, but I can assure you it’s worth it.” I could almost feel her lips caressing each inch. This was better than the movies I had in my collection. The explicit sites on the Internet paled in comparison to the sugary syrup of her voice.

  She could’ve made a mint by phoning it in. Phone sex was all the rage and nobody really knew who was on the other end of the line.

  “I have your shaft soaking wet. I want you to plant your flag, pushing against the resistance until the sensation of pain is replaced by pleasure. You will be balls deep inside me. What I lack in experience I make up with youthful enthusiasm. I just hope that you can withstand my tight hole milking you dry. I know what you want. I know what I want. Don’t turn down a sure thing when it’s staring you in the face.” The line went dead. I was left with my cock in my hand.