by Anthology
“Nightly.” He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
She smiled, trying to lighten the intensity of his gaze. “Now you’re pushing it.”
“You make me so happy.” His eyes were serious. “I plan to spend my whole life learning about you.”
He kissed her, and Rebecca let her heart, not her mind, rule for once.
About the Author
Dakota Star likes worn-in cowboy boots, a well-trained horse, a cold beverage, and trails to ride in the woods. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters. Both her daughters have finished college and moved away so her dogs, cats, and retired horse now keep her busy. When not outside hiking or horseback riding, she loves to read and travel. She has worked as an editor, a freelance writer for local newspapers, and an educator at local environmental non-profits like aquariums and The National Audubon Society.
Blog:
dakotastarauthor.wordpress.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/Apocalipstick_
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laft100/
Extracurricular Activities
By KL Ramsey
Jasmin
Jasmin Everly ran through the halls and up the last flight of stairs to her class. She was a full ten minutes late, and she already knew the reception that waited for her on the other side of the closed classroom door. Dr. Callan McClure had strict rules about attendance and tardiness. He intimidated the hell out of her, which accounted for her usually showing up on time, even early. Today was a different story, though, because today her best friend and roommate, June, decided to drop the bomb that she was leaving college to get married. They were only ten days into their fall semester, and she was going to have to find a new roommate, which she was sure would prove impossible.
Most undergrad students at the university didn’t want to room with a grad student. She kept crap hours, between attending classes, teaching, and finishing up her thesis. Jasmin knew that she was a bad roommate, which was why she couldn’t blame June for falling in love and leaving. By the time she got home tonight, she would be entering a mostly empty apartment and one less connection to the outside world. June was the grounding force in her life, the one person who cared enough to make sure that Jasmin left her room and had a social life.
Faced with feeling completely alone in the world, she forgot that Dr. McClure was holding a lecture that he “strongly urged” her to attend. Since he was her advisor and the only professor at the university to teach Egyptology, she usually paid attention when he strongly urged her to do anything. She had committed to earning her doctorate at the private Ivy League school before they even had an advisor available for her course of study. Professors of Egyptology were few and far between, which was one of the reasons that she pursued that field, the other being more sentimental. Her grandfather was an archaeologist, and her fondest childhood memories were following him on sabbatical, when he took time away from teaching to travel and find treasures that she could only imagine existed. Her grandfather made finding those old, dusty relics exciting, and she couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. That’s probably why, at twenty-seven, she was still a student, while her younger sister was married with a baby on the way. Sure, she wanted to settle down and have kids. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t follow her dream of becoming one of the leading experts on ancient Egypt and be a wife and mother.
Jasmin took a deep breath and entered the full classroom as quietly as humanly possible. She slipped into an empty seat in the back row, keeping her eyes down. She couldn’t deal with seeing the censure that she was sure she would find in her professor’s eyes. Jasmin had only met with him once since he took the job as the archaeology department chair, effectively becoming her advisor and boss. She taught two undergrad classes, in beginning archaeology and early Mesopotamian society, to help pay for her graduate degree. Her parents left her a small life insurance policy when they passed, but that only covered her undergraduate degree. She was hoping to finish her doctorate with just one student loan, so she taught, and she loved it.
Dr. McClure cleared his throat, and she chanced a look up from her laptop. Jasmin already knew what she would find, feeling his stare before her eyes met his. God, his dark brown eyes squinted up at her, making her want to sink down into her chair and disappear. She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment and decided that hiding wouldn’t work with her advisor. She squared her shoulders and met his gaze. He didn’t say a word, as if he were waiting her out. Other students turned in their seats to see what their professor had stopped class for.
“Miss Everly, I will see you in my office after this class.” She nodded and returned her attention to her laptop. She felt like a coward, but explaining her tardiness, in front of the entire class, wasn’t an option. She wished that her professor was a stuffy old wind bag, like her former advisor. Instead, Dr. McClure wasn’t that much older than she was, most likely in his mid-thirties, and Lord, he was sexy. She had escaped being trapped in the whole college romance scene for years. She had no problem going out on the occasional date, and even finding guys to hook up with, but she had to be careful with dating students and found it easier to date men from town rather than guys from college. Well, that is until she hooked up with a local who happened to be married with two kids. Yeah, that warded her off dating for a while; in fact, it had been over six months since she had been with anyone. It was just easier that way. But Dr. McClure made her think about all the things her vibrator couldn’t do for her. She needed to get her traitorous body under control before she reported to his office, as commanded. Besides, with the angry daggers he was shooting at her, she was sure that her little hot-for-teacher fantasy was purely one-sided. Her advisor was off limits, especially since he was the only professor who could mentor her field of study.
The rest of the lecture passed by quickly, giving her little time to prepare for her meeting. Jasmin was sure that Dr. Callan McClure was going to read her the riot act for being late, and she had no defense. Her day started only a few hours ago, and already, she felt exhausted and way too emotional to handle her professor’s displeasure. Honestly, she would just have to put on her big girl pants and face him. Then she could go home and drown her sorrows in a tub of rocky road ice cream and work on her thesis. She needed to concentrate on staying on track and keeping her eyes on the prize and off her sexy-as-sin professor.
