Madison padded into the bedroom, her bare feet moving across the wooden floors as she went into her room and stood in front of the closet.
What am I going to wear?
She smirked as her eyes fell on the dress she’d worn to the wedding. It was like she was doing this backwards. The first time they’d met, Kacey had seen her dressed up, wearing more makeup than she normally would. When she’d gone to Kacey’s apartment Saturday night, she thought she looked pretty good, but tonight, she was in her own apartment, and she didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. But she couldn’t really do casual either after their last two meetings.
Madison pushed aside a few hangers, finding a pair of light skinny jeans and a black v neck top. She got changed and stood in front of her full-length mirror after she’d added a few waves to her dark hair. She turned, making sure she looked okay, before she slid her feet into a pair of dressy flip flops and went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.
She checked her watch as she sauntered back into her home office. She had about a half hour. It wasn’t a lot of time, but she should be able to get at least one more paper graded. She sat down with her glass of Chardonnay and picked up her red pen, ready to jot down her opinions and any constructive criticism.
Madison always loved this time of year. It was getting warmer every week, and the end of the college year was in sight. She didn’t have any definite plans for the summer, but she liked to catch up on her favorite TV shows and the books she’d been adding to her list that she knew she’d never have time for during the school year. She had three weeks left and once she got these papers out of the way, she just had a few more classes to teach and then she’d be finished.
Madison’s eyes scanned over the closing paragraph, checking that everything was in order with the references and bibliography, before logging the final grade into her spreadsheet on her laptop. She scrolled further down the spreadsheet.
One-hundred ninety-four down, sixty-four left.
Madison glanced at her watch as she took a sip of wine, and the doorbell rang just as she was trying to decide whether or not to start correcting another paper.
Great timing, Kacey.
She really didn’t want to read any more papers tonight. Madison stood up, checking her reflection in the mirror on the way out. She knew she looked a little tired, but it was inevitable this time of year. She almost always experienced the burn-out of taking on too many classes and counseling commitments outside of college.
“Hi,” Madison said as she opened the door, and Kacey returned her smile as she took a step back to let her in.
“Hey... Sorry, I came straight from The Beach House,” Kacey said, pointing to her hair which was tied up in a ponytail and her clothes, but Madison wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t mentioned it. Kacey had on a pair of army green shorts and a white tank top that showed off her athletic figure.
“You look great,” Madison said as they went into the living room.
“I wanted to bring something, and I could’ve grabbed a bottle of wine from the restaurant, but I wasn’t thinking...”
“You don’t need to bring anything... Just yourself. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“Yes, please,” Kacey said, lifting the strap of her leather messenger bag over her head, and leaving it on the ground beside the sofa as she took a seat.
“White, okay?”
“Sure.”
Madison poured her a glass and topped hers up too. Kacey did look great, and Madison tried to remember the last time she was this attracted to someone. Kacey’s tanned legs were on display as Madison joined her on the sofa, her shorts riding up a little higher now that she was sitting down.
“So, you were working today?” Madison asked, angling her body towards Kacey as she got comfortable. She made sure there were a few inches between them. She didn’t think she could handle brushing up against her skin or being close enough to be able to just lean in and kiss her.
“I hadn’t planned on it, but they were busy, so I offered. I was only going to stay for two hours and then go home and freshen up, but there was no lull. Even when I left, nearly every table was full.”
“Wow, that’s great. Everything I’ve had there has been amazing, so it’s not surprising.”
Kacey nodded. “I think we need to hire more staff.”
“You’d make a good manager... You probably know everything there is to know about that place.”
“I do... But I’m not sure I want to cross that line. Right now, I just get to help out. If something goes well, I get to take some of the credit. If things go wrong, it’s not on me... Unless of course I was the manager.”
“True.” Madison had spent far too much time since they’d met telling herself that this wouldn’t work, that she was too young, but sitting beside her now, Madison forgot about their age difference. Maybe she should take Ashley’s advice and just go for it.
“How’s your week going? As slow as mine has been?”
“Yes... The last month is always hard. I’ve got papers to correct and grades to finalize, but this year has been particularly slow, and I think it might be because I’m more distracted than I usually am. Well, I don’t know that I’ve ever been this distracted. I’m usually pretty focused on my job and the few clients I help outside of college.”
“What’s different about this year?” Kacey asked, and Madison couldn’t decide if she was being serious or not.
You, Madison thought, but could she really say that? She could see this escalating even faster than it had on Saturday if Madison told her that, and despite her efforts to keep some space between them on the sofa, they were just inches apart. Had Kacey got closer to her without her noticing or had they subconsciously crept closer together?
“I think I have an idea,” Kacey whispered as she leaned in, her eyes catching Madison’s before they fluttered shut, pressing her lips lightly against Madison’s.
