Professor next Door

by Summer Cooper

  Jess kissed him again, more gingerly and more passionately.

  * * *

  The rest of that Friday went according to schedule. Jess met with her new clients on the new case she had been assigned and she was relieved to find that it appeared they were actually innocent of any wrong doing and the evidence was not going to be strong enough to land a conviction. That made her job a lot easier and the clients were not lying through their teeth so she didn’t expect any slip ups or weird occurrences to throw a wrench into things.

  She finished up the day, went home and got ready to go to the track. She found that the running was starting to become enough of a routine that she didn’t really even have to think about it or psych herself into doing it. It just felt right and that her day wasn’t complete without doing it. She was even getting used to doing it twice a day. Now that she was doing this it seemed to amplify the effects and she felt twice as energized and totally stress free. Even though she had been scared out of her mind with the whole stalker business, she was feeling pretty encouraged right now. She wanted to find this person and look them in the eye, even if she had to take them down herself.

  She waved to the police patrol as they parked across the street from her home. She wasn’t familiar with the new guy, and she found herself missing Tim. She wondered if she had pissed him off that badly or if he really was working hard on breaking some leads on her case. She imagined it was a combination of both. Unless he had really found something. In that case she would take his absence as a good thing.

  She had just taken off her business clothes and was admiring herself in the mirror when her phone rang. She saw it was Tim and answered it quickly.

  “Hey,” Jess answered.

  “Hey, I’ve got big news.”

  “What? You found them?”

  Tim paused a moment before answering.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “That’s fantastic! Who is it? How did you find them?”

  “The perpetrator is a woman named Sharon Williams.”

  “I don’t know anyone by that name. Why would she want to threaten me?”

  “Sharon was an intern at the firm of Mathers and Clark a few years ago. She had a brief affair with Alex. They went out a few times and she wanted more of a commitment, but he wasn’t having any of it, I guess. She began driving away clients and basically trying to hurt Alex’s name, so she was let go. She has been keeping an eye on Alex ever since then and for whatever reason she chose you as her target of rage. She is a sadistic freak, basically.”

  “Wow, so she was really going to kill me?”

  “My guess is that eventually she would have worked herself up into enough of a frenzy that your life would have been in danger.”

  Jess sat down on the bed. She wanted to cry as she heard the words coming from Tim’s mouth. The thought that someone out there actually wanted to kill her made her want to crawl under the bed. She took a few deep breaths.

  “How did you catch her?”

  “Well, last night when she entered your house she did it as the shift changed between me and the officer who was taking my place when I went to follow you to the track. The moron left his car unattended while he went behind a tree to urinate. When we reviewed the camera footage from the dashboard camera we saw a shadowy figure enter the house by picking the lock. She was dressed all in black, but not wearing a mask. I guess she didn’t want to draw attention to herself if a neighbor happened to be watching. Anyway, her face was reflected in the living room glass window on the front of your house. We were able to use face recognition software and track her down that way. She has a few priors from when she was a teenager so she was in our database.”

  “Wow, so it is finally over.”

  “Yeah, you can rest easy now.”

  “Thanks Tim. Thanks for everything,” Jess said.

  “You’re more than welcome. This might sound weird, but I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’m going to miss you too. And I’m sorry,” Jess said.

  “Don’t be. You and Alex take good care of each other, but if it doesn’t work out you know where to find me. I’d like to invite you for a cup of coffee if that ever happens.”

  “OK, that sounds great.”

  “Bye, Jess.”

  “Bye.”

  * * *

  Jess stepped out of her house and waved goodbye to the police cruiser that had been parked there as it drove off down the street. She felt a weight rising up off her shoulders and she noticed for the first time in weeks how beautiful everything was. The weather was starting to warm up and she was going to enjoy as much of everything as she possibly could.

  She jogged to the track and had herself a great workout.

  The next day she was lazing on the couch at Alex’s mansion. He had the most comfortable sofa she had ever had the privilege of parking her butt on. It sank down with you as you sat down and molded to every subtle nuance of your body offering just the right amount of support. Once you were in there, you never wanted to get out of it. It was really that amazing.

  Alex lay beside her with his shoulder underneath her head. She loved to lie against him and just relax. His body was so warm and inviting that she could just use him as a human pillow for hours and she often did after sex, but even without the sex it was amazing.

  They agreed to watch several goofy movies that neither had ever seen before. Jess had to admit to herself that it felt weird to not be stressed about something and even weirder to be wasting a Saturday on meaningless drivel and not getting up off the couch. She had not done this since college, but she was glad she was enjoying it. She was learning that as an overachiever she needed to stop and smell the coffee once in a while. The experience of the past several weeks had taught her that it was the little things in life that you had to take time out to enjoy or else you would miss them completely. She loved her job and she loved the fact that she was moving up in the company. Her superiors had almost assured her of this based on her work and it was refreshing knowing that she was working towards something specific with every case that she won.

