Sebastian palmed his cock, frustration making him crabby.
“Knock that off. Shit, that feels better. Jen, come up here and give me instructions about this swallowing business.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Sebastian protested.
“I want to,” Wayne said. “Besides, if I can do it then you’ll want to do it for me. I like the idea of you on your hands and knees.”
“Asshole,” Sebastian muttered, for form only. Wayne’s words brought a surge of happiness. He’d known this was the right way to approach Wayne’s insecurities. That and not letting him attend any family outings alone. Sebastian had a standing invitation but he didn’t always go because, even though they didn’t mean to, they made him feel like an outsider.
Wayne sucked him down, the heat still taking Sebastian by surprise. Wayne wasn’t gentle or tentative. In fact he veered toward roughness, yet his touch felt exactly right. Jen whispered in Wayne’s ear, and the next thing Sebastian had a lubed finger up his ass. Two perfect strokes of that finger along with the hard draw of Wayne’s mouth, and he lost the fragile control he held over his body. He came in hard, explosive contractions, sparks igniting in his groin and ripping across his nerve endings.
Wayne grunted and pulled back, receiving a blast of semen in his face.
An appalled groan burst from Sebastian. “Sorry, man. I got no control at the moment.”
Wayne grinned and wiped his face with the corner of the sheet. “I thought I did pretty well.”
“Big head,” Sebastian said when he could breathe again. After removing condoms and toys and cleaning up, they lay on the bed in a pile of sweaty bodies. Sebastian had never felt happier.
* * * * *
The first day of school was even worse than she’d imagined. From the moment she stepped into the classroom, the other students stared. Even the teacher showed extraordinary interest in her presence. Face aflame, she offered a bright smile and picked up her pen to focus on taking notes. Give it a week and they’d become used to her presence. Soon she’d blend in—apart from the uniform. As an adult student, the headmistress said she wasn’t required to wear a uniform, but the lack made her stick out. She made a mental note to buy a couple of skirts and trousers in the same dark color as the other students’ uniforms. That way a glance wouldn’t single her out as different.
Soon her head hurt from all the facts thrown at them, and her butt ached in sympathy. She wasn’t used to sitting for such long stretches of time.
Lunch was a lonely sandwich, eaten outdoors in the sun. Why had returning to school been such a great idea?
Education is important. Promise me you’ll return to school when you can.
Her mother’s words echoed through her head. Determined. Implacable. Jen could still feel the tight pinch of her mother’s fingers as she’d gripped Jen’s arm, insistent on getting her daughter to see and extracting a promise from Jen.
Promise me you’ll return to school, Jen, and go to university. Everyone needs a qualification to get ahead.
A sigh whispered from Jen as she studied the groups of students around the school grounds. No matter how uncomfortable, she couldn’t go back on her promise to her mother. It was a matter of pride.
And the fact that her mother would probably return from the grave and haunt her if she didn’t carry out her pledge.
Just after four, Jen dragged her bag of books from her car and trudged into the house. Even though she didn’t feel like it, she dumped her pack on a chair and pulled out her books. If she did all her homework as soon as she arrived home she’d have her evenings free to veg out with her men.
She froze, her hand gripping a heavy chemistry tome.
Her men?
No, no, no!
She’d be leaving to attend university in Auckland next year. This thing with Wayne and Sebastian was about fun. That was all.
That’s right! Her mother’s voice echoed through her head. Just as well she hadn’t spoken up the previous evening in the midst of their lovemaking.
Jen made a cup of coffee and started work, only pausing to prepare a chicken for dinner. She shoved it into the preheated oven, ready to tackle her last assignment—reading several pages from the chemistry book.
Wayne’s deep voice echoed from the front door. “Hi, honey. We’re home.”
“Something smells good,” Sebastian said from the doorway. “You didn’t have to start dinner.”
“It wasn’t a problem.” Jen couldn’t help smiling at the pleasure on Sebastian’s face. Starting dinner was such a small thing.
Sebastian wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight and pressing a kiss on the top of her head. “It’s good to have you here at the end of a work day.” Sincerity laced his words, prompting curiosity in her.
“Ugh! Sweaty.” She struggled and, grinning, he released her.
She knew that he and Wayne had met at a foster home and that Wayne had left to join a family while Sebastian had remained in the foster home until age eighteen. He’d never had a proper home, she thought in enlightenment. It might have been just her and her mother, but her mother had gone out of her way to build a cozy, secure home for them both.
“Do we need to do anything to help?” Wayne asked.
“You both look as if you need a shower,” she said, reaching over to pluck a chunk of sawdust from Wayne’s hair. “And you’re very stinky,” she added, kissing the tip of Sebastian’s nose to soften her remarks. She blew a kiss to Wayne. “Go take a shower and I’ll take care of the rest of dinner.”
They stomped down the passage toward the bathroom, although how men could make so much noise wearing just their socks was beyond her. She checked the jacket potatoes and removed them from the oven. After whipping up a quick gravy, she placed the salad on the table and popped some pre-cooked dinner rolls into the oven to finish cooking. Masculine laughter came from the bathroom and a frisson of heat danced down her spine when she imagined their naked bodies beaded with droplets of water. She fanned the heat from her face with a swish of her hand.
