Finn, Amber - Her Prized Student (Siren Publishing Classic) (4 page)

“I know what you’re thinking. ‘He’s just in this for sex.’ That’s not true, Avery. Please remember what I said the first day I met you. I only sleep with women I’m involved in a relationship with. I know this has moved fast, and the sex came early—really early. But I couldn’t fight the attraction, and I don’t think you could either. But I’m not interested in just the physical aspect of a relationship with you. I want to know you, heart and mind, inside and out. Are you willing to be a part of that with me?”

She nodded and reached out and laid her head on Blake’s shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her. Avery felt him exhale and realized he had been holding his breath while waiting for her response.

Avery stepped back and looked up at Blake. “This might be a good time to sit down and start that grading discussion.”

Blake smiled. He looked over at the couch in the corner and said, “How about you sit at your desk, and I’ll sit at this lovely chair in front?”

“Good thinking. Now, you’ve read the syllabus. You know the kids will be turning in their weekly topic essays. They’re two-pagers, so I thought that would be yours to cover. As for the main essays in the semester, there are five. I’ll give you two or three to grade after I’ve read them and made my own notes, and then we’ll meet to discuss to see that we are on the same page.”

Blake sat stunned for a moment. Avery looked at him and worried that she insulted him by not giving him enough to do. “Blake? Is this what you were hoping for? We can discuss this if you had other ideas.”

“No, this is more than I even expected. You have no idea what I’ve been doing for my last assistantships. I’ve been filing and handing out essays to students in class. Essays I had not been given a chance to read, ever. I don’t think I’ve read a student essay yet. I knew there was more to you than those never-ending legs.”

Avery smiled. “I thought we were going to keep this professional.”

“This is professional. I gave you a professional compliment. I never said I’d leave your physical attributes out of our conversation.”

“Blake, maybe we should slow down the physical side of our relationship. You know? Maybe curtail that a bit to get to know one another?”

Blake stood and leaned over Avery’s desk. He placed both hands on the desk as he leaned in towards Avery’s neck to nibble gently just below her ear. He made his way down her neck and then back up again to her face to kiss her tenderly, still leaving his hands on his desk. Avery was breathless when he was finished.

“Now, what was that about curtailing the physical aspects of our relationship?”

“Um, forget I said anything. I think we can handle both at the same time. I’m a doctor, aren’t I?”

Blake chuckled. “Well then, doctor, thanks for the assignment. I am truly sorry to say I have to go because I’d really like to make use of that couch over there. I wish I’d have noticed it earlier. Shall we meet tonight?”

“Yes, but let’s start somewhere public, so we can get some actual conversation in?”

Blake sat down again, looking rather concerned. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?” Avery asked.

“Two years ago a professor had a relationship with a student, wasn’t even a student in his class. It was consensual, however, he was looking for a long-term relationship, and she was looking for some short-term fun. So, needless to say, it ended badly, and he didn’t exactly handle it well. She went from being a straight-A student to earning Ds on her essays and received a D for the class. She filed a complaint against the professor and with the university. The department reviewed the complaint and her essays before and after her plummet in grades and found in the student’s favor. They changed her grade. That would have been the end of it, but her father was a lawyer, and when he found out that she had been sleeping with her professor prior to her slip in grades, he stepped in and filed a rather large lawsuit against the university. The professor was ‘asked’ to move on, and the family was well compensated. To avoid any future embarrassment, as the dean put it, he added to the university bylaws that faculty and students, graduate students included, are not allowed any romantic relationships of any kind while the student is enrolled here at Cross University, or it will result in termination of the faculty’s employment, regardless of tenure status.”

“Oh.”

That was all Avery could get out. She felt deflated as she knew that Blake would not be a graduate for another four months when they’d be free to pursue their relationship in the open. This was also the time he’d be free to pursue a full-time job anywhere he chose. In the meantime, they’d have to sneak around, risking both their careers, hoping they didn’t get caught. She knew that was the only option because waiting four months to pursue an open relationship with Blake, working every day side by side, simply was not. She was too emotionally involved now.

As if reading her thoughts, Blake said, “There’s no way I’m waiting until graduation to touch you again. I knew about the rule when I started this with you. I thought you did. I figured they’d go over things like when they hired you. I’ll sneak around as long as I have to.”

“I don’t like the idea of sneaking around. I want to stay on track for tenure track. But that being said, knowing it’s only for a couple of months, and not indefinitely, makes me willing to do it. That and I honestly don’t think I could work with you over the semester if you weren’t fucking me, too.”

Blake smiled at Avery’s use of salty language. It was so seemingly out of character.

“You’re trying to get me to that couch, aren’t you?”

“Working on it.”

“Oh, baby, you’re killing me. I really wish I could. But I’m running late now as it is.”

Avery wondered where Blake had to run off to, but since he wasn’t offering, she didn’t ask.

“Okay, no problem. See you tonight? Why don’t you plan on having dinner at my place? I make a mean pasta dinner with homemade red sauce and meatballs.”

