Authors: Stacey Espino
“I knew it. You’re playing a dangerous game, little girl. You should stop trying to be someone you’re not. Might get you into more trouble than you can handle.”
She was about to protest, but his mouth on hers muffled anything she was about to say. In fact, she forgot about any irritation or embarrassment. His kiss made her world spin and he was the axis. Priority number one revolved around both of them getting very naked and crashing onto his leather loveseat. But before things could move to the next step, he broke their kiss and took a step back. His chest heaved and his eyes appeared glassy.
“What you do that for?” she panted, eager to continue.
“If we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to, and I have a class in twenty minutes.”
She pouted and reached for his groin, tempted to make him submit to her. “Let me touch you,” she whispered.
“Kaya, when the time is right I’m going to teach you some manners. For now, I think you better go because you’re going to be my undoing if you stay another minute.”
“Fine. I’ll see you tonight at six o’clock…Mr. Taylor.”
****
Kaya paced the foyer at quarter to six. Her body was wound so tight she could barely breathe. The idea of being alone with Hayden, on a date, in his car, as a couple, made her giddy.
Cynthia sat on the sofa watching her with suspicion. “How did you get off of work with such little notice?”
“Bernice covered for me. I haven’t missed a shift since I started.”
“Stop moving around. You’re making me dizzy,” said Cynthia. She watched television with a heavy quilt draped over her shoulders. “I still think this is a bad idea.”
“Duly noted.”
Headlights appeared in the foyer, glaring off the sidelights of the entranceway. Kaya held her breath and stiffened. Why was she so damned nervous? She wanted him. He wanted her. Nothing could go wrong. Except she knew Mr. Taylor was terrified of getting caught dating a student. She could ruin his career, so he took a huge risk in pursuing her.
A knock on the door made her flinch.
“Have fun,” said Cynthia. “Call me if there’s a problem.”
“Bye,” Kaya mouthed before opening the front door.
Mr. Taylor stood in the doorway holding a bouquet of pink roses. Not in a million years did she expect a gift from him. Eric never bought her anything.
She stared at the beautiful buds in mid-bloom and then up to his face. “For me?”
“Of course for you.” He stepped into the foyer. She hadn’t expected him to come in and hadn’t offered. Her body was still in shock from the sweet smelling flowers and from how absolutely amazing the man looked. He was no longer the casual teacher everyone knew at the university. He had transformed into some kind of GQ god. His short blond hair was gelled back and he wore a stylish black suit. The man smelled good enough to eat. The musky, masculine cologne invaded the foyer and had her close to panting. She savored everything about him. Knowing he was just as intelligent as stunning only made her attraction grow stronger.
“Well, hello, Mr. Taylor,” said Cynthia. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Cut it out,” said Kaya. Her friend never knew where to draw the line and the opportunity to tease Kaya and shock Mr. Taylor had clearly been too tempting.
“Cynthia, right?” he asked.
Kaya shut the front door and Mr. Taylor moved to the edge of the foyer where the ceramic met the carpet in the living room.
“Wow, you remember my name?”
“You were hard to forget,” he teased. “You had a very vocal opinion on just about everything.”
“Does that mean you’re going to take me out on a date, too?”
He looked to Kaya with an expression that screamed, “save me”.
“Cynthia!” Kaya scolded.
She turned back to the television with a chuckle. “Couldn’t resist.”
Kaya dashed off to the kitchen to set her flowers in a vase. Then she practically pushed her date out the door before Cynthia felt tempted to humiliate her once again.
Mr. Taylor drove a shiny new BMW. She was impressed and even more so when he held the door open for her. Dating older men had more perks than she anticipated. Or maybe it was just Hayden. Regardless, his old-school manners were a major turn on. She could get used to being treated like this. He made her feel special, like a princess.
“So…do you live with Cynthia?” He didn’t start the car. He just sat in the driver’s seat facing her. His scent and proximity made her wish they were having dinner at his place because her body was screaming for intimacy.
“I’m one of her roommates. We’re old friends.”
“Do you trust her?”
At first she mulled his question over in her head, wondering why he’d ask it. Then she realized he worried about her being a big mouth at the university about their dating. It irritated her. Kaya was tired of being a low priority to the men she dated. Was she not worth a little risk?
“You don’t have to worry. She’d never say anything about you and me. Cynthia may be obnoxious at times, but she knows where to draw the line.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She took a breath. It was her idea to date her teacher, and he made it clear that it was taboo, so she shouldn’t have a problem with him wanting secrecy. “I’m fine. I guess it just feels weird hiding our relationship.”
“Relationship?”
Oh, fuck.
Why did she choose that word? The guy hadn’t committed to her. They weren’t even dating, just going out to dinner for the first time. Sure, they shared some passionate kisses, but they didn’t necessarily have promises attached. Could a professional who was funny, witty, gorgeous and sexy only care about sex? She'd offered herself to him on a silver platter and he refused her, so she expected he wanted more. Even though the thought of getting burned again kept her distant emotionally, something fuelled inside her for this one man. She wanted all of him. His body, his mind and his devotion.
“Sorry. You know what I mean, right?”
“Explain.”
“We’re not in class. You sound like a teacher.”
“I am a teacher.” His mouth pulled into a crooked grin. It gave him a boyish quality. His face was shadowed, the outdoor lights of the house highlighting his strong jaw, thick lips, and intense eyes through the windshield.
She relaxed a bit and forgot about the original question. Her focus shifted to breaking the tough shell Mr. Taylor encased himself in. She wanted the man—silly, passionate, faults and all. “Do you think you can teach me anything besides philosophy?” Kaya leaned towards him and tilted her head, begging for a kiss.
“I told you before. I’d like to teach you some manners.”
