by Julie Morgan
She giggled. “Well, I do have a closet that’s quite large.” Cara bit her bottom lip for a moment, then nodded. “We should go there. There might be other teachers still on the premises.” She pulled from my grasp and took a few steps back. “I can’t chance losing my position here.”
“I wouldn’t want you to, either.” I looked down to my hands and realized my palms had become sweaty. What the hell? Was I nervous? I ran into burning buildings, yet a woman had me on edge. “Look, something you said earlier. About us not doing this anymore.”
Cara looked like a puppy that had been picked up to be adopted only to be put back down into the box where she was found. “Yeah?” she said in a soft voice just above a whisper. She clasped her hands in front of her fitted floral dress.
The last thing I’d ever want to do was hurt Cara’s feelings. I hadn’t gone out looking for someone. Maybe I had just been trying to jumpstart my libido again. But then I’d met her. Hell, when she just looks my way, I want to lean into her frame, surround her with my presence, and consume every inch of her.
Don’t fucking do this, man. She’s hot, and she’s willing to be friends with benefits.
I took in a deep breath, and against everything my head was screaming, I went on. “I want to make sure my son will still get a good education here. I don’t want anything between us, or not between us, to hinder that. My son… He’s my life.”
“Excuse me? Do you really think that low of me that I would take out any little-man-syndrome issues you’re having on that incredible kid of yours? You really think that little of me?” She crossed her arms, a deep frown tugged at her lips, and her pissed-off eyes could have shot fire across the room. No amount of water would have helped now.
Way to go, asshole.
“Look, that’s not what I meant.”
“What exactly do you mean, then?”
I groaned and rubbed the back of my neck. “Cara, I just want the best for Marshall. That’s all.”
“I get that, but to sit here and come at me like that is not fair.” She turned her back to me and lowered her head. “I think you should leave.” She looked over her shoulder and lifted a brow. “And don’t bother calling or coming over again. We’re done with whatever this was between us.”
It took a lot to piss me off, to get under my skin, but Cara Murphy found the flint that set me off. My arms shook as rage came over me. I stalked the few steps between us, and my chest rose and fell with the breaths I took. I grasped her arms and turned her around.
“Now you listen to me. Marshall has been through a lot. So much more than any other kid should ever have to experience. My job, as a father, is to protect him, first and foremost.” The anger rose a little more as I leaned and towered over her small frame. I imagined myself as a lion about to ingest a small lamb.
Closing my eyes, I took a step back and pulled in a deep breath. “I’m…I’m sorry. Marshall is my world. I only want the best—”
“Stop. Just stop.”
I opened my eyes, and she looked as pissed as I felt.
“I respect what you’re saying about Marshall,” she said, “but don’t hold your shortcomings over my head.”
My brow rose at her words. Slap meet face. “Well, all right. I’ll make sure to never hold any shortcomings, or anything of the sort, over your head.” I looked to the floor and shook my head. “You have no idea what we’ve been through.” I met her gaze once more. “Maybe one day I’ll fill you in, but today is not that day.”
“What do you want from me, Noah?” Cara stepped closer and poked my chest with her finger. “You come in here demanding me to not hold Marshall accountable for anything you haven’t even done. Are you going to think that every time I discipline Marshall—and I will have to discipline him from time to time, because every child needs discipline—that it’s just me taking my frustration with you out on him? How is that fair to me? To your son?”
I pushed her finger away and placed my hands on my hips. “It’s not fair, but what do women do when you date someone? You have baggage that always comes along with you. You will always hold the new person accountable for what the old boyfriend did. How is that fair to me?”
She raised her brows. “Wow. Okay, I didn’t realize we were dating, number one. And number two, I have never done anything of the sort.”
“Not yet.”
“Mm-hmm.”
A long silence fell between us before I looked up into her eyes once more. My chest ached, but I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t love Cara, but I did care for her. She was fast becoming a friend, not just someone I would fuck and leave.
Fucking without feelings, without emotions, was fun at first, sure. But what happened when feelings got involved? I’d been single since Marshall’s birth and had never thought about bringing anyone into my life, or my son’s, yet here I was having this conversation with Cara Murphy, my son’s kindergarten teacher.
“Hi,” I whispered.
She frowned and took a step closer. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you. Did you just say ‘hi’?”
I nodded, then pinched the bridge of my nose. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“You did. And I’d appreciate it if you’d leave those concerns at the door when you’re with me. When it comes to your son? Different world. Regardless of what happens between us, it will have no reflection on him. You’re welcome to request a transfer for your son if that would make you feel better.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s not necessary, unless you would advise it. It is your career this could affect.” Stepping closer to Cara, I brushed the few hairs from her face behind her ear. “Please accept my apology.”
She smiled, and it reached her eyes. “Of course.”
With a sigh, I moved my arms around her slender frame and pulled her against me. She was warm, and for the first time in ages, I longed for the touch of a woman.
Not just any woman… Cara.
“Come on,” she whispered and took my hand. She led me toward the back of her classroom toward a closed door. When she opened it, the smell of glue, crayons, and construction paper invaded my head. It took me back to my days in elementary school.
