The Love Trials

by J. S. Cooper

  “I don’t know,” I mumbled.

  “Bye, Nancy,” Shannon called out to me as she exited the room.

  Hunter was in front of her, and he didn’t even look back and acknowledge me. I didn’t understand what was going on. Why was he pretending that he didn’t remember me? I’d been in two of his classes. And if he wasn’t the one who had gotten me to the academy and sent me the note telling me that he was waiting for me, then who had?

  “Don’t look so disappointed, Nancy. It doesn’t suit you,” Jaxon’s voice whispered in my ear.

  “I’m not disappointed about anything.”

  “Liar.” His expression changed, and he sat back. “I’ll order for us both.”

  ***

  I was too disappointed to eat much during dinner. Though that didn’t seem to disappoint Jaxon, as he didn’t attempt to talk to me. The walk back to the room was silent as well. I felt deflated and confused inside. I didn’t even ask Jaxon why he was walking back to the room with me. I was glad for the company, even if it was him. Odd, arrogant, mysterious Jaxon.

  "I can help you," he said as we reached my room.

  “Help me with what?”

  “I think you know.” His eyes bored into mine.

  "How are you going to help me?" I stared at his face for a few seconds. "And why would you want to help me?"

  "If you want to learn how to catch the man of your dreams, I can help you."

  "I want the man of my dreams to catch me," I responded right away.

  There was only so much I was willing to do. I wasn't sure I could go through a whole seduction routine and get rejected and not feel completely depressed.

  "What makes you want Hunter anyways?" he asked me curiously.

  "What do you mean?" I frowned, my heart beating rapidly.

  "Look, I know you think that you're good at keeping your emotions in and hiding your feelings, but you’re not. It's pretty obvious you have a thing for Hunter. I just want to know why."

  "You wouldn't understand." I looked away from him, my face red.

  "Did you come here for him?"

  "Yes."

  "Then someone did their homework right, didn't they?" He laughed, but there was no humor in his eyes. "As your teacher, I can help you."

  "I don't want you to be my teacher."

  "I'm the best," he responded lightly and then stared at my lips for a few seconds.

  His gaze fell to my breasts, and I could feel my nipples tingling. I shifted uncomfortably as I realized that my panties were growing wet. His intensity was starting to turn me on.

  He smiled as I ran my hands through my hair. Then he grabbed my hand and swiftly moved me into the room and towards the bed.

  "Wait! What are you doing?" I gasped as we say down on the edge of the bed.

  "I'm showing you anticipation." He smiled. "The anticipation of sex, hot sex, can be even more thrilling and even more panty wetting than sex itself."

  "I thought you were supposed to teach me how to seduce a man. Not show me how you can seduce me."

  "You can't seduce a man if you don't know what it is to be seduced." He reached over and played with my hair, twirling it in his fingers like silk. "You can't make love with your eyes if you don't know what it looks or feels like. You can't promise a million orgasms with one flick of your tongue across your lips if you've never experienced the thrill of climbing Mount Everest.”

  "I don't like climbing."

  "Then you're lucky that I do. And I don't mind carrying you on my back."

  I stared at him breathlessly. My legs were tingling as they rubbed up next to his on the bed. I swallowed hard as he spoke to me. His words were like words floating in front of my face. I could hear them. I could almost see them. Yet I didn’t know what he was saying. Or rather, maybe I didn’t want to know. He was like a wild, crazy lightning storm. Exciting to watch, but I was scared to get too close.

  “Can I be your teacher, Nancy?” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “There’s something about you that I like. There’s something about you that makes me want to make this experience perfect for you.”

  “Are you in the habit of teaching?” I asked softly.

  “No. You’d be my first.” His index finger ran circles around my palm.

  “I see.”

  “Do you like how this feels?” His finger continued caressing my palm, and I nodded. “Good.” He dropped my hand. “Attraction is key in every coupling.”

  “Coupling?” I sighed and thought of Hunter.

