Train Me Daddy

Blurb

June

I’ve never been in love, but when I see him, I think this could be real.

The only thing is,…

He’s not just a single dad, he’s the father of one of my students.

He’s rich, gorgeous, and charming.

What would he want with a naïve little girl like me?

All I know is that I’ve never been this turned on in my life. My body is begging for more. But somehow I know that playing with fire is only going to get me burned.

Thomas

After my divorce, I swore off women.

That is, until I saw her. Petite, pale, with masses of black hair and intense eyes.

I know I have to have her. Her sweet body is begging for me to dominate her, to make her mine.

The problem?

I think I might be falling in more than just lust.

 

Chapter One

June

“Come to order, please!” I stood up and clapped my hands together, staring at my kids and waiting for them to calm down. My words had no effect – the room full of fifth graders was just as loud and noisy as it had been thirty seconds ago.

“Calm down!” I yelled, clapping my hands again and smacking my palms on the desk. This time, thankfully, the room fell silent.

“Thank you all,” I said, smiling tightly. “I know the day is almost over, and tomorrow’s--”

“Tomorrow's Friday!”

“Yes,” I said. I could feel my smile fading. “Tomorrow is Friday, and that means we've got a lot of work before the weekend.”

My class let out a collective groan. “Miss Rogers, it's so warm outside!”

“Yeah, it's like summer!”

“Except not as good 'cause the pool's not open!”

“Please!” I yelled, holding my hand in the air. “Please, guys, calm down. We've only got one more assignment for the day, okay? And then if you all are good, you can have a treat from the Treat Apple.” I pointed to the small, plastic apple on my desk filled with individually-wrapped candies.

The class let out a collective enthusiastic murmur and I sat down behind my desk. Grabbing a handful of photocopied papers, I handed them over my desk to my teacher's assistant, Ruth.

“Thanks June,” Ruth said. She rolled her eyes. “They're really a handful today, aren't they?”

I nodded. “Just tell them to read the paragraph and write a short summary at the bottom – no more than fifty words, okay?”

Ruth nodded. I sighed as she began walking around the room and passing out the papers. I had no idea what was in the water of P.S. 151, but whatever it was, I hoped it wouldn't be around for much longer. This was only my second year teaching, and I was already starting to feel like I needed a vacation.

The year had started off well. Kids were always so well-behaved during the first month or so of school. But now that we were well into October, they were starting to bounce off the walls. It didn't help that the weather outside in New York City was still as warm as summer, albeit with less humidity. Seeing the kids get all excited to go home and play was making me a little nostalgic for my own youth.

Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of pencils scratching on papers. Ruth sat down heavily at her desk and rolled her eyes. She was an older woman – probably in her mid-fifties – who had come back to work after going through a surprise divorce. When she'd first been assigned to me, I'd been nervous. After all, I was only twenty-two...I couldn't stop thinking about how difficult life would be if Ruth tried to boss me around. But thankfully, Ruth had always been a perfect coworker. She was good at calming the kids down, and honestly, I think they respected her a little more than they respected me. It's probably her age, I thought as I watched her. These kids are probably used to teachers as old as their grandparents.

Back in college, I'd had no idea that I wanted to teach fifth-graders. I'd initially thought about younger kids. But I'd been assigned to a sixth-grade classroom for student teaching, and something about the older kids really intrigued me. They weren't babies anymore, but almost on the brink of becoming real little people. I loved the idea of influencing kids, for the better, and helping them to become better people.

The sudden sound of a girl crying out made me snap my head up and stare. Brett March, a particularly difficult student, was standing beside Lily Bulger and tugging at one of her pigtails. Lily's face was red and streaked with tears, and Brett was staring down at the little girl with a cruel, mocking smile.

“Miss Rogers!” Lily cried. “Brett won't leave me alone!”

“She started it!” Brett retorted. “She wouldn't let me do my work!”

I leapt from my chair and strode over. “Brett, you leave Lily alone right now!”

Brett glared at me defiantly. I wondered what his deal was – at the beginning of the year, he'd been so sweet and well-behaved. But over the last few weeks, I'd noticed a definite change in his personality for the worse – almost like he'd become a different person. I knew children at this age were right on the cusp of puberty, but Brett exhibited such anger that it almost frightened me.

Lily was looking up at me, her green eyes filled with tears. Truth be told, I found her fairly annoying. She was a little princess who cried if she didn't get her way, but she was too much of a goody-two shoes to have initiated anything. I sometimes had a feeling the other children were just as annoyed with her as I was, but still – that didn't warrant an attack from Brett.

“Miss Rogers, I wasn't doing anything, I swear!” Brett howled. “I told you, she started it! She wouldn't stop sticking her tongue out at me!”

I sighed. “Brett, I'm going to have to call your parents about this,” I said slowly. “This is the third time this week you've deliberately harmed another student!”

Brett gave me a sulky expression. “Fine,” he said. “Do it. Call them. See if I care.” He turned on his heel and slouched back to his desk.

“Brett,” I said in a warning tone. “Aren't you forgetting something?”

Brett turned to me with a sullen look on his face. “What?”

I jerked my head towards Lily. She was still sitting at her desk, pouting, her cheeks red with anger.

“Apologize, please,” I said.

Brett groaned. “Sorry, Lily,” he muttered.

I knew I should make him do it again, but I was tired. It had been a long day – honestly, I was just as excited for Friday as the kids, but only because I needed a break.

“Thank you, Brett,” I said. “You may take your seat now.”

Ruth collected the papers and shortly after, the bell rang. The kids screamed and ran from their seats. I didn't even have the energy to make them line up at the door like usual, while they waited for their buses and parents to bring them home. I was so drained – part of me even wanted to call in sick tomorrow, or ask Ruth to cover most of the day. But I knew I couldn't be getting so lazy. After all, it was only my second year teaching.

When the kids and Ruth had gone, I settled behind my desk with a feeling of dread in my stomach. I knew Brett's home situation was slightly unusual – he lived alone with his father – and I wondered if in part, that was the reason why he was acting out. Maybe there was something odd going on at home – maybe there was something beyond my control.

