by Katie Ashley
In the last six months, my dad’s condition had deteriorated even more, and he now needed someone to be there during the day to cook his meals and take care of the house when Ansel was at school. My dad’s cousin-in-law, Susie, had offered to take the job, and it was nice having a member of the family around, rather than a stranger.
I hopped out and Ansel followed, and headed for the guys. While the guys worked at unloading the truck, I took Oakley and went on inside the house to see Daddy. I found him reading the newspaper in his Power-Lift chair in the den. “There’s my girl,” he greeted.
After setting Oakley down on the floor, I hugged him tight. “Yep. I’m home for good now.”
“I’m so glad to have both my children under the same roof again. Of course, it won’t be long before Ansel is leaving us.”
“He won’t stay away long. He’ll need someone to cook his meals and wash his clothes.”
Daddy laughed. “That’s true.”
Susie came bustling into the room, a wet dishcloth in her hand. “Hey there, stranger,” she said, her smile deepening the grooves in her face. Her auburn hair was swept back in a bun with a few wisps escaping on the sides. Since she came through the week, I didn’t get to see her when I came home on the weekends. Her husband and my dad were first cousins and had grown up together. Sometimes she felt more like an aunt than a cousin-in-law.
I gave her a hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“Excited about tomorrow?”
I nodded. “And nervous.”
“You’ll do great,” Susie answered.
Daddy smiled. “Of course, she will. There’s not a thing that Sophie does that she doesn’t excel at.”
Waving my hand, I teasingly said, “Oh, do go on with the compliments.”
Ansel and the guys appeared in the doorway. “All the boxes and furniture are in your room.”
“Thanks.” Looking at Jason and Jody, I said, “I owe you guys for helping Ansel out.”
“Nah, we were happy to do it,” Jason replied.
Jody grinned. “Maybe you could have our backs on late passes from time to time?”
I laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Score!”
They waved good-bye and then headed for the door. After they were gone, Ansel came into the den, collapsing down onto the couch. “So did you tell Dad about your boyfriend?” Ansel teased, with a wicked grin.
“Boyfriend?” Daddy questioned, his brows popping up in surprise.
Narrowing my eyes, I mouthed, I’m going to kick your ass.
Just try, he mouthed back.
Ha, if he only knew, I could beat the hell out of him in more ways than one. Meeting Daddy’s expectant gaze, I said, “There’s no boyfriend. Ansel is just giving me a hard time.”
“There’s a boyfriend all right. She got all goofy-faced when he sent her a text.”
“Fine. There is a guy I’m talking to.”
Daddy’s blue eyes sparkled with excitement. “That’s wonderful. Where did you meet him?”
Fuck me. He would have to ask that one. Quickly, I concocted a story in my head. “I met him running at Kennesaw Mountain on Saturday. We just started talking, so I think it’s a little early to call him a boyfriend.”
With a wink, Daddy mused, “You never know. I wanted to marry your mother the first day I saw her. She was tearing down the rodeo arena on her horse, dodging in and out of barrels. She had the most determined look on her beautiful face.”
Although I had heard that story a million times, it never got old. Nor did seeing the expression of love my dad wore when he told it. “We’ll just have to wait and see how it goes.”
“I sure hope something good comes of it. I want you to be happy more than anything in the world.”
“I’m happy,” I protested.
“Happy in love.”
While he was a romantic at heart and sincerely wanted me to find love, I knew my father wasn’t saying what he really meant. With his time running out, he wanted to see me married. He wanted to have the peace of mind that there was someone to take care of me when he was gone. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” I rose off the couch. “I better go get started unpacking.”
“I’m cooking your favorite for dinner—chicken and dressing,” Susie announced.
I grinned. “Wow, I didn’t think I’d get that until Thanksgiving. Thank you.”
She kissed my cheek. “You’re welcome.”
Throwing a final look at Ansel, I added, “Sleep with one eye open tonight, little brother.”
He laughed. “Bring it on.”
Tuesday morning dawned bright and beautiful with red and orange rays of sunshine streaking across the azure sky. Most mornings, I wasn’t up to see the sunrise, but today I had set my alarm for an hour earlier than needed. There was no way in hell I was going to be late on my first day. Even though the school was a twenty-minute drive from the house, I planned to give myself forty just in case. Of course, Whitfield wasn’t Atlanta, so the odds of a major traffic pileup were slim.
After showering and getting ready, I went in to check on Daddy. I found him awake and watching the news. “Good morning.”
He turned to look at me and smiled. “It is a good morning. My baby girl’s first day of teaching.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Well, the teaching doesn’t come until Monday. This week is all about boring meetings and getting my classroom ready.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great. Get Ansel to help you in your classroom after football practice.”
I snorted. “He’ll love the hell out of that, I’m sure.”
Daddy grinned. “It’ll keep him from mucking the stables, which he hates.”
“That’s true. Do you want me to get you something to eat?”
“I’ll wait for Susie.”
“But I have time, and I don’t mind.”
