by Eden O'Neill
My psych term paper basically wrote itself after Knight returned my notebook to me, and not only did he give it back, he helped me with it. I wanted his insights, and since I’d included stuff about his mom’s condition in there, I wanted to share it with him. He seemed like he not only appreciated it, but wanted to help, truly. I had no idea what was happening here, him and me, but for some reason, I didn’t fight it. Things were suddenly very easy with him, where he’d been rigid and abrasive before a thing of the past and I held onto that only too tight. I hadn’t wanted to let it go.
I just hoped he didn’t either.
I ended up being called to the front one day after psychology class, and since I had just turned in my paper, I was worried a little. Professional Hershel had called me out in the past, and I’d made sure not to sleep in his class since he’d addressed the issue with me. Even still, he stopped me once again when I passed his podium.
“Is there a problem, Professor?” I asked him. He was once again packing up his things like he had that day he reamed me.
A shake of salt and pepper hair and he was smiling as he finished loading his things. He propped his messenger bag on his shoulder. “I actually just wanted to commend you, Ms. Michaelson. I’ve started grading term papers, and not only has yours stood out, its leagues above my stack so far.”
Shocked, I blinked. “Really?”
“Really.” Taking his stuff, he came down off the stage and to the floor with me. “I’m not finished with it yet, but very fine work. I usually don’t see such insights in my 110 classes. The topic of mental impairments obviously intrigues you. I only get stuff like this from my graduate students.”
Blown away, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I had tried very hard, and with Knight’s help, it’d been cake. He obviously cared about the issue too since I’d included stuff about his mom’s condition. “Thank you, Professor.”
“No problem. It’s still very early, but I have a feeling you’re going to do very well not just on the paper but for the duration of the term. I actually had to check the submission was you considering previous discussions we’d had. You’ve obviously come very far.”
I felt I had, definitely not as stressed thanks to a change in the tides. I smiled. “I’ve been trying to get better sleep.”
His eyes warmed. “I’m glad. It would have been a shame not to hear your voice, and it sounds like you definitely have one. The part about traumatic brain injuries was extraordinary and all the other terminology very well researched and insightful. It really sounded like you knew your stuff.”
“I tried. I visited a nursing home and got to speak with actual patients with some of the conditions referenced in our textbooks. Their doctors too, so that was helpful.”
“Really?” This definitely intrigued him, his smile widening. “Never in my years of teaching have I seen such a display of going the extra mile from one of my freshman students. Especially in one of my gen ed classes. What compelled you to go to a nursing home?”
“I have a friend whose mom is in one. He took me there actually, thought it would help. His mom is in a coma. Twelve years now.”
His expression fell. “I’m sorry to hear that. And twelve years? Wow.”
“Yeah. She had a car accident, resulted in a TBI, which put her in the coma.” He nodded and I continued. “Really heartbreaking.”
“I can imagine. I used to practice as a neuropsychologist for many years before teaching. We saw many coma patients, but no one in the condition nearly that long. I’m very intrigued to know more about that. Do you reference it further on in your paper?”
“A little bit, but I only got so many notes when I was at the nursing home. I of course wanted to know more, but since the situation was delicate I didn’t pry.”
“Makes a lot of sense. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know what a good job you’re doing and to keep up the good work. I should have everyone’s papers graded very soon. I look forward to finishing yours.”
Really appreciating it, I started to walk with him out of class, and when he expressed interest in Knight’s mom’s case again, I offered to email him over some of the notes I’d drawn up. After I’d lost my notebook, I’d transferred all the information I had gathered from the nursing home on all the patients and doctor interviews over to a Word document and even all the information from the photo I’d taken as well.
Professor Hershel stopped at the door. “Only if you don’t mind sharing. I’d definitely liked to see more about that.”
