Teach Me (2 page)

He is mad.
I glanced back over at Liam who winked and smiled. “Nice to meet you both. See ya around.” He shut the door and I felt my stomach shrink.

“Sarah,” Matt said, gesturing toward the door. “What was that about?”

I shook my head. “Nothing….he told you he just helped me.” I walked passed him and unlocked the door. Zeus started attacking his feet and he grumbled underneath his breath.

“Damn it, dog. Get off of me.” Matt took off his shirt, his cleats and his hat. “I’m gonna jump in the shower really quick. Got anything to eat?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Matt wasn’t a bad guy, just jealous. He was raised in a man bring homes the money and women cook kind of family. I wasn’t. He was kind, gentle and kissed really good. He always remembered our anniversary and my birthday. He took me out, but he was obviously stubborn and jealous at times. But, I loved him. “Sure.”

Liam

“Shit,” I mumbled tugging at my shorts. The fabric had grown too tight under my massively huge erection. I rolled my eyes and glanced down at Layla. “Could I have been more embarrassing?” She rolled over on her back, begging for me to rub her belly. I bent over and rubbed her a few times before going to the living room.

Sarah’s little cheer shorts were just too small, not to mention the swell of her breast in that small tank top. I slammed my opened palm against my forehead. “Way to go, Liam.” I sat down in my recliner and turned on the TV. I had too much unpacking to do, and I didn’t want to think about it. New Orleans is only around five hours from Monticello, but it felt like eternity. When I was offered the job at UAM, I knew I needed to take it. I had to get out of my home town. Monticello isn’t big at all, but it had a southern feel to it that I liked.
Now, I’m thinking it was a good investment.

I shook my head and leaned back further into the chair. I shouldn’t even be worried about her. Her boyfriend was standing right there, angry and I couldn’t blame him. I had his girlfriend in my apartment. Not that anything happened, but it did look bad. Plus, I was checking out her ass when he started getting hostile.
What was with him anyway?
Was he a student?
He looked way younger than her, and looked like he played for UAM.
Maybe she doesn’t work at the college?

I rubbed Layla’s head and turned up the volume.
All I need is some sleep
. My phone beeped as soon as I closed my eyes. My mother’s name displayed across the screen.
Great.
“Hi, Momma.”

“Why didn’t you call me when you made it, son? I was worried sick. There was this wreck on the I-40, I thought you were in it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom, calm down. I took Layla for a run. I’ve had a long day.”

“Your dad is working,” she said. I knew what she meant by that. I knew she meant that was the reason he wasn’t waiting for my call. But, it wasn’t. It was because he didn’t want me to move. He wanted me to stay, enlist and go into the Marines like he had. That wasn’t me. It wasn’t what I was meant to do.

“Great for him,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. “Look Mom, I have got to go, I have to get up early tomorrow.”

She sighed, loudly. “Okay, son. Call me in a few days. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” I said, pressing the End button. I tossed my phone on the end of the recliner and closed my eyes. It wasn’t long before I had fallen asleep.

“Mr. Downs, this
is the Survey to Civ room,” Dean Spencer said, gesturing toward the room in front of us. He smiled, and pushed his glasses up his nose.

I walked in and tugged at my button-down shirt. It covered my tattoos nicely. I’d gotten them on senior trip, not thinking about jobs in the future. I wouldn’t be wearing any short sleeved shirts in front of the faculty anytime soon. The overhead was nicely positioned in the corner of the room, and there were around fifty desks total. As far as I could tell I was taking over Dr. Evert’s job, and he had a test scheduled for today.
Damn, it’s the first week of school.
None of his students knew that he was quitting, he didn’t want them to stop applying themselves before the new teacher, me, showed up.

“Does everything look okay?” Dean Spencer asked, hands in his pockets.

I nodded. “Sure thing. Everything looks great.” He had briefed me about everything last week over the phone. I glanced down at my watch. “Looks like I have fifteen minutes before my class gets here.”