Callan
When Jasmin snuck into his classroom, ten minutes late, he couldn’t decide if he was angrier at her for being so disrespectful of his time or at himself for the way his body reacted to her presence. As soon as he saw her slip into the back row, his cock sprang to life. He had only met with her once since becoming her advisor, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He took cold showers, often jerking off to the thought of her kneeling in front of him, sucking his dick until he lost himself in her mouth and commanded her to swallow all of him. He couldn’t let her enter his classroom late and not make an example of her. Hell, that would just be inviting trouble. Honestly, he wasn’t sure which scenario was worse, letting her off without mention of her tardiness or meeting with her alone in his office. The thought of laying her across his desk and giving her a reason to scream out his name played through his mind as she knocked at his office door. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, willing his unruly dick to calm the hell down. Thankfully, he was sitting behind his desk, and she would have no idea how her presence affected him. When she left, he could just jack off and move on with his day; it wouldn’t be the first time that happened since sexy Jasmin Everly entered his life.
He cleared his throat, feeling no more relaxed, and called her into his office. She fumbled with the doorknob, tripping in and almost landing on his desk. Her eyes flared as she found her balance and stood in front of him. God, if she only knew how much he wanted her, she would probably be even more nervous around him, if that were possible. He wanted to use her nervous energy and
turn it into sexual desire and need.
“Miss Everly, please have a seat.” He motioned to the chair that sat in front of his large wooden desk. Jasmin sat on the edge of her seat and rested her hands on his desk, palms flat against the surface. He nervously cleared his throat as she made eye contact with him. Callan liked that he made her a little skittish; it was a refreshing change from the undergrads who threw themselves at him, looking for bragging rights around campus. He had taught at universities where professors sleeping with co-eds was the norm. This university wasn’t as forgiving for foolish indiscretions between the teaching staff and students, not that he ever even considered such carelessness. Well, not until he met Jasmin Everly. He had never considered a relationship with a student before her. Now, the only woman he ever wanted to break the rules with sat in front of him, a little breathless and extremely nervous. A part of him wanted to be a complete asshole and use her nerves to keep her at arm’s length, but that’s not who he was. Still, he felt the need to warn her off because he was picking up vibes that she might be as sexually turned on by him as he was by her.
She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear and darted her soft, pink tongue out, running it across her bottom lip, eliciting a soft groan from his chest. “Listen, Jasmin. Um, may I call you Jasmin, or would you rather keep this formal?” He motioned between the two of them and stood to round his desk. He hoped to help ease her fears, but by the flare of her eyes as he approached, he only escalated them.
“Sure,” she whispered, “call me Jasmin.” She looked down at her hands, and he couldn’t help himself: he touched her face. Her skin was warm and soft. Jasmin’s eyes immediately darted up to meet his.
“I’m sorry I make you nervous, Jasmin. It’s not my intent.” She nodded and tried to look down again, but he lifted her chin, cupping her jaw with his hand. Why the fuck was he touching her? Her gasp told him that she was just as surprised by his reaction to her as he was. He needed to maintain a professional distance, but he found it nearly impossible to keep his hands off her.
“I’m sorry that I was late to your lecture this morning,” she all but whispered. “I had this issue with my roommate, and now she’s gone, and—I’m just sorry.” Her eyes filled with unshed tears, and he growled at his own stupidity. Here he was being a complete ass to this poor woman, and she was so scared that she was breaking down in tears. Callan stood and pulled her up from her chair and into his arms. She stayed completely rigid in his embrace until he stroked his hands up and down her back. Jasmin seemed to relax into his body, and he wanted more. God help him, he wanted everything she was willing to give him. He was treading a thin line between right and wrong, but he didn’t care. He never wanted another woman this way; he felt drawn to her, as if he couldn’t control himself.
Jasmin pulled away from him, looking into his eyes, confused by his lack of professionalism, he assumed. “Professor, I don’t know what to do.” She hesitated, and Callan saw his opportunity to help clue her in. He dipped his head and sealed his mouth over her lips, taking what he wanted from her. She sighed into his mouth, parting to allow his tongue to find hers. He deepened the kiss, pressing his body against hers. He pushed her back against the desk, using it as leverage to cover her with his own body. He couldn’t seem to get enough from Jasmin, especially with the way she was responding to him.
He broke their contact, leaving them both breathless. “I’m sorry,” she croaked. “I should leave.” She picked up her purse, dropping most of the contents onto the floor. “Shit!” She knelt to the floor, trying to gather all her belongings. “God, what is wrong with me today?” Callan almost wanted to laugh at her rhetorical question because, honestly, he couldn’t see one damn thing wrong with her. From his vantage point, she was fucking perfect.
“Jasmin, please leave that stuff. I’ll get it for you.” She crawled over to where he stood to retrieve her lipstick and leaned back on her knees to look up at him. All he could think about was his fantasy of her kneeling before him, sucking his cock. His frustrated growl echoed through his small office. He helped her off the floor, pulling her back into his arms.