Since I hadn’t minded, I told him I’d email him everything right away. He went about his day, and after I went about mine, I made sure to send him everything over during lunchtime. The day dragged pretty slowly after that, but eventually, I made it to my last class of the day. I’d been struggling in biology just as badly as my other classes, but now that I was awake I’d been able to get some good notes for our test coming up. I came out the room expecting to hop on one of the buses back to my dorm so imagine my surprise when a campus god lounged across the hallway from me.
Knight’s thumbs dashed across his phone, wearing a dark leather jacket and jeans that hugged his muscular thighs only too good. He was the epitome of thicc, and pulling his hand through his delicious hair, he caught sight of me. A girl or three giggled past him as he made his way over to me, and I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t expected to see him standing there. He never told me he would be, but then again, when would he ever ask my permission before doing anything at all? He was just rogue like that.
And why did I not mind more and more?
He draped his arm across my shoulders, grinning at me as he brought me into his side. He tugged at my hair. “Took you long enough, dove. I was about to send a search party in there after you.”
Because he’d been waiting so long. I mean class just got out, but the retort shut down in my throat the moment he folded his hand behind my neck. He pulled me into a kiss that set my body ablaze, his big arms caging me into his harsh heat. His teeth tugged my bottom lip as he pulled away, and after, he took my things and escorted me outside. I told him about Professor Hershel mentioning my term paper as we walked, and he basically took all the credit in so many arrogant words. I shoved his chest. “I did write it you know.”
“But without me…” He touched his chest, jostling me before dashing his eyebrows up. “Anyway, you done for the day? Was going to take you out for dinner or something.”
“Is that an actual invite for a date or…”
“Don’t with the mouth.” He held mine, grinning as he tugged my lip down. “And yeah, it’s a date. You got plans?”
Since I did, I nodded. “I do actually. Real busy.”
“Doing what?” He actually appeared shocked, his eyebrows hard when they narrowed in.
I rolled my eyes. “Just busy.”
“Really? Well, cancel them because you’re now busy with me.” His arms fell around my body, and I was definitely tempted, definitely hot when my body turned into ooze as he braced his mighty palms on my ass. I’d been letting him play a lot with that lately.
What could I say, I really liked it.
I wasn’t sure I could turn him down again as sexy as he was and the fact his hands were all over me, but it was made a little easier to pull away when a car pulled up in front of us on the street. The old station wagon I definitely recognized, my mom behind it and my stepdad Ben in the passenger seat.
“Knight Reed as I live and breath,” Mom stated, her eyes dancing with delight. She really was happy to see him, her hands flailing after she parked, and I rolled my eyes.
Lowering to the level of the car, Knight smiled at her. “Hey, Ms. Michaelson. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you and it’s Ms. Michaelson-Harris now.” She grinned. “Greer told us you were going to school here too.”
“Hey, Greer!” Ben bopped forward in the front seat, waving at me like a loon in his cop uniform, and could I be more embarrassed in the middle of the street with Knight Reed beside me?
&nb
sp; I waved a little. “Hey, Ben.” I pointed to Knight. “This is Knight. Knight Reed, my stepdad Ben.”
Ben tipped his chin. “Sup, man.”
And as corny as that sounded, Knight managed to keep his shit together, his smile widening as he lifted a hand to Ben. “Nice to meet you. Greer told me about you.”
“Did she?” Mom asked, and all too quickly, she noticed Knight’s hand, a hand that very much cuffed my arm. He hadn’t let go after I pulled away, and needless to say, the ‘rents noticed. I could have palmed my face as both Mom and Ben grinned like fiends. Mom flashed hers over to Knight. “How about you join us for dinner, Knight? Would love to catch up. Hear about how you’re doing? We’re expecting Greer this evening, and you should come too.”
I chewed my lip when Knight looked at me. I shrugged. “Told you I was busy.”
“Well, I’m still not.” And dropping an arm around my shoulders, Knight grinned at my mom. “I’d love to. I mean, as long as Greer doesn’t mind.”