He shook his head. “You just focus on you today. Okay?”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. There was little in the world that could break me quite like my father’s concern and compassion. “Okay. I’ll do that.” I rose up off the bed and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Bye, Daddy.”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
Even after grabbing a biscuit and some coffee from McDonald’s on the way in to school, I still arrived ridiculously early. There were just a few cars in the parking lot. Once I got inside, I went to the main office and signed in. The secretary gave me the key to my classroom. The principal, Dr. Newsome, had showed it to me the day he’d given me the job.
After unlocking the door and turning on the lights, I just stood there, taking everything in. Mentally I started decorating the room, rearranging the desks and putting posters on the wall. But before I got started with any of that, I needed the boxes from my car that held my books and personal effects.
I spent the next two hours making trips back and forth to my car for boxes and then unpacking them. As I carried the final box from my car and back into the building, my phone dinged in my pocket. After depositing the box on one of the desks, I dug it out. Although I hated myself for it, I couldn’t keep what Ansel would call my “goofy grin” from spreading across my face when I saw it was William.
Thinking of you.
Three little words, but damn, did they pack a punch. I’d been thinking of him too.
For a few seconds, I merely stood staring at my phone. It didn’t escape me that only William would be so formal as to not write “u” for “you”. I quickly texted him back. Loser, shouldn’t u b working?”
Hard to focus when all I do is think of you came his quick reply.
My heartbeat accelerated so fast that I almost gasped in my next few breaths. The man was truly unbelievable. Wealthy, good-looking, kind, a body like a Greek god, and a fantastic lover. Of course, he was also a submissive who needed kink to get off. I sighed at the fact there always had to be something.
What r u doing?
As I waited for his response, I started
working on emptying the box I’d just brought in. When the chime came, I glanced down at the phone. On a break from a meeting while wishing you had me bent over the table, flogging my bare ass.
The books in my hands dropped to the floor at the mental image before me. With picture -perfect clarity, I recalled the firm globes of his ass—the way they reddened when they were spanked, the way the muscles clenched with pain and pleasure.
A flush of desire ran from the top of my head down to my toes, causing me to shudder. When I felt my panties grow wet, I quickly shook my head. What the hell was wrong with me? I had to be a complete pervert to be standing in my classroom with moist panties from text messages.
Stop being naughty
I thought you liked it when I was your naughty boy to punish
My breath quickened. You’re getting me wet at my new job.
If I was there, I’d lick you dry only to get you drenched again.
Groaning, I clenched my thighs together. I’m going to punish you for this.
I sure as hell hope so. Maybe I’ll come to you before Saturday so you can come.
Considering as hot as I was, four days did seem like an eternity. That or I’ll take matters into my own hands.
I’d much rather it be mine.
Realizing an opportunity for play, I texted NO jerking off for you. Only I get to make you come.
Yes, Mistress. Got to go. Meeting is over.
Bye.
A knock at my door caused me to jump and fumble with my phone. It dropped at the feet of Jane, the English department head. I dove to pick it up, but she beat me to it. “Sorry for startling you,” she said, as she handed me my phone.
“No. It’s okay,” I replied. I quickly shoved it back into my pocket.
“I just wanted to stop by and see if you were settling in okay?” Jane asked with a smile.
I returned her smile. “I think so.” Gazing around the room, I said, “It’s probably going to take me a little while to get this place in order.”
“Take your time. You’ll find that you spend a lot of time within these walls, so you’ll want to make it as comfortable as possible.”
“I want to make it inviting for the students as well.”
“Just let me know anything that you need, and I’ll get it for you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“There’s also a small stipend for new teachers to buy materials for their rooms. Sadly, with the budget cuts, it gets smaller and smaller every year.”
“Ah, yes, I was warned about all those lovely cuts during student teaching.”
“It’s a real bitch,” Jane replied, with a wink.
I grinned as it was good to know she wasn’t going to be like the stereotypical stuffy department head.
“Listen, several of us from the department are doing lunch together today, so I hope you can join us.”
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
She nodded. “I’ll let you go and get some more work done. Thankfully, they moved the mandatory faculty meeting until this afternoon.” She rolled her eyes. “They used to push that shit on us first thing, and then they realized no one was paying attention because they were thinking of all the things they should be doing in their classrooms.”
I laughed. “I’m afraid I would have been guilty of that.”
Jane started out the door, but then she stopped. “Oh, just a small heads-up that the new principal is coming around in a few minutes to meet the teachers. Some kind of one-on-one thing to boost morale.”
I furrowed my brow in confusion. “New principal? What happened to Dr. Newsome?” Not only had Dr. Newsome been one of the assistant principals when I went to Milton, he also knew my dad.
Jane’s green eyes widened. “Oh honey, you haven’t heard?”
When I shook my head, she hustled inside my classroom and shut the door. “He got busted a week ago in a Marietta hotel room, high as a kite on Meth and with a prostitute.”
“Damn,” I muttered under my breath. At the same time, I couldn’t help picturing Dr. Newsome and thinking, “What the fuck?”
“I know, right?” Jane replied.
