Educated

by Gray Gardner

  He smiled at her as she nodded quietly and then he looked expectantly at Carlson and Liam as they entered from the kitchen carrying coffee mugs. They looked a little beat. “Where is she?” Mait asked, hugging them both in a quick guy-one-armed-backslap.

  “Come on,” Carlson yawned, nodding his head at the stairs. He led the way and kept talking. “She was pretty shaken up after everything. I was kind of hard on her so go easy… just tell her how scared you were.”

  “Read her the riot act, huh?” Mait shook his head, the corner of his mouth turning up into a grin. His brother, five years his senior, had done that to him his whole life.

  “No,” Carlson sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. He paused for a beat. “I was mad and scared and… I spanked her with a wooden spoon.”

  The look of shock on Mait’s face read surprise, not I’m going to knock your head off, which was exactly what he tried to do. Carlson grunted and fell back to the floor as Mait frowned down at him and shook his hand out. Christ, that hurt. He couldn’t imagine how Mary’s little hand had felt after she’d punched him. He smiled to himself and walked into her room.

  She was curled up under the white sheet, the blanket kicked down to the foot of the bed, something he’d recently discovered she did in her sleep. He sat down next to her and gently swept her hair off of her face. “What would I do without you?” he asked, leaning down and kissing her soft, pink lips.

  She woke and sucked in a breath, her eyes looking up at him in sleepy confusion. “Mait?” she asked, like maybe he wasn’t really there.

  “Come here, kitten,” he grinned, wrapping his arms around her as she pushed up and fell into his lap, hugging him tightly.

  “I’m so sorry,” she huffed, loving the feel of him in her arms. God, why was she so stupid? What if he thought she wasn’t worth the trouble? “I never thought…”

  “It’s over now, you’re safe,” he said into her neck, loving her sweet scent. Chanel. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m fine… I just hope Nicole and Bunny are, too,” Mary sighed, loving the warmth of his arms as she sat curled in his lap. She had so much to say, but couldn’t think straight with his now familiar and comforting scent overtaking her.

  “Bunny?” he asked, leaning his head back.

  “Oh yeah, uh, that’s what Roberta likes her friends to call her.”

  “Roberta Greer?” Mait asked, his voice rose a little. “How did she get dragged into all of this?”

  “She was over at my house…”

  “Shit!” he grunted, closing his eyes and shaking his head. “So she’s found out about us?” Mary chewed on her bottom lip. “Mary Madeline?”

  Why did that make her squirm? She shifted on his lap, but he clamped her down, looking right at her.

  “She doesn’t know anything and you don’t have to worry about her talking about last night to anyone you work with,” Mary quickly said, glancing out into the hallway. Was Carlson around? Had he told Mait everything? Would she get caught if she tried to lie?

  “Don’t try and lie to me, Mary Madeline, I’m already pretty upset with you.”

  She winced and closed her eyes. Just do it fast, like ripping off a bandage. “I got her and Nicole into trouble. Liam is so mad at Nicole and, uh, Carlson… um… took Bunny and me and… hit us both with a wooden spoon,” she hurriedly mumbled, looking down at her twisting hands as her cheeks turned pink.

  “He spanked the both of you?” Mait asked, looking shocked. That was it. If he didn’t lose his job for getting involved with a student, he certainly would after a student came forward with the story about Carlson Frasier spanking her.

  “It wasn’t that hard,” she lied, not knowing why the hell she’d said that. “I think he did it mostly to scare us… sure worked on her. She’s probably still crying.”

  “God damn it,” Mait sighed, hanging his head. How would he escape this unscathed?

  “She won’t tell anyone, though,” Mary quickly added, licking her dry lips. “I mean, come on, I’m never telling anyone that you s-spank me.”

  His lips twitched as she fumbled over the word. She had a point, though. Roberta would never tell a soul that she’d been bent over and spanked like a child.

  “Wait, he didn’t take down your pants, did he?” Mait growled, ready to rumble with his brother. He was already upset enough that he’d used a weapon. Mait never wanted to hurt Mary, he just wanted to make a point.

