by Lexi Wilson
“I should get back to cleaning,” I said nervously. “My coworker is going to get pissed if I don’t.”
“Of course,” he said. “We’ll pick this up again tomorrow.”
“Promise?” I asked.
“Tomorrow,” he said as he grabbed his things and headed for the door. I stood, trying to wrap my mind around what just happened. It was shocking, but it was hot. It was sensual, and I wondered what he meant when he said we would pick it up tomorrow.
All I knew was that I didn’t want to stop now, and it was going to be a long twenty-four hours.
But it would be worth the wait. Josiah was worth the wait. And I could hardly contain myself.
Chapter 8
Josiah
I gave myself one last look in the mirror and shook my head. I knew I was making a mistake. I knew this wasn’t going to end well. I knew this was just asking for me to wind up getting fired at my job – or getting Zia kicked out of school.
But, somehow, none of those things mattered.
It was still two weeks until school started, and I had done my best to stay away from her. I thought I’d had it all planned out. Ghosting might not have been the most mature way to handle it, but I figured someone like her was bound to have plenty of options, and though it wasn’t my first choice to walk away from the situation, she wasn’t going to be too hurt by it.
What I wasn’t planning on was the fact she might confront me when I was in the coffee shop. It might have been my fault for going in there in the first place, but that didn’t change the fact that she had still had the guts to come over to me and ask me why I had just ghosted her.
And, when I was put in that position, seeing how beautiful she was, how perfect she was with her wide, bright eyes, I couldn’t just walk away from her. It might be a terrible idea, and I still wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with it when school started, but that was something I could figure out then.
Tonight was tonight, and I was eager to get her out and show her a good time. I knew I had also started digging myself a hole by telling her I was an accountant, but I wasn’t sure how to get out of that now, either. I didn’t want to admit to her that I’d lied to her face, but if I were to tell her that I was a teacher at the school, she wouldn’t give me a chance.
The students knew the rules just as much as the professors, and I could already sense from her she was one of those students who liked to do things by the book. She wasn’t the sort of girl who was going to risk her academic career by sleeping with a teacher – and I didn’t want to let go of that yet.
After checking myself over once more, I grabbed my keys and headed toward the door. I wanted to be on the early side, even if she didn’t get off work until five. If there was one thing I had learned through dating, it was that women liked it when a guy was prompt.
It didn’t matter how long it took her to do her hair and makeup, she wanted me to be there when she said she was free, and I had every intention of being that guy. I might not be able to keep her attention for long, but I sure as hell was going to make as good of an impression as I could when I had the chance, and now was that chance.
If I let much more time pass, I might not get the chance to prove to her that I was a good guy – and the sort of guy she should be with, even if it was technically against the rules. But then, I had always been the sort of guy who wasn’t afraid to bend the rules for what I wanted, and even now, as a professor at this college, I wasn’t going to give up on my old ways entirely.
It was just for a couple of weeks, and I had a feeling it was going to fade. I never spent time with a girl for very long. It was just the way I did things. And with the fact she was bound to figure out I was a professor, her professor at that, it was just a matter of time before she was likely to be the one to pull back and leave me hanging.
Satisfied with how well I’d cleaned up for the evening, I was now more eager than ever to see Zia. I knew she was already attracted to me, that was obvious, but I wanted to make the night special for her. And I fully intended to do that very thing.
I already had her address from when I sent her home in the cab, so it didn’t take me long to find her place. Of course, I was struck by the fact she lived right next to campus. It would be the most natural place for her to want to live if she was going to be attending school, I knew that, but it was still annoying, especially knowing that I was lying to her – and keeping the secret I was keeping.
When I pulled up in front of the building, I got the distinct impression the person she was talking to was her roommate. The girl looked over at me suspiciously, eyeing my car as though I was some sort of serial killer who was just looking for the chance to abduct her roommate.
But I gave the girl a friendly wave and flashed her my smile, though I was grateful for the fact Zia hurried over.
“Sorry, I was talking to Kira about rent, and we got a little caught up,” she said. “How’re you?”
“Better now that I get to see you,” I told her, and she blushed.
“I could say the same,” she grinned. “Nice ride.”
“I don’t know about that, but get in anyway,” I smirked.
“At least you have a set of wheels. That’s the next thing on my list. I’m getting tired of borrowing Kira’s car every time I need to drive somewhere. Or cabs. Or Uber,” she shook her head. “I didn’t know it was going to be so expensive to live here.”
“Of course, it’s Chicago,” I said. “But I’m here to help you, too, if you ever need it. Don’t worry about a ride, I’m more than happy to give you a lift here or there if you would rather not walk.”
“Thanks,” she buckled her seatbelt. “So, what’re we going to do?”
“Dinner first,” I told her. “I’m starving.”
“Thank God! Me, too!” she laughed. “Where do you want to go?”
