Learning the Hard Way Page 9

  To respond, Ava shook her head.

  “A nice way to wake up.”

  “You’re telling me.” Ava leaned her head back. “You feel so good.”

  He slid his hands down to her waist then to her hips where, with pushing and pulling motions, he helped her undulating action.

  “No.” Ava held his hands away from her. “Let me. Let me.”

  Then Troy rested his hands on her thighs and pressed his hips up, propelling her forward. Her hands landed on either sides of his head as she continued fucking him.

  “No, no. Not yet. I don’t want to come yet.” She shook her head.

  Troy blinked like he was trying to wake himself, then he jackknifed up. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Tell me. What do you want?”

  Ava framed his face with her hands. All she had to say as she stared into his eyes was, “Hard.”

  Like a switch flicked on in his body, Troy sat on the edge of the bed with Ava still on his lap. One hand cupped her ass and the other held the back of her head. Coiling her legs around his body, she rode his dick like her life depended on it. Troy growled like a grizzly bear between each breath.

  Between the tightening of her legs around him, the compression in her gut and the way her pussy walls contracted around his cock, Ava knew an intense orgasm approached.

  He must also have recognized the signs. He gave her a quick smack on her ass cheek, which was just enough for her to come fast and hard. Her whole body shook.

  Troy didn’t allow her to catch her breath before he stood while still holding onto her. He sat her on top of the same dresser where he’d flogged her, hooked his arm under her leg and pounded inside of her. She asked for hard and damn if he didn’t oblige.

  He forced his lips onto hers as he fucked her like a demon. His free hand cupped her breast as she braced her hands on top of the dresser to steady herself. During the act, they never broke eye contact, a different reaction from last night.

  When they had sex the first time, Ava didn’t want to look into his blue eyes. It was also understood that one of them was always in control. When she dug her fingernails into his shoulder, Troy pulled out of her, brought her to her feet, turned her around so that her back was to him and he entered her from behind.

  To show her who was top dog, he fisted her hair as his other large hand held onto her hip. Wanting more of him, she pushed her ass back as far as she could. In turn, he slowed his fast pace and instead gave her nice, long, easy strokes.

  “Oh, yes. That’s it. That’s it.” When she came this time, she clawed the top of his dresser.

  She twirled her ass around and the motion must have been enough for Troy to have his release. Every muscle in his body tensed as he came hard.

  “Now that’s a wakeup call,” he said in between breaths.

  Troy slid himself out of her, turned her back around so that she faced him and kissed her all over her face, including her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her cheeks and her chin before pressing his lips on top of hers.

  “Had I known going back to school could be like this, I would have gone back years ago.” When Troy laughed, Ava gritted her teeth.

  “Not funny.” She moved around him and headed to the closet to get her dress.

  “Hey, hey! I was kidding.” He held her shoulders to keep her from grabbing her gown. “I made a dumb joke. I’m sorry.”

  She turned around to face him but kept her arms crossed over her chest. “I was serious when I said no one can know about this.”

  “And I’m serious when I said that no one will know. As far as I’m concerned, this stays here in my house.”

  She stroked the side of his face. “Thank you.”

  “Although I would love to shout from the mountains that I’m with you.”

  She stopped in her tracks and faced him. “You’re not with me. We had sex.”

  “Incredible sex.”

  “And you did that thing.” She waved her hand in the air, afraid to say the words out loud as though doing that would give the thing life.

  “Disciplined you.” He smiled.

  “That’s all. It’s not a relationship.”

  “It could be if you would just let me in.” He discarded the used condom dangling from him.

  Ava sat on his bed. “I told you. I don’t date my students. And I really wouldn’t venture the idea of dating a hustler.”

  This time Troy stopped in his trek. “I’m not a hustler.”

  “Sorry, paid escort.”

  “At least you didn’t mention about me being a Dom. I am serious about that.” The way his voice dipped down, she knew he meant it.

  “What does that all mean? Is that the rough sex we had?” She leaned back against his dresser.

  He smiled like he knew a secret. “Why don’t I make us some coffee and breakfast? We can talk.”

  “You cook?”

  At the doorway, he glanced at her with a smile. “Don’t sound surprised. I’m a man of many talents.”

  As he prepared their meals, Ava showered. She slipped on one of his t-shirts she found in a dresser drawer and slipped back into bed. Besides having a sexy man to wake up to in the morning, it felt good to sleep in late on a Sunday.

  Even though her body ached to stay with him all day, Ava would have to go home and soon to prepare for school tomorrow. Come to think of it, did Troy even do his homework for her class yet?

  Still naked, he walked into the bedroom carrying a tray of food. He sat it on the bed, revealing to Ava everything he prepared for her, from scrambled eggs to turkey bacon to wheat toast, bagels and blueberry muffins.

  “I didn’t make the muffins.” He slipped into bed beside her.

  “But you made the bagels.” She laughed as she poured cream into her coffee.

  “Yes, I did.”

  Ava stopped stirring to stare at him.

  “I bake my own breads and bagels.” He picked up a slice of bacon and popped it into his mouth.

  “Are you serious?” She picked up the smooth, rounded bread and stared at it.