“Of course she doesn’t. Both of you get in. We’ll take you back to the home front.”
Dear God. Lifting my eyes to the heavens, I watched Knight chuckle as he escorted me over to my mom’s car. “Sorry in advance,” I told him, to which he shrugged.
He tugged my chin. “You’re overreacting. I remember your mom being cool.”
Maybe but watching Knight Reed force his huge, linebacker-sized body into my mom’s beat-up station wagon was the stuff of sheer modification. Tucked in at my side, he dropped his arm around me again, and I got to hear all Mom and Ben’s questions about that on the way to their house. Yeah, tonight was definitely about to be fun.
Chapter Nineteen
Greer
Mom and Ben basically talked Knight’s ear off over spaghetti and meatballs, and Knight seemed to not only entertain the probing about how he was doing and what he was into now, but appeared to get sheer delight out of it. I think mostly because he saw it bugged me, that mischief obviously still there, but since them interrogating him about his day to day laid them off me for a night I went gratefully along with it. The pair shockingly didn’t poke Knight and me about what we were too much, and I was grateful for that because I had no idea what we were. He’d only just asked me out on an actual date tonight, so pardon either of us if we weren’t trying to walk down the aisle quite yet.
Currently, Ben filled Knight’s ear about campus police stuff, thanking him profusely for the squad’s new gear like Knight had actually had a hand in any of that. My stepdad was basically brown-nosing to hell, and if I could shut off my eardrums, I would, shaking my head with a smile over dishes. Mom and I had taken them after we’d all finished up, and I was currently helping her load the dishwasher.
Mom passed a glance over to Knight and Ben from the kitchen into the living room. She smiled. “Well, he seems happy. Knight?”
Did he?
I swung my gaze around, Knight’s elbow propped on the table as he continued to watch my stepdad fall all over himself in front of him. Noticing me, Knight winked in my direction before going back to the conversation, and Mom grinned, noticing that too.
“That because of you?” she asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t know, Mom. I guess he seems happy.” He seemed something, all right. Not nearly as moody. I smiled to myself as Mom handed me a dish to load.
“I hope you’re being safe.”
“Mom!”
“What, honey bug?” She nudged me. “I’m just saying, guys did not look like that when I went to community college for the time I did.”
“Oh, that’s nice. I’m sure Ben would love that.”
She play shoved me. “Now, I’m not talking about Ben and you know that. I’m just saying. If you’re having sex, just make sure you’re taking care of all that.”
I so was not having this conversation with her right now, my face way too heated and though she obviously noticed that too at least she ignored that fact. She rinsed another dish before handing it to me, shrugging. “It’s just nice that it seems like he’s okay is all. He’s been dealt a rough hand in life, that boy.”
“You mean his parents?” I asked. “His mom?”
“You know about that?”
I nodded. “He actually took me to see her recently. Thought it might help me with my paper for psych class.”
This seemed to surprise her completely, as she turned around and rested her hip against the counter. “You mean, she’s still around? It’s just been so long. I figured…”
Probably what most would, that eventually they might take her off her life support. I wet my lips. “He said it’s been twelve years.”
Mom frowned, tsking before shaking her head. “I always hoped for the best for him. That can’t have been easy, and right after his dad passed. Poor thing.”
I hadn’t heard much about his dad besides the fact he’d had a riding accident. She’d obviously kept that and details of his mom away from me, and I guessed I wasn’t surprised because of the tender age I was when I knew him. I just always figured his grandpa raised him, didn’t think about much else really.
Our dishes clanked as we kept loading dishes. I took one from Mom. “And you’re not mad about what happened? I mean, he basically got you fired.”
She tsked again before rolling her eyes. “Bug, he was child. And… sometimes things are just complicated.”
“How so?”
She placed a hand on the counter. “Just complicated. And as far as I’m concerned, a boy loses his family that young and acts out I don’t blame him. I don’t blame him for a lot of things, and I’m definitely not mad.”
