arms were stretched across the back of the seat, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled to his elbows, those strange tattoos on his forearms clearly visible. A beer in hand and a smile on his face, he rose as I stepped through the door, and set the beer on the coffee table in front of him. It held a china tea service. I didn't even know we had a china tea service at Clouds but, since Sasha is Anglo-Indian, I suppose it wasn't surprising.
"You have a coat," I said, trying to break the tension. I pointed to the dark wool coat that was draped over one of the lounge cushions. "You've been holding out on me." I smirked at him.
"As have you," he said, his expression wry.
My face flushed at his words. He was calling me out about my job. I wondered what he thought of it. Of me. He'd only known me as a student, a flirty one, but a student just the same. How had his assessment of me changed now that we were here together, alone? Me, barely dressed, my body exposed, available to be commanded according to his whims, his pleasure. The thought of what might happen next had me quivering in my heels. Was he going to lecture me? Or ravish me? Oh god, please let it be the latter. I stood in the doorway for a moment, gazing at him, willing myself not to faint. What the hell was wrong with me? All this week I'd flirted and seduced with the confidence of a lioness on the prowl. Now I felt like a pile of goo. A horny, drooling, gelatinous pile of goo. I panicked and was tempted to fall back on my crutch.
What would Lizzy do? I thought. No wait! Don't! Just stop, Jane! I stared at the floor, shook myself mentally and then met his gaze.
"Please, have a seat," he gestured to the lounge.
I smiled at him, not a stripper smile, not a naughty co-ed smile. Just a Jane smile.
"What? No new name?" I asked. "I'd think that if this afternoon I was calamitous - after tonight, I should surely be considered cataclysmic."
"No," the laughter dimmed in his eyes and they grew serious and heated. God he was gorgeous. "No, not at all. Definitely not cataclysmic."
He held my gaze in his own and I felt my feet carry me towards the lounge, drawing me closer, an irresistible magnetic pull. I sat down.
"Then what am I?" I asked.
He sat across from me, his eyes raking my form, drinking me in. I felt the color rise in my cheeks, that telltale blush that always reveals my feelings no matter how much I wish to hide them. I crossed one ankle over the other and straightened my back, my fingers playing with the lace edge of my lingerie.
"You are...Resplendent," he said, and the word sounded like a prayer on his lips.
"Resplendent?" I whispered.
"Yes. Resplendent," he said again. "A favorite word of mine. It means: incomparable beauty, radiance and splendor."
"Oh, is that all?" I bit my lip, to hide my smile. "Thank you."
He nodded and sat back in his seat, his legs spread wide. He tapped his fingers on his knee as he studied me.
"Can I pour you tea?" I asked, anxious to fill the silence.
"Yes. Just a splash of milk please."
I stood and bent to retrieve the pot, poured milk into the base of the teacup and then added Earl Grey. I breathed deeply as the aromatic steam scented the air. The fragrance was divine, and tempting, so after serving the Professor I poured a cup for myself, and returned to my seat.
"You surprised me today, Jane. Three times," he said holding up three fingers to emphasize his words. He sipped his tea, then set both cup and saucer on the table with a clink.
"Three times?" I prompted. I was sure I knew what one of the surprises was. No teacher expects to walk into a strip club and find a student on the pole. But two other times? What on earth was he referring to?
"The first time was in my office when you turned my own arguments on me and then handed me my ass."
"You deserved it," I said, smiling as I took a sip of tea. The liquid warmed down my throat and across my chest, awakening my nerves. My skin was hypersensitive, and the thin fabric
"You have a coat," I said, trying to break the tension. I pointed to the dark wool coat that was draped over one of the lounge cushions. "You've been holding out on me." I smirked at him.
"As have you," he said, his expression wry.
My face flushed at his words. He was calling me out about my job. I wondered what he thought of it. Of me. He'd only known me as a student, a flirty one, but a student just the same. How had his assessment of me changed now that we were here together, alone? Me, barely dressed, my body exposed, available to be commanded according to his whims, his pleasure. The thought of what might happen next had me quivering in my heels. Was he going to lecture me? Or ravish me? Oh god, please let it be the latter. I stood in the doorway for a moment, gazing at him, willing myself not to faint. What the hell was wrong with me? All this week I'd flirted and seduced with the confidence of a lioness on the prowl. Now I felt like a pile of goo. A horny, drooling, gelatinous pile of goo. I panicked and was tempted to fall back on my crutch.
What would Lizzy do? I thought. No wait! Don't! Just stop, Jane! I stared at the floor, shook myself mentally and then met his gaze.
"Please, have a seat," he gestured to the lounge.
I smiled at him, not a stripper smile, not a naughty co-ed smile. Just a Jane smile.
"What? No new name?" I asked. "I'd think that if this afternoon I was calamitous - after tonight, I should surely be considered cataclysmic."
"No," the laughter dimmed in his eyes and they grew serious and heated. God he was gorgeous. "No, not at all. Definitely not cataclysmic."
He held my gaze in his own and I felt my feet carry me towards the lounge, drawing me closer, an irresistible magnetic pull. I sat down.
"Then what am I?" I asked.
He sat across from me, his eyes raking my form, drinking me in. I felt the color rise in my cheeks, that telltale blush that always reveals my feelings no matter how much I wish to hide them. I crossed one ankle over the other and straightened my back, my fingers playing with the lace edge of my lingerie.
"You are...Resplendent," he said, and the word sounded like a prayer on his lips.
"Resplendent?" I whispered.
"Yes. Resplendent," he said again. "A favorite word of mine. It means: incomparable beauty, radiance and splendor."
"Oh, is that all?" I bit my lip, to hide my smile. "Thank you."
He nodded and sat back in his seat, his legs spread wide. He tapped his fingers on his knee as he studied me.
"Can I pour you tea?" I asked, anxious to fill the silence.
"Yes. Just a splash of milk please."
I stood and bent to retrieve the pot, poured milk into the base of the teacup and then added Earl Grey. I breathed deeply as the aromatic steam scented the air. The fragrance was divine, and tempting, so after serving the Professor I poured a cup for myself, and returned to my seat.
"You surprised me today, Jane. Three times," he said holding up three fingers to emphasize his words. He sipped his tea, then set both cup and saucer on the table with a clink.
"Three times?" I prompted. I was sure I knew what one of the surprises was. No teacher expects to walk into a strip club and find a student on the pole. But two other times? What on earth was he referring to?
"The first time was in my office when you turned my own arguments on me and then handed me my ass."
"You deserved it," I said, smiling as I took a sip of tea. The liquid warmed down my throat and across my chest, awakening my nerves. My skin was hypersensitive, and the thin fabric
Similar Books
