by Mia Allen
Bryson exhaled loudly and said, “Bentley’s a tough one. So sorry, babe. I barely made the grade in that one. I feel your pain.”
Amanda and the girls laughed saying, “That’s what the ice cream is for. It will dull the pain.”
The foursome entered the ice cream shop laughing and teasing each other. Amanda was feeling much better. Her friends proved to be the perfect cure for what ailed her. Then she caught sight of the handsome man at the counter. He had dark blonde hair, blue eyes and a scruffy unshaven face. He was actually smiling and flirting with an older woman at the counter. Amanda came to a halt, causing a backup in the doorway. She started to turn and leave, but her friends refused to allow it.
Charlotte commented, “Now’s as good a time as any to face your fears. He at least looks like he’s in a good mood. Maybe approaching him out of the classroom is your best chance. We’re all here to back you up, too.”
Connie took Amanda by the hand and pulled her toward the professor. She called out, “Hi, professor! Remember me? I was your assistant for a while last year. This is my friend Amanda. She wants to ask you a question.”
Amanda wanted to crawl into a hole. She felt like a small child whose mother was taking her to a parent-teacher conference. How embarrassing could you get?
Professor Bentley looked caught off guard and replied, “Of course I remember you Connie. You were an excellent assistant and very enthusiastic. I know who Amanda is also. She’s in my Thursday morning class. What can I do for you?”
Chapter 2
Amanda took a deep breath and gathered her courage before she answered, “As you know, I’m having problems in your class. My grades aren’t up to par. I asked to write my papers over, but you said no. I’m so afraid of losing my scholarship. Connie told me you allowed her to work as a classroom assistant for extra credit. Would you consider letting me do that, too?”
The professor seemed surprised to hear Amanda’s request. He hesitated briefly and then replied, “If your schedule gives you enough time to make you useful, I guess I can let you try. I make no promises on how much it will help your grade. That’s totally up to how well you work and the final paper you write for class. Stay after class on Thursday and we can discuss a schedule.” Professor Bentley walked away without a second glance.
Amanda hugged Connie and said, “Thank you so much. I might have a chance now. He acted almost human. You were my lucky charm.”
Connie giggled and bouncing away, called back, “I told you he’s a sweetheart. You just need to be more peppy, like me.”
Amanda joined her friends in line and excitedly told them that Connie had gotten the professor to give her a chance. Bryson gave her a big kiss to celebrate. Amanda felt an odd tingling in the back of her neck, like she was being watched. She looked around and realized the professor had caught the kiss and was frowning. It made her feel guilty and embarrassed for showing affection to her boyfriend. That had never happened before. She and Bryson had no problem with personal displays of affection. They were always kissing and hugging. The professor, however, made it seem dirty. It was going to be a rough semester.
On Thursday morning, the sky opened up and rain poured down. Amanda was soaked when she entered the English classroom. Everyone else in the class looked the same as her, like a drowned rat. The stairs were wet and slippery, causing Amanda to slip. She tried to grab onto a seat, but fell down the steps instead. She landed with a hard thump at the professor’s feet. Holding back tears of pain, she tried to stand up on her own. Professor Bentley reached down and lifted Amanda into a seat on the bottom row. Her weight was apparently easy for him to pick up. He bent down to check her already swollen ankle. His touch sent an electrical spark through her body. The look in his blue eyes said he had felt it too. Amanda’s tears dried up at his intense stare. He gruffly demanded, “You need to go to the wellness center and let the nurse look at this ankle. She may send you to the hospital for an x-ray. I’ll send one of the guys to help you get there.”
Amanda pulled her leg out of his grasp and declared, “I’m fine. I don’t want to leave. I need to stay in class. My grades demand that I do.”