I looked up Brett's father's number, then dialed and held the phone to my ear.

“Hello, this is Hannah. How may I help you?”

I frowned. On Brett's contact page, his mother was listed as Marlene.

“I'm calling for Thomas March,” I said. “I'm June Rogers – Brett's teacher.”

“Oh,” Hannah cooed. “Want me to take a message?”

I frowned. She sounded annoyingly chipper. “No,” I said curtly. “I really need to speak to Mr. March, if possible.” I cringed – if possible? Really? I knew I needed to start being a lot more assertive if I was going to make it as a teacher.

Hannah sighed. “Fine,” she snapped. “Hold please.” Before I could agree, I heard a click followed by elevator music. After just a few moments, there was another click and a deep masculine voice filled my ear.

“Hello, this is Thomas.”

“Hi, Mr. March,” I said. “I'm calling about your son – Brett.”

“Oh. What's the problem?”

I sighed. “Mr. March, I'd really rather discuss this in person. Would you be able to come by the school tomorrow evening, say around three-thirty?”

“Of course.” I shivered. Thomas's voice was thrilling and deep. After listening to the sound of ten-year-old kids all day, it filled me with a kind of pleasure that made me blush.

“Thank you,” I said. “I really mean it.”

“Not a problem. Brett is my first priority.”

We hung up and I shivered again, suddenly nervous about tomorrow. I hadn't had very many parent-teacher conferences, and they'd all gone pretty well...but I'd never had to call a parent about a child's behavior before and I wondered how Mr. March was going to take the news.

When I got home, my roommate Angela was sitting on the couch and watching a movie. She grinned when she saw me. Angela worked at an investment bank, from six-thirty in the morning until three in the afternoon. She was the only person I knew who had a similar schedule to me. That wasn't why we lived together, though – we'd been best friends ever since college, when we'd been assigned as roommates, freshman year. I wouldn't have survived Hunter College without her, and I was still grateful that we were close friends.

“What a day,” I groaned. “I felt like I was behind that desk forever!”

Angela smiled sympathetically before yawning. “I know,” she said. “I opened a bottle of wine. It's in the fridge, you want?”

I hauled myself off the couch and walked into the kitchen, kicking off my heels on the tiled floor. Sure enough, there was a jumbo-size bottle of a white blend in the fridge, and I poured some into a plastic wine glass sitting on the counter.

“How was your day?”

Angela rolled her eyes. “Not any better,” she said. “I had to deal with some really needy clients over at the clearing firm.”

We clinked glasses and I told her all about Brett and Lily.

“You did the right thing,” Angela said. “Don't worry about that, June.”

“It's not that.” I shook my head. “I’m not worried that I did the wrong thing, exactly, but Mr. March...I dunno. His voice was so powerful and intense.”

Angela snickered. “Sounds like someone has a crush,” she teased.

I blushed hotly and shook my head. “It's not that,” I told her. “It's just...I don't know. I wonder if he's going to be angry that he has to come in and deal with his son.”

Angela shrugged. “Well, he's a parent, and his kid screwed up,” she said. “Don't beat yourself up, June. You'll be fine. That kid was being a little brat.”

I nodded. As much as I knew Angela was correct, that didn't quell my nerves about the meeting tomorrow. After dinner, when I went to bed, I lay there for hours, staring at the ceiling and wondering how it was going to go.

–

In the morning, I wore my favorite outfit – a grey pencil skirt with a cream blouse – and put on my highest pair of heels. Teachers were allowed to wear jeans on Fridays, but I had a feeling that Mr. March was going to come in looking incredibly professional, and I didn't want him to think that I was just a kid. There was also the fact that I was so young – I wondered if he would blame me, for being an inexperienced teacher? Plus, my wide eyes and pale face had a habit of making me look even younger. My stomach sank when I realized that no amount of fancy clothing would make me look professional enough to teach a billionaire's son.

I didn't know very much about Brett's family, but I did know that his father was incredibly wealthy. Thomas March worked for Steel Visions, Inc – a high-dollar consulting firm. There were always whispers about him at school. One of the other teachers, Michelle, had taught Brett the year before and I remembered her talking about Mr. March in the teacher's lounge. She'd been blushing the whole time.

Thankfully, my students were well-behaved – even Brett, who kept his head down for most of the day. He still seemed sullen and quiet, and I wondered if he'd already gotten into trouble despite the fact that I hadn't disclosed yesterday's events to his father.

By the end of the day, I was a nervous wreck. Thankfully, Ruth had helped out a lot – she'd taught the kids a new song during their music hour, and then she'd taken them to play soccer for the last hour of the day. They were exhausted and sweaty as they waited for their buses, and I sat nervously at my desk, trying to make myself look as organized as possible.

At three-thirty on the dot, there was a knock at my door. I glanced up to see a gorgeous older man walking towards my desk. I guessed he was in his late forties, with tanned skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair shot through with silver.

“Hi, are you Miss Rogers?”

I flushed. “Please, you can call me June.” I stood up and tried to make myself as tall as possible. I'm not a short woman, but Mr. March was so tall that I only came up to his shoulder.

Mr. March gave me a tight smile. “Call me Thomas,” he said. “Hannah, in here!”

I expected to see a little girl run into the room, but instead a gorgeous girl in her mid-twenties came waltzing in, wiggling her hips from side to side. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and pale skin. I flushed again – was this his wife? His girlfriend?

“This is my assistant, Hannah,” Thomas said. “Hannah, this is June – Brett's teacher.”

Hannah smiled with her mouth but not with her eyes. “Pleased,” she simpered. She sat down and scooted close – very close – to Thomas.

“Hannah's just helping me out with some things this afternoon,” Thomas said. “I hope you don't mind that she came.”

Hannah glared at me.

