Indulging the Professor (4 page)

Seeing him lose himself because of her excited her. She ran
her fingers through his hair as his hands trailed down the sides of her body to
encircle her waist. Once he’d pulled her into his embrace, he leaned back and
smiled.

“That was the best first kiss I’ve ever had.” She ran her
hand down his cheek and over his jaw indulging in the way his manly stubble
felt against her fingertips. Her knees wobbled and her head felt light.

“Thank you.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Tomorrow then?”

“Absolutely.”

“Good.” He let go of her and backed away. “I think I need to
go now.”

“Okay.” She smiled because she could see the reluctance in
his eyes. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m not sure of anything anymore, darling.”

She watched as he turned and headed to his car. He had a
spring in his step that she’d never seen. As he opened the car door, he looked
up at her and winked. His boyish charm took her by surprise, making her stomach
flutter and her heart rate increase.

“Goodnight, Professor.” She waved as he got into his car.

***

She emerged from the huge en suite refreshed and feeling
especially sexy. She’d slipped on her sheer purple panties under her lavender
baby doll sundress. She walked slowly across the room because she didn’t want
to wipe out in her new silver stilettos.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

She looked up to find Marcus leaning against the archway
that divided the two rooms. He’d donned a light gray suit that accentuated his
eyes. He’d left the crisp white dress shirt undone at the neck so that just a
triangle of his olive skinned chest peeked out.

“You didn’t answer my question.” He crossed his arms and
waited for her to speak.

“Huh?” She’d been too mesmerized by his appearance to answer
his question. Now that she thought about it, his tone had been stern and
serious. He’d slipped into his professor persona and that made her tingle in
all the right places. “How can I be expected to concentrate on anything other
than you when you look like that?”

He walked toward her. “You’re a vision this evening.” His
gaze traveled down her body, lingering at her breasts before crawling back up
to meet her eyes.

“I could say the same thing about you, Professor.”

“I’m not sure if I’ve told you this before.” He leaned into
her ear and whispered, “I like it when you call me that. It triggers all sorts
of naughty fantasies.”

His hot breath against her skin was intoxicating. “We are at
Pleasure Inn,” she reminded him. “I’ll play.”

“I’m planning on it.” He nipped at her earlobe. “I like
games.”

“I’ll let you teach me, Professor.” A chill ran down her
spine when he kissed her jaw. What was it about this place that allowed her to
be so bold?

“Let’s eat first,” he spoke against her heated flesh. “Elyse
has gone all out and I have a feeling you’ll need the carbs for later.”

Finally!
“Lead the way.” She took his hand and followed him down the long hallway
to the staircase. The sooner they finished the delicious meal, the faster
they’d be back in their room. “It smells wonderful.”

“With the exception of the waiter,” he continued as he
guided her down the stairs and to the enclosed porch, “we’ll have the whole
downstairs to ourselves.”

“Where are Logan and Elyse?” She observed the small oval
table set with fine china, fresh linens and delicate crystal.

“Elyse is finishing up in the kitchen and then they’ll both
retire to their suite on the third floor. They wanted us to have complete
privacy, but they’re available if we need them. I don’t think we will.”

“That’s very thoughtful of them.”

“Part of the allure of this place is that the guests feel
like they are secluded and removed from everything and everyone. Logan and
Elyse want their guests to feel like it’s just them and they can let their
inhibitions run wild without having to worry. They try to maintain a low profile.”

“People are going to adore this place.”

“Good evening,” a tall, young man said as he pulled out a
chair for Jacqueline. “I’m Patrick and I’ll be at your disposal this evening.
If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you.” Jacqueline took her seat as she looked around
the room. The temperature had dropped due to the incoming storm but the room
felt cozy. There was a small fire pit across from their table that crackled
warmth and ambiance. She inhaled the smoky scent from the wood.

“This is an excellent choice of wine, Professor Santos.”
Patrick poured a small amount into Marcus’ glass. “I take it Mr. Cole gave you
a tour of the cellar?”

