Teach Me: Sinful Desires (21 page)

But nothing compares to your nights. Right, Destini? Sure, he’s a smart sexy bastard that loves the school and the kids. But that’s not what gets your panties wet when he looks at you from across the cafeteria. It’s the practice of the black rose, the Black Jade that fills your nights...

“Ms. Sanders! I think I know! I know!”

“Hands please,” Destini gently reminded the chorus of shouting voices.

Destini chose the reaching fingers at the back of the classroom. A freckled, redheaded boy named Stanley. He wore black-rimmed glasses too large for his face, minus the lenses. When she asked Sir about the strange obsession with lens-less spectacles, he shared that Stanley’s father died two years ago. Stanley’s mother remarried another wealthy man and shipped him off with nothing but his clothes and his father’s spectacles. It was Sir’s idea to remove the lenses so Stanley could wear them instead of keep them in his pockets. Sir had a special way of relating to the kids.

“Go ahead, Stanley.”

“It’s a prepositional phrase! The combination of a preposition and a noun phrase is what makes a prepositional phrase.”

“And what is a preposition?”

Stanley beamed, cutting his eyes at the other students and projecting his voice clearly. “A preposition links nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence.”

“Very good!” Destini said. The school bell rang. At once, her kids jumped up from their seats and rushed the door. Destini’s stomach grumbled. It was time for lunch.

“One at a time!” Destini called after them. She plopped down into her teacher’s chair. It was a swivel with a reclining back, worn from the predecessor’s constant leaning in it. She found it comfortable and roomy as she slumped down. She was tired most days. Nights with Sir and days with her students left so little time for her writing now. She was lost in her new life. Her writing was suffering because of it. Her editor had stopped calling. She felt awful about it.

“Ms. Sanders?”

When Destini opened her eyes, she saw him. More like the shadow of him. It fell over her like a dark cloud, yet she felt warmed in his shade.

“I hate to disturb you,” Sir spoke. “But I have to know.”

“Know what?” Destini asked, trying to mask the blush that rose to her cheeks whenever he showed up in her class. Private or not, she felt like an eleven year-old schoolgirl basking in the awe of her first crush. He was heroic, sexy, and he was confident. And his strict disciplinary manner never changed. He had expectations of his professionals and everything was very orderly between them both.

“Will you have lunch with me?” he asked.

“Your office or mine?”

He sat on the edge of her desk, his fingers drumming on the wood finish, “My office,” he said his eyes darkened with the promise of mischief. A zing of anticipation coursed through her veins, causing her heart to beat wildly.

“Okay,” she replied.

He smiled.

She could have left it at that. A simple yes and a nice lunch to help her transition into the remainder of her day was all that was expected. But her mother always said Destini knew nothing about perfect timing. It was true. Destini sucked at it. And she’d find out soon how much.

“Sir, we need to talk. I was wondering if you considered—”

“You want to go to see him.” Sir rose, hands in pockets, he stepped away toward the children’s desks where open textbooks and pencil bins were stored. He cast her an accusatory glare over his shoulder. “Do you still talk to him?”

“Yes. He has cancer. We talked about this and you agreed. Cancer is serious. My being a listening ear is an act of kindness. I don’t understand why it would bother you?”

“Because you evade when I ask about him.”

“Do I?” she asked.

He cut his gaze over at her.

She smiled. “If I do evade it’s because eventually the conversation devolves. And I don’t like to upset you. More importantly, I evade because he is no threat to you.”

“Not upset. Confused as to why you feel the need to be protective of a person who caused you so much pain.”

“You said you adore my caring nature. It’s one of the reasons you were drawn to me. Seeing how I am with the children and my friendships.” Destini pushed back from her desk. She went to her classroom door and closed it after peeking out in the hall to find it empty. She crossed her arms under her breasts. “Have I disappointed you by being me?”

“Never,” he said.

“Then you are disappointed because of my choice?”

“I was the one who amended the contract to give you the privilege of choice. As long as the choices you make never contradict the trust we share.”

“It never will,” she smiled.

“Which is why I’m not so anxious to hand you over to another man,” he said.