“No, it's fine,” I said quickly. “Look, I know you're probably really busy, so I'll get right to the point. Brett is a smart kid – I can tell, just by listening to him talk. But he's been picking on another student, even going so far as to yank her hair. He made her cry yesterday,” I added. “I'm sorry to be the one to tell you.”

Thomas scowled.

“That's just how kids are,” Hannah said flippantly. She tossed her blonde locks over one shoulder. “He probably has a crush on her.”

“Hannah, please,” Thomas said curtly. “This isn't about you.”

Hannah sulked and I had to suppress a grin.

“That's a pretty outdated way of looking at things,” I said, trying to keep my voice as even as possible. “We take physical assault very seriously at P.S. 151, and Brett can't attack this girl again without being written up and sent to the principal.”

Thomas nodded. He looked very stern, and a thrill shot down my back.

“Of course,” Thomas said. “Please, discipline Brett as you see fit.” He sighed, raking a hand through his silver-threaded hair. “The family is...going through a bit of a rough time right now,” he added. “And it isn't fair for Brett to take his frustrations out on any of his classmates.”

I nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and curiosity. Just what was going on with the family, and why was it bothering Brett? I glanced at Hannah again, wondering if she was Thomas's mistress.

“Again, I apologize,” Thomas said. I could tell that despite his apparent lack of emotional warmth, he was sincere.

“It's nothing,” I said. “I just want to make sure Brett is doing alright.”

Thomas nodded. A muscle ticked in his clenched jaw. “Of course,” he said. “I promise, I'll have a talk with him and get this sorted out.” He sighed, checking his watch. “I'm sorry, but I have to run. Hannah, is everything ready for the Johnson appointment?”

“Yes,” Hannah said in a chirpy voice. She looked at Thomas and I watched her eyes fill with passion. “But we'll have to leave now or else we'll be late.”

Thomas gave me yet another apologetic-yet-distant smile. “Thanks again, June,” he said. “I hope you'll be in touch.”

I nodded automatically. I couldn't help feeling stunned. The meeting hadn't gone the way I'd expected at all, and suddenly I was wondering whether or not that was a good thing. Thomas obviously cares about Brett, but it seemed like he was so busy that he hardly even had time for his son.

Thomas stood up and reached for my hand. When I slipped my palm against his, I felt a spark leap from his body to mine. My stomach turned to a pile of warm mush inside my body and I shivered as Thomas gently squeezed my hand. No doubt about it, he was one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen in my life.

“Thanks for coming in,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Thomas smiled, showing a mouth full of straight white teeth. “Any time,” he said perfunctorily. “Come, Hannah.”

Hannah gave me a mocking smile before clicking out of the room on her five-inch heels. Thomas looked at me and for a moment, I could have sworn he was about to say something else. Then he sighed, turned on his heel, and followed Hannah out of the room.

Chapter Two

June

Thomas stayed in my head the whole day – the whole weekend, in fact. By the time I went home, I couldn't stop thinking about his handsome face. He was beautiful in a sensual way that I didn't often see in American men. He looked distinguished, educated – almost like some professor of French literature.

Angela was, of course, no help. She teased me endlessly as soon as she heard about “hot Mr. March” and I spent the whole weekend blushing at her jokes. Even when we went out to the movies, I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was totally inappropriate, and borderline creepy...especially considering the fact that he was likely sleeping with Hannah, who had seemed only a year or two older than myself.

Monday morning, I was in the teachers' lounge when Andy, another fifth-grade teacher, came up to me and sat down. He was younger – probably late twenties – than a lot of other teachers at P.S. 151 and we'd sort of bonded over this in the past. But truthfully, I found him pretty uninteresting. He was one of those guys who seemed to only know how to talk about himself, and I could tell that we didn't have anything in common.

“Hey, June,” Andy said. “How was your weekend?”

Well, I spent it obsessing over the father of one of my students, I thought, blushing hotly.

Andy smirked when he saw my blush. “That good, huh?”

His comment made me blush even harder. “Nothing like that,” I said. “I just went to the movies with my roommate, that's all.”

Andy nodded. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Suddenly I could tell that he was nervous.

“Hey, listen, you wanna go to a play with me next weekend?” Andy kind of shrugged, glancing down. “I mean, I got the tickets from a friend – but he can't go now, and I thought you might want to.”

My heart sank. I'd never suspected Andy of having a crush on me – he was one of those guys who was seemingly friendly but distant to everyone around him. But now I was starting to wonder if I'd been too naive.

“I'm sorry, Andy,” I said. I swallowed. “I don't really feel right dating a coworker.”

Andy frowned. “It doesn't have to be a date,” he said stubbornly.

“Ask someone else,” I said gently. “I’m sorry, Andy, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now.” At least that much was true...even if I hadn't been able to get foxy Thomas March out of my head since Friday.

Andy scowled. “Okay,” he said. “Sorry I bothered you.”

I winced. The sarcasm stung, even though I probably deserved it. “Sorry,” I said, feeling lame. Andy pushed his chair back from the table and got up, striding purposefully away. For a moment, I felt guilty. But then the bell rang, and I leapt up from my desk to get to class.

Brett's behavior was much improved. He was quiet all day, even raising his hand to answer a few pre-algebra questions during math hour. I was still dying to know what was going on at home, but I didn't dare stick my nose where it didn't belong.

When the kids were dismissed at the end of the day, I called Angela. She answered on the first ring.

“Hey girl,” Angela said. “What's going on?”

“I was thinking about going out for a happy hour or something,” I said. I gnawed my lip. Bars – especially bars in New York City – weren't really my thing, but after the week I'd had, I like I deserved a drink...or three.

“Sounds good. If you can get to Brooklyn before five, we should go to Tio's,” Angela said, her voice rushed with excitement. “They have a deal – a slice of pizza and two beers for five bucks.”

“Oh wow, definitely there,” I said. “I'll be there as soon as I can, meet you?”

“Sounds good,” Angela said. “See you soon, girl.”