“Tell me that you feel it too.” Jasmin nodded her head, not denying that she understood his question.
“I feel it too, but we shouldn’t.” He released her, taking a step back, nodding.
“I understand,” he said, even though he didn’t want to. He wanted to lay her across his desk and strip her bare. He wanted to run his mouth over her body and lick his way down to her core. He wanted to make her squirm with need and scream out her desire, but he wouldn’t.
“You’re my advisor and technically my boss. We could both be kicked out of the university if we’re caught.” He nodded, finding it hard to argue with her logic, even though his dick was screaming at him to. Callen knew she was right: he could lose his job, and she could lose her spot in the Egyptology program. He knew that finding another university that had her program was a challenge.
Callan shook his head, dumbfounded by his own stupidity. He acted on his desires instead of listening to reason, something he never did. But this woman had him listening to other parts of his body, and that was never a good idea. “I’m sorry, Miss Everly. I hope that you can forgive my injudiciousness.” She giggled at him, and he couldn’t help his smile. The sound was magical.
She covered her mouth, as if trying to hide her amusement. “I don’t mean to laugh at you, Professor. It’s just that I didn’t expect any of this. It’s just—too much.” She doubled over, holding her stomach, unable to hide her outburst. He found the whole scene less than funny and knew that he needed to end their office meeting before he took it too far again.
“Well,” he cleared his throat, “please try to be on time for my class from here on.” Jasmin sobered, straightening her clothes and smoothing her hair back. She finished gathering her things from the floor, gifting him with one last glimpse of her perfect, pear-shaped ass.
“I hope that we can forget that any of this happened,” she whispered. Callen nodded, not trusting his own voice. She turned and left his office, pulling the door shut behind herself. He collapsed into his chair, trying to figure out what the hell just happened. He shook his head at his behavior, knowing that he completely fucked up, because there was no way that he was going to be able to forget anything that just happened between him and Jasmin Everly. In fact, he wanted more.
Jasmin
Jasmin walked home from campus in a haze, not paying attention to her surroundings. She climbed the stairs to her second-floor apartment and unlocked her door, letting herself in to her now-empty home. The only furniture that belonged to her was her bedroom set and the kitchen table. The rest was June’s and was now gone. She could not have borne watching her friend move out, choosing to say her goodbyes earlier. June sure didn’t waste any time packing her things and leaving, either. Jasmin sighed, thinking about how true love makes a person do crazy things—not that she would know about any of that. She had never allowed herself the experience of love, well, besides the love that a child has for her parents or sibling. She didn’t know if she would ever find her true love, but she at least wanted the chance to try. Unfortunately, school didn’t leave her much time to even think about love; that’s why today threw her for a loop.
June moving out gave her no one to really talk to about what had just happened in Dr. McClure’s office. Honestly, she thought that she was going to walk in there and listen to a stern lecture about being a role model for the younger students in the department. That she should have known better than to show up late and disrespect him and the entire class. She knew the speech—hell, she had given the speech on many occasions. But what happened was so unexpected, she didn’t know how to react. Okay, that was a total lie: her body knew exactly how to react to the good professor. The way that he touched her—and, God, kissed her—made her half-crazy with lust. Pinning her body to the desk with his own nearly did her completely in. She knew what happened between them was wrong, so wrong�
�but Lord, did it feel right to be in his arms. The problem now would be how to keep her weak-willed, traitorous body out of that sinfully sexy man’s arms.
Jasmin made herself a cup of hot tea and settled into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She wasn’t so much cold as she was trying to hide away from the outside world. Pretending that she was fine was her favorite lie she told herself. Today, though, today she knew that she was a boldface fibber, because life had kicked her ass, and she was ready to count today as over and try again tomorrow. Jasmin decided to get ahead in her school work for the week, grading a few quizzes that she hoped to hand back to her students in the morning. Jasmin worked for a bit and must have fallen to sleep, waking up to her cell phone chiming from a text message. She groggily sat up, wiping the sleep from her tired eyes, realizing that it was almost dusk. She pulled her phone out from underneath her body. Jasmin must have rolled over onto it during her nap. She had three missed calls from a number she didn’t recognize and no new voice messages. She found the offending text that woke her up to read that Professor McClure had sent her a cryptic message. She barked out a laugh when she read that she saved him as “Professor McYummy Pants” on her phone. If she’d only known a few weeks ago what she knew now, she wouldn’t have been so daring as to give him that name.
J–A group of grad students are heading to O’Leary’s pub. Wanted you to know.–C
She read the text through twice, trying to decipher its meaning. Maybe it was her sleep fog or just the small seed of hope that still lived in her heart, but she thought that he might be asking her out. Jasmin was afraid to respond to the text, not wanting to jump the gun or read more into his message than was meant. Or maybe he was just being polite in letting her know that a group of her peers was going out for drinks and he thought she might join them. Would he be there, or was that just more of her hopefulness shining through?