  “Yep. I know it’s not the sexiest thing.”

  “Wait.” She cut it open and took a bite from one side. The way the soft inside melted in her mouth, she had to roll her eyes to the back of her head. “Oh, yes. For as good as this is, it is sexy.”

  As she slathered cream cheese on her bagel, refusing to let Troy have even a small bite of it, he opened the conversation.

  “So who was he?”

  Ava scooped eggs into her mouth, then sipped her coffee. Damn, even that was good. “Who?” she asked with a mouthful of food. Who knew good sex would make her this ravenous?

  “The man you dated before me.”

  Ava thought keeping her mouth full of food would prevent her from answering. Catching her little trick, Troy stopped her hand from bringing more food to her mouth.

  Once she had some food down her throat, she said, “You already know about Vartinucci.”

  Troy shook his head. “Not that one. The other man.”

  The man had a good memory and listened to her. The men she dated normally didn’t possess either traits. To stall her answer, she said, “You first. Who was the last woman you dated seriously before you had this job?” She wiped her mouth and took another sip of her coffee.

  “Her name was Meredith. We dated for about a year before we decided to go our separate ways. She had a perception about me in a certain situation.” He paused before completing his statement. “She thought I was cheating on her. I wasn’t. But she wouldn’t listen to me.”

  Ava blinked at his answer. “Don’t you think she had the right to be bothered by your profession?” She picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite of one end.

  “Not in the way that you think. So tell me about him.”

  She took a deep breath to steel her nerves. She’d never opened up to anyone outside of the two other women about Richard. She hadn’t even told Vonda and Dina about Anson, not everything. They knew she had a failed relatio
nship with someone she worked with before Richard.

  Because Troy had been so open about his past relationship, she felt her barrier around her heart tumbling down.

  “His name was Richard. Some people called him Dick.”

  “But you didn’t.”

  She shook her head. “I think I was trying to make him better than what he was. We saw each other for a few months. Then one day he revealed his other girlfriends and his new fiancée. It’s a humiliating feeling to know you’ve been had, to know that whatever you thought the other person was feeling for you was all a lie.”

  Here she was in bed with a man who was paid to be a confidante, a friend, a companion, a lover. She slid out of bed and padded to the closet.

  “I’m going to go home now.”

  “No, wait.” Troy scooted to the edge of the bed.

  “It’s been nice.”

  “Nice?” He stood.

  Ava took off his shirt and, with her back to him, slipped on her gown. “Okay, fun. Interesting. Revealing.”

  He padded to her. Although she didn’t want to look at him, she couldn’t help but turn and see that with each step his cock rose.

  “Amazing.” Even though her remark was aimed at his undying sexual appetite, she did also mean for it to refer to the night and morning together.

  “Stay.” He held her shoulders and bent his head down to kiss her.

  With his lips millimeters away from hers, Ava turned her head. “Don’t worry about taking me home. I’ll call a cab.”

  “After what we just went through, I’d like to spend more time getting to know you.”

  Ava slipped on her shoes. “Always fall for your clients like this?”

  “You’re not a client.” Troy tried holding Ava’s hand but she wouldn’t stand still long enough for him to capture her. “If you’ll just listen to me—”

  “I’ll walk home.” She headed to the door.

  “God, wait.” He blocked her path. “You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.”

  “Don’t get out much, do you?” She attempted to push past him but he shifted his body in front of hers. “I’m a pussycat compared to most. Some might say I’m a regular doormat.”

  Ava had felt that way right after the embarrassing breakup with Richard but never revealed her true feelings, not until now. Sharing her feelings gave her the sensation of being an exposed nerve, raw.

  “Let me shower and I’ll drive you home, okay?”

  Finding it futile to continue to argue with him, Ava smiled and took a couple of steps back. The expression must have comforted Troy enough to kiss her on her forehead and disappear into his bathroom.

  Once the shower started, Ava grabbed her purse and her cell phone. She remembered seeing a convenience store at the corner. She would wait there for a cab. Troy would have to understand that business would go on as usual. If only she could tell her body that.

  Chapter Nine

  “So?” As usual, Dina posed the first question.

  After leaving such a sexy man, the last thing Ava wanted to talk about was her night. With these two women, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get off so easily.

  “Stay tight-lipped if you want to,” Vonda began. “My cousin said her driver told her that Miss Thursday was not dropped off at her home when she decided to leave the party early.”

  “Oooh, she left the party early and didn’t go home.” Dina chuckled. “This is going to be good.”

  Ava had to smile at the women’s enthusiasm.

  “Are you going to make us beg?” Dina asked. “The date I picked for you looked fine on-line. Had that James Bond look.”

  “Which one? Connery, Dalton or Brosnan?” Vonda would do well at movie trivia on any game show.

  “No, the new one,” Dina responded. “Blond, buff—”

  “Oh, God. You picked another blond, muscular guy for Ava? Wasn’t Richard enough?”

  “Know that saying about one bad apple?” Ava could almost imagine Dina’s head swaying back and forth as she spoke.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll talk if it’ll get you all to be quiet.” Ava sat on her bed after removing her gown. “Thank you for the limo, Vonda. It was a Hummer. Black, fully-stocked.”