“Hey,” she yelled. “No hanky-panky without me.”
“Spoilsport,” Wayne shouted back.
Five minutes later the two men strolled into the kitchen.
“That’s better,” she said with approval. “You can kiss me properly now.”
Eyes gleaming, they advanced on her, corralling her with male heat and muscles. Firm lips met hers while another set of lips nibbled on the delicate flesh of her neck. Her nipples pulled tight and heat bloomed in her lower body, mere seconds after their touch. It was as if her body were programmed to react to them. She certainly wanted them both.
“You smell good.” Emotion darkened Sebastian’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
His words sank in, twisting strands of confusion through her. This living situation could only be temporary until she left for Auckland. Call her old-fashioned but she didn’t think long distance relationships worked. “We’d better eat dinner before it gets cold.” Huh! Neat sidestep. Avoiding thinking about the situation wasn’t going to change the truth. She couldn’t let herself think of Wayne and Sebastian as anything more than good friends because her future was at stake, her promise to her mother.
“How was school?” Wayne asked.
“Horrid.”
Sebastian pulled out a chair and seated her. “Why is that?”
“My classmates are so young. They’ve known each other for a long time since they’ve gone through the classes together, many of them since kindergarten. I stand out like the flock of red sheep in Ted Morrison’s front yard.”
A chuckle burst from Wayne. “Why did Morrison dye his sheep that color anyway?”
“Someone paid him,” Jen said. “It was an advertising stunt for the local radio station.”
“So school isn’t that good?” Sebastian’s face bore sympathy.
Jen sighed, her stomach churning at the reminder of her day. “I’m sure it will get better. Heck, I knew it wouldn’t be easy.”
Sebastian groaned. “Your mother always used to say that.”
“Still does,” Wayne said. “I topped up on parental advice during the weekend. Need to pass it on. Get it out of my head somehow.”
Jen happened to be watching Sebastian, saw his shift of expression. She’d seen it before—usually when someone was talking about their family. Interesting. Sebastian wasn’t easy to read, yet in this she could practically see the words on the page.
Wayne cocked his head and studied her with sympathy. “Two of my brothers are still at school. Do you want me to ask them to—?”
“No! Maybe it will be better once I get to know the rest of the students and the teachers.”
“Say that once more with confidence,” Wayne ordered.
“It will be better in a few weeks.” Jen sucked in a deep breath and held up crossed fingers.
Chapter Ten
Two weeks later
“I want you to divide into threes for this assignment,” the teacher said, almost as soon as she walked to the front of the classroom. “Collectively you’ll do a report on how some aspect of Sloan could be improved. You can do it in movie format or use a power point presentation or any other media available to you. You have a month to complete the assignment. Each group will hand in their assignment to me and present them to the rest of the class at a later date.”
Every student groaned, Jen included. This was gonna be fun.
“I’ll give you five minutes to organize your groups. If you’re undecided by that time, I will make an executive decision.”
Great. It was like a sports day all over again. She’d be the last one picked.
The rest of the students burst into chatter. Jen cast a cautious glance to her left and another to her right. She caught the gaze of the gum-chewing girl sitting at the next desk. “Would you like to work with me?”
The gum snapped as she shifted it around her mouth. “Nah, I have a group already.”
Jen nodded, holding her breath when the backs of her eyes started to sting. She would not cry. She would not.
She was an adult and could get past a stupid thing like an assignment. She looked the other way and saw that the girl sitting there was obviously in a group. The one in front too.
“Righto! Quiet everyone.” The teacher clapped her hands together. “Melanie, take that gum out of your mouth right now.”
The gum snapping came to an abrupt halt.
“Does anyone not have a group?”
Jen stuck up her hand, but she was the only one.
“Gerrard, who is in your group?”
“Justin and Stan.”
“Right,” the teacher said. “Jen can join your group. Maybe she can keep you in line.”
Jen didn’t want to keep three teenage boys in line. She seethed while she feverishly scribbled notes of some of the things the teacher required covered in the project. At the end of the class she waited to approach the teacher. The group of boys who’d had her foisted on them beat her to the complaint.
“We don’t want a girl in our group.”
“What’s wrong with a girl?” Jen demanded.
The boy opened his mouth, unsure now that she’d confronted him directly.
“They giggle,” one of his friends said.
Jen still hadn’t managed to match names and faces for the entire class, so she wasn’t clear on his identity.
“I’m sure Jen is mature enough to have her giggling under control,” the teacher said. “She’s new and needs help to blend in a bit more. The three of you are popular and will help her with that.”
Okaaay.
That sort of burst Jen’s argument. The teacher had noticed her difficulties and was trying to help.
“And the three of you together are trouble,” the teacher continued. “You’re all intelligent, and I intend you to pass this year.”
No doubting the determination there.