  “No!” Mary squeaked, certain she wouldn’t be able to face anybody if Carlson had done that. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Oh and thanks for telling me you have a brother. He’s just like you, but amplified. Just as handsome and domineering with three times the scariness.”

  He always loved her little jokes but couldn’t really smile as something bothered him. “Take off your jeans,” Mait ordered, standing her up next to the bed.

  She shook her head once and backed away from him. Her modesty would have typically drawn a smile out of him, if he hadn’t been so concerned with the condition of her perfect, round little ass.

  “I want to make sure that fucker didn’t do any damage to my perfect, luscious ass,” he said, pulling her between his knees.

  “You mean my ass?” she smirked, batting his hands away as they pulled up the hem of her purple shirt and worked at her button and zipper.

  “It’s mine,” he almost growled, causing her to shiver.

  How could he make her react like that with just two words and a look? She didn’t have much time to ponder that thought before she found her face and hands tangled in the white sheets and felt cool air on her ass. She felt a little too exposed and tried to reach down for her jeans and underwear when his booming, authoritative voice made her freeze.

  “God damn it! How many times did he spank you? You have little bruises all over!” he yelled, infuriated at his brother, concerned about Mary Madeline, and incensed at the helplessness he felt. He’d been so far away when all of this had happened to her. She could have been seriously hurt or killed. He slowly traced his fingers around the small, rounded bruises on her creamy skin.

  She stiffened and gripped the sheets, letting her head fall as he had her pinned over his leg. “Please,” she begged, embarrassed that he was just staring at her naked. Her stomach was swirling around, worried that he was so upset with her, worried that he was so upset with his brother, and trying to clamp down the tingling his fingers were creating.

  Mait frowned, knowing that she had to be feeling a little vulnerable at the moment, but not really caring. She’d brought everything down on herself by behaving so badly. “Your behavior this weekend is unacceptable, Mary Madeline,” he sternly said, still running his fingers over her.

  The tingling moved down her body at that statement and the firmness in his voice. Damn it. She didn’t want to be like that.

  He grinned crookedly and gently patted her ass. “Did you enjoy it when Carlson spanked you?” Please say no.

  “Fuck no!” she cried, jerking her head and finally coming to her senses. She pushed up on her hands and backwards in his lap, but he just chuckled and pushed a large hand into the small of her back, patting her a little harder. She wanted to kick and run away, but her damned tight jeans around her knees had her at a disadvantage.

  “Are you enjoying this?” he softly asked, able to see, from that angle, her plush pink lips glistening for him.

  She quit breathing and waited before she shook her head. “No,” she squeaked.

  Lie. He ran his hand down the underside of her ass and let his thumb draw through her wetness. She pushed up again and he figured he’d better stop teasing her. “Come on. Let’s go back to my place,” he said, gently pulling her light pink lace panties back into place and lifting her up to her feet so he could do the same for her jeans.

  She looked away as her cheeks turned pink, letting him right her clothes as she guessed she deserved a little bit of humiliation. He stood and caught her chin, turning her face up to his and kissing her gen
tly. “Can we just go back to my house so I can check on everything?” she asked, also wanting to bury herself under her comforter and die of humiliation.

  “Come to my condo without an argument and I’ll consider forgoing your spanking,” he whispered with his lips on her ear. He’d called and spoken with a Detective Evans earlier and apparently her house was still an active crime scene.

  Shivering, she stepped away from him and straightened her shoulders, looking him in the eye. “Like I would let you do that anyway,” she sarcastically huffed, walking past him.

  He grinned and shook his head as he followed her downstairs. No one was around, so he figured he’d call his siblings and check in later. He had a lot to ask both of them and a lot to say to Carlson. For now he had to get Mary Madeline home before his erection exploded out of his jeans.

  Mait had her naked in his bed in record time. As he licked up and down her thighs, he realized that he didn’t want to fuck her wildly. He wanted to make love, watch her enjoy his every stroke, watch her watching him enjoy touching every inch of her delectable body.