Madison parted her lips against Kacey’s in a slow kiss, and all of her thoughts stopped. Kacey’s tongue languidly met hers as if she had no idea what she was doing to Madison. In just a matter of seconds she’d turned Madison into a love-sick teenager. Madison had never even considered herself to be very sexual, and here she was, dreaming about lifting Kacey’s tank top over her head, of cupping her breasts, of running her fingertips over-
Kacey’s lips left hers, and she pulled away as Madison’s eyes opened. She was in that wonderful Zen like state that she normally only felt when she opened her eyes after meditating for twenty minutes. Everything else faded away, her worries, her doubts, and she was left gazing into Kacey’s steel blue eyes.
“I’m struggling with this too,” Kacey said with a lopsided smile, “If it makes you feel any better...”
“You are?”
Kacey took a drink, licking her lips as she left her wine glass on the pine coffee table in front of them. “I wanted to talk to you about something tonight, but I didn’t think it’d be this hard,” Kacey said, her eyes flickering down to Madison’s lips again. “I don’t think I’ve ever been like this before... Where all rational thoughts just slip away...”
“This is a little crazy, isn’t it?” Madison asked, unable to maintain eye contact with Kacey. If she didn’t get her mind out of the gutter pretty soon, there wouldn’t be much talking done tonight, and she did want to talk. She needed to talk.
She didn’t want this to just be about attraction, and if that was going to be the case, she needed to get to know Kacey better.
“Please, don’t be offended,” Madison said as she reached for her wine glass and got comfortable at the far end of the sofa, putting more space between them. “I just can’t be that close to you right now.”
“I’m not... And I completely get it.”
Chapter 15
Kacey’s fingertips traced her lips while Madison went into the kitchen to get another bottle of Chardonnay. Tonight was going well. She still couldn’t believe she kissed Madison when
she hadn’t even been in her apartment for fifteen minutes.
She didn’t know what she was thinking, but at least Madison had kissed her back. Kacey wanted to keep going, to deepen the kiss, but she managed to pull away before she got carried away, and going by Madison’s reaction, she’d felt the same way.
They’d spent the night talking about their families, and what they did outside of work and college. It had been on the tip of Kacey’s tongue, but then Madison changed the subject, and Kacey missed her chance to say something.
She knew she had to say it, but she didn’t want to just blurt it out either. They needed to be talking about college first, and then maybe Kacey could steer the conversation in that direction. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew she’d figure it out.
Madison came back into the living room with a chilled bottle of wine. “Do you want a top up? I was thinking of moving onto rum. I got a really nice bottle from one of my clients. She had her last session last week, and I’ve been thinking about trying it ever since. Would you prefer to stick with the wine or do you want to have a glass with me?”
“I wouldn’t mind trying the rum, if that’s okay.”
Kacey knew she was buzzed, but she wasn’t anywhere near drunk. She’d only had two glasses of wine, and a glass of rum wouldn’t hurt.
“I have it in my office,” Madison said.
Kacey stood up and followed her down the hallway and into her office, the last door on the right. The decor matched the rest of the apartment, country chic. Her desk was rustic looking with two gray filing cabinets propping up the chunky slab of wood that served as her worktop.
The gray, white, and black color scheme continued from the living room into the office, and Kacey tried not to stare as Madison bent forward to open one of the bottom drawers, flashing her cleavage, the swell of her breasts clearly visible as she produced a bottle of rum and two tumblers.
“Do you want ice?” Madison asked.
“No, it’s okay,” Kacey said, coming around to the side of the desk to take the tumbler. “Thanks.”
“To... Getting to know one another better?”
“I like that... And a great summer?”
“Yes,” Madison said, her green eyes meeting Kacey’s. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Kacey echoed, gently clinking their glasses together before taking a sip, the amber colored liquor burning on its way down.
“That is a nice bottle of rum,” Madison said, taking another sip, licking her lips as she savored the taste, and Kacey tore her eyes away from those lips.
This is ridiculous... I need to say something, so I can hopefully go back to kissing Madison without feeling guilty.
Kacey leaned against the side of Madison’s desk, half sitting, half standing, trying to figure out how to say this. She took another drink, running through her options in her head, her heart beating a little faster now that she was so close to telling her the truth.
Kacey spotted a coaster on the other side of the desk and leaned across it to put her tumbler down. She needed to focus, and she’d had just the right amount of alcohol to do this.
Madison’s hand found hers, and Kacey’s eyes met hers as their fingers interlaced. Kacey needed to say something, because Madison’s gaze was full of desire, and Kacey didn’t know how she was going to have a serious conversation with her when all she wanted to do was kiss her.
Madison’s thumb stroked the back of her hand as Kacey pulled her into her, and it happened in slow motion. Madison’s lips were on hers again, and Kacey pushed herself into a sitting position, her legs spread to allow Madison to stand in between them.
Kacey moaned as Madison’s lips parted against hers. Her lips were so soft, and Kacey could taste the rum on them as their tongues met in a sensual dance. Kacey’s hand was on her cheek as she deepened the kiss, her tongue swirling with Madison’s as she got even closer, her hand on her neck.
Kacey didn’t know where Madison’s tumbler was, but the last thing she wanted was to knock it over and ruin this moment and whatever was on the desk behind her.