“Wait. Wait! We’re talking about trust. This has nothing to do with some unrequited love or attraction to Russ. And
hand me over
?? Really? Are you—”

“Perception is our truth, beautiful. I saw the way the man looked at you; I saw the way you looked at him. I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Well, you should. Because he’s a friend, my ex-boyfriend, and I haven’t spoken to him without your approval. Besides a few emails, and a couple of calls there is nothing more.”

“I don’t want you going out of town with another man. End of discussion.”

Destini chewed hard on the bitter reply, she felt it rising in her throat, and ready to wag off her tongue and start a verbal war she wasn’t quite prepared for. It would do neither of them any good. A fight over Russ would only inflate Sir’s perception of him being a threat. She lowered her voice in hopes he would keep his lowered and said, “I wish you would reconsider. To say it that way implies you don’t trust me. And that hurts. Because I trust you explicitly.”

“That’s ridiculous—”

“Second, you know he is going into surgery and he has no one to be there for him. I am just going to be there the day before and see him through the procedure. I will return home right after he is well.”

“I need you here and so do our students.”

“Three days? Two of which are on the weekend. I can’t believe we’re disagreeing over this.”

“It’s not a disagreement. It’s a decision that we both agree is mine to make and I’ve made it. You may have the best intentions in your heart but that man does not. And cancer doesn’t change who he is and how he has manipulated you over the years, cancer doesn’t change that you belong to me not him,” he said. There was an edge to his voice that made her heart flutter. There were few times when he showed her his anger, but it was always there. His ill temper would simmer behind his green irises turning them the darkest jade whenever he perceived her slipping from him. She didn’t like jealousy on him. It sullied what they shared.

“I’ve decided. I’m going, Sir,” she said. “Our contract gives me one veto a year. I am evoking it now.”

Sir could not counter her argument. He had introduced the amendment as an act of faith between them and to still give her some control of her life. He glared at her. The left corner of his mouth tipped into a sardonic smile. “Very well, Destini. Have a pleasant trip.”

He strolled out without another word on the matter but stopped in the hall. She looked back to see him glaring at her. “Forget about lunch. I’ve lost my appetite,” he informed her.

Destini rolled her eyes to the ceiling. She dropped on Amy’s desk, staring at the closing door. What just happened?

***

“What I don’t get is why you waited all this time to tell me?”

Destini paced her bedroom. The lights were off. The sun had slipped away. Its fading rays bled through the wood blinds casting her bed and dresser in a shade of violet. Naiya’s question was valid. She had delayed this conversation. She’d done it on purpose. She needed time to explore her new life with Sir without influence from her friend. And more importantly, she didn’t trust Naiya anymore.

“I just needed someone to talk too, now.”

“Okay,” Naiya said, but Destini suspected a full-blown pout had settled over her friend’s face. “I’m shocked. Carson, I had no idea he, um Sir, was
the
Sir Gaylor. That he works for Gaylor Prep. I want to kick my own ass for my part in this. No wonder you’ve been distant with me. I don’t know if I can ever make up for this. Sir Gaylor? He works for Gaylor Prep?”

“Not works, he owns the place,” she said.

“Right, even more creepy,” Naiya mumbled under her breath.

“Creepy?”

“Well yeah. Do you hear what you’re saying? Some rich elitist tied to some secret society with black roses has lured you there to be his... his sex-slave and you signed a contract to agree to it.”

“It’s not like that. Well it is, but he’s not deceptive,” she said.

“Destini?”

“There’s more to it,” Destini reasoned.

“Like what? Have you met his brother? Have you been out in public together? Has he made any overture to commit to this thing you said he refuses to call ‘love’ between you?”

“No. No. And yes. The contract is a commitment, the deepest one we could share.”

“And any court would throw it out in a blink of an eye. It’s not binding like marriage. He is conveniently leaving that off the table.” Naiya reminded her.

Destini rubbed her brow. She and Sir were falling in love, but it was a different type of love. She was no masochist to his sadism. She enjoyed their sex play because of the feelings she had for him. Right? How could she possibly explain it to Naiya? She couldn’t verbalize these emotions any better than Sir could.

