A car I’ve never seen before is parked outside my driveway. If that alone isn’t alarming enough, imagine my surprise when I look at the familiar imposing frame of the occupant and hear him sound his horn to let me know he’s here for me.

I slow down and put my Range Rover in park, hopping out of the driver seat.

“Mr. Kent?” I say his name in a question through the rolled-down window as I make it to his driver side door. “Are you lost or something?”

“Get in the car,” he says, his deep voice taut and stern. “We need to talk. Privately.”

I look up and down the deserted dead-end street, then back at him. “I know I’m the only house on this street, but this is a public road. People from the motel sometimes end up all the way up here before they realize it’s a dead-end street and they’re going the wrong way. I think you should come inside.”

“You’re not expecting anyone?” he asks.

“My folks are out of town for another week. It’ll just be me.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, studying my face.

“Positive. I just need to park. You can leave your car here, or park it behind mine. Totally up to you.”

After parking, he follows me to the door. There’s a heavy, uncomfortable silence between us that wasn’t there the first night we met. I’d like to believe it’s the formality of being student and teacher. Maybe we’re both embarrassed, since neither of us took the time to find out a thing about each other before we fell into bed and fucked each other that night. Maybe I’m just naïve about what it really is.

Anticipation.

Sexual tension.

Longing.

None of these feelings have any business popping up right now.

Unlocking the front door, I deactivate the alarm system and lead him through the large foyer to the living room.

“Have a seat,” I tell him. “Would you like a drink? I think Dad has a few beers in the fridge. There’s wine in the cellar too.”

But he doesn’t answer me. He doesn’t sit. He moves over to me and facing me in the arched doorway, searching my eyes as he looks down at my face.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Kent? Is something wrong?”

“Don’t call me that,” he orders me. “Not when it’s just the two of us.”

“I’m not sure I can call you Jackson anymore,” I admit. “It’ll be too easy to slip up at school.”

“You told her,” he murmurs, leveling his gaze at me as he takes a step toward me.

“Pardon? Told who? And what?”

Leaning forward, he rests his palms on the wall behind me, blocking me in with his beefy, muscular arms. “You told your friend about us. What were you thinking?”

“Look, I’m really sorry about that. That was before I realized…before I knew you were my teacher.”

“Your friend doesn’t look like she can keep a secret,” he says frankly. “I can’t take that risk. It’s better if I disclose what happened and face the consequences now. It’ll be much worse if they believe I withheld key information about myself that could’ve protected you and other students.”

“I prefer to leave it in the past,” I tell him. “I won’t say a thing. Pattie won’t either. I’ll make sure of it. I’m sure you can do the same.”

“You want to act like it never happened?”

“For now, yes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s just one course,” I say, feeling the words catch in my throat. “Just one semester. One school year, tops.”

I want him to read between the lines, and I can tell he’s processing something.

“What exactly are you trying to tell me, Kara?” he asks. “Say it.”

“I can wait for you,” I blurt out on a breath, then regret the way it sounds. “What I mean is, we didn’t plan for that night to happen, but I don’t regret it. I think there’s more… to us. So, maybe we can wait. Keep it professional… as student and teacher for the school year. After that, I’d like to find out what more there might be between us. If that’s what you want too… is it?”

“No,” he growls out, lowering his face to the side of my cheek until his lips are inches from my ear. “That’s not what I want.”

The rejection hits me in the gut, but I take a breath and let it wash over me.

"This is wrong," he mutters as he presses me against the wall. He cups my chin, his mouth just inches from mine. "I'm your teacher. This has to stop."

I lift up onto my tiptoes and lean into his awaiting kiss. We can stop tomorrow... not tonight. It’s not the end of the world. At least he’s honest. At least he saved me the energy of pursuing something he’s not interested in.

“Thanks for being straight up with me,” I tell him as I pull from the kiss, although I’m confused. Why is he here right now? He wanted to talk, we covered that Pattie’s and my lips are sealed. So why is he still here? What are his lips doing so close to my skin? Why is his body bracketing mine, holding me captive to all this lust?

“What do you want, then?” I finally ask.

“I don’t want to leave it in the past,” he groans, his every breath kissing my skin. “And I don’t want to wait.”

“What, then?” I ask.

“If I have to quit my job to be with you, then that’s what I’ll do. Until then, I’m taking you right now… right here. And before I’m done with you tonight, I’m going to punish your ass for telling your friend about us.”

Throbbing with anticipation, I arch into him, unable to fight. Unable and unwilling.