  Mary pressed her head back into his pillows as she watched him suckle the insides of her thighs. God, he could be so tender. And how did he always know exactly what she wanted? What she needed? When they’d entered his condo she’d tried to rip his clothes off and do him on the couch. He instead kissed her sweetly, caressing her tongue with his, and backed her into the bedroom. Then he slowly peeled off her shirt and jeans, kissing her skin lightly as it was revealed. He left his own clothes on, lowering her back onto the bed and removing her underwear and bra, now he was kissing up her legs.

  “Mait,” she pleaded, as he licked her clitoris once and moved on up her stomach.

  He grinned as he licked each breast, drew each nipple between his lips, and then ran his tongue along her neck. She sighed and gripped at his white polo, pulling it tight across his back as she shoved her hips upwards. He kissed her deeply again, causing her to melt into the mattress.

  He finally couldn’t take it anymore. He shoved his jeans and boxers halfway down his legs, then gently positioned himself between her creamy thighs. “Look at me when I slide my cock inside you,” he forcefully whispered, hovering over her.

  She immediately obeyed and her eyes shot open, looking up at him adoringly. It was just so damn hot when he bossed her around during sex. His eyes hooded and he groaned as she felt him push slowly inside her. She grabbed his muscled back and bit her lip, never taking her eyes off of his.

  Jesus, he could look into her blue eyes all day, especially when they were looking at him with lust and adoration. He wanted her to look at him like that the rest of his life. Her tight wetness clenched around him as he rolled his hips into her, and he suddenly realized he wanted to feel that for the rest of his life, too. Shit, he just wanted all of her, forever.

  That thought had him coming uncontrollably as he locked gazes with her. She finally cried out in a powerful orgasm as well, wrapping her legs tightly around him as he pumped his hips endlessly. The pleasure seemed to never end.

  “Mait!” she breathlessly said, gulping in air as he finally stopped and let his head fall to her shoulder. He wanted to totally collapse, but he tried to prop himself on his elbows so as not to crush her. “Holy shit, that was incredible.”

  “Hmm,” he mumbled into the soft skin of her neck, reluctantly rolling to the side, but leaving an arm and leg draped possessively over her. “I don’t think I’ve ever had sex that good.”

  “You don’t think?” she teased, smirking at him. Why was he so beautiful and so smart and so sexy? She ran her hand along his face and he closed his eyes. “I’ll take the compliment, though. I don’t get many accolades for sexual encounters.”

  “Oh no?” he asked, grinning at her and running his finger along the underside of her breast, something he’d discovered drove her crazy.

  She bit her lip and smiled at him. “In my limited experience, no.”

  “I like that you have limited experience,” he softly said, still running his fingers across her soft skin. “But yes, take the compliment, because I kind of have a lot of experience… and you are by far the best.”

  “I’m far from the best,” she snorted, rolling onto her stomach and looking over at him as he lay on his back and propped his hands behind his head. “You’ve just only associated sex with pleasure.”

  “Sex is about pleasure,” he replied, in a very matter-of-fact tone.

  She shook her head as he used his professor voice on her. “Wow, this is a first,” she grinned, wiping a strand of hair out of her face as he turned his head to her and raised a brow.

  “A first?”

  “Mary Madeline knows more about something than Mait Frasier,” she mocked, giggling as he turned to his side and looked down at her, resting on his elbow.

  “How so?” he asked, completely intrigued.

  “I mean, sure, Dr. Frasier, sex is about pleasure. But when you connect with someone, when you really care about someone, it can be the best sex of your life because it’s about love.”

  Her stomach dropped as she watched his handsome grin turn into a frown. Oh God, had she just lost him? She should have just kept her big mouth shut. Why had she said that? Love? Don’t say that word around a guy you like! “I-I mean,” she stuttered, looking down at a crease in the sheets. “Obviously, I loved Sam and the sex was great. I’m not saying I love you so don’t flatter yourself. You’re adequate, at best, and I… I mean I guess I care about you.”