  “I can help you get any man you want, Nancy.” His voice was soft, and I looked up at him in surprise. Was he a mind reader?

  “Why do you care? Why are you here?” I studied his face. I could see the hints of lust in his eyes, but there was also something else, an emotion I couldn’t define.

  “I’m here because I want everyone to get what they came for when they applied to the academy.” He pulled away from me. “I can see that you have a lot to learn.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You wear your emotions on your face.” He looked at me and studied my face. “I can see that you still have a slight dislike of me, but you’re curious and you’re attracted to me. You want to explore what I have to offer, but you also feel guilty.” He reached over and touched my slightly trembling lips with his fingertips. “You can be attracted to me, Nancy. I’m not the big, bad wolf.” He slipped his finger into my mouth, and my eyes widened at the salty taste. “This isn’t bad. This is pure. This is unadulterated lust.” His eyes clouded over as I sucked on his finger, my lips taking over my mind. “Maybe your heart wants Hunter, but your body wants me.”

  He pulled his finger out of my mouth and pushed me down on the bed. His hands grabbed the sides of my face and he stared into my eyes for a few seconds before his lips came crashing down on mine. They were everything I’d imagined them to be. His lips crushed against mine in an all-consuming manner. They were firm yet soft at the same time. They were moist and seeking.

  His tongue entered my mouth slowly, as if he were taking his time, allowing me to experience every part of this kiss with every part of my body. My fingers reached up to his hair, and his tresses felt silky and soft to the touch. I opened my mouth slightly, and he groaned against me as our tongues played with each other. All of my senses were on fire. I’d never been kissed like this before.

  Then I felt his hands move away from my face and down my body. His fingers lightly grazed my breasts, and I froze slightly. His fingers kept moving down, and then he leaned up and smiled down at me.

  “So, Nancy, what do you say? Would you like me to be your teacher?”

  “Yes.” I nodded in a daze, and he smiled.

  “Goodnight, Nancy.” He jumped up and walked to the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.

  Chapter Four

  "Today is fantasy day." Jaxon walked into my bedroom, and I quickly pulled the sheets up.

  "There's such a thing as knocking before you walk in the door." I glared at him as I watched him approaching me. Was it possible that he looked even more handsome in the light of the day?

  "What's the fun in that?" He grinned and walked over to my bed. "Are you naked?"

  "No, of course not."

  "What are you wearing?"

  "Pajamas," I responded indignantly as he pulled the sheets away from me. "What are you doing?"

  "I wanted to check what you were wearing to bed."

  "I already told you."

  "Those aren't sexy." He looked at me and sighed. "That's a baggy t-shirt and what appears to be sweatpants."

  "So?"

  "So, you're never going to have a man salivating over you wearing that."

  "What should I be wearing then?"

  "Nothing." He grinned. "Or a cute teddy."

  "Teddy?” My mind imagined a large teddy bear covering me.

  "Also known as negligee." He sighed.

  "Oh, I don't have one." I made a face. "Plus, it's just me sleeping here."

&
nbsp; "Unless you always want it to be only you, I think you should heed my advice."

  "Fine," I huffed.

  "Good girl. Now, as I was saying, today is fantasy day."

  "What's fantasy day?" I sighed.

  "We play out one of your fantasies."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean what I said," His fingers ran down my neck. "We're going to role-play."

  "Why?"

  "So I can see just how much help you need." He laughed. "Once I see how you act out your biggest fantasy, I can see what areas you need to improve in."

  "You're not expecting sex, are you?" My eyes narrowed.

  "No, Nancy. That only happens when you want it." He smiled at me seductively and then reached over and cupped my breast.

  "What are you doing?" I gasped as his fingers pinched my nipple.

  "I'm playing with you." He smiled gently. "I wanted to see how horny you were this morning." He then leaned forward and kissed me softly. "So what's your fantasy?" he whispered against my lips.