  “No one cares about your ride.” Dina’s voice rose like she was interrogating a suspect. “What about the guy? Hot or not?”

  Ava thought about Troy, his short blond hair, those amazing eyes, those large, commanding hands, and that sweet, hard, long, thick cock. She crossed her legs to keep herself from rubbing her clit while on the call.

  “Yes, he was very attractive.”

  “So what’s the problem? I hear something in your voice,” the detective said.

  “I felt like such a phony being there. I’m not a department head and I hate stuffy university events. I can never have any fun because I know I’m being watched.” Ava didn’t have the nerve to tell them about Anson and her very uncomfortable encounter with him in front of Troy. She would have been on the phone with the council girls for hours explaining why she kept her relationship with a co-worker, her superior no less, a secret.

  “Is that why you cut out early?” A singsong tone filled Vonda’s voice.

  “Yes.” That was part of the reason.

  “So?” Dina posed again.

  “So what?” Ava asked.

  “You didn’t go home,” Vonda said.

  “And?” Ava didn’t want to make this easy for them.

  “Did you fuck him?” the two women asked at the same time.

  Ava laughed complete with snort. “Yes. Yes. Oh, God, yes.”

  All of them screamed in delight.

  “Sounds like he got her there and then some.” It sounded like Vonda switched her phone to speaker so that she could applaud. “Good. That was what you needed, a good stiff one for your rebound man. Now the next man you get with will be a better one.”

  If only that were true. Ava had prepared herself to do one of two things the night of the party: go to the party, have a good time and not sleep with her rent-a-date, or go to the party, don’t give a damn what anyone thought of her or her date, and have sex with him. She chose the latter option, only she didn’t count on developing any feelings for him. Damn Troy for coming to her before classes started and planting the seed of his desire and stoking her embers.

  “You’re quiet. Don’t tell me you’re like some teenage girl and as soon as you get some dick you’re falling in love.” Dina damn near tsked over the phone.

  “I wouldn’t say love, but he did make me think.” Ava chewed on her lower lip.

  “Why is that?” Vonda asked.

  “Remember the sexy student I said that came to see me before classes started when I was dancing around in my office without a bra?”

  “You were dancing naked in your office?” Indignation filled Vonda’s voice.

  “I’ll explain later. Are you saying escort boy is your hands-off student?” Dina asked.

  “One in the same.”

  “And you fucked him,” Dina said.

  “I think we’ve established that,” Vonda huffed. “What kind of luck is this? The one guy you chose for our girl is one of her students. I knew this was all a bad idea.”

  “Be quiet, Vonda. You were on the same bandwagon to get her the escort. Don’t backpedal now.”

  Ava should have refused the offer to get the escort in the first place. Deep down she’d enjoyed the sex with Troy. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted him again, in her bed, inside of her, kissing her. She also wanted him to show her more of his lifestyle.

  “What are you going to do now?” Vonda asked.

  “The only thing I can do. He’s my student. I’m his teacher. That’s where it ends.” A twinge hit Ava’s belly.

  Come on. Get a grip. You can’t have a relationship with him. It’s not possible.

  Dina rattled on about the legal ramifications of a tenured professor having sexual relations with one of her students. Vonda griped again about D
ina picking a date for Ava from an escort agency.

  “You really like this guy, don’t you?” Vonda asked, her voice softening.

  “No. It’s crazy. It’s the same reaction I had with Richard, that same impetuous feeling. I need to grow up.” Ava shook her head.

  A pause lingered before anyone spoke.

  “Maybe what you need to do is be honest with yourself on how you feel,” Vonda said.

  “I know what I want. I don’t need to get involved with anyone right now. I told him we can’t go further physically. He promised not to say anything to the other students or the faculty.”

  “And you believe him?” Poor Dina. Always the skeptic.

  “Yes. I trust him.” A man who knew how to make Ava come over and over again couldn’t have deceived her…could he?

  “Hmm, trust. Great sex. Sounds like a good foundation for a successful relationship.”

  “Vonda, you’re supposed to be my voice of reason.”

  So much for a simple one-night stand.

  * * * *

  Troy could take a lot. When he broke his leg during a hike and had to hobble back over a mile through rough terrain, he didn’t whimper or complain. Dealing with difficult clients with their changing needs didn’t rattle him. Having a woman, one who had stirred his interest, and then leave him after such an incredible night had shaken him to his core.

  He plopped down in his seat at the front of the class. Since Ava wouldn’t see him in her office before class and she didn’t respond to his e-mails, his only hope would be to talk to her after class. No way could she run from him here.

  Ava blew into the classroom and placed her briefcase on the desk in front. Troy had expected her not to look at him like she did the first day of class. Today she was different.

  “We don’t have much time,” she began. “Let’s get started. I asked you all to read the first three chapters in the textbook. Mr. Whitten, did you do the assignment?”

  Troy glared at her. “Yes, I did. I had a lot time on my hands yesterday since some plans fell through.”

  “Good. I hope you all are as on top of things like your classmate because I have a pop quiz for you all.” She pulled out a stack of papers to the horror of some of the students in the class.