  She quickly turned and pulled the sheets up to her chin, squeezing her eyes shut in the bright bedroom as the midday sun shone through the large wall of windows. She wanted to fall through a hole in the floor and disappear forever. Sex with Mait had been incredible… because she loved him.

  Mait licked his lips and had to smile as she cutely pouted, her back turned to him. He wasn’t sure what to say since she’d all but admitted they loved each other, then totally retracted. He reached out and rubbed her back, feeling her stiffen, but didn’t stop. “Mary, I… I know the relationship stuff is your territory and I’m the newbie,” he began, trying to get her to calm down and look at him. “It’s… I really care about you, too… a lot.” Lame.

  She quickly nodded; her back still turned. She could not face him at the moment.

  Gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes at himself, he wondered when he’d become such a coward. Somewhere between dating the rigid princess his parents had set him up with in college, a match where neither of them particularly liked each other but went out a few times to please their parents, and him screwing around with hero-worshipping students, and him finding the girl of his dreams?

  “Just… promise me you’ll never leave me,” he quietly commanded, pushing up against her back and breathing her in as he wrapped an arm around her waist. His whole body melted in relaxation. The nearer he was to her, the better he felt.

  She wanted to scream at him and kiss him tenderly and tell him he was a coward and confess that she was one, too. She wanted to find the right words to convey how safe and loved she felt in his arms. She wanted them both to admit that once school was over, they would be over because they came from two different worlds that just didn’t fit together.

  She didn’t say any of that. She couldn’t. “I promise,” she whispered, closing her eyes, forcing a tear to roll down her cheek.

  “Wonderful,” he muttered, halfway to sleep already. He felt so content.

  Mary cried softly as she tried to work everything out in her head. No solutions immediately jumped out at her, driving a problem-solver like her absolutely insane. She was about to completely give in and just try to sleep next to the hot guy in the bed. Live in the moment, and everything.

  Her vibrating purse roused her, though. She slipped quietly off of the bed, pulled on a navy Patriots tee shirt lying on a chair, and tiptoed out to the kitchen, purse in hand.

  “Ms. Tucker.”

  “Detective Evans. Good news, I hope?” she as
ked leadingly, hoping that her giant closet and inviting bathtub were in her very near future.

  “I do have good news,” the detective hesitantly offered. “But, well, you know what they say.”

  Mary sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes as she leaned back against the kitchen counter top. “Yeah, I got to take the good with the bad and all that?”

  “Yes ma’am,” she replied, clearing her throat. “Mr. Bartholomew White, a.k.a. Barry, is…”

  “That fucker’s name is Barry White?” Mary interrupted, frowning.

  “Yes, and that fucker is going to live, but he’ll have a serious limp,” Detective Evans finished. “And while you would have been doing our city a favor if he’d died, I am very glad that you don’t have to deal with that on top of everything else. That said, how are you, Ms. Tucker?”

  Mary exhaled in a kind of relief-filled way. Barry White wasn’t dead. He’d need a cane and some serious meth rehab, but he wouldn’t be her problem anymore. “Uh, fine, I guess. I’m a little concerned about my house, mostly.”

  “We’re still processing the scene.”

  “Any idea when I can go home? My insurance agent is going to throw a hissy over all of this.”

  “I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, let that trio of overbearing men take care of you for once.”

  “What?”

  “Bye, Ms. Tucker.”

  Mary frowned down at the phone in her hand. Take care of her for once? If that detective only knew…

  “This is probably the best segue I’ll get into a serious conversation I’d like us to have.”

  The sound of his voice in the doorway made her jump at first, but she relaxed as she took in his chiseled chest and pinstriped boxers. Delicious.

  “Mary Madeline, I told you not to lie to me.”

  “I didn’t,” she replied, shoving around him and grabbing a green cup from the cabinet. She filled it with water and watched him shake his head at her as she drank.

  “The house,” he nodded, arms folded across his bare chest.

  “What about it?” She smiled in a fake way. “Detective Evans says I can’t even go back until they’re done with it. Bureaucratic crap…”