Teacher's Pets [Unlikely Bedfellows 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jenna Stewart

  Beau shot a glance at Little, who lounged in his chair with an air of self-importance. Smug asshole. This is what a beautiful woman like Leah had to choose from for sexual partners? “I understand.”

  “I also don’t want to become entangled in an emotional relationship. I enjoy my life and don’t wish to marry or even to have children. I only wish for a liaison. I don’t want to be a man’s mother or psychologist or housekeeper. For those reasons, I want someone who can separate sex from emotion.”

  “That’s why you thought I would be good? Because I scored well on your tests while you were parading around half-dressed you think I’m unemotional.”

  “Exactly.” Her eyes lit with appreciation.

  Beau sat back in the chair. He’d wondered what she had up her sleeve. Still, he was attracted enough to her to have dressed with care for this meeting in spit-shined shoes, his nicest Hong Kong-fashioned sports coat, and a button-down shirt. In the course of ten minutes he’d been insulted three times, by the girls at the door, by the pompous worm sharing the table, and now by this woman for whom he’d felt instant attraction. “You think I don’t have feelings?”

  Her lips formed an O and her eyes widened. “No! That’s not at all what I meant.”

  What the hell did she mean, then? He wrinkled his brow. “I’m not as smart as you think I am then. Explain it to me again.”

  “I just meant—”

  “That you can fuck her and not want to marry her. What is it about that you don’t understand?” Little asked. “Honestly, even I gave military men more credit. Don’t you all think with your dicks and live life using your fists and guns?”

  Beau’s fists clenched in his lap. “One more word out of you, asshole, and you’ll find out how military men deal with life.”

  “Now, now, Beau. Mustn’t let your animal instincts overrule your good sense.” Steve came out of nowhere. Beau took a deep breath and cast a glance at Leah from the corner of his eye. She looked at once furious, perplexed, and overwhelmed.

  “I told you not to bring him,” she ground out.

  “I didn’t.”

  Steve held up his hand in surrender. “I didn’t even know Beau was meeting you here.” Holding out a chemistry textbook, he said, “I’m meeting someone here for a tutoring session. I just came over to say hello when I heard this man insult Beau.”

  Yeah, right. He’d kill Steve when they got home. After he thanked him for his timely arrival. Steve had just saved him from a fight. Not that it would have been much of a fight.

  “Leah, you know two of these Neanderthals?”

  The man had some nerve. Beau had to give him that. “Steve Hardin,” Beau said, “this is Professor Little.”

  “I can believe that,” Steve said. He held out his hand, but the professor studiously ignored it.

  “This is none of your business,” Leah said to Steve. Fury rang all through the sentence.

  “Leah, I don’t even know what business you’re here to talk about. I swear, I didn’t follow Beau. But since my student isn’t here yet, I will sit for a minute if you don’t mind.” He shot Beau a look that said I’ve got your back if you need it.

  Beau had to smile. Women come and women go, but the Corps sticks together forever.

  Chapter Four

  Damn men and their pride. Leah looked at the three stubborn asses sitting at the table and wondered how such a simple plan had fallen apart so quickly.

  “Leah,” Charles said, “would you like me to get rid of these two?”

  “You can try,” Beau said.

  “But I wouldn’t give you odds,” Steve added, like Tweedledum supporting Tweedledee.

  “I could have you removed,” Charles said, sounding all prickly. And who could blame him with two men twice his size flanking him?

  Steve and Beau smiled at each other across the table. “Oh,” Beau said to Steve. “He didn’t mean he would get rid of us.”

  “No, he’d have us removed. That takes some of the onus off him, doesn’t it?”

  “Absolutely. I guess he realized that if he tried to remove us—”

  “He’d end up squashed.”

  “Like a bug.”

  Charles’s eyes got big as sunflowers in the fields outside Minneapolis. She remembered them from when she was a child and she and her parents would drive up from Chicago to visit her Uncle Joshua and his wife and friend, a big man who owned a restaurant and cooked really well. How long ago that seemed.