Dean Spencer nodded and handed me a grade book. “This was the grades from Dr. Evert. You can copy them down and give this back to me whenever you get finished. They are mostly participation grades, and one bonus question before each class. Call me if you have any questions. Have a good day, Mr. Downs.”

I nodded and walked over to my desk. Nerves were racing underneath my skin. This was my first time teaching, I’d only graduated the year before. At twenty-six I was glad to have a job, the economy sucked. I unpacked my book, grade book and started to copy down the grades.

When I got to the last one, I heard laughter fill the hallway. I glanced up and noticed it was time for class. I shut the grade book, stood and leaned against the front of the desk, legs crossed at the ankles.

A few minutes later the room started filling up. Everyone stopped and checked the room number before walking in. I smiled to myself, then wrote
you’re in the right room
on the board. A few of the girls giggled to themselves, and most of the guys talked and I picked up on a few football players in the room.

When it turned eleven ten, I started toward the door but stopped dead in my tracks. “Sarah,” I mumbled, staring straight at her. Her mouth dropped opened, and she stared right at me. Her low cut shirt hung snuggly to her chest, and her jeans tight to her slender waist.
Fuck.
I quickly thought of dead puppies, rotten food and chair legs.
I am not getting hard in class.

Her lips parted and she said, “Liam.” My dick jumped in my jeans.
Damn it.

Sarah

“Liam,” I mumbled again, not realizing I’d said it twice. My mouth was ajar, eyes wide and my books loosely in my grip. He was staring straight at me, a confused look on his face. I knew it was because he thought I was a teacher, and I didn’t get a chance to tell him different. I try to take my eyes off of his broad shoulders, his button down shirt stretched to fit them perfectly. My stomach tightens as his tongue darts out to wet his lips.

Liam clearing his throat brings me back to reality. “Hi, you can take your seat, Sarah,” he said, eyeing the classroom. I glance over at everyone, and all eyes are on me.
Damn it.

“Of course….” I trailed off, making a quick dash toward my usual seat.

Tyler, one of Matt’s baseball friends, leaned toward me. “What the hell was that about, Sarah?”

I pulled out my book and bit my lip. “I met him yesterday at Java City, I didn’t realize he was a teacher.”

Tyler nodded, and turned his hat around backwards, causing his cowlick to stand straight up. “Yeah, dude doesn’t look like a teacher.”

Hell no, he doesn’t.

“Okay, people,” Liam said. “My name is Mr. Downs, or Downs. I prefer you not to call me Liam, it’s kind of unprofessional.”

“Sarah called you Liam,” someone said from the corner of the room. Blood rushed to my ears. I couldn’t look up, I continued to look at my notes.

“I live close to Sarah, so I met her before this.” Liam turned his back to us and wrote
Mr. Downs
on the board. His ass looked so right in those jeans.
Damn it, Sarah. Stop it.

“So, as you know Mr. Evert is no longer here. He is leaving to go to a different school.” He flipped through some pages, biting on his lip. “Looks like he had a test planned for y’all today.” He shook his head. “We’re going to postpone it. It’s the first week of school,” he said, glancing over at me. I quickly looked back down at my papers.

“So, why don’t we have introductions today? Hmm? Let’s stand up tell me your name, where you’re from and what your major is. My goal is to get to know you all.”

He pointed toward a girl on the first row.

“Looks like we’re gonna have it better this semester,” Tyler said, leaning closer to me. “Mr. Evert seemed like a drag,” he whispered, pulling his phone out from under his desk.

“Yeah,
easier,”
I said, keeping my eyes on my desk. Taking a chance, I looked up. Liam was staring at me, and nodding at what the person was saying. Heat burst underneath my skin.

“So, I heard Cole hit it and quit it with Jamie.” Tyler shook his head. “He is such an ass. I warned her,” he said.

“I did too,” I mumbled, watching Liam stroke his jaw with his thick fingers. I wondered what it would be like to be touched
places
by him. He was too beautiful, too masculine.
Isn’t it a crime to be that good-looking?
He let that laugh slip, sending my stomach on a roller coaster ride.