Madison’s hand slid up her back, over her top, pulling her into her, their bodies pressed together, and Kacey could feel her body responding, her hips wanting to push back against Madison’s leg, but she restrained herself, reaching for the edge of the desk and something to grab onto besides Madison’s body.
Kacey flinched when she heard a thud, her eyes snapping open, meeting Madison’s.
“It’s okay. It’s just the stack of papers I was grading earlier,” Madison said, leaning in to kiss her again, but Kacey dodged her kiss.
She had to say something before this got out of hand. “Sorry,” Kacey said, reaching behind her for her tumbler and took a drink. She pushed herself off the desk as Madison took a step back, and they both looked at the papers scattered across the floor.
Madison bent down to pick them up, and Kacey joined her. Kacey gathered up the papers closest to her and tapped them on the edge of the desk, straightening them until she had a neat stack, returning them to the desk. When she turned to see if Madison had the rest of them cleaned up, she saw her slowly standing up, her mouth slightly agape, and when their eyes met, Kacey knew she’d screwed up.
Chapter 16
Madison gathered up the papers, wishing that they’d stayed in the living room, and they wouldn’t have had this distraction. Even though she knew she wanted to take this slow, she still didn’t want to break that kiss. The way Kacey had melted in her arms left her almost drunk with desire, and if she’d cleaned up her desk before Kacey got here, Kacey would still be in her arms.
Madison retrieved the last handful of papers that had traveled the furthest away from her desk. This was the stack she’d be correcting in the coming days. She picked them up, one by one, adding them to the pile already in her hand. She shuffled them into a neat stack, ready to put them in a drawer rather than on top of her desk, but her eyes fell on the name that was on the assignment at the top of the pile.
Kacey Jennings.
Madison forgot to breathe. It was like she’d been punched in the stomach. Her eyes scanned over the letters again, and she knew she wasn’t seeing things.
Her heart hammered in her ears, louder than her thoughts, louder than the ticking of the clock on the wall. The thumping drowned out everything else. She was standing in the middle of her office, but it was like she’d woken up in the middle of a desert, alone and without water. Her mouth had dried up. She wanted to speak, but she couldn’t.
How...?
This can’t be right... Because if it is, Kacey has been lying to me since we met...
Madison looked up, still in a daze, and dared herself to meet Kacey’s eyes. When she saw them widen slightly before she darted them away, Madison knew this was really happening.
Kacey’s my student.
“I was going to tell you,” Kacey blurted out, taking a step away from the desk and away from Madison, like she’d gotten too close to the fire, like she wanted to get as far away from anything that reminded her that Madison was her lecturer.
“When exactly?” Madison asked, leaving down the stack of papers on the desk with a thud. “Because the way things were going tonight...,” she said, shaking her head, “I think we could have made a huge mistake.”
“Look, Madison. I know I should have told you sooner.”
“You technically didn’t tell me at all,” Madison said, hearing a hint of anger in her own voice. She wiped her damp hands down the sides of her jeans.
If this had gone further... If we had slept together... I could have lost my job.
“I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you since the wedding,” Kacey said, her hand on her forehead as she paced the hardwood floors.
“I can’t believe this,” Madison said with a sigh, leaning against her desk, staring at Kacey in complete disbelief. “That you’re in my class and that you would lie to me about something so serious... Just when I’d convinced myself that you were more mature than y
our twenty-five years. Turns out I was mistaken.”
“I wanted to tell you. You have to believe me,” Kacey said, meeting her gaze. “I knew it would change things...”
“Rightfully so. I can’t date one of my students.”
“I won’t be for much longer.”
“So, you think we should just wait?” Madison asked, knowing that the anger that was swelling up inside of her could escape at any moment. She normally kept her feelings in check, but she’d been completely blindsided by this, and she’d been betrayed.
“In less than a month, I won’t be your student anymore.”
“But how many more lies will you have told me by then?”
Kacey flinched, like she’d been slapped across the face. “I never wanted to lie to you.”
“But you did, each time we met... When we talked about college, about what you were studying...”
“I am studying business, but I’m also minoring in psychology. That’s why I’m in your Social Psychology class,” Kacey said, crossing the room to reach for Madison’s hand. “Please, believe me when I say that I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to stop seeing you.”
Madison slid her hand away from Kacey’s. “I think you should go,” she said, reaching behind her for her tumbler and taking a drink. “Please,” she said when Kacey didn’t move.
Kacey nodded, and Madison couldn’t miss the tears in her eyes, but there was nothing else she could do. Kacey was her student, and she knew they could wait. A month wouldn’t be difficult, but Madison didn’t know how she could trust Kacey when she’d been so reckless.
Madison didn’t turn when she heard Kacey leave the room and show herself out, the bang of the door closing behind her echoing in the silence of her apartment. Madison didn’t know how long she stayed in her office, leaning against her desk, sipping on rum.
She shook her head as she finally pushed herself away from the desk and went into the bedroom to get changed into her pajamas shorts and a tank top. Just when she thought things might be going well for her, it all came to an abrupt halt, and she’d come dangerously close to losing it all.
Forbidden Love Page 6