  Alex got off the couch and grabbed another couple of beers for the two of them. Jess grabbed the bottle and took a huge gulp. It felt good to just let loose and let the beer do its thing as she poured it down her gullet. She realized she was not being very lady like, but she figured she was allowed to let go of that stuffy stereotype every now and then. Alex seemed to find it charming.

  “So, how does it feel to be officially stalker free?” Alex asked.

  “Pretty good,” Jess replied.

  “Just pretty good? I figured it would feel amazing,” Alex said.

  “Well, it does, but I like to be modest about things,“ Jess joked.

  “Well, modesty does suit you just fine. You should try it more often.”

  Jess slapped his arm playfully. “Jerk.”

  Alex laughed good-naturedly.

  “So, you don’t have any more psycho women you have pissed off recently do you? Any other stalkers in the midst I should know about?”

  Alex shook his head.

  “I don’t believe so.”

  “Well, you had better hope not. I’m not going through that again. If another psycho woman wants you that badly then she can just have you.”

  “Oh, I see how it is.”

  “I can’t imagine you didn’t think of her when you were going through the lists of potential people that could have been stalking me,” Jess said.

  “I thought she was in an institution or something. That was the last I heard of her.”

  “Well, apparently she got out. You still might have mentioned it.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you,” Alex said.

  “How?”

  “I’ll pay for the pizza next time,” Alex replied.

  “What do you mean next time? Did you use my credit card for this?” Jess asked.

  “Sort of.”

  Jess burst out laughing. “I’m going to kill you!”
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  “Now, who is the pscyho?”

  Jess wrapped her fingers around Alex’s neck and pretended to strangle him before pulling him close for a kiss.

  Jess often found herself thinking about the past several weeks and how everything had played out. Her feelings and loyalties had been tested by three different men but she had chosen Alex over the others. And she was proud of that choice. It was true that your heart would never steer you wrong and so far she was living proof of that.

  The next night Alex asked Jess to go out to a nice dinner aboard his yacht. She had never been on a yacht before and she was flabbergasted at how romantic and amazing it had been. Alex had a great meal catered onboard before they drifted off into the bay. Jess had never really acquired an affinity for boats or the water, but she was starting to feel pretty special drifting slowly along on Alex’s yacht. The food was amazing and Alex couldn’t have handpicked a more perfect night. The evening was warm, ushering the first remnants of spring and the sky was clear with a huge full moon shining down on them.

  After the main course followed by the most amazing Tiramisu she had ever eaten Alex surprised her yet again. The man was always keeping her on her toes and tonight he didn’t disappoint as he asked her to close her eyes. When she opened them Alex was on one knee with the biggest diamond ring she had ever seen held out in front of her. He asked her to marry him and Jess immediately said yes.

  She said yes before she even knew that the answer would be yes.

  As Alex scooped her up in his arms and held her closely she found herself wishing that she had not waited so long to embrace this man in her life.

  But she knew that time had a plan for everything.

  And it was time for the next step.

  The End

  Shared by 2 Men

  Historical Menage Romance

  About the Book

  Anne is tired of being alone and lonely. When the Duke of Kelfield and his best friend Lord Ralph Ashford approach her one night at the stage door where she is the proverbial and literally fat lady who sings last. She is intrigued by their offer to become a mistress even with her larger frame. After one night in their company, she wants more. Until she is attacked outside her apartment one night leaving her battered and broken. She hides until the worse of her injuries have healed, afraid of being turned away from the men if she went to them. Upon seeing them, she is prepared for rejection only to find that they care more about her then about their relentless pursuit for pleasure. Will she have the courage to stand on stage again, or will the attack leave her unable to sing again?

  Chapter 1

  “Everyone, great job tonight!” Screamed the director after Anne’s second show of the week.

  Another show, another few dollars, she thought, changing out of her overly tight corset and overly appointed dress. Everything she wore was overdone and overly tight. Anne was the closing act at one of Drury Lane’s most famous theaters. The saying “It’s not over until the fat lady sings,” could describe Anne to a T. Of course, when she started she just thought she was just slightly more robust than other women, extra bosom here, some more curves there. Soon it became apparent to her that she was fat just like they said, and that no one would ever actually want her.

  Having finished getting changed into a more modest walking gown, Anne walked out of the dressing room, taking a deep breath before making her way through the throng of well-wishers. Most were there for the stunning Ms. White or the vivacious Ms. Ravenswood (neither of which were their real names but their stage names) but every once in a while someone would come out of the woodwork for Ms. Anne Van Rae (she used her first name but not her last). Unfortunately, Anne had learned early on, after only two romps with potential suitors that a romp was all they ever wanted. They did not want to shower her with jewellery or make her their kept mistress, something she would be more willing to be. All they wanted was a moment to say they slept with that famous rotund singer. When they shoved her out of the hotel room bed early the next morning she realized she was good for nothing more than less than half an hour of their time and she cut all well-wishers off past the cordial greeting at the door. It’s not as if she got anything out of the experience. Just some sweaty guy on top of her from behind and a moment of fake pleasure. She had never felt the wild feeling described to her by the other singers who slept in many a bed without a care in the world and showered with whatever their heart desired. She truly did not believe that feeling existed, or that at least there was not a man who wanted her who could get the job done.