My teachers were never quite like Miss Murphy, though.
She flicked on the light and closed the closet door. She wasn’t lying. The closet was huge.
Cara reached for my shirt and tugged at the material around my waist, untucking it from my pants. She stepped closer and ran her palms up the inside of my polo. Her hands were chilled, and my flesh rose with the sensations she sent through my body.
I brought up my hands and cupped her face. Tilting her head back, I leaned in and slanted my lips over hers. I moved one of my hands to cradle the back of her head, and in doing so, I grasped a handful of her hair. When I gave her hair a firm tug, she gasped against my lips. I slipped my other hand down her neckline to her breasts.
“I’d love to rip this dress from your body, but I have nothing you could wear to get home.”
“I happen to like this dress,” she teased. “Unzip me from the back.”
I yanked her hair once more, and it drew a whimper. She closed her eyes, and her mouth opened as she gave herself over to me. Kneading a breast in one hand, I moved my mouth over her neck, licking the sensitive skin by her ear. “No, I’d rather leave it on.”
She shuddered, and I felt her nipple harden through her clothes. I pulled the top of her dress and her bra down just enough to expose her tits. I lapped at her nipple, bringing the firm, stiff peak to a pebbled formation. Sucking on the taut skin, I nibbled it, then sucked it into my mouth before letting her go with a pop.
I let go of her hair and brought her back upright while I kissed her skin from the mounds of her chest to her neck and then laid my lips on hers.
Cara fisted her hands in my shirt and lifted a leg around my waist. “I need you,” she whispered.
Fuck, I needed her. I needed to be inside her, Cara’s body rocking against my own. I lowe
red myself to my knees and laid my hands on her hips. My eyes trained on hers, I moved my palms down the length of her thighs to her bare legs, soft and shaved. I moved my touch up under her skirt to her hips. Hooking my fingers into her panties, I pulled the garment down her legs to her ankles. She stepped out of them, and I set them to the side.
I lifted her skirt and took in the sight of her pussy. Bare and beautiful. Her slit was wet with need. Looking up to her, I smirked. “I’d love for you to ride my face, but I want that pussy on my dick.”
Cara didn’t disappoint. She lifted a brow, and with a smirk of her own, she turned around, spread her legs, and bent over. Her ass and pussy were directly in front of me, ready for the taking. My erection throbbed in my pants, begging for release.
Then, surprising me, Cara reached around and grabbed her ass cheeks and spread them. “Touch me,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
“Fuck me,” I groaned and pushed a finger into her pussy. Her channel was hot and wet, and her honey soaked my hand. I pressed my thumb to her clit and massaged it while I moved my finger in and out.
“That feels good,” she groaned, “but I’d rather have you in me than your fingers.”
With my free hand, I reached around and pulled a condom from my back pocket. I had brought one just in case. I’d had no idea how tonight would go here in her classroom. I had hoped to have sex with her at her place but never considered having it here.
“Rub your clit for me, baby,” I said as I stood.
She did as I asked and massaged her nub with two of her fingers. She moaned softly and pressed her free hand to one of the shelves.
I opened my pants and let them and my boxer briefs drop. Ripping the condom open, I rolled it down my shaft and then took a few steps forward and pressed the head to her pussy.
She reached for my dick, grabbed it, and pushed back. With a slow thrust, I slid fully inside her. A groan of satisfaction left her lips. I pulled back and pushed in again harder. Cara gasped and, with both hands, held on to the shelves in front of her. I pushed her dress up over her back and gripped her hips in a tight grasp. With a hard thrust, I pulled her body back against mine, and our bodies connected like a cosmic force exploding, sparks ready to fly at any given moment.
“Fucking hell, Cara,” I groaned. Her pussy squeezed my cock and then released, drawing every part of my life force into her. And I willingly gave it over.
“Harder,” she whispered. The supplies on the shelf wobbled, and a few glue bottles and other items hit the floor. “Fuck me, Noah. Fuck me.”
With a growl, I thrust harder and faster, our bodies in a perfect rhythm. I reached forward and grabbed a handful of her hair and wrapped it around my fist. I yanked hard, pulling her head back.
She arched her back. “Fuck yes. Fuck me.”
“Come for me, baby,” I said through gritted teeth. “Let yourself go.”
“Shit,” she cried, and a warm rush flooded my cock. “Yes, harder.”
My orgasm rushed through my body to my balls and exploded inside her like a fucking fire hydrant. “Fuck yeah,” I groaned and released her hair. I continued to thrust until my orgasm was spent.
Slowly, I pulled out, and then helped Cara stand upright.
“Wow,” she whispered. Cara picked up the glue and other items that had tumbled to the floor and placed them back on the shelves.
I chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
She shook her head with a chuckle, then straightened her dress. “Well, I suppose I should say thank you.” She reached for her panties on the floor and pulled them on. “Earlier, when I said we should stop?”
I nodded and pulled the condom from my dick. Unsure where to put it for the time being, I laid it on the floor next to my feet. “Yeah?” I said as I fixed my boxers and pants back up around my waist.
“Forget what I said.”
