Indulging the Professor (2 page)

“We’re going to listen to the band,” Cara said. “Would you
like to hang out with us?”

“Cara, Professor Santos is here with friends.” Jacqueline
got up from her seat, clearly embarrassed by her friend’s spontaneous
invitation. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to be bothered with us.”

“You’re not bothered by us, are you Marcus?” Cara moved to
stand closer to him. “We can be a fun bunch.”

“I’m sure.” He
glanced at his watch. “I have an early morning so I’m going to be going soon
anyway. It was nice meeting you, Cara.”

“Maybe we’ll see you around.” She nodded at Jacqueline.
“I’ll see you in a few.”

“Yeah.” Jacqueline didn’t look impressed with her friend.

Marcus thought her embarrassment was adorable. He wondered
what she had told her friends about him.

Cara turned and smiled at Marcus one last time before
retreating to the back room.

“That was a little awkward,” Jacqueline said. “I apologize.”

“Don’t.” He laughed because he’d been on the receiving end
of that kind of advances more time than he could remember. “It’s an
occupational hazard, I suppose.”

“Ah yes, the sexy college professor has all the young co-eds
throwing themselves at him.” She giggled over her own words.

He’d never heard her do that before but why would he? He’d
never given her reason to. That would have to change. “You think I’m sexy?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to be inappropriate, but you said…” She
trailed off and chewed on her bottom lip. “I thought that’s what you meant. I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“I’m joking.” He reached out and took her hand trying to put
her out of her misery. “I think I like teasing you.”

“I didn’t even know you could.”

“Hmm, well I guess we’ll have to change some things between
us. I must be awfully boring for you.”

“You’re not.” She glanced down at their joined hands. “I
like working with you.”

He hadn’t realized he was still holding her hand. But it
felt natural – right.
What
the hell?

“I guess I better get going,” she said. “You have an early
morning.”

“I do,” he agreed. “I’m meeting with the department to
discuss the new curriculum for the fall.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“I can tell you about it over dinner if you’d like.”
What am I doing crossing
lines that I can’t come back from?

“You want to have dinner with me?”

“Yes, I think so.” He ran his thumb along her wrist. “Does
tomorrow work for you?”

“Um, sure.” She nodded, looking a bit unsure of herself.
“I’m good for tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” That was easier than he had anticipated. Why
hadn’t he done it sooner? Because she’s a student at the University and she’s
your research assistant. “I’ll call you in the afternoon.”

“I look forward to it, Professor.”

“About that.” He let go of her hand and reached into his
pocket to retrieve his wallet. “You should call me Marcus.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that, but I didn’t want to
make you feel uncomfortable.” He paid his tab and continued, “But if your
friend doesn’t have a problem with calling me by my first name, you shouldn’t
either.”

“Cara can be forward.” She shrugged. “And inappropriate.”

“She’s fine.” Cara had given him some insight about
Jacqueline’s interest in him. He was glad the woman had been inappropriate.
“You better get back to your friends.”

“It was nice seeing you.” She turned to walk away but he
wasn’t ready to see her leave. When he touched her shoulder, she glanced back
at him and smiled. “Goodnight, Marcus.”

The sound of his name tumbling from her lips stirred his insides.
He imagined her screaming it out as she…

“Goodnight, Jacqueline.”

***

That night at the bar had completely changed the dynamics of
their relationship. He’d spent the two months since then taking her out to eat
every Friday night. It was a nice change to have some company on the weekends.
When they first started meeting in restaurants, they mostly talked about his
book or her research and education. After a few “date nights,” they had gotten
comfortable enough to discuss family and friends. The more time he spent with
her, the more he wanted to explore a relationship. Now that she had graduated,
he wanted to pursue a future. He hoped her graduation present gave them that
opportunity.

Two nights at Pleasure Inn… where all of their fantasies
would become reality.