As luck would have it, I ran into Angela while we were walking up from the subway. The grimy smell of the streets mixed with the garbage and fast food stalls. I'd always loved New York, but it was only just starting to feel like home. I'd grown up in New Jersey, and sometimes the idea of living in such a big city was still frightening...but with Angela, I was starting to really find my way around.

“Tio's is right down here,” Angela said, pointing towards the crowded street. We quickened our pace, darting along the sidewalk as if we were running from something. By the time we got to the crowded bar, I was out of breath.

'This is a nice area,” I said. I glanced around, seeing expensive hotels and restaurants. “I haven't ever been here before.”

Angela nodded. “Yeah, I don't come this way very often myself,” she said. “But a bunch of guys from work told me about this place and it's off the chain.”

I wrinkled my nose and peered inside. “It's really crowded. Should we try somewhere else?”

Just as Angela was about to reply, I turned to the street and gasped. There, in a hotel bar right across the street from Tio's, was Thomas March. He was seated in front of a laptop with a pint of beer next to him. My heart skipped a beat and my breath was shaky for a moment as I watched his toned, hairy arms typing furiously away at the small computer.

“That's Thomas,” I said, grabbing Angela's arm and pointing towards the bar. Angela cried out, dropping her hand.

“Oh my god, June, don't be so obvious!” Angela stared, licking her lips. “Wow, you weren't kidding. He's really gorgeous.”

I nodded, blushing furiously. I couldn't believe that I'd just shrieked and pointed at Thomas, like he was an exhibit in some kind of human zoo.

“We should go say hi,” Angela said. She raised her eyebrow and smirked. “You know, just introduce ourselves.”

“Oh, Ang, I can't,” I whined. “Come on, that's embarrassing!”

But Angela was already crossing the street, her long legs making purposeful strides towards the hotel bar. Before I could catch up, she was darting into the hotel lobby and into the bar.

My heart sank. I knew this was a bad idea – besides, what the hell would I tell Thomas. Oh, we just saw you from outside and wanted to say hi?

I groaned. This couldn't be good.

By the time I got inside, I was crestfallen to see Angela standing at the bar, flirting with Thomas. When she saw me, she gave a jerk of her head to the side.

“Hey, June, over here!”

Thomas turned around. When he saw me, he narrowed his eyes. I felt like melting into a puddle of June on the expensive hotel carpeting. After a few seconds, he smiled – but warily, almost the way you'd smile at a dog you suspected might bite you.

“Hello, June,” Thomas said politely. I cringed. He couldn't have made it any more obvious if he'd tried.

“Hi,” I said shyly.

“Will you and your friend join me for a drink?”

Angela made a wide-eyed face behind Thomas's back and I blushed.

“This is my roommate, Angela,” I said nervously.

“Hi, Angela. Very nice to meet you.”

As soon as we sat down, I was sure Thomas was going to want to talk about Brett. But instead, he steered the conversation towards neutral topics. I could barely tear my eyes away from his gorgeous, leonine face. When he touched the back of my hand, I shivered.

“Hey, June, you should tell Thomas about Sundays in the Park!”

I wanted to cringe. “I'm sure he doesn't care about--”

“What?” Thomas gave Angela a charming smile and turned in his stool. I cringed as Angela started talking about Sundays in the Park – a local event every week in the summer, sort of like an open mic in the Brooklyn park across from our apartment.

As Angela talked, I realized that Thomas's glance kept turning back to his computer. Eventually, I grabbed Angela's hand.

“Angela and I really should be going,” I said nervously. Angela kicked me under the bar and I yelped.

Thomas gave me an amused grin. “Everything okay?”

I nodded quickly. “We were just on our way to another bar,” I said.

Thomas nodded. For a moment, I thought he was going to beg me to stay and I felt my heart swell inside my chest. But then he nodded and pulled out his wallet.

“Please, allow me to pay for your drinks,” Thomas said. He smiled. “If I may.”

Angela nodded quickly. “Of course!”

I yanked her arm and glared as Angela mouthed 'what' to me over Thomas's head.

“It was nice seeing you,” I said quickly. “We've really got to go, though.

Thomas looked at me and grinned. It was the first genuine smile I'd ever seen on his face, and it sent warmth shooting through my body in a way that made me tremble.

“Bye, June,” Thomas said. The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. “I'll see you soon.”

When Angela and I got out to the pavement, she burst out laughing and I glared.

“What?” Angela demanded. “He's nice! And god, he's hot!”

“I know,” I said morosely. “Trust me. I know.”

–

When I woke up the next morning, I knew that something had to change. I couldn't keep moping around, wishing for Thomas to suddenly think that I was the most desirable woman on the face of the planet. I was going to have to take matters into my own hands – and really make sure that I stayed as professional as possible.

Andy was in the break room when I got into work. He was reading the paper and sipping coffee, and suddenly he seemed much more approachable than I'd originally thought. He didn't look up until I'd sat down next to him.

“Hey,” I said.

Andy didn't reply.

“You mad at me?”

Andy shook his head. “No,” he said. He gave me a funny smile. “Why would I be mad, June?”

I blushed and shrugged. “I don’t know. Hey, I was thinking that maybe after school, we could get coffee.”

Andy cocked his head to the side. “Like a date?”

I nodded, blushing harder. See, that wasn’t very hard, I thought as I bit my lip. I just need to learn how to be confident around men. But I didn’t want to let my confidence get the best of me – after all, Andy was nothing like Thomas March.

“Yeah,” I said finally. “I felt bad that I had to say no the other day…I just wondered if maybe we should get to know each other better.”

Andy grinned. “Yeah,” he said. This time, he sounded more enthusiastic. “That sounds great.”

I smiled. “Great,” I said. “Well, I’m going to class now. See you, Andy.”

“Where should I meet you?”

“Just come to my room at the end of the day.” I smiled, then I thought of Ruth. “Actually, no – you know what? I’ll meet you out front, how does that sound?”

Andy nodded. “Cool,” he said. “See you, June.”

I smiled at him one last time, then turned on my heel and walked down the hall.

The day seemed to drag on and on. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d boldly (at least, I thought so) asked Andy for a date. I was feeling confident and excited…but part of me wondered if I was really doing the right thing.