“Café Jackson it is. Six o’clock okay?”

“Fine. I’ll plan dinner for six-thirty.”

Blake came around the desk then and leaned over to kiss Avery good-bye. It was sweet as he stroked her cheek while they kissed. He pulled away and kissed her forehead.

“See you tonight.”

Blake turned and walked to the door, unlocked it, and closed it behind him as he walked out. Avery stared after him as she thought about what just transpired. She felt that she and Blake were headed in the same direction as far as this relationship was concerned. However, he seemed more mysterious, and she was not sure she made any headway in getting to know him any better.
Maybe tonight at dinner.

* * * *

Blake arrived right on time. Avery appreciated punctuality, and it pleased her that Blake apparently did, too. He entered the kitchen and put on one of Avery’s extra aprons with such familiarity, Avery felt her heart tug. She was amazed and impressed with the ease at which he stepped right into the preparations for dinner. Avery was chopping the basil for the sauce. Blake stepped right in and started chopping alongside Avery. At the same time, Avery enjoyed the natural way the two of them fell in sync with each other. She worried about it, too. Avery did not want to grow so attached to Blake, not like this, not this soon.
Why can’t I ever have a relationship that’s just about sex? This would be the time, Avery! He’s not going to be here long, the sex is totally hot, so what do I do? I fall for the guy. Figures.

Avery started to cut more aggressively as she grew frustrated with herself.

“Hey, what’d that basil ever do to you?” Blake asked with mock concern.

“Sorry, redirecting frustration, I guess.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

They continued their preparations without destroying any more herbs or other food necessary for dinner. Avery set the table on the patio for dinner, and Blake lit the candles. They sat down and ate and talked through the evening.

“I can’t believe we were both born in the same hospital! That is absolutely unbelievable,” Avery exclaimed.

“Yes, but you still won’t tell me what year you were born. Maybe we were there the same year?”

“What difference does it make? We have different birthdays. You don’t need to know what year I was born, snoopy.”

Blake laughed. “Okay, okay. I give up. You’ll forever be twenty-two, right?”

“Something like that.” Avery smiled. Blake’s deep throaty laugh warmed her heart. “So, where are your parents now?”

Blake’s smile froze, and he looked down at his plate, clearly uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat as he answered. “My parents were killed in an accident. I was raised by my aunt.”

“Oh, Blake, I’m so sorry.”

Blake didn’t say any more, so Avery didn’t want to press. It was clearly still very painful.

* * * *

Blake wanted to reach over the table and kiss Avery for her compassion and not pressing him for more details as his other girlfriends in the past had. Blake did not want to answer their questions, not when he wasn’t ready. The women in his past always had to have answers, all of them, and weren’t willing to let him keep anything to himself until he was ready. He hadn’t met anyone like Avery, who not only accepted this response but seemed to understand he had to reveal more on his time when he was ready. But instead of being bitter about it, she offered compassion. Blake felt his heart swell and realized this relationship was going in a direction he hadn’t planned. He thought they could keep this light, no emotional attachments, just hot sex and companionship. He’d graduate and hopefully move on. He told Avery he slept only with women he was involved with—that part was true—but he also didn’t usually get emotionally attached. Although he left that piece of information out when he first met Avery, she is the first one he has become emotionally attached to.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Avery asked quietly.

“I’m thinking these dishes can wait,” Blake said meaningfully.

Avery and Blake stood interlocking their hands and kissed deeply on the patio. Their hands and arms went around each other as they continued to embrace. Blake paused and placed his hand on Avery’s cheek.

“Let’s take this upstairs,” he said breathlessly.

Avery could only nod as she placed her hand in his and followed him upstairs to her bedroom, grateful he knew the way because her head was swimming from the kiss and the wine she drank earlier.

* * * *

When they reached the foot of the bed, Avery noticed something different. Blake wasn’t tearing at her clothes with the hunger and passion as he had in the past. Tonight, he was gently, teasingly taking her clothing off, one by one. Slowly, he lifted her top over her head, kissing her skin all the way up as he went. His kisses burned as she begged him to move faster. He only smiled and shook his head no. He then knelt on the floor in front of her to unbuckle her shorts and wiggled them down to the floor, rubbing and massaging her legs as he went. He came back up for her thong, using his teeth and tongue to grab a hold of the single string on the side, and yanked it down. He sucked on the inside of her leg as his hand hovered just above her pussy, rubbing and caressing, but not going in. Avery thought she would go mad before they even made it to the bed. Blake put both hands on her taut midriff and massaged up as he moved to her breasts to open her bra and send it to the floor, finally revealing her naked body. He lifted her effortlessly and laid her on the bed. Blake whipped his clothes off as Avery held her hands out to him, yearning for him to come to her.

Blake came to the bed and again shook his head no. “This is all you, baby. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”

He raised her hands above her head on the pillow. He then started to make his way down her body with his own hands as he plunged his tongue into her waiting mouth. She gasped at finally receiving the touch she’d been craving and encircled her tongue around his, going as deep as she could.