“Why don’t I give you my phone number and you guys can ring me tonight?” Jen said, flashing her smile again. Damn, her jaw was starting to ache with all her fake grins. She pulled a notepad and pen from the side pocket of her pack and scribbled down her cell number and the number for Wayne’s place.
The rest of her school day progressed as usual. Jen stuck on her own with the other students pretending to ignore her, yet watching her closely and whispering to each other when they thought she wouldn’t notice.
“School any better today?” Wayne asked, walking into the kitchen where she was doing her homework.
“Where’s Sebastian?”
“He had to drive to Auckland to see a bathroom supplier. They’re stuffin’ us around, and we wanted to get a face-to-face meeting. And you didn’t answer my question. School?”
“It sucked. In one of my classes we have group assignments, and the teacher stuck me with three boys.”
Wayne blinked. His lips twitched, and her eyes narrowed.
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I thought you liked boys,” Wayne said.
“Not teenage ones,” she muttered and barely suppressed a shudder. “They’re not trained.”
“Nearly finished your homework?”
“Yeah. Pour me a glass of wine in five minutes.”
“I had something else in mind.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah.” Wayne grinned and hauled her off her chair. He wrapped his arms around her. When their lips met, her knees went weak, and she clutched his shoulders letting the passion wash over her. He stoked the emotions with each aggressive kiss of her lips and the more subtle stroke of his tongue.
“Hey, Wayne. Wayne!”
Wayne muttered an oath against her neck and loosened his grip on her but didn’t let her go. It wasn’t difficult to guess why since his erection butted against her stomach.
“What are you doing here? You didn’t think to knock?” He glared at the three young men standing in the kitchen doorway.
Jen felt the color spread across her face, and mumbled the same curse Wayne had muttered under her breath. “I told you to ring. How did you know where I live?”
Wayne’s brown eyes narrowed. “You know each other?”
“They’re in my class, and we’re working on an assignment together,” Jen said.
“I recognized the phone number,” Gerrard said, his brows drawn together as he stared at the pair of them.
Wayne barked out a sudden laugh. “Meet my brother Gerrard and his friends Stan and Justin.”
“We’ve met,” Jen said faintly. “I didn’t know he was your brother.” They didn’t look anything alike, despite both having Maori blood. Gerrard’s features were broader and he didn’t have the same lazy confidence Wayne bore, although that would probably come with age and experience.
“We have different surnames since we were both adopted.” Wayne’s amusement was obvious now. He pressed a quick kiss to her mouth and released her. “I’ll grab a shower and leave you guys to discuss your assignment.”
“Would you like something to drink?” Jen grabbed for her polite hostess-mode to help relieve her embarrassment.
“We’ll have a beer,” Gerrard said.
“No you won’t,” Wayne shouted from the hall. “Mum would skin me alive.”
“I’m drinking ginger beer,” Jen said. “Will that work?”
“Sure,” Justin said.
“Have a seat.” Jen grabbed three extra glasses and filled them with ice. She added ginger beer and placed them on the table. That done, she took a deep breath and sat at the table with the three teenage boys, feeling a little more in control. She rifled through her notes and pulled out the ones she’d taken relating to the assignment they needed to complete.
“Are you Wayne’s girlfriend?”
Her head jerked up to find all three boys scrutinizing her.
“So are you?” Gerrard repeated his question.
Jen swallowed. It was that simple yet complicated as we
ll because of Sebastian. “Yes,” she said, opting for simplicity.
Gerrard nodded, and in that brief moment it was easy to see he idolized Wayne. And because of Wayne, she’d found an in with Gerrard and his friends.
“Do you always do your homework when you get home from school?” Justin asked, wrinkling his freckled nose.
“Yes because that way it’s done and I have the rest of the night or weekend to do the things I’d rather do.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Stan said.
“Maybe I might try your idea. If Mum sees me doing my homework she might not make me help with dinner,” Gerrard said.
Jen stifled a laugh. “It might work.”
“What should we do for the assignment?” Stan asked.
They tossed around one or two ideas, finally settling on one they thought had good possibilities.
“We should make a video,” Gerrard said.
“And set up a page on the social media to get more information and contact people who are interested in our topic.”
Their enthusiasm surprised Jen. Her pen flew across the page as she took notes of the things they decided to action. She couldn’t help but be excited about their project.
Wayne returned and topped up their drinks before starting on dinner. “What time is Mum expecting you home?”
“I told her we’d be back by six.”
Wayne nodded. “You’d better keep an eye on the time then.”
“Stan and Justin are staying the night and going with us to the agricultural show tomorrow. We want to see the monster trucks.”
“Sounds good. I might take Jen if she wants to go,” Wayne said. “Next time ring before you arrive and knock. Don’t come in until one of us answers the door.”
Gerrard smirked. “In case we interrupt at a bad time.”
“Exactly,” Wayne said, his tone and expression stern.
Jen didn’t know where to look when the three boys sniggered. Once again, her wretched propensity for blushing made her discomfort clear.
The boys left half an hour later, all piling into Stan’s old, beat-up car.
“They like you,” Wayne said, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling her neck.
“Only because they discovered I’m not only living here, but I’m your girlfriend.”
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