Self-Control Much?

Tuli

As the day drew to a close, I reluctantly scooped up my backpack from the floor, stuffing it with homework and pens before slinging it over my shoulder.

With a heavy heart, I trudged towards Jayce’s office. Anxiety churned inside me, making me want to scream or bang my head against the wall. Anything to make it stop.

No matter how much I fiddled with my hands, paced, or took deep breaths, the tension in my chest wouldn’t ease.

Soon, I found myself standing outside his door, my heart pounding like a drum. I lifted my hand to knock.

The door swung open almost instantly, and I was once again met with his warm brown eyes. He greeted me with a kind smile and ushered me inside.

I took a moment to survey his office while he shut the door behind us. Last time, I was too busy giving him a piece of my mind to notice the room.

It was neat, save for a few books scattered on his desk and coffee table.

A bookshelf stood in one corner, housing dozens more books. His desk was cluttered with stacks of papers, including the ones I’d handed him earlier, and a thermos.

He broke the silence, drawing my attention. “Please, have a seat, Miss D’Amore,” he said, his tone formal yet gentle.

His sweet voice made me blush, and I took a seat in the wooden chair across from his desk.

He glanced down, then suggested, “Tuli, would you prefer to sit over by the coffee table? It’s a bit more comfortable.”

“Oh,” I murmured, eyeing the other seating options.

A plush couch sat on one side of the coffee table, with a matching chair on the other. I chose the couch, sinking into its soft cushions.

I watched as he took a seat in the chair next to the couch, then he began to speak again.

“I want to apologize again for my behavior yesterday. It was unprofessional of me as a teacher, and it could have harmed your reputation as a student.

I didn’t think before I acted, and I regret how I handled the situation,” he said softly.

His words, coupled with the memory of him pinning me against the door and whispering seductively in my ear, stirred something inside me.

His intense gaze didn’t help either.

But I managed to respond quietly. “Mr. Mitchell, I forgive you. You did some...embarrassing things...”

I paused, causing both of us to blush.

“...but I didn’t treat you with the respect you deserve as a professor. For that, I apologize.”

He smiled at me. “I can’t blame you for how you reacted. But I appreciate your apology, and I forgive you.”

I felt my cheeks heat up, and I started to stand, but he gestured for me to stay. I looked at him, puzzled. “Is there something else we need to discuss, professor?”

He shifted in his seat, a look of unease crossing his face. I watched him, waiting. He cleared his throat and said, “You do know that Mr. Connor won’t be your professor after next week, right?”

My eyes widened. “What?” was all I could manage.

He was now staring at a book on his coffee table. “Mr. Connor is retiring because of his age. That’s why I’m here.”

I didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, it hit me.

“You want to make sure I don’t tell the whole school that my professor fucked me,” I said.

He met my gaze.

“I can’t imagine you’d do that. But if it makes you feel better, you could drop the class. There’s still time. But if you could promise not to say anything about what happened between us, I’d appreciate it.”

His words stoked my embarrassment into anger. “Mr. Mitchell,” I said, “I promise you, I have no intention of telling anyone that I lost my virginity to you. And I won’t be dropping the class, because I need the credit. So, I’ll be there. Now that I know why you wanted to see me, I’ll be going.”

His eyes widened. “Tuli, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Well, you did,” I snapped, standing up. “I hope you’re not worried about repeating your mistake, but if you are, let me assure you, I have no interest in being your plaything again.”

His eyes hardened as I turned to leave. I reached the door, only to be pushed against it. He had me trapped between him and the door, my back to him.

I felt more exposed than ever, his hard body pressing against mine.

Jayce

The idea that she thought I saw her as nothing more than a plaything made my blood boil.

“You’re not a plaything,” I growled in her ear. I could feel my arousal growing, and I was sure she could too.

Her breath hitched, and I saw her ears turn pink.

“Tuli,” I said softly, “can you feel what you do to me? A plaything wouldn’t affect me like this. But you’ve managed to get under my skin, even after three months apart.”

I let her turn around, but kept my arms on either side of her, blocking her escape.

“I think I still affect you, too, despite what you said yesterday.”

“You don’t,” she retorted.

“Really?” I whispered. “Your face is flushed. You’re biting your lip, which is driving me crazy. Your breathing is shallow, your heart is racing, and you’re squeezing your legs together. I don’t think I believe you.”

She fell silent, her gaze lingering on my lips. I paused, my mind buzzing with the thought of losing my job.

But then she bit her lip, and all rational thought vanished. I reached out, cradling the back of her neck, and drew her lips to mine.

A low moan of pleasure escaped her, vibrating against my mouth.

I growled in response, my tongue nudging at her lips, seeking entry. They parted, and I explored her mouth, savoring her sweetness.

A soft whine slipped from her, her hips pressing against me.

Sliding my hand under her thigh, I lifted her leg over my hip, grinding back against her, showing her how much I was enjoying this. Her arms wound around my neck, pulling me closer.