To make matters worse, Brett was behaving horribly. He dumped paint on one of the other kids, and he pulled Lila’s hair and made her cry twice in one day. Whenever I closed my eyes, I thought of his handsome father…but that didn’t mean I was going to let Brett off the hook. In the end, after multiple time-outs, I sent him to the principal’s office.

Thomas is going to be angry, I thought as I gathered my things together at the end of the day. As much as I knew that I shouldn’t care, I couldn’t help it. After all, teaching Brett was my responsibility as a teacher. I couldn’t worry about what parents would think – even though teaching in modern times was nothing like it had seemed when I was growing up. Ruth, my teaching assistant, had almost gotten fired last year after disciplining a student for bratty behavior. The kid’s parents had threatened to sue, and it had taken a meeting with the school board in order for them to calm down. The worst thing was, Ruth had been praised for her actions by our principal…but now, New York City had become so litigious that we really had to be careful.

After glancing around my classroom to make sure it was in order, I walked down the hall and out the main entrance of P.S. 151. Andy was waiting by the steps, sitting with his legs splayed open and a tattered paperback in both hands. He looked cuter outside than he ever had in the break room, and a nervous thrill of excitement made my stomach twist and cramp.

When Andy saw me, he grinned. “Hey, June,” he said. “You wanna go to the diner around the block?”

I frowned. “It’s so nice outside,” I said. “I was thinking that maybe we could go somewhere with outdoor seating?”

Andy grinned. “Yeah, sounds good,” he said. He stood up and stretched. When he came closer, I realized he was a full head taller than me. “Where to?”

I shrugged. “There’s a little café a few blocks over,” I said.

Andy nodded. “Don’t think less of me,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “But I might have to get a beer instead of coffee. Today was fucking rough.”

I nodded. “Tell me about it,” I said as we began walking in the direction of the café.

Andy chuckled. “Oh, yeah? You too?”

“Yeah,” I said. I rolled my eyes before launching into the whole saga of Brett March and his bad behavior. As I talked, I felt a streak of guilt – what if I shouldn’t be talking about this? What if it somehow got out and Thomas found out? Then he really would be angry with me.

“Wow,” Andy said. “That kid has problems.”

I shrugged. “I had a meeting with his dad last week, and he mentioned he’s going through a divorce,” I said. I puffed out my cheeks and blew. “That’s probably pretty typical for kids, right? To misbehave because they’re acting out?”

“Probably,” Andy said. He grinned. “Hey, thanks for asking me out,” he said. “I’ve really been wanting to go out with you, June. You’re hot.”

I blushed. “Thanks,” I said awkwardly.

We lapsed into silence as we rounded the corner and crossed the street. One of the things I loved most about teaching was the schedule – even if I had work after class, I could always take it home and be in the front door of my apartment by four. I especially loved it in the winter…no more coming out of an office at five-thirty to be greeted with gloomy, dark skies. I’ve always been a cheerful, optimistic person…to the point where Angela makes fun of me. But I can’t help feeling sad whenever it’s dark outside.

“Come on,” Andy said. “This way.”

I nodded and trotted after him. So far, I wasn’t regretting my decision to ask him out, but I did wonder if maybe I’d opened a can of worms that was better left alone. Andy was a nice guy, sure, but I didn’t feel very much of a spark with him. You’re being silly, I chastised myself as I followed Andy inside the café. Sometimes a spark takes time. Your life isn’t a movie – some dreamy guy isn’t just going to walk up and pull you into his arms for a kiss.

Andy and I asked to be seated outside. A cute, young hostess led us in the direction of the outdoor tables and I couldn’t help but notice Andy sneaking a glance at her backside. A flash of irritation crossed my mind. It wasn’t jealousy, though. I knew that realistically; most people check other people out all the time. But I was annoyed – this was our first date! Weren’t you supposed to put your best face on for a first date?

“This is nice,” Andy said. He sat next to me and peered intently into my face. “Are you having a good time, June?”

I laughed nervously. “We just got here,” I said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of blonde hair and cringed. Hannah, Thomas’s beautiful assistant, was standing there with a smirk on her face.

Please don’t come over here, I thought. Please leave us alone.

As if she could read my mind – and wanted to make me as uncomfortable as possible – Hannah began striding over. All I could do was pray that she was alone, and Thomas was nowhere in sight.

“Oh hi,” Hannah said. “May I sit?”

Andy looked at her with eagerness. “Yeah,” he said. “Come on down.”

“Actually we were just about to leave,” I lied. “I’ve got to get home and get back to work on something.”

Andy narrowed his eyes at me. “June, we just got here,” he said slowly. “What’s going on?”

Hannah snickered. “Thomas is so upset with Brett right now,” she said, raising her perfectly-groomed eyebrows high on her face. “He’s even thinking of other options. I keep suggesting private school – of course a child like Brett shouldn’t be in public – but Thomas is so stubborn.”

I felt weak. If Thomas and his ex-wife took Brett out of P.S.151, I’d never see him again. Why can’t I stop thinking about Thomas, I wondered nervously, clenching my hands into fists under the table. It’s like I’m obsessed with him!

“We have a great school,” Andy said, somewhat defensively. “It’s gotten the highest ratings for any public elementary school in New York City.”

Hannah laughed and tossed her beautiful mane. “Sure,” she simpered. “But private education is just so much better,” she said. She stood up. “I mean, I can’t even imagine how stupid I’d be if my parents had forced me to go to public schools,” she added, emphasizing the word like a curse.

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Hannah,” I said. “It was great to see you.”

Hannah peered at me with renewed interest. Then she looked at Andy and smiled. “Oh, June,” Hannah said in a voice dripping with fake sweetness. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!”

“I don’t,” I said quickly, trying to ignore the hurt look in Andy’s eyes. “This is a coworker of mine.”

“It’s the first time we’ve gone out,” Andy added, sounded wounded.