“He has an impressive selection.” Marcus swirled the clear
liquid around in his glass, inhaling the fragrance before taking a sip.
“Exquisite.”

“I’m glad you approve.” Patrick poured the wine into both
glasses. “I’ll let you relax and enjoy your wine while I see about the first
course. You’re in for a real treat tonight. Mrs. Cole is a fabulous chef.”

“We’ve been looking forward to this,” Marcus said. “Please
extend our gratitude to her.”

“I’ll be back shortly.” Patrick placed the bottle of wine in
the ice bucket by the table before making his way to the kitchen.

“I love it here.” She sipped the dark rich wine. “It’s homey
– like we could be eating dinner in our own home.”

“The intimate atmosphere works.” He reached across the table
and took her hand. “I wanted to get away – just the two of us. Logan assured me
we’d have nothing but privacy. There’s so much I want you to know. I want to
explain so you understand why I’ve been so careful with you.”

“Tell me.” She squeezed his hand encouraging him to talk to
her. “I want to hear what you have to say.”

“You’re always so interested in everything I have to say.
It’s very flattering.”

Patrick discreetly placed the salads on the table and poured
more wine into their glasses.

“Wow. It’s almost like he’s not even here.” Jacqueline
picked up her fork.

“He’s good at his job.”

“I flatter you?” She wanted to get back to their
conversation. “How so?”

“You always have. I remember when you were a freshman. You
were such an attentive student and already so advanced.”

“I’m surprised you remember me. You’ve seen so many
students. I didn’t realize I left much of an impression.”

“You were… very memorable.”

“I liked my instructor.” She felt the heat in her cheeks but
it was time to let him know how she felt. The time for awkwardness was over
where he was concerned. “I still do.”

“Since you’re officially no longer a student, I can tell you
I like you too. I have for some time.” He looked down. “Hopefully you know that
on some level. I’ve tried to express it in my own way.”

“You’re a hard man to read.” He’d been sending signals that
she thought meant he was interested. She wanted to believe the time they’d
spent together meant more to him than a working relationship, but some days he
was difficult to interpret.

“You took me by
surprise. Made me question my rules.”

“I did?” She wasn’t use to him being so open about his
feelings. They’d come a long way since that night she’d bumped into him at the
bar; but except for the one kiss, things had remained proper and polite.

“I’ve been teaching since grad school. I won’t lie; there’ve
been opportunities for me to become involved with beautiful and willing female
students.”

This wasn’t the admission she had hoped for. He was the
object of much attention and gossip on campus, but as far as she knew he never
acted on any of those advances. “You’re going to tell me about your past
conquests?” She pushed the lettuce around on her plate. “Maybe we should eat
instead.”

“You don’t understand. There has been a lot of temptation
through the years, but I’ve never taken advantage of the opportunities
presented to me. No one has ever been worth my career. Things were different
with you because you weren’t my student when we started seeing one another, but
you were still a student at my school and you were my assistant. We’ve kept
this very professional and you’ve been more than understanding of that.”

“I respect your career and I would never want to put you in
an awkward situation. I know how fast gossip spreads on campus. People can be
vindictive and jealous.” He’d never asked her to keep their relationship a
secret. But she’d never considered what they had more than a working
relationship until he’d kissed her a few weeks ago. Even after that initial
kiss, she wasn’t sure there could be more. It wasn’t until he’d asked her to
spend this weekend with him that she actually believed there might be a future
for them.

“I appreciate that. I want you to know I respect you too.
When you applied to be my assistant, I researched your resume and education,
and I considered my options very thoroughly, but something told me you were the
one. Your qualifications exceeded my expectations but you’d also left an
impression with me over the years. I felt incredibly lucky to have you work
with me.”

“I hadn’t realized that you remembered me from my
undergraduate years. I never thought I’d have a chance to collaborate with you.”

