Page 30

He kept touching her, though, the illiterate fuckwad. I thought I might kill him. I wanted to tear him apart, limb from limb.

“Hands to yourself, Mr. Hawkins,” I finally snapped.

And she didn’t once look at me.

As I was taking attendance I said, “Miss Monroe, you have two unexcused absences this week. Care to explain?”

She still didn’t look at me, head tilted down. She looked sad and forlorn and so fuckable, I had to sit down.

A succinct, “No,” was her only answer. Little brat.

I told her to stay after class for a word, and I was surprised when she did.

I stayed behind my desk. “Come here,” I told her gruffly.

She surprised me again by obeying.

I had an awful thought. “You better be wearing panties today, sitting that close to fucking Jake.” Before I knew it, I was up and shoving her against my desk, hand up her skirt. When I felt her underwear I backed away, horrified by what I’d done and where I’d done it. It was out of line, not to mention someone could have easily walked in on that.

She finally looked up at me and glared. “At least someone wants me.”

I couldn’t fathom what she meant. “You think I don’t want you?”

“You hated that we did what we did. You regretted it right after. I don’t want to cause you anymore hassle. I found another place to stay while I figure things out.”

I saw red again. “Where? With fucking Jake?”

She had the nerve to roll her eyes. “No. At a shelter. It’s fine.”

It felt like someone had slugged me in the gut and taken the rug out from under me, all at once. I had to sit down. I thought I might actually cry for the first time in years. A shelter? I took a few bracing breaths before I tried to speak calmly. “Please come back home with me. I’m sorry. I made a mess of things. I’ll try to do better. Okay?”

She studied me for a long time. “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. You said I was fucking up your life, Carter, and that’s the last thing I want to do.”

I took a few more bracing breaths, gaze locked steadily to hers. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’m lost here, I can’t deny it. I feel like the worst kind of scum. I’ve taken advantage of you when I only wanted to take care of you. But I can tell you right now that I’d rather ruin every part of my life and career than see you out on the streets by yourself. The thought is unbearable to me. Please, please, come home with me.”

She somehow looked less convinced than ever. “I won’t as long as you keep saying you’re taking advantage of me. I can’t bear that.”

“Okay. I won’t say that again.”

She studied me for a long time, then eventually asked, “We’ll drive home together?”

“Absolutely,” I said, feeling so relieved at her capitulation that I was weak with it.

“On one condition.”

“Anything.”

“I get to go down on you while you drive.”

Lord, have mercy. It was checkmate. Not only did I want that, I felt like I couldn’t refuse.

I was so relieved that I barely gave a thought to anyone seeing us walk out and get into my car together.

Teachers can drive students home, I told myself. Luckily no one got close enough to see that I was hard as a rock the entire walk from the classroom to the parking lot.

We were driving and a few blocks away from the school before I spoke. “This maybe isn’t the ideal place to give your first blowjob. It’s going to be an awkward angle.”

“You can’t back out on the deal when I’m already in the car, Mr. North,” she said like a little brat as she grabbed for my belt.