Hannah’s smile shrank. “I see,” she said curtly. “Well, it was nice running into you,” she added. “I’ll have to tell Thomas all about it.”

Inwardly, I groaned. But on the outside, I forced a fake smile. “Right,” I said. “Well, thanks again.”

Hannah lingered uncomfortably for a moment and I could tell that she wanted to say something else. She had a gift of getting under my skin, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was able to do so.

“What was that all about?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea,” I said honestly. “I really have no clue.”

Chapter Three

Thomas

“Thomas? Are you ready to go?”

I barely heard Hannah’s voice as she stood in the doorway of my office, knocking loudly at the door.

“Just a sec,” I called, not taking my eyes off the latest expense report, filed just after my most recent business trip. Despite the fact that I was a self-made billionaire, spending money on myself still felt squeamish at times. And looking down at the receipt, I couldn’t believe that I’d spent over four thousand dollars of company money entertaining clients at a steakhouse.

“Come on, we’re going to be late,” Hannah said. She sighed and strode into the room, her heels clacking on the Italian marble floor of my office.

Steel Visions, Inc. hadn’t always been this opulent, but I’d worked my ass off to bring the company into the twenty-first century. Right out of college, I’d started my own consulting firm, mostly working with defense companies. And it had taken years for Steel Visions, Inc. to even be on the map. But I was proud of what I’d done – I thought that I’d really built a solid world for myself, my wife, and my son, Brett.

“Thomas,” Hannah said sweetly, putting her hand on my arm. “I know this isn’t exactly going to be fun for you, but we’ve got to get it done.”

“Please don’t touch me right now,” I said testily, stepping away.

Hannah frowned. “Did I do something?” She batted her eyelashes. “I’m sorry, Thomas,” she said. “I didn’t mean to get in the way.”

I bit my lip. The fuck you didn’t, I thought. You’ve been gunning for me since the first day I hired you.

Hannah had been my assistant for years. I’d initially hired her at the request of Marlene, my ex-wife. She hadn’t been my ex-wife then, though – we’d still been happy together, or so I’d thought. Marlene had wanted me to hire Hannah, someone to “manage my schedule” and give me more time at home with the family.

Thinking of now all made me ill.

Hannah was beautiful – I had to give her that. She had long legs, tanned skin, and long blonde hair. But I hadn’t hired her for her good looks. I’d hired her because she’d been a whiz at scheduling. Despite her dumb-blonde looks, she was one of the brighter women at Steel Visions. I respected her.

But lately, things had been getting really out of hand. Over the last few years, Hannah’s personality had changed. She’d become more forward, less timid – and she wasted no time flirting with me whenever she got the chance.

I was used to the attention of women. I knew I was a reasonably attractive man, and I’d heard Hannah joke more than once that I was “at that dangerous age.” I was forty-six, but I worked out four times a week and kept as fit as I could. And apparently, that was some kind of strange aphrodisiac on the young women of New York City.

Things hadn’t always been this way. When I was younger, I’d had to work my ass off just to get a girl’s number…and it was likely a fake one, at that. Hell, even Marlene had taken a lot of convincing just for one date. But luckily (at least, I’d thought that way at the time), by the time I asked her to be my wife, I’d amassed a sizeable fortune in consulting.

“You’re fine,” I said curtly. “Just please, don’t act up today.”

Hannah made her eyes wide and she licked her lips. “Why would I act up?”

I groaned. “You know what I mean,” I said. “Do you know that Marlene actually told my son after our last meeting that I was sleeping with you?”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed and she couldn’t hide the hint of a smile that spread across her face. “I wonder why she’d think that,” she said sweetly.

“Because you flirted with me the whole time,” I said. “Hannah, look – I can’t have you act like that in front of Marlene, and if you’re going to do it again, please just let me know ahead of time so I can make additional arrangements.”

Hannah looked sulky but she nodded. “Yes, Thomas,” she said. “I understand.”

I went to my closet and pulled my jacket free as Hannah gathered my papers and put my laptop into sleep mode.

“You want me to get you a coffee before the meeting?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said. “I’m fine.”

The truth was, I wasn’t feeling fine at all. My stomach was a tangle of nerves and I felt sick – which was always how I felt right before I had to meet with Marlene. Brett was only ten years old. How the fuck was I supposed to co-parent with a woman I couldn’t stand for at least the next eight years?

Hannah and I rushed downstairs, then into a waiting Lincoln Town Car. The day was sunny and bright and Hannah took off her cardigan, rubbing her bare shoulders and smiling at me in a manner that I knew she thought was enticing.

I ignored her.

The car seemed to take forever crawling through Manhattan traffic. I tried to keep my mind on the most important thing at hand – Brett, and how Marlene and I were going to do our best to raise him without letting our shit get in the middle.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car slowed to a stop in front of Marlene’s office building. Until the divorce, she’d been a stay at home mother…and I know she’d been angling to keep that up with alimony payments. But luckily, the judge had been on my side. While I still awarded her a hefty fee every four weeks (a fee that no doubt would have bankrolled the lifestyle of someone less greedy), Marlene had had to return to work. Now, she worked as a secretary for a fancy law firm.

I just wondered how many of the law partners she was sleeping with at once.

Hannah and I breezed inside. To my shock, Marlene was already standing in the lobby. Her flame-red hair was piled high on top of her head and her narrow face looked pinched when she saw me. She was wearing bright red lipstick.

“You’re late,” Marlene said. “I’ve been waiting here for over five minutes!”

“I’m sure that was very taxing on you,” I said dryly. “Where are we going?”

Marlene sighed heavily before turning on her heel and leading the way through a large, mostly unfurnished office. She turned a sharp left and pointed to a conference room.

“This is reserved for us,” Marlene said.

“Oh, great.” Hannah pushed past her. “Could you bring me a coffee?”

Marlene turned to me and raised her eyebrows. “Thomas, you have to be kidding me,” she said.

“Don’t worry about her,” I said. “We’re here to talk about Brett, Marlene.”

Marlene and I followed Hannah inside and I shut the door.