  After saying goodbye to the greeters at the stage room door, Anne walked away with a sway to her step she did not feel, waiting until she was halfway home before dropping the façade. Drooping her shoulders, she walked to her lonely bed with no company of any kind. Not even a lady’s maid, to lift her spirits upon arrival, because she could not afford one.

  Chapter 2

  She spent the next morning wasting the hours until it was time to be back at the theatre again. She cooked something she could warm up that night, cleaned her tiny one room apartment as best she could with what little she had, and made a trip to the store to buy new silk stockings, her favorite French ones that caressed her leg like the lightest of arousing touches. One of the few luxuries she gave herself. It wasn’t as if anyone actually touched her leg to feel their silken softness.

  * * *

  At three Anne made her way back to the theatre, only a few minutes walk for her but much more comfortable in the daylight. At night, there were bars, and drunken men who would do anything they pleased to a woman of ill repute such as herself. Unfortunately, stage performers weren’t seen as more than prettier prostitutes. Upon making it to the door of the theatre, she knocked three times, let in by the intimidating but lovable Brute of the show, Theodore.

  Despite his wicked ways on the stage, where he was forced to play one villain after another Teddy was just as his name suggested a total teddy bear and Anne’s favorite person here. They were like kindred spirits, her always being the mother or villainess type and him always being the brute. Too bad their friendship never went beyond backstage and into the home. Teddy was muscled and would have been a more likely candidate for her sexual happiness then the fools that she met at the stage door each night. She noticed Baron Edgecroft, out of the corner of her eye and cut down the hall to avoid him. She was never impressed or excited by his overly loud outfits or the fact that he walked with a mahogany cane. The man was thinner than a rail and she was sure he had tried opium on more than one occasion. Possibly regularly. Either way, she was sure he was only there for a quick romp, nothing that would satisfy her.

  Anne ducked into her dressing room and began to prepare herself for the evening, losing herself in her pre-show rituals and the excitement of the night ahead. The show they were doing was one of her favorites, if only for the lovely aria she was able to close with. It was her favorite to sing using a wide range of vocals made it both fun and challenging. After the show, Anne prepared herself for the usual throng, but upon exiting the theatre she found not her usual following but two men. The men were devastatingly handsome and similar in look, as if they were brothers save for their eye color. Each had dark chocolate hair, a creme au lait complexion, and muscles subtly hidden under layers of clothing. Her five-foot stature dwarfed by these giant men made her feel small for the first time in her life.

  “Hello, mademoiselle my name is Jake Rollingsford, Duke of Kelfield and this is my friend Lord Ralph Ashford. May we take just a few moments of your time?”

  Instantly on the defense after so much time being the bud of others jokes, Anne bristled. “May I ask what this is about?”

  “A proposition,” the younger Lord Ralph chimed in.

  “And what kind of proposition would be acceptable among us?”

  “That is precisely the wrong question to ask my lady,” Lord Ralph rebutted.

  So this was to be an improper proposal, that just would not do. Without so much as a by your lea
ve Anne gave them a curt nod, moving past them, heading home to her lonely one room apartment. Truthfully, she would trade this hovel for somewhere else if she could be a mistress, but she didn’t see that happening anytime soon.

  Chapter 3

  The next day Anne arrived at the theatre to find several dozen wildflowers and a calling card for the Duke of Kelfield. The men had sent her flowers. Something she had never gotten before. She softened at the thought that these men might be more sincere then the others even though they had not approached her before, but immediately pushed the thought away. Why would two friends pursue her at once with real intentions? They would not of course. She would just thank them for the flowers, telling them she was not interested in these games. Hopefully they would show up tonight so she could get this over with.

  Show up they did, with more flowers than Anne had ever seen before.

  “Just a moment of your time, and if you are not interested in what we have to offer we will part ways and you will never have to see us again, on my honor as a gentleman.”

  She found it hard to believe that they would truly leave her alone but she was intrigued enough at this point to listen; she might even get something out of it. On that thought, she said, boldly, “You may take me to dinner and speak with me there. Then I will make a decision.”

  She was wearing the wrong clothes for a dinner, dressed as she was in a sapphire blue walking gown, but Anne knew they wouldn’t dare take her anywhere they might run into polite society, so she doubted her inappropriate dress would even be noted. So much time had passed since she last dined out and even though they had settled in a small off street cafe, Anne felt as if she were royalty as the Duke pulled a chair out for her to sit in.

  The serving woman brought out the first course of nettle soup when they sat. They ate in silence at first, but then one of them spoke. “So we are asking you to be with both of us,” Ralph stated bluntly.