No, stop. I can’t believe I’m checking my teacher out like this. I have a boyfriend and he is my professor
. I swallowed a large lump in my throat and pulled my shirt away from my body. I was sweating like I’d been running a marathon.

“Sarah,” Tyler said, waving his hand in front of my face. He was leaning over his desk rail, staring at me, wide brown eyes worried. “Are you okay? I asked you a question.”

“Oh, sorry. I was daydreaming.”
Understatement.
“What did you ask?”

He frowned but asked, “Do you think Jamie would go out with me?”

Of course I do.
I nodded. “Yeah, of course she would.” Tyler seemed like an
okay
guy. He was always polite, held the door open for people and made descent grades. Tyler wasn’t bad looking either, he had a strong jaw, pretty brown eyes and we built steady.

“Great, I can’t wait. I think I’ll--,”

“You talking over there,” Liam said, rather loudly. He had his finger pointed right at Tyler. “Your turn.”

Tyler furrowed his brow but started talking. Liam wasn’t paying any attention to him, I watched as he watched me. Tyler kept talking, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying.

“Great, thanks. Now, what about you Sarah?” Liam asked.
How did he even hear what Tyler was saying?
I couldn’t take my eyes off of his lips.

“Sarah?” he asked again, dipping his head lower, to hide a smile.

“Oh!” I said, swallowing the embarrassment from the class snickering beneath their breath. “Um. My name is Sarah. I grew up in Hermitage, about forty miles from here. My major is creative writing, and that’s about it.”

“How old are you?” Liam asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Everyone is staring at us.

“Twenty two,” I mumbled, gnawing at my lip.

“How old are you?” some girl yelled from the back.

Liam smiled, and my breath caught in my throat.
Damn.
“Twenty six,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. The tattoos I’d seen from the night before show on his forearm.

“Nice tats, where’d you get ‘em?” some guy asked.

“Louisiana. Now, since we know each other pretty well know. Class is dismissed. We’ll pick up Friday. Plan on having your test next week.”

The entire class got up and started scurrying out of the door. I took my time picking up my books, looking at my desk and the floor.

I exited my row and feel Liam’s arm on my elbow before I can get out of the door. “Can you wait a second?” I nodded at the ground and waited for everyone to leave. Liam walked over and shut the door. “Well, this is awkward,” he said.

I glanced up. “I didn’t know you were a teacher. You don’t look like one,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t…I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you that I’m a student. I just look older.”

Liam bit his lip and exhaled a huge sigh. “Well, I guess I didn’t come out and tell you either. It’s not a big deal or anything, I was just shocked to see you walk in. I think it probably raised some questions from the other students.”

I know it did.
Half of the girls were staring at me the entire time. I waved my hand at him, giving him a shaky smile. “Nah, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I told Tyler I saw you at Java City and didn’t realize you were a student.”

“Is Tyler the kid that was sitting next to you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, he is one of Matt’s friends. I have a few classes with him, he is an English major, too.”

Liam clicked his tongue and finally smiled. “Well, I guess that’s all I need to know. I guess I’ll see you Friday?”

Grabbing my books, I squeeze them to my chest. “Okay, Liam…Mr. Downs,” I said, before dashing out of the classroom.

What. The. Fuck.
I shook my head all the way down the stairs and into the writing center.
Could this get any worse?
I’d been checking out my teacher’s ass and I didn’t even know it.
How could a teacher be this freaking hot? It’s not logical? They’re supposed to have spenders, loafers and comb overs. Not low rise jeans, boots and a fucking sexy smile.

I dropped my bag at the computer desk and sat in the rolling chair. I pulled up my homework for math and started on it. I worked as a tutor in the writing center, but when no one was there we’d do our homework or talk. I didn’t feel like talking, I might have screamed if I opened my mouth.

This semester is going to be torture.