Professor Bentley relented, “Fine, but we need to elevate the leg and ice it. I’ll send Frederick for a cloth and some ice.” He pulled up another chair and gently placed Amanda’s foot on it. The zing went through her once again. How could she possibly feel attracted to the evil Professor Bentley? He was her nemesis wasn’t he? Maybe the feeling was just the result of the mixture of her pain and his unusual kindness. She certainly hoped so. Otherwise, working as his assistant would be really awkward. Amanda had never been good at hiding her feelings. She had told Bryson she loved him within hours of the first date.
After the class ended, Amanda carefully stood, wanting to present herself as a useful assistant. She cried out in pain and fell back into the chair. Professor Bentley appeared at her side to state, “I hate to say it, but I told you that you needed to see the nurse. Or maybe now you should go to the ER for x-rays and skip the nurse.”
Amanda reminded him, “Professor Bentley, I have work to do. I’m your new assistant and we need to make some kind of schedule as well as a list of duties.”
“Let’s compromise. First, if you’re going to work for me, call me Ryan. Save the professor stuff for class. Second, we can talk about the schedule and your duties while I drive you to the ER. If this gets worse, you won’t be of any help to me in the near future.”
Amanda hated to admit that he was right. She truly couldn’t walk on her own and the swelling was getting worse. She agreed, “If you can get me there, Bryson will be off work in time to pick me up. I would appreciate the lift.”
Amanda’s arm went around Ryan’s neck and he helped her rise from the chair. He walked slowly as she limped along, hanging on to him. Their progress proved to be too slow for Ryan. As they reached the sidewalk, he lifted Amanda into his strong arms and headed for the parking lot.
Several professors noticed the pair and shook their heads in disbelief. Things were about to get difficult for Professor Bentley. He would have to explain his actions to the dean and the explanation better be a good one. He was young and impulsive, so the others didn’t trust his instincts or motives yet. The dean was watching closely for any misstep. She hated having such young professors on campus. Trouble always followed them around. They tended to be party animals, drinking, smoking and womanizing. The young women were too close in age to these professors and tended to have crushes, willingly climbing into their beds. Professor Bentley was the youngest that had ever worked here. He was only twenty-five, but his credentials had been excellent and the dean couldn’t discriminate due to age if she wanted to keep her job.
Chapter 3
Ryan settled Amanda into a chair in the ER waiting room. He went to the desk and gathered all the paperwork she needed to fill out. Amanda refused to look in his direction. Her whole body was still tingling from being held in his arms. She needed Bryson to get here soon and send the professor away. With Bryson’s presence, surely this weird attraction would disappear. Trying to ignore Ryan, she began filling in the paperwork.
Finally, the ER doors slid open and Bryson hurried in. He rushed to Amanda’s side, sparing only a thank you nod at Ryan. He kissed her forehead and gently lifted her leg to survey the damage. It was still very swollen and had turned purple. He kissed it, too, ignoring the embarrassed smile on Amanda’s face. Her turned to Ryan and said, “Thanks man. I can take over now. I bet you have another class to get to. I’ll make sure my baby’s all right.” Ryan stood and held out his hand to shake Bryson’s, but the younger man turned it into a fist pump, showing the difference in their maturity. Bryson had just turned twenty-two, only three years younger than Ryan and yet light years away on the maturity scale.
As Ryan announced, “I hope I’ll see you in my office tomorrow,” the nurse came for Amanda. She gave a small wave in response to Ryan’s comment and let Bryson help her over to the wheelchair.
X-rays proved the ankle was not broken. Amanda had a severe sprain and some pulled muscles. She was given an ankle brace and crutches. Bryson filled her pain prescription and took her home. Her roommates were in their afternoon classes, so he set her up on the comfy couch with food, soda and pain medication. He had already missed one class and the next one was set to begin in ten minutes. Amanda made him leave. This was his last semester of college and he needed to be in class. He had worked way too hard for the last four years to blow it now. His engineering degree was within sight. Football had gotten him into college, but good grades were going to get him a great job.
The pain medication kicked in and Amanda fell asleep. Her dreams were greatly disturbing. She dreamed of Ryan carrying her through a forest to a hidden stream, where he made slow passionate love to her. She woke up sweating and freaked out. She loved Bryson. It should have been him in the dream. She took a sip of soda and decided that it was the drugs that caused the dream. She promised herself she could get by with using only Advil or Tylenol. No more codeine and then hopefully no more weird dreams.