  "I don't have one." I pushed him away from me, my face flushed.

  "I don't believe you." He smirked. "Tell me."

  "Why don't you tell me yours?"

  "My fantasy would be to fuck on a stage in front of a crowd of people so everyone could see just how well I get my woman off."

  "Oh." I stared at him in surprise. "Why haven't you done that yet?"

  "Haven't met the right woman." He shrugged. "It's your turn now."

  "I don't know."

  "You must have at least one fantasy."

  "I suppose I've always wondered what it would be like to be a stripper. I had a friend in school who used to tell me stories, and I always wondered why she found it so exciting." I bit my lower lip.

  "So you want to be a slutty stripper?" His lips twitched.

  "No." I blushed. "I was just saying that—"

  "Today, you're going to be a stripper for me." He jumped up. "I want to see how comfortable you are with your sexuality."

  "I'm comfortable," I muttered.

  "Last night, you seemed tense."

  "I wasn't expecting you to do that." I blushed.

  "It felt good though, didn't it?" He smiled at me, and I didn't answer.

  “Are you done?” I stared at him. “It’s rude of you to just barge in my room.”

  “Oh, Nancy. You have a lot to learn.” He laughed.

  “What’s your normal job here, Jaxon? Why are you so intent on helping me?” I frowned. “You didn’t seem like you were particularly interested in others when we were on the train yesterday.”

  “Do you know what I was thinking when we were on the train yesterday?” he whispered and sat on the bed next to me.

  “What? How to look like an arrogant asshole?”

  “No, Nancy.” He laughed. “I was thinking, ‘I wonder what that girl would say if I asked her to go into the bathroom with me.’”

  “Bathroom?” I frowned.

  “I wanted to fuck you hard and fast. I wanted to see your eyes widen as you felt me enter you. I wanted you to bite down on my lips so hard that they bled as you came so hard and fast that you couldn’t control yourself.”

  “Oh.” I shivered. “You didn’t even know me.”

  “That didn’t matter.” His eyes sparkled. “You need to understand, Nancy. Lust and sex know no boundaries. What your body wants cannot be controlled.”

  “I’m not looking for sex.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Love.” I looked down, slightly embarrassed. “I’m looking for love.”

  “What about passion.”

  “It has its place as well.”

  “Passion makes for the best kind of love.” He leaned towards me and whispered against my lips, “You want a man to need you so badly that he’d do anything to be with you. You want a man who will do anything for one kiss from your lips. You want a man who will walk over hot coals for one touch of your fingers. You want a man who would give his life for one night with you. Isn’t that what you want, Nancy?” His eyes stared into mine, unblinking.

  I nodded slowly, my heart beating fast.

  “When you have that power, then you can make any man fall in love with you.”

  “I-I…” I bit down on my lower lip. “Love isn’t sex.”

  “That’s where you women fool yourselves. Men aren’t looking for love. They are looking for the woman who intrigues them, who puts them under their spell, who makes them think illicit thoughts, who captures their mind and body. Once you have them in your web, then you will have love.”

  “Aren’t you scared?” I whispered.

  “Scared of what?” His eyes looked at me in confusion.

  “Aren’t you scared that I’ll catch you in my web?” I smiled slightly and stretched.

  His eyes fell to my breasts, and he looked back at me with a twinkle in his eye. “You can’t catch the master in a web.” He reached over and ran a finger down my cheek. “No one can catch the master.”

  ***

  I showered quickly and tried to dismiss thoughts of Jaxon from my brain. He was entirely too confusing and arrogant for me. I wasn’t sure who he thought he was. Master, my ass. He was so full of himself. I quickly pulled on my clothes and carefully applied my makeup. I wanted to look good if Hunter saw me. At least that was what I told myself. I hurried down the stairs and saw Jaxon waiting for me in the foyer.

  “Ready?” He reached his hand out to me as I walked up to him, but I ignored it.

  “I guess. Where are we going?”

  “On a drive.”