She nearly scolded me, and I felt bad, staring away.
Mom squeezed my shoulder. “Anyway, I think we need to go save him from Ben,” she said, nudging me with a smile. “Finish up in here, and I’ll serve the pie.”
She took it off the counter, store-bought but so good none of that mattered. My mom always made do for us, was completely awesome and more so than I believed. She really held no ill will, sympathetic where I might not have been if I’d been in her situation.
But I guess now I knew all the facts too.
After I started the dishwasher, I wiped my hands, deciding to check my phone before heading back out. I got an email so I checked it, really surprised to hear from Professor Hershel at all, least of all so soon. I’d just sent him an email with all my research notes earlier that day from my phone since I had the file saved to the Cloud.
Professor Hershel: Good work on this paper, Ms. Michaelson. I just finished it and loved it. I can’t post grades until I finish everyone else’s, but yes, it was outstanding.
A little happy dance I jigged on the inside, reading on.
Professor Hershel: And I went over your notes. Excellent stuff too, which makes sense why the paper was so good. You might want to consider a degree in psychology or even further, going the route of a medical doctor. You’ve obviously taken to all this.
Never thought I’d hear that. I smiled on, but the expression left a little by how he left the email.
Professor Hershel: Also, I think I might have heard you wrong before when we were talking. You said your friend’s mom was in a coma due to a head injury, but from what I can see with what you gave me, her coma is medically induced.
What?
Professor Hershel: Though maybe I don’t have all the facts or you jotted something down wrong error-wise in your notes. Either way, excellent work, and I’ll see you back in class next week.
Knight
I slow-fucked Greer, being inside this girl ridiculous. I’d merely get a taste, then have to be right back in, barely getting inside her dorm tonight before we were in her bed. Gripping her hands with one of my fists, I extended her, that petite little body shaking beneath me. Dipping my head, I laved over her pebbled breasts, tugging one of her pert nipples into my mouth. “Relax, dove. Last I checked, I’d popped that cherry already.”
Despite that, she was always still a quiv
ering mess with me, innocence laced in something backed by fire. That hellcat kicked me with her little toes after I called her out, but I pulled that sigh right back out of her mouth when I bit one of those feisty little lips of hers.
“Shut up and just fuck me,” she commanded, wriggling beneath my weight. Putting up with that mouth this time, I grabbed her, pulling her back with me when I settled on my hunches.
I slammed into her body, bouncing her up and down as my dick disappeared in and out of her. This wouldn’t be long. I didn’t have the stamina. This girl may be tiny, but I worked myself like a fucking machine just to come as hard as I could when I was with her. I didn’t want to waste it, all of it too sweet.
“Fuck, Knight. Fuck.” Her nails tore across my back, and I roared, Greer dipping that sea of blond to bite my shoulder. She broke skin easily and not only did that make me want to fuck her harder but lose my mind myself. Palming her ass, I slapped myself against her inner thighs, the skin red and harsh from repeated impact. I could only take so much of this before I needed that ass, sticking my fingers inside.
She called out into my mouth, her lip pulled between my teeth. I grinned. “Hope you’re ready, dove.”
Because I was coming hard and with so much force, I feared I might shoot through the damn condom. I needed to get this girl on birth control, a fail condom inevitable with as hard and frequently as I fucked her. My little Greer definitely wasn’t a virgin anymore, all mine, and I needed her like I needed something akin to life. Food didn’t even taste the same to me anymore. Not since I had her. It was harshly different, fucking scary, but so greedy, I went along for the ride.
I think it was safe to say I wasn’t the only one.
She fell back as she came herself, her body stretched and bowed in my arms. I slapped once, twice, milking her for all I could take. My eyes rolling back, I was shaky myself as I watched her come apart then later back to me. I grinned as I pulled her up, tasting her lips and started to roll back in the bed with her before she eased from underneath me.