I grinned, picked up the condom, and took a step toward her. “I’m glad. You have something I can throw this away in?” I held up the used condom.
“Yeah. I have my own bathroom here. It’s just outside the closet.”
“Perfect.” I left the supply closet and made my way over to the bathroom. I flushed the condom and then washed my hands. I looked at myself in the mirror and studied my reflection. As if judging myself for having an affair when there was no affair to be had.
What was I doing?
With a sigh, I turned off the water and dried my hands.
“Walk me to my car?” she asked as she picked up her messenger bag.
I turned around with a smile and nodded. “Absolutely.”
We turned off the lights, left her room, and headed toward the exit. The hallway was dark. No lights except from those outside the building. There was no chance anyone was here or had heard us.
We reached the parking lot. “Wow, nice car.”
She had a red Audi convertible with tan leather seats. How could she afford this on a teaching salary? There was much more to learn about Cara Murphy than I realized.
She smiled. “Call me thrifty.”
I chuckled. “Sure thing. I’ll call you?”
“You better. Or I’ll come down to the fire station and raise hell.”
“Oh, you would, wouldn’t you?” I teased and pulled her into my arms. “Every one of the men at the firehouse would give their left nut to be with a woman like you.”
“Their left nut, huh? How about you?”
I smirked. “I just gave you both nuts ten minutes ago.”
She laughed, and it was a beautiful sound.
I tilted her head up with a touch of my finger under her chin. I slanted my lips over hers once more. “Good night, baby.”
“Good night, lover,” she whispered back.
When I let Cara go, she slipped into her car, started it up, and then sped out of the parking lot. I watched the red taillights dim as she drove farther away. With a sigh, I got into my SUV and started it up. A slight pang of guilt rushed over me, and I closed my eyes.
This was the first time I’d felt anything for anyone since Marshall’s mother, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. I ran my hand through my hair and rested back against the head rest. I closed my eyes, and images of Cara ran through my mind.
If this arrangement continued between us, we needed to set new boundaries, or someone was going to end up getting hurt. I refused to deal with another broken heart, and I would not break Cara’s in the process, either.
With a sigh, I put my SUV into gear and started down the road home.
What the hell had I done?
Chapter Seven
Cara
This was supposed to be my year. The year when everything I had been working toward began to pay off. Since my first day as a teacher at New Expeditions Elementary, I knew I had found my home.
In addition to my kindergarten teaching, I had been working to become the head of the art department. I loved all things art, from finger painting to spotting an up-and-coming Monet, from ballet to music, from creative writing to interpretive dance—all of it inspired me in one form or another.
This year would be different, though. This year, I was one step away from being on top. Every step up had not been without a struggle, but it had been nothing I couldn’t work through. Erin, my friend, walked the same steps with me. She’d shown an interest in the art department but ultimately had settled for science.
“There’s nothing like a little friendly competition,” I’d once told her. She’d disagreed and worried it would damage our friendship. Only if we allow it to, I’d told myself.
A few weeks had already passed since school started. Noah and I had only seen each other that one time, and of all places, that was in my supply closet. I can’t get supplies without thinking about what we did in there, and I invariably leave blushing. We had agreed to be friends with benefits, but after finding out he was Marshall’s father, one of my students, well, it wouldn’t be in either of our better interests to keep this arrangement going
.
Of course, that conversation was followed by mind-blowing sex.
“Miss Murphy?” Shayla, one of my students, called.
I pulled myself from my musings and smiled at the blond-haired girl. “Yes?”
“Can we start show-and-tell now? I’m excited to bring in my dog. My mom said she’d come in with Oliver.”
I smiled. “Your dog’s name is Oliver?”
She nodded and smiled through a missing baby tooth.
“I love the name!” I said. “Yes, we’ll be starting shortly.”
A moment later, there was a knock on my classroom door.
“Sounds like Oliver may be here,” I announced.
My students cheered. Any chance to play with a dog, excitement ensued.
I made my way toward the door and opened it. On the other side stood a woman holding a dog on a leash. She was dressed as if she’d stepped off a runway magazine photoshoot for Ralph Lauren. She was wearing a tan trench coat and RL sunglasses, and her hair was styled perfectly.
Living in Manhattan had its perks, but sometimes people would dress to impress. I can’t complain too much with my Louboutins I love to wear, which I wouldn’t have been able to afford without my family’s wealth.
“This must be Oliver?” I asked.
The woman chuckled. “Why yes, this is Oliver. I’m Emma, Shayla’s mom.”
I smiled and opened the door wide. “Please, come in and make yourself at home. Students, please say hi to Oliver!” I smiled with my words. Oliver was a cute golden lab. His tail swung side to side, and he sniffed each kid who approached him.
I began to close the door when I heard someone clear his throat. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I started before turning around. With a pause in my step and a skip in my heartbeat, I saw Noah standing in front of me, decked out in his firefighter gear.
I widened my eyes and opened my mouth.
He smirked. “Like what you see?”
I blinked once, twice, then frowned. “Is there a fire nearby?” This was all I could think of at the moment. I wanted him to put out the fire he caused me to feel every time I thought about the supply closet or my condo.