Amanda’s roommates returned and she had to explain what had happened. Connie, of course, kept sighing over the professor’s heroic actions. Charlotte just rolled her eyes and predicted trouble. She always saw trouble coming. It was a major part of her personality that people ignored.
Bryson brought flowers, Amanda’s favorite cookies and DVDs. He sat down on the couch and lifted her onto his lap. She snuggled in for an evening of movies and junk food. Bryson knew exactly how to cheer her up after a dismal day. Two movies later, Amanda was ready for a shower and bed. The logistics of taking a shower with her ankle in this condition were an issue. Bryson happily volunteered to accompany her. It wouldn’t be the first time they had showered together.
The ankle brace was removed along with Amanda’s clothing. Bryson quickly shed his own t-shirt and jeans and helped her into the shower. She braced her back against the tile while Bryson turned on the water. She reached for the shampoo, but he pushed her hands away stating, “Let me take care of you tonight.” He poured the delicious smelling shampoo into his hands and carefully ran his fingers through her hair, massaging it into her scalp. As the water ran over her head to rinse it, Bryson filled his hands with shower gel. He began to rub it all over Amanda’s body with a sensualness that gave her chills. He paid extra attention to her full, round breasts, then worked his way down. He kissed his way up from her now clean feet, stopping at the apex of her thighs. There he allowed his tongue to explore the hidden treasure. He sucked on the almost hidden nub, causing an explosion that came close to making Amanda lose her precarious footing. Before her cries of ecstasy ended, he rose and gave her taut nipples some much needed attention. His engorged member pushed against her tender pubic area. Bryson brought her injured leg up and around his waist while she wrapped the other one there. He sunk into her hot, wet depths and began to rock in and out. He went deeper with each thrust, touching her core. As his seed pumped into her, Amanda’s muscles convulsed around his manhood. All thoughts of pain and the professor were wiped from her mind. She buried her head against Bryson’s muscular shoulder to muffle her scream.
Amanda was too limp to even dry herself. So Bryson acted as her handmaiden. He dried her and put her to bed, pulling the covers up over them. He drew her into his arms and they fell into dreamless sleep.
Chapter 4
Bryson rose early. He had to run home and dress for work. He was doing an internship at an engineering firm. After his college graduation, they had promised to hire him full time, with an amazing salary and excellent benefits. Bryson had a full schedule, working four hours every morning, then attending classes in the afternoon. It would be over soon and worth the effort. He kissed Amanda goodbye and hunted down Charlotte. He found her, barely awake, having coffee in the kitchen. He made her promise to help Amanda get dressed and go to the professor’s classroom.
Charlotte tried to keep her promise, but Amanda was determined to do as much for herself as possible. She was both stubborn and tough. She managed to dress herself in shorts and a sleeveless blouse, adding a sandal to her healthy foot. The injured one remained bare except for the ankle brace. Since it was impossible to walk or ride a bike to the college, she finally allowed Charlotte to drive her.
Ryan’s phone had woken him that morning. The dean was demanding a face to face meeting immediately. He had no idea why she sounded so upset. All his classes were going well. They were filled to capacity and even had a waiting list. Ninety-eight percent of his students passed the class. There wasn’t anything he could think of that merited this command performance. He ran each day of the semester through his mind as he walked to the dean’s office.
Ryan was ushered into the office before he had a chance to sit down. Obviously, the dean had something urgent to discuss. She jumped into her tirade without preamble, “What did you think you were doing with that young woman yesterday? Several professors called to report you for fraternizing with a student. Carrying her in your arms across the quad! How blatant could you be? It’s bad enough to have a relationship with a student, but to flaunt it like that is simply unbelievable!”