“I have an idea!” Destini said. “Oh my God! Why didn’t I think of it before!”

“What is the idea?” Naiya asked.

“You.”

“Me?”

Destini plopped down on the edge of her bed. “Come with me to Maryland. When Russ is having his consultation, you can stay with me at the hotel. I’ll be there for his doctor visit and once he’s okay and checked in the hospital we’ll spend time together.”

“Wait. I’ve been trying to get us to go somewhere for weeks, and now you want too. Because of Russ?” Naiya asked.

“Please don’t do that. I told you why we’ve been distant. This is an opportunity for me to have closure with Russ and start again with you,” Destini said.

“This sounds crazy, but I have to agree with Carson. Russ doesn’t deserve your friendship. The man is scum.”

“Naiya—”

“Let me finish. But I love you for being you Destini. And both Russ and I hurt you. Deeply. So yes. I like the idea. If you agree to something.”

“What is it?” Destini asked.

“Don’t tell Russ I’m coming. Let’s just see how he acts when he discovers I’m there.”

“Why?” Destini frowned. “It won’t matter to him.”

“Humor me. I don’t trust him Destini. Let’s see what happens,” she said.

“Okay.” Destini sighed. “Thank you.”

“And Bryce Carson. It’s the real thing?”

“I’m in love with him,” Destini said for the first time aloud.

To this she received nothing but silence. The silence shouted the questions she knew would come next.
Are you crazy? You certainly don’t want to repeat the mistakes you made with Russell.
Yes, Sir was mysteriously guarded. Yes, he was obsessive about them. But she had found herself freer with him in their secret love affair than she had in all her years of living in normalcy.

“Are you sure it’s love?” Naiya finally spoke.

“Yes,” Destini smiled. “What else could it be?”

“Let’s go to Maryland. Do a Spa or something after we put sickie-poo in the hospital. Put some distance between you and Carson, and then you can see things clearly. Okay?”

“I’ll see you in a few days,” Destini grinned.

“Love you,” said Naiya.

“Love you too.”

Destini sank into the sofa cushion. She tossed the phone to the coffee table, struggling over her doubts. She wondered how Bryce would react to the news that Naiya was coming. It certainly would address his concerns. She was learning Sir every day, and he wouldn’t apologize for his insecurities any more than she would ask him to. It just wasn’t how things were done with them. Besides, he had blinders on in that area. Drawing her legs up to her chest, she let her feet hang off the edge of the sofa seat with her toes wiggling. Destini hugged her legs and dropped her head on her knees.

“Wake up.”

She felt him between her legs, his cock lodged deep inside of her. She moaned and smiled as phantom thrusts that minutes before had rocked her to sleep now moved in and out of her gluttonous pussy.

“Destini?”

It was a dream. Him inside of her, her taking him from behind, or was it the last shared moment they had before she drifted to sleep?

“Destini?” His voice was kind. It was always the same octave, deep and smoky with a hint of that English prep she knew lied in the man underneath. She smiled and turned on her pillow toward him. Her eyes fluttered open. She could barely see him through the veil of her lashes.

“Destini?”

“Mmm, yes.” She blinked away the sleep clouding her vision. “Sir?”

“Breakfast. I made it for you.”

Destini’s head lifted from her pillow. She rose on her side by the aid of her elbow. Sir stood by the bed holding a breakfast tray and wearing her pink and yellow robe. She quickly scooted back into the pillows with a wide-mouthed yawn.

“Like the robe,” she winked.

“It smells like you,” he said in his usual casual manner, as if his broad arms and chest stretching her robe were the most natural of things. Sir set the tray over her lap. Presented before her was a pile of fluffy yellow eggs, golden brown toast that was lightly buttered, and a sliced pink grapefruit in a small bowl. “You need to go grocery shopping. It’s all I could find. Go on...” he nodded.

“You didn’t have to do this, Sir. You’ve made breakfast for me every day this week.”

“I like taking care of you.” Sir eased on the bed and the breakfast tray dipped. She caught the juice before it tipped over. He, however, caught her tangles that fell over her brow, moving them out of her face. He kissed her cheek. “Now eat. I know you’re hungry. It’s after ten.”