And The Beat Goes On (2 page)

Chapter Two

♬

Jeremy Clearwater

I still couldn’t believe I agreed to this.

I didn’t know the first thing about teaching a class. And I hadn’t been in college in three years. Everything I remembered when out the window. Most of my students didn’t care about the material. I would be pried for my secrets to success. They would ask me questions left and right.

Dr. Yang owed me big time. I mean, big.

I got to the campus early and found my classroom. It was the same one I attended in my youth. And that felt a little…eerie. I’d been a student for so long that I never wondered what it would be like to be a teacher.

Well, I’m about to.

I set up my supplies then waited for the students to walk in. I purposely got there early so I could feel each one out as they walked in the classroom. I was only teaching one class, thankfully. But I need absolute control.

It was an illness, really.

The first few students were clearly nerds. They were quiet, kept to themselves, and sat in the very front row. One look told me they’d get nowhere in life. They didn’t have the persona or motivation to be anything more than a secretary. They reminded me of mindless drones. If they thought they could skate buy on book smarts, they were sadly mistaken.

Then the other students came in. They sat in random spots. Judging by the tired looks on their faces, their bloodshot eyes, and their “I don’t give a shit” attitude, I knew they didn’t care about this class. They probably had no idea who the hell I was.

A few serious students came in. As soon as they took their spots, they got their supplies ready and stared me down. The intense look on their faces told me they couldn’t be intimidated. They were the winners, the ones who refused to take shit from anybody. They would be successful. Everyone else, no way.

The last student to walk in caught me off guard. She didn’t fit into any of the categories, at least at this moment in time. She wore a long skirt that reached to her ankles. It was gray and made of silk. Her san
dals underneath were covered. Even though were legs were concealed, I could tell how long and lean they were. From my time scouting women then hunting them down, I could tell a smokin’ body from an average one.

And she was fucking
smokin’.

Her white shirt clung to her body tightly, showing the cur
ves of her flat stomach and noticeable tits. When I looked further up, I noticed the pink scarf around her throat. It covered both of her shoulders and highlighted her outfit. A golden bracelet decorated one thin wrist. Her skin was slightly dark for the cold climate.

Her brown hair was thick and wavy. Slight curls were at the ends and it framed her face. It was lustrous and silky. I wondered how soft her strands were.

I stared at her as she found her seat in the middle row. I was waiting for her to look at me so I could see her face. She dressed classy and had an elegance about her. She carried herself properly, but not in an arrogant way, just a confident way.

She finally looked at me.

Wow.

Her high cheekbones highlighted her curved lips. They were red and soft. Her eyes were a vibrant green, immediately reminding me of a lush pasture. Her neck was thin. My hand could easily fit around it. I stared and stared.

Yowza.

The same decision came to my mind like it always did.

I wanted to fuck her.

But I couldn’t do that. She was a student I was the teacher. I couldn’t get away from her, and I would bring shame to the university, and I might get Dr. Yang in trouble, which would defeat the purpose of me being here to begin with. I shook m
y head and tried to dispel the effect she had on me.

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful girls. I’ve dated a lot of models. But this girl was something else. I wondered what she was like.

A blond man rose from his seat then sat beside her. She glanced at him then looked away. I wondered what that meant. Was he her boyfriend?

Why did I care? Jeremy, forget about her.

I cleared my throat. “I’m Mr. Clearwater. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the CEO and President of RCD Stock Broking. I was asked to teach this class for the semester.”

I pretended I was in a meeting with my subordinates. I remained confident as I moved around the room. I never liked to be in the same place for too long. My hands were in the pockets of my suit.

“Why are you here?” I asked no one in particular. “What do you hope to learn?”

All the students stared at me but no one spoke.

I looked at the nerd in the front row. “You.”

He looked panicked. “Uh…to learn.”

“To learn what?” I said quickly. “Be specific.”

He started to sweat. “To be a good businessman…I think.”

“You think?” I didn’t mean to challenge the student but his lack of confidence irritated me.

I turned to the group. “I’ll teach you something now. Always speak with confidence, even when you’re lying. How will anyone find you credible if you’re so uncomfortable? I wouldn’t want my stock broker to be nervous.”

I moved across the room and stopped when I reached one of the sharks, the men that were determined to glean every piece of knowledge from me. “Why are you here?”

The confidence was
in his eyes. “To learn how to build an empire.”

That was a decent answer. I nodded then kept going. There was one student in particular I wanted to call on. I wondered how her voice sounded. Was it high-pitched and quiet? Was it deep? What did it sound like when she was moaning my name?

Jeremy, get a grip.
My natural tendency to find a sexual partner never went away. It was an addiction. I needed to have a woman all the time, and never the same one twice.

Against my control, I walked up the stairs and approached her row. I assumed she would avoid my gaze but she didn’t. As soon as she felt my heated look on her, she met my gaze.

And she was gorgeous.

The calm reserve in her eyes told me she wasn’t nervous. She was confident in her skin but not cocky. She knew she was beautiful but would never admit it. And she seemed…innocent…classy. Not my usual type. But that only made me more interested. “Why are you here?”

She didn’t flinch under my stare. “To become a valued member of society, to contribute to the global economy, to support my family, to get my degree, and to be educated.” Her voice was deep and powerful. It didn’t shake when she spoke. And it felt good on my ears. I definitely wanted her to say my name, my real name.

And that was an interesting answer.

“What’s your name?” I didn’t ask any other student this question because I couldn’t care less. But I wanted to know hers.