Ryan was definitely caught off guard. He had never imagined that helping Amanda to the car would bring down such animosity. Why would his fellow professors feel the need to tattle to the dean? Nothing was going on. Yes, Amanda was beautiful and he had definitely felt the zing when he touched her, but he hadn’t done anything to warrant this tirade. When the dean finally stopped yelling, he tried to explain, “Miss Dennison slipped on the wet stairs in my classroom. Her ankle began swelling immediately, yet she refused to leave class. She tried to stand alone when the class ended and cried out in pain. I was simply taking her to the ER. She was unable to walk, so I carried her to the car. Nothing inappropriate was involved. The professors and apparently you, too, jumped to conclusions.”
The dean was much calmer as she said, “ I should have given you the benefit of the doubt. You were very kind to help the young lady, however, you must remember that we are all under close scrutiny by everyone due to past affairs on many campuses. You are being watched more closely because you are so young. Appearance is everything in these situations. Next time, ask another student to help. Keep your hands to yourself. Sorry for the irrational anger. My job depends on keeping the professors and students in line. Go back to work. I’ll clear things up with the other professors.”
Ryan left the office feeling like a scolded child. He now regretted his promise to let Amanda earn extra credit as his assistant. Every move they made would be scrutinized. He would have to be careful to keep far away from her.
Ryan grimaced as he watched Amanda make her way down the steps in his classroom. She was having difficulty using the crutches. Sadly, he didn’t dare lend a helping hand. After this morning, he felt there were eyes everywhere. Amanda would just have to think he was an unfeeling jerk. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, he indicated she was to sit at a desk and prop up her foot. He handed her a stack of papers and a laptop, then tersely commanded, “Record the grades from the papers into each student’s profile. Please don’t tell anyone the grades. They are confidential.” He hurried back to his own desk, leaving Amanda confused.
Yesterday, the professor had become human and asked Amanda to call him Ryan. He had even taken her to the ER, carrying her quite gently. Today, he was back in brutal professor mode. He had ignored her slow progress down the stairs and now spoke as if she was a piece of dirt on his shoes. What had happened overnight? She shrugged and went to work. Perhaps he was bi-polar.
Ryan had a hard time concentrating on the essays he was grading. The whiff of perfume he had caught when handing the papers to Amanda still tickled his nostrils. It had started an unwanted pull toward the beautiful coed. Being denied access to her had caused Ryan to look more closely at her. Her long black hair shimmered with health. Her green eyes were both enchanting and intelligent. Her long tan legs were stunni
ng. Ryan recalled the zing of electricity he had felt upon touching their silkiness. He was definitely attracted to her. His imagination began to run wild. He could see himself running his hands up those lovely legs and kissing those rosy red lips. She would taste delicious. The sound of her chair scraping the floor brought him out of his reverie. He mentally slapped himself for allowing his mind to wander so inappropriately. The dean would skin him alive for such thoughts.
Amanda limped slowly to Ryan’s desk. She handed him the stack of papers and asked, “What do you need me to do next?”
Ryan’s brain imploded. He had several suggestions, each more raunchy than the next. He reined in his hormones and sent Amanda to sort through a stack of novels, making sure they were in good enough shape to hand out to his classes. His eyes followed her across the room. The denim shorts she wore cupped her round bottom perfectly and brought a groan out of his mouth. Amanda turned around at the sound and he quickly looked down at his desk, pretending to be engrossed in an essay.
Chapter 5
Two weeks passed in the same fashion. Ryan barely spoke to Amanda except to assign work. His surly attitude persisted, to Amanda’s frustration. Her ankle healed to the point that she no longer required crutches, just the ankle brace. She limped her way to class and work each day, hoping to find the caring and kind Ryan that had shone through on that one occasion.
Bryson was extremely busy these days. Between work and classes he had very little time for Amanda. When they were together, he was as loving and sexy as ever. But she felt lonely and neglected when he was away. Her mind sometimes wandered back to the attraction that had bounced from Ryan’s body to hers with just a touch. She longed to feel it again despite knowing it was a betrayal of Bryson.