I teased her tongue with mine, kissing her deeply, passionately, praying I wouldn’t have to stop. She whimpered and pressed closer, her breasts brushing against my chest.

Knowing what she wanted, I grunted and moved my hand from her neck, bringing it down to cup her breast.

Breaking our kiss, I played with her breast, squeezing and kneading it roughly. The sounds she made, pleasure-laced whimpers, only turned me on more.

“Jayce,” she whispered.

I groaned. “Tuli, you have no idea how hard you make me. I wish I could take you right here.”

She leaned up, catching my lip between her teeth, tugging gently. My cock twitched in response. “Fuck,” I hissed.

She silenced me, releasing my lip and pressing her lips firmly against mine.

I moved my hand from her breast and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her away from the door. I pressed her body against mine and guided her to the couch.

I pushed her down onto it and climbed on top of her, spreading her legs apart to nestle my hips between hers. I wanted her so badly, and I was so close to taking her.

I unzipped her jeans and was about to pull them down when I felt her hands press against my chest.

I thought she was just going to take my shirt off and continued to pull her pants down, until she pushed against my chest again, trying to push me off. I pulled back, surprised.

Her face was flushed, her braids disheveled, and her lips swollen.

But her eyes held a hint of fear.

“We can’t,” she said softly, pulling her jeans back up. “I’m sorry Jay—” She stopped, correcting herself. “Mr. Mitchell. I don’t want you to lose your job, and I can’t afford to be kicked out.”

She tried to fix her hair, loosening her braids.

The adrenaline drained from my body, replaced by cold reality. I took a deep breath before agreeing with her.

“You’re right. I’m sorry, I should have let you leave,” I grumbled, avoiding her gaze.

She picked up her bag and extended her hand. I shook it quickly and opened the door for her. Before she left, she turned to look at me.

“Thank you for telling me about Mr. Connor’s retirement. I won’t tell anyone about what happened.”

I managed a smile, though I was far from happy, disappointment settling in, and a raging hard-on I needed to deal with.

“I just thought you should know, Miss D’Amore. And I trust you,” I murmured.

She turned and walked out the door. I closed it, grateful for a few moments to compose myself before rushing out to her, hoping we could pick up where we left off.

“Fucking hell,” I muttered.

Tuli

I hurried out of the building, then broke into a run to my car, my heart still pounding from the adrenaline. “Holy hell,” I sighed, unlocking the door.

I thought I could resist him if he tried anything again. I guess I was still vulnerable to his advances, much to my dismay.

I was about to open the car door when I heard a male voice. “Your face is flushed.”

There was a note of surprise in his voice.

I turned to see Armand, teasing me again. “Jeez,” I muttered, looking at him, “how do you just appear out of nowhere like that?”

“I usually park on this side of the campus,” he said, pointing to his car.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. So I wanted to ask you something,” he said, grinning widely.

“Okay, shoot.”

“Do you want to hang out this Friday? There’s a party at my friend’s house.”

“Um…” I hesitated. The last thing I needed was a party. But it might help distract me from an already stressful week.

And I could probably bring Megan along. ~As long as she doesn’t ditch me again~, I thought grumpily.

“Pretty please,” Armand said, giving me puppy-dog eyes.

I laughed at his expression. “Alright, sure.”

He smiled and gave me a big bear hug. “Awesome!” He grabbed my hand and twirled me around.

I yelped, laughing. He let me go.

“Jeez, we only met yesterday and you’re twirling me around like I’m your niece or something,” I said. But I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

“I couldn’t help myself. You are too cute.”

“Ugh, don’t say that,” I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat up.

“It's true,” he replied, then leaned in and whispered, “especially when you blush.”

I looked up at him, surprised, and covered my cheeks with my hands.

“I’ll see you later,” he said.

“Okay,” I said, still a bit taken aback.

He turned and walked away, looking very pleased with himself. I rolled my eyes. At least I had one friend on this campus.

A gruff voice spoke up from behind me, “He seems to like you.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, yanked back to reality by a voice. The voice chuckled, and I spun around to find Jayce. “Mr. Mitchell,” I gasped, “you scared me.”

His lips curved into a smile, but his eyes didn’t match it. There was something else there, something dark, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“Sorry, Miss D’Amore, didn’t mean to startle you. You left this in my office,” he said, his voice as cool as ice, as he handed me the teddy-bear keychain that usually hung from my backpack.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I grabbed it from his hand. “Thanks. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I mumbled.

His face was a mask, showing no emotion. He just cleared his throat and said, “Good. I need to get back to my office.”

Without another word, or even a hint of a smile, he turned and walked away.

~That’s the second time he’s been a jerk to me.~

~But what did I do to deserve it?~

The moment I started the car, my mind thankfully went blank. The engine purred to life, and I sped off, eager to get home. I wasn’t about to let this strange day get to me.