She locked eyes with him. His were the most vivid blue she’d ever seen, a stormy sea of emotion. “What does that mean?”
He licked his lips. She could feel his lust fill the interior of the car like a physical presence. Add her own, and they were likely to jump each other’s bones at any second. “In the past, teachers used to spank or paddle naughty students. Must be in my blood.”
Heat flooded her veins and her pussy clamped so tight she thought she’d pass out with the need for stimulation. Imagining Mr. Taylor smacking her bare ass sent erotic tingles cascading through her body. “I guess we’ll have to see if I’m a good or a bad girl tonight.”
“I hope you’re bad.” He shifted and started the ignition. The sly smile never left his face as he pulled out into the street.
Chapter Nine
Hayden regret his words as soon as they left his mouth. It was just so easy to be himself around her. Kaya made him feel young and carefree. She stroked his ego and turned him into the virile male he was never allowed to be in his long, loveless marriage. Even being the most-loved, fun teacher at the university was great until he was alone in his condo at night. He wasn't just a suit, but a man, with feelings, needs, and desires.
When he said he hoped Kaya would be bad, he did. He wanted her stripped naked and over his lap. He planned all sorts of wicked things for her sweet, young body. First he’d tie her up to his massive bed frame and teach her about obedience in the bedroom. He’d train her to be the perfect student and show her pleasures she’d never known.
Before his lengthy marriage, he had fully explored his darker side in underground BDSM clubs. His new teaching career and his parents' expectations didn't mesh with his hidden lifestyle. The main reason he'd entertained marriage with his ex-wife was in hopes of curing himself of his deviant desires. It wasn't so easy to change who he was, but his ex wouldn't humor his kinky side or need to dominate in the bedroom.
But what he wanted, and reality, travelled on conflicting courses. No way could he let himself go with Kaya, especially when he'd been stifling away his urges for over a decade. He couldn’t sex her up the way he wanted. The whole dating thing became his secret experiment. Could it actually work between them? Already he noted hostility on her part as a result of their hidden relationship. What would it be like in a week, a month, and years from now? Until she graduated from his university, she was officially off limits. No way could he wait nearly a year when she threw herself at him every day at school. He didn’t want to resist the feisty little blonde. There had to be a way to find a safe and healthy balance between their professional relationship and hopefully one hot, wild love affair.
As they drove to Hayden’s favorite restaurant, Kaya stroked his arm and examined his fingers in her hand. Her touch was gentle and sweet, maybe more intimate than sex itself. He had to force his eyes open to watch the road and avoid slipping into that blissful state between consciousness and unconsciousness.
They finally arrived. He parked the car and slipped out to open the passenger door for Kaya. Her black dress rose up her thigh as she set one foot on the asphalt. He couldn’t resist raking his eyes up her body. His groin stirred as his imagination took over.
“You look beautiful tonight. I prefer this look on you.”
“As opposed to my stripper outfit?” Her cheeks blushed. He ran the backs of his fingers along the flush, and she leaned into his touch. After a single soft kiss to the lips, he took her hand and led her to the entrance.
****
Kaya watched as Mr. Taylor shrugged off his suit jacket. The crisp blue shirt he wore underneath matched his eyes. He loosened the knot in his tie and settled in comfortably across the booth from her.
“This is nice,” she said, appraising the restaurant. The dim lighting offered an intimate atmosphere, making it difficult not to get lost in the moment. She imagined many men brought their future wives here to propose. Soft classical music, barely audible, drifted out from the sound system.
Hayden maintained a soft smile. His eyes were squinty and flirty, lines creasing the outer edges.
“What?” she asked. He wouldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Just enjoying the view.”
Kaya leaned over on her elbows. “So, we’re here. Alone. Tell me about yourself.” She played with her curls and he reached out to spring a few himself, which appeared to amuse him.
“I’m divorced.”
“Cynthia told me. How long were you married?”
He exhaled as if disappointed. “Fifteen years.”
That was news to her. He’d been committed to one woman for fifteen years? She felt insecure just knowing that. Would she have felt better if he'd only dated casually his whole life? She didn’t want him to compare her to his ex-wife, the educated professor that could tear her apart in a battle of wits. If they were married that long, he had to of been deeply in love with her. She wondered what the previous Mrs. Taylor looked like and how good she was in bed. Kaya may have had youth on her side, but not experience.
“I thought I did well making it eight months.”
“So you have an ex?” This also appeared to amuse him, but he tried to appear serious. She supposed compared to fifteen years, eight months was a joke.
“Nothing like you. We were just dating and it ended very badly. That was the longest I’ve ever lasted in a relationship.”
“Does he go to the university?”
“No. Not ours. Actually, he dumped me when I transferred.” She chuckled without humor. “I really know how to pick ‘em.”
“Don’t blame yourself. He’ll regret that decision one day. You’re not the type of woman a man should be able to give up so easily.”
“I’m not?"
“That’s why I’m here. And I want to know everything about you.”
He reached for her hand and cupped it between both of his in the centre of the table, but broke away when the waiter approached. The young man recognized Mr. Taylor. This relationship was destined to failure.
The rest of the evening went by pleasantly. They enjoyed a light, quiet meal. Mostly Kaya listened to the couples around them talking because her date seemed lost to his own thoughts half the time. Occasionally, he’d glance up and give her a half-hearted smile, and she began to wonder if the whole idea of trying to start something with him was a huge mistake.
“What was your wife like?” she asked after a lengthy silence. The question sounded wrong when it passed her lips.
“Not nearly as beautiful as you. But I don't want to talk about her.”
His words snared her heart in a tight bind making breathing difficult. Why did he affect her so strongly?
“Hmm. I was starting to think you regret the whole idea of taking me out tonight.” She fiddled with the straw in her soda glass.