  “Stop it,” she said. “All of you.” And she directed a glare toward Charles before the idiot could say something else. For a man so intelligent, she’d never known anyone with less common sense. So why are you thinking of using him as one of your lovers?

  Because, once she’d decided on Beau Johnson—and no matter how many times she crossed off his name from her list, she kept coming back to him—she could hardly imagine anyone more opposite in personality, looks, or style than Charles Little. And because he had made it clear for years that he would welcome being in her bed, no matter what it took. He wouldn’t make waves over being one of two men.

  “Well,” Charles said.

  She rubbed her eyes. This was a bad idea, all of it. Except for sleeping with Beau. The regret twisting through her body told her just how much she had underestimated her growing desire for him. Yet that desire was a pale shadow of how much she wanted tenure. “Just shut up, Charles.”

  Rubbing her forehead, she took stock of her situation. The cat was out of the bag now. Beau knew she had planned to take two lovers, though he didn’t know why. Charles knew that one of the men she’d chosen was the antithesis of all he believed and held dear, and since he was also a sociologist and understood the publish-or-perish tenet of professorship, he would quickly discern what she had planned. If she didn’t stake a claim, he could develop the idea himself and leave her with nothing. She was stuck going forward now or forgetting everything.

  “I thought I’d already made myself clear. Beau, Charles, I want both of you to be my lovers. You”—she pointed a finger at Steve just as he opened his mouth to speak—”I want to hear nothing from. You are no part of this discussion. I wish you would go away and leave us alone.”

  “I’m sorry my being here is upsetting you, but I have to admit, I’m stunned at what I just heard. I mean, I really heard that you’re negotiating taking on two lovers?” He looked to Beau who simply raised his brows in answer. Steve looked around the room. “I should grab a table and wait alone.”

  “You know it all now,” Leah said irritably. “You might as well stay.” Damn him! Of all the people in the world to run into now, why did Steve Hardin have to show up? “But know well that I am not inviting your comment or opinion. I’m addressing only Charles and Beau.”

  Steve held up his hand. “Hey. Beau’s a big boy. I’m just here as a friend. His and yours.”

  “No friend of mine,” she said through gritted teeth. Pretending she didn’t hate him was proving harder than she’d expected.

  “Let’s get back to the agreement,” Charles whined. She’d never liked that particular trait of his, but they were friends, and friends overlooked things like that.

  “Yes, let’s.” She pulled three sheets of paper from her pocketbook and handed one to each of the two men while keeping a copy for herself. “As I’ve made clear, I’d like to be a sexual partner with both of you. The reasons aren’t any of your concern.”

  “They are to me,” Steve interjected. “I mean, I can understand why you’d want Beau, but why this pipsqueak?” He pointed his thumb at Charles. Leah felt a headache coming on, and it had Steve Hardin’s name all over it.

  “I’m her friend,” Charles insisted.

  “I was her friend before you.” Steve stared into her eyes, and she felt that same pull she had back when she’d been young and stupid. “Why him and not me?” He asked softly, never dropping his gaze from her face.

  “You might have been an acquaintance once, but that was long ago, long over with. And I
would never, ever consider you a suitable sex partner.”

  Charles laughed. “So much for past history.”

  “Besides, I enjoy Charles’s company,” Leah said to the table in general. Why did she feel the need to explain? Her reasons weren’t Steve’s business. “We often attend theatre and college activities together. And he wants it.”

  “You bet I do,” Charles muttered.

  “Why me?” Beau asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Leah cast an appraising look over him, head to waist, where the table ended her perusal. He was adorable. His short hair still allowed a shock to fall over his forehead. His buttoned-collar shirt highlighted a thick, strong neck. Broad shoulders filled out a rust-and-charcoal weave sports coat that looked as though it was silk. And big hands rested on the table. She could easily feel them caressing her body and stroking her pussy. His gray eyes focused on her, and she melted inside.