Considering my former occupation, I wasn’t one to pass any judgment. However, at the same time, I knew that once the school year started, I couldn’t set foot in 1740. Although the identities of both the staff and clients were heavily protected, I still didn’t want to risk it. I’d worked too hard for my degrees to lose everything. Dr. Newsome had to have been smoking something pretty intense to throw away his career.
“New guy seems like he’s going to be easy to work with. Just between you and me, Newsome could be a real prick sometimes.”
“Then I’m not sorry he’s gone.”
“Most of us weren’t too sad to hear the news. Of course, it’s always hard getting used to a new boss.” She glanced at her watch. “I better get out of here and let you get to work. I’ll be back by to pick you up for lunch.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
After Jane left, I bent down to retrieve the books I’d dropped after William’s message. When I saw that two had scattered under one of the desks, I groaned. Kneeling down, I had to crawl halfway under the desk to get the books.
“Hello?” a voice called from the doorway.
I jerked my head up, banging it on the bottom of the desk. “Fuck!” I shouted.
“Ms. Jameson? I’m Dr. Foster, the new principal.”
“Yeah, sorry. One sec.” As I rubbed my aching head, mortification overcame me. I was pretty sure I had not only made an idiot out of myself in front of my new principal, but I had also cursed like a sailor in front of him. Could I get any more unprofessional?
As I started scooting out from behind the desk, I heard his footsteps echoing on the tile. “May I help you?” he questioned.
“No, no. I’m fine, thank you,” I reassured. Flailing my hands, I worked to push back the shroud of hair covering my face like Cousin It from the Addams Family.
When I could finally see again, I forced a smile as I stepped forward to shake my new boss’s hand. The moment I looked into his face my heart stopped in my chest, and I gasped. It was like every molecule in my body exploded as my past and present collided in that moment. “W-William?”
My submissive stood before me in black dress pants, a button-down red shirt, and a red and white checked tie. His color combination was a subtle nod to our school colors. Although he was just as handsome as ever, he wasn’t the same William I’d spent the weekend with. All traces of his submissive side were gone. In its place was an air of authority and dominance. It was both attractive and unnerving.
Of course, the sight of me had rattled him. He stared at me with eyes wide as dinner plates. It seemed to take him a few moments to find his voice. “This is where you’re teaching?”
“Yes.”
“Jesus Christ,” William muttered, running his hand over his face.
“I second that.” I tossed the books I had retrieved onto one of the desks. “You didn’t tell me you were an administrator.”
“You never asked.”
“And you never volunteered the information, even after I told you about my new teaching job.”
“At the time, it didn’t seem to matter. I never lied to you. I merely said I worked in education. We were caught up in getting to know each other and overcoming the D/s thing.”
“Well, it sure as hell matters now.”
Just as William opened his mouth to say something else, Ansel came bounding into the room drenched in sweat from morning football practice. “Hey sis, you still need me to help you in your room?” he asked. When William turned around, Ansel grinned and then threw out his hand. “Hey Dr. F, how’s it going?”
“You two already know each other?” I asked.
William smiled. No, scratch that. Dr. Foster smiled. This wasn’t William the sub. This was Dr. Foster, the boss. The man I initially saw at Club 1740. “I make it etc.”
“We met last week. I make it a po
int to get to know all my athletes, especially the really gifted ones.”
At William’s praise, Ansel puffed out his chest. “After watching me at practice, Dr. F said maybe he could try to get some of his University of Tennessee connections out to watch me in a game.”
My gaze flickered between Ansel and William. “That’s great.”
“So do you need me to help you?”
“Yes, I could use some help hanging these posters.” I gave William a pointed look. “It was very nice of you to come by and say hello, Dr. Foster. I won’t take up anymore of your time.”
William hesitated a moment before saying, “Yes, I do need to get around to the rest of the staff. I certainly hope we’ll have more time to talk in the future, Ms. Jameson.”
I gave a terse nod of my head in reply before heading over to my desk. After William had closed the door, Ansel whistled. I whirled around. “What?”
He swept his hands his hips. “Dude, I was just about to tell you and Dr. F to get a room.”
“What are you talking about?”
“There was some serious tension between you two.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You know, like the ‘I want to bang you’ tension.”
“Oh please. I think you must’ve gotten tackled too hard at practice because you’re talking out of your ass.”
“He’s single.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“Is it because of that other guy you’re texting with? ‘Cause if he hasn’t made things official with you, then you can totally see other guys.”
“Excuse me while I don’t take relationship advice from my seventeen-year-old brother.”
Ansel hopped up to sit on the top of one of the desks. “Come on, Soph. Give me one good reason why you shouldn’t go after Dr. F.”
“Um, I don’t know. Maybe the fact he’s my boss?”
Ansel’s shoulders momentarily drooped. “That is a buzzkill.”
“Just a tiny one.”
He cocked his head at me. “What if he wasn’t your boss? Would you want to date him then?”
Sure I’d want to date him. After all, I’ve fucked him. Ten minutes ago I was considering a future with him. “I don’t know. I guess so.”
“You guess so? Jesus, Soph, when was the last time you’ve had a date besides meeting the guy running?”