“Because of my no dating students rule, I never allowed
myself anything on a personal level with any of my female students. When you
first came to work with me, I kept everything strictly business. I had to. Not
just for me, but for you as well. I wanted to help you further yourself.”

“You were so intense and driven. You frightened me.
Sometimes you still do.” Since he was being honest, she figured she owed him
the same courtesy.

“I don’t want to scare you. I apologize if I come across
harshly.”

“Not harsh. You’re just a man who knows what he wants.” His
brilliance captivated her. Not only was he an outstanding teacher, but he was a
passionate author. She knew his writing career was on the verge of taking off.
“Your desire to succeed can be intimidating. I just want to be the best
research assistant I can be for you. I didn’t want our personal relationship to
jeopardize your future.”

“I’m hoping you’ll want to be much more than my assistant.”

Before she could respond, Patrick approached the table and
cleared the salad plates. She hadn’t even been paying attention to the food.
But they’d both finished most of the delicious salad and had put their forks
down. “Your entrees are almost ready. Mrs. Cole has prepared the salmon to your
specifications.”

“Thank you,” Marcus said.

“Salmon?” Jacqueline smiled. “That’s what I ordered the
first night we had dinner together. You remembered?”

“I recall telling you my friend’s wife was a chef and could
do some amazing things with that particular fish.” He took her hand again. “I
remember everything about you, darling. That’s what I was trying to tell you.
You left an impression on me that was hard to ignore. I almost didn’t hire you
as my assistant.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“I was afraid you’d make me forget all the reasons I didn’t
date students. I wasn’t sure I could maintain any resolve when it came to you,
but I couldn’t resist you. I had to get to know you, even if it was just on a
professional basis.”

“What changed?”

“You showed up at that bar and I knew you were more than my
research assistant. Your unassuming approach intrigued me. You were appropriate
and engaging, but you didn’t throw yourself at me.”

“That’s not my style.” She giggled because she’d done
nothing but throw herself at him since arriving at the inn. “Not before here
anyway.”

“All bets are off this weekend.”

The desire in his eyes made her stomach flip.

“I just wanted you to know you’ve changed things for me. I
never even considered pursuing a relationship with one of my students – not
even a former student. You’re the exception to my rule.”

“I feel special.”

“You’re very special to me.” He stroked the inside of her
wrist with his fingertips. “That’s why I brought you here. I wanted to
commemorate your graduation but I also wanted to really begin our relationship.
I don’t want to hold back anymore. I need you to see how much you mean to me. I
want to show you.”

After an absolutely amazing dinner, they walked up to their
suite hand in hand. Jacqueline’s heart pounded with anticipation. She’d waited
literally years for this moment. When she first met him she didn’t believe
they’d become intimate, but she’d always fantasized about him. He’d been the
subject of her dreams for quite some time. Now she felt a nervous rumble in her
stomach because it seemed her longing for him was about to be fulfilled. She
would finally know what it was like to be his.

Marcus opened the door and guided her inside. Someone had
come in and illuminated the room with white pillar candles. They glowed around
the suite making it look even more inviting than when they had gone downstairs
for dinner.

“Wow,” she whispered as she looked around the room. “This is
stunning.”

“Elyse said she would turn down the bed and add a little
more romance.”

“It looks like a dream. This is a lot more than a little.”
Her eyes were drawn to the king sized bed. Jacqueline couldn’t help but imagine
what it would be like to crawl into bed with him. The silk sheets were turned
down and all of the throw pillows were neatly placed on the window seat. On the
nightstand were two bottles of water nestled in an ice bucket.

“The only dream I see here is you.” He pushed her hair to
the side exposing her neck to him. “I can’t stop staring at you… or touching
you…” His words trailed into kisses along her collarbone.

“I don’t mind.” She had wanted to be the object of his
desire for so long.

A loud clap of thunder rattled the windows just as a crack
of lightening lit up the large window. Jacqueline jumped back and stumbled into
Marcus. Feeling stupid, she tried to move away from him but he wouldn’t let
her.