  “You’re physically very attractive. More than that, you’ve shown that you can concentrate and not allow yourself to be ruled by your penis. You’re older and more mature than most of the other people on campus. You’re single and a senior this year. When you graduate, you’ll be able to leave without either of us mourning inconvenient emotional ties.”

  “What makes you think that?” Beau regarded her coolly.

  “Because you’re sensible. With what I am about to propose, each of us will gain something we want. Charles wants me, and I enjoy having an escort. I crave a sexually fulfilling period of time, but nothing more. I assumed you would also enjoy that, and I believe I can satisfy you in that regard.”

  “This is crazy,” Steve said, looking between Leah and Beau.

  “Stay out of this,” Leah and Beau said together.

  “Jesus, Beau. You can’t be considering this.”

  “I haven’t made up my mind.” He picked up the paper Leah had given them, and she gained hope.

  “I’ve made up a list of rules for each of us. The first, of course, is exclusivity. In other words, during the time we’re fucking each other, we can’t be fucking anyone else. Any problems with that?”

  Leah looked at Beau, but to her shock, it was Charles who said, “Well, actually…”

  * * * *

  “You? You have to be kidding.” Steve couldn’t believe Leah would have had anything to do with the dweeb, but the idea that he had someone else on a string, too, was hard to swallow.

  “There is no one now,” Little said. “But there could be someone else at a later point. Is that so hard to believe?”

  “Yes,” Beau said.

  “Well, it’s true.” He struck a pose, nose in the air. “I have admirers.”

  “Then we end our contract, that’s all,” Leah said. “That’s why we can’t become involved. When we do end our relationship, I want to remain friends with you, Charles. I want no hard feelings.”

  “Fine.” Charles looked down at the contract. Steve turned his head and read from the side.

  Most everything listed made sense. All parties would take care. The men would wear condoms and she would take birth control pills.

  “What does this mean, that we won’t engage in anything that makes the other feel uncomfortable?”

  She looked flustered. “Well…what it says. I don’t want to worry that you might hurt me when we’re in bed.”

  “You see?” Charles pounced. “Even you think one of them might hurt you.”

  “That’s not what I meant at all, Charles.” She stared at Beau. “Why do you question that?”

  “Because I might want to push the envelope when we’re together. Not to pain, but beyond the missionary position.”

  That’s my boy. They’d learned a thing or two about passion and satisfaction in the past few years. Steve shifted his attention to Leah to see how she would take this tack.

  “Okay. I…” She bit her bottom lip. Steve had the sudden urge to suck it into his mouth. What in hell had he done that she found unforgiveable? She looked down and then up at Beau. “I trust you.”

  Beau nodded. His eyes darkened as though he could already picture them in bed. Steve could, too. And that was a problem.

  “Another thing,” Beau said.

  “Christ. Aren’t you happy with just being able to fuck her? I mean look at the woman,” Charles said.

  Beau ignored him. “It says that you will divide your time between us. Does that mean we’ll never be together?”

  “Hell no. I won’t share a bed with him,” Charles said, shaking his finger at Leah.

  “I thought about it,” she said, “but you see how it is. I think what we’re planning will be enough.”

  Beau’s lips compressed into a thin line and the stubborn gleam in his eyes showed he wasn’t convinced. “I’d like that option left open. If you haven’t been with two men before, you don’t have any idea how good it can feel.”

  Leah’s brows rose as her eyes widened and she licked her lips. Her flash of innocence showed Beau had hit the nail on the head. She’d never been part of a sandwich. God, if only she would consent to being with him and Beau, the places they could take her. They universes they could explore. Whatever he’d done to her saddened him.

  “Leah.” He had to try again. If only she knew him now, she’d know he was a different man. Trust came with sex, strange as that seemed. In order to open one’s body, one had also to open one’s heart and soul. If only he could get her to spend time with him, to learn to trust him again.