“Brett hasn’t been doing well at school,” I said. “He’s gotten in trouble a few times over the past week, for teasing and tormenting this little girl.” I stared right at my ex-wife. “Do you know anything about this?”

Marlene sighed. “If you’re asking whether the school has called, yes, I’m vaguely aware of something like that.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I narrowed my eyes. “You knew about this?!”

“Well, Thomas, I’m not sure what you want me to do,” Marlene said coolly. “He’s just going through a phase right now, it’ll pass.”

“He could get thrown out of that school!” I could feel my face turning red with anger but there was nothing I could do to stop myself now. “That’s the best goddamn public school in the city! I had to work so goddamned hard to get him accepted!”

Marlene shrugged.

“I’ve suggested a private school might be better for him,” Hannah simpered. “I went to private school, and I just think it’s such a better idea.”

I rolled my eyes. “Private school is off the table,” I said sharply.

“I don’t know, Thomas, maybe she’s got a point.” Marlene was picking her cuticles, she didn’t even deign to look at me as she spoke. “Maybe we should reconsider where we placed him. You know, a change could do the boy good.”

“It’s not happening,” I said firmly.

Marlene’s eyes flashed with anger. “You’re being a cheapskate,” she said. “You don’t even want to spend money on our son’s education!”

“It isn’t about that,” I said hotly. “It’s about his attitude! I don’t want to reward him for this shitty behavior. Like, oh, son – you’ve been acting out but it’s okay because Daddy is going to put you in an expensive school full of other little rich shits!”

Marlene and Hannah were both staring at me.

“Sorry,” I muttered. “Dealing with all of this is really fucking stressing me out at the moment.”

The rest of the meeting didn’t go much better. Hannah and Marlene turned on each other, and then I was suddenly the mediator. By the time we were done, I was exhausted. I felt a huge amount of resentment towards both of the women in my life, and I knew it was irrational, but I didn’t care.

“In the future, you’re not coming to these meetings unless you can behave,” I told Hannah sharply as we left the building.

Hannah batted her lashes at me. “Oh, Thomas,” she said sweetly. “I just want what’s best for you and Brett.”

I stared at her. My anger was rolling over me in strong, palpable waves.

“I trust that you’ll let me make those decisions,” I said sharply. “Because I’m sure as fuck not going to let you start parenting my son.”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed and eventually, she dropped her gaze.

“Fine,” Hannah muttered. “God, I was only trying to help.”

“We’re done for the day,” I told her. “I’m going home to see Brett, he’s been waiting for me and I know I’ll be late if I don’t hurry.”

“Want me to come?” Hannah looked hopeful. “We can order a pizza, I’ll watch Brett while you work out?”

“No,” I said sharply. “I need to start spending more time with my son.”

Hannah looked at me expectantly.

“Alone,” I added in a sharp voice. “Without you around, got it?”

Hannah nodded meekly. “Fine,” she snipped. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow.”

I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. I hadn’t looked in a mirror all day, but I could tell that the stress was really getting to me. My skin felt puffy and old, and when I closed my eyes, a dull ache began to spread through my whole head.

I knew that I was going to have to do something about Hannah, but for the moment, I was stuck with her. I couldn’t find another personal assistant who would be as knowledgeable and helpful as Hannah – at least, not without weeks of searching. And with a big project coming up at work, I wasn’t going to be able to take that kind of time off. I supposed I could always organize a committee and put them in charge of finding me a new person, but that would have to wait until things calmed down, just a little.

And Marlene! She was a fucking cipher – she always had been. When we’d first divorced, she’d been almost pleased to be out on her own. But I could tell that it was taking a toll on her, too. She obviously hated the fact that she was “forced” to work in order to maintain her luxe condo, and I knew she probably blamed me.

I also knew that I shouldn’t care. But it was difficult – after all, we had a child together. And Brett was the most important part of my life. I wasn’t going to write off his mother just because she’d been a shitty wife. That would have been incredibly unfair to him.

It was dark by the time I got home. Isabelle, Brent’s nanny, was just starting dinner in the kitchen and the delicious smell of chicken enchiladas flooded my senses when I stepped in the door. When she saw me, she smiled.

“Hi Mr. Thomas,” Isabelle said. She grinned at me. “We had us a nice long day, didn’t we baby?”

Brett nodded and smiled. Isabelle had been with us since shortly before the divorce, and Brett really cared for her. Some of my friends had joked about her – she was young, curvy, and a lot of fun to be around. But dating the nanny was such a cliché…I wasn’t going to become that kind of man.

“I’m glad,” I said.

“Dinner almost ready,” Isabelle said, swinging her hips as she flung a dish towel onto the counter. “Just bake for twenty more minutes and you’re good. I’m going to clean up and then I’ll head out.”

I nodded. “You want a ride home?”

“No, thank you Mr. Thomas,” Isabelle said.

“Alright, then,” I said. “Thanks for everything.” I pulled out my wallet and handed her a crisp fifty. “This is for a good week,” I said, handing the folded bill to Isabelle. She tucked it inside her pocket and smiled.

“Wow, thanks!”

“Don’t worry about it,” I said dryly. “Work is really ramping up, and I think things are only going to get busier from here on out. You okay with spending a lot of time here next week?”

Isabelle nodded. “We’ll have fun, won’t we, Brett?”

“Yeah!” Brett looked ecstatic. It was hard not to take it personally – he was obviously closer to Isabelle than me or Marlene. But I knew I shouldn’t care – at least the boy had someone to be a positive role model, even if she was the nanny.

Isabelle grabbed her coat and left, leaving a wake of heavy orchid perfume behind her. As soon as she’d left, Brett seemed to clam up. He hopped onto a barstool at the island and slumped over a piece of paper, furiously scribbling with a crayon.

“Hey buddy,” I said, walking over and taking off my jacket. I loosened my tie. “How’s it hanging?”

Brett barely glanced up. “Fine,” he said.

“Just fine?”

Brett sighed. “Dad, I’m fine,” he said.