“I’ve got a few ideas. I’ve long since learned you never ask a woman where she wants to go when you’re hungry, or you’re going to wind up waiting an hour before you even decide on a restaurant,” I laughed.
“Oh, come on! I could name a few places, but I honestly don’t know many of the places here in Chicago yet. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t really had the chance to get out and explore. Besides the bars, I mean,” she said.
“I’m sure you were right there with the best of them on the dance floor,” I teased.
“I’m not much of a partier, but my roommate likes to get out and have fun on the weekends, and more often than not, she can get me to go with her if I don’t have to work too early the next morning,” she sighed. “But that’s all going to change when school starts, you know?”
“I’m sure,” I said. “I remember when I was in college. I would be out until the wee hours of the morning, then I would have to drag my ass through class – it sucked.”
“I don’t want to be that person,” Zia shook her head. “I can imagine it would be pure torture to have to listen to the professor when you were hungover or still tired from the night before.”
“Or still drunk,” I added. “If you keep drinking until closing time, you might still be drunk by the time you make it to class the next morning, depending.”
“True,” Zia mused. “Which is why I’m not going to drive. I live right by campus here, so there’s really no reason for me to risk getting in trouble with the law.”
“If you’re responsible about your drinking, you’re not going to have to worry about it,” I said. She nodded but didn’t reply, so I changed the subject.
“I thought we could go to that burger joint that’s up the street here. They’ve got great food, and it’s not too flashy if you aren’t in the mood to get down with the crowd,” I said.
“That sounds great,” Zia brightened up. “I would love that. I was hoping for something a little more casual since this is the second time you and I are hanging out, and, I mean, I’m not sure what your next move’s going to be.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
�
�I mean you ghosted me the last time you and I hung out, so what’s to say you aren’t going to do that again?” she shot back.
“Come on, I told you I was busy, and I’m taking you out now, so don’t dwell on it. Let’s just have a good night and see where the evening takes us,” I said. I didn’t want to go back into why I had left her hanging, and I felt a pang run through me as I was reminded of the fact I had lied to her. But she let it go as we settled into dinner, and I soon was learning more facts about her that made me fall for her even harder.
“So where did you want to go after this?” I asked when we were finishing our meal.
“I wanted to check out that bookstore we passed on the way down here,” she said. “I love reading, and it’s been quite some time since I’ve found anything new to dig into.”
“A bookworm, huh?” I asked in surprise. “As if it was possible for me to like you any more than I already do.”
She blushed, but I didn’t let the thought out of my mind. She was smart, beautiful, and she liked to read. I knew I was digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole by the minute, but I wasn’t going to let my mind go there. Not tonight, not when I was having such a good time.
“Alright. Let me get the check, and I’ll take you to the bookstore. We can talk about authors on the way, and I might have some you haven’t read yet but should,” I said.
“I’d like that,” Zia grinned, and I tried to ignore the way my heart fluttered at the sight of her smile. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and we had more in common than I’d initially thought. It wasn’t going to be easy letting the truth come out, but I wasn’t going to worry about that.
There were plenty of things in my life I dealt with at the time they came up, and this wasn’t going to be any different. At least, I hoped it would work itself out more than it seemed like it would.
I didn’t want to risk getting in trouble with the school or her getting in trouble either, for that matter. But I didn’t want to let her go. She was one in a billion, and I knew I was falling for her. There was more to this than just wanting to get her in bed.
We had a real connection, and if things were just a little different, I knew we would be great for each other. I wanted to curse the world for not being fair to either one of us, but that was something that would have to wait.
Now, we were on our way to the bookstore, and I was going to be the smart, well-read man she was clearly admiring. I would make another impression on her, and I would show her what she could have if she were to just be with me. The policies of the school be damned.
If I played my cards right, this was going to be a great few weeks, and if I could manage, perhaps even longer.
I could only hope.
Chapter 9
Zia
“I could go on and on,” I said as I set the novel back on the shelf. “He really was a great man, you know?”
“I definitely respect his work,” Josiah agreed. “But I think you better wrap it up. It looks like they’re getting ready to close.”
“I guess it’s getting pretty late, huh?” I let my disappointment show. “I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for listening to my ranting about all these authors.”
“I would listen to you rant about authors until my ears started to bleed,” he told me. “But it is getting late, you’re right.”
“Okay. I’m not going to buy anything this time, but I did have a good time looking at all the titles,” I announced as I started for the exit.
“Me, too,” Josiah agreed. “That was a lot of fun. I’d love to do it again sometime.”
“When can I see you again?” I asked. I didn’t want to be pushy, but there was still a bit of fear inside me that told me he might ghost me again. The only way I could think to show him I was serious was to tell him the truth, so I added, “I don’t want to go home.”
“You could come home with me,” Josiah offered. “I mean, I do get up pretty early in the morning, but if you don’t want to go home right now, we can have a nightcap at my place.”
“Would you mind?” I asked as I clasped my hands together and smiled.