  “A drive where?” I frowned.

  “You’ll see. It’s a secret.”

  “I’m confused.” I sighed as we walked out of the door. “Is this part of the course?”

  “Every teacher teaches differently.”

  “I don’t really understand the point of the academy.”

  “What do you want to understand?”

  “Why are you bringing girls here for free to teach them to seduce men? What do you get from it?”

  “The pleasure of knowing that I made a difference.” He responded, and I shook my head.

  “Makes no sense. What pleasure?” I frowned. “How do you make money?”

  “I have benefactors.”

  “What benefactors?”

  “So many questions, Nancy. Can’t we just enjoy the day?”

  “I don’t get it. What does a drive have to do with a fantasy or me seducing Hunter?”

  “The drive is taking us to a place that will answer some of your questions.”

  “Oh my God, you’re not taking me to a strip club, are you?”

  “No,” he laughed. “Though that would be a good idea.”

  “So where are we going?”

  “Wait and see.”

  I changed the subject. “Who goes through the applications?”

  “Why?” He opened the car door for me.

  I jumped into the passenger’s seat of his black convertible BMW and sat back in the plush leather seat. “Curious.”

  “We have a committee that goes through each application.”

  “Oh, okay.” I looked away from him. So maybe Hunter hadn’t been the reason why I’d been accepted. “Where are we going?”

  “Patience, grasshopper.”

  “Yes, master,” I replied sarcastically and laughed.

  “I like the way you’re thinking.”

  “So, Jaxon, tell me more about you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Age, where you went to school, why you think you’re such hot stuff—that sort of thing.”

  “I’m twenty-five. Went to Harvard undergrad, Wharton for business school.” He shrugged. “I’m boring.”

  “Why are you so guarded?” I looked at his profile, talking my thoughts out loud.

  “I’m not.”

  “On the train, I smiled at you. If you’d been so interested in me, why didn’t you smile back? You gave me a nasty lo
ok.”

  “I didn’t give you a nasty look. That’s your imagination. And I wasn’t interested in you. I had a thought about what it would be like to fuck you. That was all.”

  “Wow, nice. That makes me like you more than I did before.” I rolled my eyes at him, and he laughed.

  “I like that you don’t hide back your thoughts.”

  “Why would I?”

  “I don’t know. You just seemed more reserved on the train.”

  “I guess.” I leaned back into the seat.

  He’d been correct in his thoughts. I normally wasn’t so outspoken. I wasn’t sure what it was about him that made me just forget all my inhibitions.

  We didn’t speak for the rest of the ride. Instead, I looked at my surroundings. They were really quite picturesque. It was exciting to be surrounded by so much green and nature after living in cities all my life.

  We pulled off a tiny dirt road and I looked at Jaxon with narrowed eyes.

  “Where are we going?” I frowned.

  “You’ll see.” He gave me a quick glance and smiled.

  “Uhm, no. I barely know you and you’re taking me to the middle of nowhere. Tell me where we’re going.”

  “You should have thought about that before you got in the car with me.” He smirked. “I warned you that you need to be more careful.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Whatever? Ha. Aren’t you mouthy?” He smiled to himself. “Not that that’s a bad thing. I like a woman who likes to use her mouth.”

  I ignored him and stared in front of me, anxious to see where we were going. Then I saw a huge, grey concrete building with a small, black door.

  “Where are we?” I leaned forward, my heart racing.

  I closed my eyes for a second. I knew he’d looked like a psycho on the train. Why had I gone with him so easily? This was it. He was going to kill me.

  “You’ll see.” He laughed. “You can open your eyes, Nancy.” He pulled the car for a stop, and I jumped out of the car.

  “Tell me or I’m not going anywhere.” I looked towards the ground, saw a rock, and picked it up. “I’ll hit you. Don’t test me.”

  “Oh, Nancy.” His lips twitched. “This is a store.”

  “What sort of store is this?”

  “It’s a sex store.”