  “Would you ever consider three men?” He felt Beau’s intense gray eyes focused on him with interest, but it was Leah’s reaction he was interested in. Please consider it.

  “I don’t know of a third man I would care to include.”

  “What about me?”

  “Never.”

  “You don’t know me now. You might like me.”

  “I don’t care to find out.” She looked cool to the casual observer, but Steve saw fire in her eyes. She was anything but indifferent to him, and as long as she harbored feelings of some sort, even negative feelings, she still cared.

  “I see,” he said softly. “You never accepted my apology.”

  “No,” she said just as quietly, “I still don’t.”

  “What did you do to her?” Charles wanted to know. Steve ignored him.

  Without thinking, he said, “Maybe you’ll get to know me better through Beau.”

  She bent and took a pen from her pocketbook. “I’m adding an addendum to our contract. Steve is not to have any contact with me during our liaison, nor will there be any conversation about him.”

  “Fine with me,” Charles said. “I can’t believe you were going to include either of these brutes. One is one too many by my accounting. I mean, what did I protest for all those years if I intended them to come home and steal the girl I’m sleeping with? And what did you—”

  “Protest?” Steve heard the word that set him on fire, and that was it. He gave Charles the once-over. “You look about the right age to have been drafted.”

  “I’m four-F.”

  “You’re four-fucking-F—”

  “That’s enough!” Leah glared at him. What had he done, other than call out the fucking coward? “Remember where we are,” she said.

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “You should be,” Charles said. “I have flat feet. It’s not my fault.”

  “I’m not talking to you,” Steve ground out.

  “Leah.” Beau pushed the contract back at her. “This is very flattering. I appreciate that you’re attracted to me, even in a small way, but I can’t sign this contract. Not while you have anything negative in there about my best friend. I’m afraid if we’re together you can’t stop me from mentioning him or end the contract if he happens to come home while we’re there. If you take me, you might have to take him.”

  Steve was stunned. Being best friends meant a lot, but passing up the chance to make love with Leah was really expecting too much. He doubted he’d do it for Beau.

&nb
sp; Leah stared at Beau in disbelief. “I don’t understand. You’re willing to pass up the opportunity to—”

  “Have sex with you, yes.”

  “You’re crazy,” Charles said.

  “Friends are hard to come by,” Steve said. Even crazy friends.

  “Not that you aren’t beautiful and sexy and everything else. Normally, I’d kill to have the chance to be with you, but”—Beau shrugged—”Steve and I have been through hell together, and no woman is going to separate us.”

  She frowned at the table. “I apologize, Beau. Of course I can stand to see Steve and hear about him now and then if necessary. Although I hope we have better things to do than talk about friends or anything else.”

  “There is also the question of my being your student.”

  “There is still time to transfer. There’re three classes in sociology and two that I know of in psych that would be happy to have you enter if you don’t mind catching up.”

  “That’s not a problem. How often will we be together a week?”

  “Once a week.”

  “Four times a week,” Beau countered.

  Charles leaned forward. “See here. I don’t have time for that much screwing around.”

  “I wasn’t speaking for you,” Beau bit out.

  “I don’t know,” Leah said. She bit her bottom lip. Steve could see wheels turning in her head and wondered what she was trying to decide.

  “Okay. Once a week with Charles, and four times a week with you. More often if you want it, Charles,” she agreed. “At thirty minutes each.”

  Steve snorted out a laugh. Beau grimaced. “You don’t have much optimism for my abilities, do you?”

  She rubbed her head as though stroking away a headache. Steve could feel those fingers stroking his nuts and up his dick. He probably had felt it at one time. He wished fiercely that he remembered it.

  “I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just I have a schedule to meet.”

  “You didn’t upset me,” Beau assured her. “But I don’t want time limits on our meetings. They should move naturally.” Steve watched while she made notations to her copy of the contract.