“If I did, I wouldn’t have asked you to come over,” he winked. “Come on, let’s get out of here before they say something to us.”
“Let them talk,” I tossed my hair over my shoulder with an attitude, but I followed him out of the store all the same. I was acting the way that I was out of putting on a show for him, and I hoped he could see how much I was trying to flirt. I wasn’t good at it. I knew that, but it wasn’t going to stop me from trying my best.
Josiah made me feel things I hadn’t felt before, and I didn’t want the night to end. I was having a great time, and I wanted to see how far it could go. I hadn’t told him I was a virgin, and I didn’t plan to. Hell, if he wanted to take me home and we ended up in his bed, I felt like he was the kind of guy I would be happy to give my virginity to. It wasn’t quite how I planned it, but I was okay with that.
I had always told myself I wanted to be with someone I felt a real connection to the first time, and since I was in college and felt a connection to Josiah, I felt that the time was right. There was no denying the sexual chemistry between us, and with all the flirting and banter we had shared back and forth throughout the evening, I had a feeling he might be willing to let me into his bed after we had a couple drinks at his place.
Of course, I was going to be smart. I wasn’t going to get drunk. Just a good buzz that would take the edge off. Enough that would make me feel comfortable going through with the act for the first time, but not so much that I made a fool out of myself and didn’t remember the night.
A few times throughout the night, I wondered what it would be like if the two of us were officially together, but I hardly dared let myself think about it too much. He was an accountant, and he looked to be several years older than me. Of course, I didn’t care about the age difference, but what would that mean when I started school?
Would he care that I was a student? Would he want to date someone who was just starting her freshman year of college when he had already been through it all himself and was in the midst of his career?
I pushed all of those thoughts out of my mind as I slid into the passenger seat of his car, and I was glad when he turned on the radio and I could tune out the doubt I had in my mind. I just wanted to focus on being myself and having a good time with him.
We arrived at his apartment, and I did my best not to look overly impressed. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t something as nice as what his place really was.
“You put my decorating skills to shame,” I joked.
“It’s taken me years to get it just like I want it,” he said. “Don’t feel too bad about yours, you’ll get there.”
“Thanks. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to move very fast since I’m going to be spending money on just trying to survive,” I joked, and he laughed.
“Here, have some wine and don’t worry about it,” he handed me a glass then disappeared into his bedroom, leaving me on the couch to think about the fact I was now in his house. It was beautifully decorated, and I hoped one day to own a place that I could decorate just the way I wanted it to be, too.
I tried to remind myself not to be awkward. The night had been going so well up to this point, but I was nervous. I knew what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure how to work up the courage to bring it up. But when Josiah returned looking sexy as hell, I nearly dropped my glass.
He laughed.
“You better not get wine on the carpeting; this is a rental,” he said.
“I just, sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know you were going to get comfortable. Makes me feel overdressed.”
“We could take care of that,” he winked at me, and I felt my cheeks flush a crimson red.
“I’m not sure I know what I’m doing. I’m clumsy,” I said. “I’m sorry, this is embarrassing.”
“Not at all,” he walked over to the couch, pulling me
to a standing position. My lips trembled as I looked up into his eyes, hoping against hope he was going to make a move. Then, as he pressed his lips to mine and sent a thrill rushing through me, I once again nearly dropped the glass.
That was when he took it from me and set it on the side table, pulling me with him through the hall.
“I have a feeling we’re thinking the same thing,” he said. “Considering the fact your entire body is trembling.”
“I’m just nervous,” I said.
“Don’t be,” he kissed me as we reached his bed, and I tried to relax. I knew it would be fair to him to tell him that this was my first time, but I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t going to be good in bed. To hear the way Kira talked about it, I knew it was important to satisfy my partner.
I let him guide me onto the bed, working with him with trembling hands as he pulled off my clothes then his own. He was even hotter naked, and I couldn’t believe I was giving my virginity to him. I never thought I would find anyone so hot to be with my first time, but here I was.
Josiah kissed me, sending shivers through my entire body, causing goosebumps to rise over my skin as he moved over me. His cock grazed my leg, sending another shiver through me. He chuckled.
“Are you excited?” he asked. “You seem to be trembling even now.”
“Of course,” I said. “This has been on my mind all night.”
“Then I better not keep you waiting,” he said. He took his dick in his hand and pressed it to my pussy, pushing himself against me. I told myself to breathe calmly and relax, hoping he wasn’t going to realize how tense I was.
“Is there something wrong?” he asked. “You don’t seem to be enjoying this.”
“I’m just nervous, like I said,” I replied with a weak smile. “But I’m having fun.”
He pushed himself into me without another word, and it took all I had in me not to cry out. I knew it was going to hurt, but I didn’t know how much, and with the pain rushing through me, I wasn’t sure how to respond. But as he thrust in and out of me, the pain started to subside.