Jacqueline gazed out the window at the beautiful countryside
as Marcus drove them to the bed and breakfast. She had felt anxious ever since
he had invited her to spend the weekend at Pleasure Inn. She’d been waiting
patiently for him to take the next step in their relationship. She hoped this
weekend would help get things moving forward between them.

Now that she had graduated and his book was finished, she
hoped to concentrate on being a couple. The weekly conversation sessions were
nice and she appreciated that he took the time to get to know her, but how much
longer could she be expected to keep her hands off him? She craved more. If the
purpose of this weekend was to indulge in her fantasy, she didn’t have a very
elaborate dream. All she needed was the sexy, Latin history professor to ravish
her for two entire days. She squirmed in her seat when she thought about the
things he might do to her. All the ways he could make her scream his name.

She turned and stared at his striking profile. His thick,
black hair and charcoal gray eyes complimented his olive colored complexion. He
was the talk of the campus. Every girl wanted to take a class with Professor
Santos. He was the topic of many late night conversations and the subject of several
student Facebook fan pages. Jacqueline had had a crush on him since her
freshman year when she’d enrolled in his United States Constitution class.
She’d managed to follow him through her senior year and was lucky enough to get
into a few of his graduate courses. Getting into his classes wasn’t an easy
task, given his reputation among the student population. It wasn’t just his
looks that garnered attention. It was his hands on teaching methods, knowledge
of the content, and charismatic personality combined that generated the long
waiting lists for his courses. He had a way of engaging his students that kept
them coming back.

When he put out a call to find a research assistant, she
knew she had to get that job. She met all of his qualifications but the competition
was steep. She couldn’t believe her luck when he offered her the position.
Working with him was a dream come true. His professionalism and knowledge
captivated her. He seemed to have it all: brains, talent, education, and looks.
She always enjoyed their meetings and when he added Friday night dinners to the
schedule, she thought she’d hit the jackpot. The times she’d spent with him had
been some of the best in her life. She loved hearing about his stories about
when he’d studied at Yale and how he’d worked at the White House as an intern
and then for a prominent senator in Connecticut.

She had already learned a lot from him. Now she wanted him
to teach her so much more.

She had been caught off guard a week ago when he presented
her with her graduation present. She had accepted in a heartbeat. When it came
to Marcus there was no more hesitation.

***

Soft music played in the background of the quaint
restaurant. People waited months to get a reservation at the chic five star
spot, but Marcus made one phone call and they were in. After the waiter poured
their wine and took their orders, Marcus reached across the table and took her
hand.

“You look lovely tonight.” He stroked the inside of her palm
with his thumb causing her to shiver. She craved his touch and to her delight
he’d been doing it more often. “Thank you for spending your graduation evening
with me.”

“Thank you for coming to the luncheon my parents had today.
They really enjoyed meeting you.” She had felt awkward inviting him to meet her
family because she didn’t want to put him on the spot. She was very flattered
that he’d graciously accepted.

“It was my pleasure. I was honored to be included.” He
continued to caress her skin. “I have something for you… a present.”

“I thought this was my present. This place is gorgeous. I
don’t need anything else.”
Except
maybe sleeping in your bed tonight.

“Do you remember my friend Logan?”

“The one who got married the weekend after we had dinner the
first time?”

“Yes. He and his wife have a bed and breakfast a few hours
from here. They’ve done a fantastic job renovating the old inn. They’re finally
ready for guests.”

“That’s wonderful for them. His wife is a chef, right?”

“Elyse was an executive chef in a trendy Manhattan
restaurant before relocating to Connecticut. She actually got us the table here
tonight. She and Logan have some grand plans for Pleasure Inn. I have a feeling
they’re going to be very successful.”

“Pleasure Inn?” Jacqueline laughed. “That’s a peculiar name
for a bed and breakfast.”

“The Inn’s motto is something about making your fantasies
into a reality. A modern day Fantasy Island of sorts.”

“Cool.” She wondered why he was sharing this information
with her. What was on that brilliant mind of his?