“Athena.”

Even her name was beautiful. Now I wanted to say her name in bed.
Athena. Athena.

I nodded then walked back to the center of the classroom. “You’re all wrong. That’s not why you’re here, and that’s not what you wish to learn.” I paced the floor and waited for someone to challenge me. Of course they didn’t.

Athena spoke up. “Then why are we here, Mr. Clearwater?” She had a slight tint of attitude in her voice.

And I liked it.

I faced her, staring her down. Now I wanted to challenge her, to make sure she knew exactly who was in charge. I was a powerful man that always got my way. She wasn’t safe from me. If I wanted her, I’d get her.

“Let’s not bullshit ourselves.” I kept pacing. “You’re all here for one fundamental reason. It’s not to be better members of society, it’s not to enrich our minds, and it’s certainly not to learn.” I rubbed my chin then returned my hand to my pocket. “It’s to make money.”

No one disagreed with me.

“And that’s what I’m going to teach you.” I looked at Athena again. I was probably making her uncomfortable by the intensity of my stare. If she was uncomfortable she didn’t show it. “At the age of twenty-three, I made my first million. Now at the age of twenty-five, I’m one of the richest bachelors in
the city.”

I wanted to make sure Athena knew that.

“And now I’m here to make you rich.”

Chapter Four

♬

Athena Riley

That was an interesting session.

Mr. Clearwater was the youngest professor I ever had, the most confident, and the sexiest—hands down.

But he was also…different. His confidence was almost overbearing. He seemed to have control issues, and he had an odd way of exerting
it. But I could tell one thing. His confidence and strength came from the total in his bank account. I guess that was true for all people, but not me.

I admired him for being so successful at a young age. How many twenty-five year olds acquired
their own stock company? Not many, unless they inherited it. But I wondered why he was teaching a class at the university. Didn’t he have anything better to do? And he certainly didn’t need the money. Plus, he didn’t seem like he wanted to be there anyway.

But, I liked him. His expensive suit hid his body from view, but I could
tell what was underneath it. His shoulders were broad and wide, and his abs were tight around his stomach. His natural posture showed the strength of his muscles. They kept everything firm and upright. He moved through the classroom like a shark, examining each person before he took a bite. He was so intuitive, I wondered if he could read my mind. There were times when I thought he could.

I knew it would be an interesting semester. That was certain.

I walked down the hallway in a daze, remembering the way Mr. Clearwater stared at me as I left the classroom. His look was so intense, my skin was on fire. It was almost a look of hate. I couldn’t tell.

Someone touched my arm. “Hey, Athena.”

I turned to see Jasper standing beside me. Where did he come from? We had Business Ownership together, but I didn’t expect to talk to him. When he sat beside me, I ignored him. “Hi…”

“Did you get home okay last night?”

Obviously. I’m here now, right?
“Yeah.”

He nodded. “What are you doing for lunch?”

Not spending time with you.
“I have errands to run.”

“Oh.” He seemed disappointed.

Has he never been rejected before?
“I’ll see you later.” I left before he could get another word in.

♫

My father was the owner of a respectable carpet business. My grandfather opened it thirty years ago then my father took it over. Now he expected me to run it, which I had no interest in doing.

After awhile, all the carpets looked the same. The patterns molded togeth
er and turned into a single blob. I simply wasn’t interested. But my father wanted me to get my business degree so I could expand and build an empire.

Like Mr. Clearwater.

I told my dad I wanted to be an artist at least a hundred times. But that was never good enough for him. He said it would lead nowhere and he needed someone to take over the shop after he died. My brother refused to do it because he wanted to be a computer programmer, so I was stuck. How could I turn my father down and leave him all alone? I just couldn’t. And for some reason, Ken’s ambition to work with computers was more important than my love for art.

I hated thinking about it because I wanted to scream.

After school, I went to the store and did the inventory and the orders. No one ever came in. They mostly ordered their supplies online. So I finished all my tasks within an hour then did my own projects. I usually brought a pencil and paper and would sketch out images I wanted to paint. I knew I should study but I hardly ever did. I always became motivated a few hours before the test.

I was a slacker
.

But I loved school for some simple reason. I took all the business classes I was required to obtain my degree, but on the side, I took the classes I loved.
Drama, music, and the best one of all, art. My schedule was always hectic, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Life was too short not to do what you loved, and I need
ed these classes to stay sane. Otherwise I’d be depressed and bored. I couldn’t be selfish and abandon my father, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t pursue my own interests at the same time.

When I came to my flat, I kicked off my shoes and immediately turned on my stereo. Whenever I was upset, I danced and sang in my living room. I knew I looked stupid—really stupid—but no one was there to see me. I jumped on my couches and shook my ass until I was exhausted. By then, it was out of my system and I could finally go to bed.

I thought about Jasper and his sudden interest in me. He’d probably do the same thing as last time. Take me out to dinner then expect to get between my legs.

Nope. It’s not
gonna happen, buddy.

And I didn’t want to get hurt again. He was clearly a guy that didn’t want a serious relationship. He
just wanted to hit it and quit it. That just wasn’t me. We didn’t have to get married, but I wanted some sort of connection between us. I wasn’t a fan of flings.

Then Mr. Clearwater came to my mind. I wondered what he did when he got off work. Was he married? Did he have kids? What was he like? Was he always controlling and domineering like that? What did he look like when he didn’t wear that suit?

Now these thoughts were getting inappropriate.

I stopped lusting after
my teacher and fell asleep.