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Why?” She arched a brow. “What do you have in mind?”

“They’re launching the inn with a huge grand opening in a
few weeks. They want a practice run with some of the staff and have offered to
comp us two nights as a sort of rehearsal. I wondered if you’d like to spend
next weekend with me there. I know it’s sudden and if you have plans we could
just go another—”

“Yes.”
Did
he really think she’d turn him down?

“What?” He cleared his throat.

“I want to go with you.” She needed him to know how ready
she was to take the next step. “To Pleasure Inn. I’d love to.”

“Wonderful.” He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across
her knuckles. A flood of warmth invaded her panties. “I’ll let Logan know to
expect us Friday afternoon.”

“Perfect.” She watched as his lips caressed her hand again.
“I can’t wait.”

***

“Hey, gorgeous, what has you so deep in thought?” Marcus’
voice pulled her from her memory.

“You,” she answered before she had time to think.

“What about me?” He glanced at the GPS system on the
dashboard.

“I’m just… excited about this weekend. School has been
grueling and now that the research is finished on your book… I’m really glad we
can finally relax.”

“We’ll be able to do that in about three and a half miles.
The inn is up ahead on the right.”

“Do you have a lot planned for us?” She wanted to spend the
entire weekend in his arms. But she didn’t really care what they did as long as
they were together.

“I’ve made some requests of our hosts, but we can do
whatever you’d like. They have horses, a hiking trail, and I know there are
some antique shops not far from the inn. I’m sure we could find lots to do.”

“I think I’d like to lay low. Just hang out at the inn.”
Making love to you all
weekend.

“This is your graduation present.” He reached for her hand.
“Whatever your fantasy is, it comes true this weekend. I’m all yours.”

“Then my fantasy has come true.” She felt the heat creep
into her cheeks. “I love spending time with you.”

“You’re very sweet.”

“You didn’t tell me what your fantasy is. Why do you want to
go to Pleasure Inn?”

“All in good time.” He smiled but didn’t answer her
question. “Look.” He turned in to the long winding driveway that led toward a
huge Victorian mansion. “We’re here.”

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” She took in the stunning picturesque
mansion. It was huge… and beautiful. The place held so much charm – right down
to the white wooden rockers on the front porch. It made her think of an old
beachside vacation resort. They were so far off the road the only sounds were
birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze.

Marcus got out and came around to open her door. Jacqueline
loved what a gentleman he was. He always opened doors and pulled out her chair.
He’d won her mother over in a matter of minutes and her father had been
impressed with his intellect. She’d never had a boyfriend her father approved
of.

Boyfriend?
Maybe that was her fantasy. Perhaps this weekend would be just the
beginning.

“Are you ready?” He took her hand and led her up the path to
the front entrance.

“What smells so good?” The scent of fresh baked goods
swirled around the porch and grew stronger as they came into the foyer of the
inn.

“Blueberry scones.” A beautiful woman wearing a light blue
apron stepped out onto the porch to greet them. “I just pulled them from the
oven.”

“Elyse,” Marcus said as he hugged the woman. “It’s so nice
to see you.”

“We’re thrilled you could come.” She smiled and then looked
at Jacqueline.

“This is Jacqueline Kincaid,” Marcus said. “Jacqueline, this
is Elyse.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Elyse held out her arms and gave
her a warm welcoming hug. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Marcus speaks very highly of you,” Jacqueline said. “This
place is amazing.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” A tall, striking man in
faded jeans and a black t-shirt stepped came out the front door. Jacqueline
recognized him as the man who’d been playing pool the night she ran into Marcus
at that bar.

“Logan.” Marcus slapped the man’s shoulder.

“You made it.” Logan shook his friend’s hand. “And just
before the storm that’s headed our way.”

“Is it going to be bad?” Jacqueline knew the forecast was
calling for rain but she hoped it would pass. She didn’t like storms –
especially thunderstorms.