I forced a smile. “Okay. You hungry?”

Brett shrugged.

“How was school today? And don’t say it was fine,” I added quickly. “Because I know it wasn’t.”

That got Brett’s attention. When he turned to face me, his cheeks were pink with guilt.

“I’m trying, Dad,” he said after a long pause.

“I know.” I cleared my throat. “I know you’re trying, but sometimes that’s not good enough. Brett, you know I want the best for you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

It was difficult not to get angry, but I took a deep breath and tried to let my frustration drain.

“I know I haven’t been around as much as I should be,” I said. “Things are really busy at work, but I’m thinking of taking a really long trip over the summer.”

“Oh.” Brett sounded glum.

“With you, together,” I said. “I was thinking about Disney World. Or maybe San Diego, wouldn’t that be fun?”

Brett looked up and nodded. He smiled. “Yeah, Dad. That would be great.”

I tried to smile back. I knew that I shouldn’t be bribing him like this – with offers of a fancy vacation – but sometimes, it was too easy.

“Well, you think about it and let me know,” I said. “I’m going to check on dinner and then get changed.”

“Can we order a pizza?”

“Brett, Isabelle made this just for us.”

“I know.” Brett wrinkled his nose. “But I want a pizza. It’s Friday, Dad. Come on!”

I sighed. “Only if you promise you’ll eat the leftovers,” I said. “We’re not going to be wasting any more food in this house.”

Brett nodded enthusiastically. I stared at him for a final minute, hunched over his paper in concentration and scribbling hard. He was such an intense kid – I knew he’d gotten that from me – but I hoped we wouldn’t ever get to the point where he refused to talk to me. Growing up, I hadn’t been particularly close to either of my parents. But they’d never really tried, either. It had always been about them.

Today, we practically had no relationship save for when they wanted to see Brett. They adored Brett, of course – sometimes it was hard not to feel resentment when I saw how clearly they preferred him to me.

I whistled as I walked through the condo. It was big – four bedrooms – I’d had it since before I met Marlene. It felt like too much space for two people. But moving was a pain in the ass, and this was centrally located right in Manhattan. I wasn’t about to give that up, just for the sake of a cozier condo.

Impulsively, I picked up my phone and dialed Brett’s teacher, June. I didn’t expect her to answer, but she picked up on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi June, this is Thomas March. How are you?”

“Oh! Hi! Um, I’m good,” June said quickly. I could tell she was blushing and fumbling. Strangely, my cock began to stir and twitch inside my boxers as I listened to her breathy voice.

“Look, I was calling to ask about Brett,” I said. “He’s gotten a new tutor, but I’m worried he still isn’t doing very well.”

June paused.

“That can’t be good,” I joked. “Don’t worry about offending me, June. Just be honest.”

“Well, um, Mr. March, Brett is still acting out,” June said softly.

“Please, call me Thomas.”

“Oh, sir, I couldn’t,” June said quickly.

My cock stiffened and I had to suppress a groan. I had no idea what it was about this woman that turned me on, but every time we spoke, I felt a thrill of excitement shooting through my body. She was so young, so submissive – I wondered what she’d be like in bed. The idea of a blushing virgin was somehow appealing.

“Please, June,” I said.

“Okay, Thomas.” June’s voice was a high-pitched squeak. “Brett continues to pick on his classmates, and I sent him to the principal.”

“Good.”

“You’re not mad?” The relief in June’s voice was palpable. I grinned as I imagined her begging my forgiveness, on her knees, with my cock in her pouty little mouth.

“Of course not,” I said. “I want you to let Brett know that you’re in charge, and if that means sending him to the principal, then that’s what I want you to do.”

“Oh,” June said breathily. “Okay, Mr. March. I’ll do that.”

I chuckled. “Please, June, call me Thomas.”

There was a pause.

“Look, Mr. March – Thomas, sorry – I should be going, I’ve got a lot of papers to grade.”

I grinned, picturing her in a t-shirt and panties, surrounded by a mountain of schoolwork. The image of June’s stiff nipples through thin white cotton excited me tremendously. I wondered what kind of panties she wore. Probably prim little cotton bikinis, in white and pastel shades. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the scent of her sex – probably musky, and young, almost like talcum powder. I wondered if the crotch of her panties was wet. I wondered if she’d let me push those young thighs apart and lick her juicy pussy until she squirted right in my face.

By now, my cock was throbbing. My balls were starting to ache. I longed to be buried deep inside June’s pussy, to make her moan and writhe with pleasure.

“Okay,” I said. “You have a good night, June.”

“You too,” she said softly. I grinned. I might have been imagining it, but something told me that she was just as turned on as I was.

Oh, how I wanted to fuck her!

Chapter Four

June

Days passed and I didn’t hear anything from Mr. March. As much as it pained me to admit, Brett was doing much better in school and that meant I didn’t have any reason to interfere. Oh well, I thought one afternoon as I dismissed my class. That’s probably for the best. I’ve already embarrassed myself enough around him. No need to make a bigger idiot out of myself.

“June, I’m going to go,” Ruth said. “You okay to wrap things up on your own today?”

I nodded. “I’m fine,” I said. “Thanks, Ruth. You’ve been a big help – I really appreciate it.”

I’d intended to leave school early that day – before four – but once Ruth was gone, I realized that I felt like working. I pulled my schoolbag up to my desk and shuffled through papers. Normally, I didn’t feel much motivation at the end of the day, so I decided to seize it and grade that week’s math quiz.

I was almost halfway through the papers when my door banged open. My heart leapt. Thomas! I thought irrationally. He’s come to talk to me about Brett!

But when I glanced up, I saw that a gorgeous redheaded woman was making her way through the desks. She wore a luscious fur coat, sunglasses perched on the top of her head, and her pointy features were perfectly made up. She was beautiful in the way that an older movie star is, the kind of woman who would play the “hot mom” in some stupid teen comedy. But she wasn’t smiling. Her face was a tight mask of anger.

“I need to speak to my son’s teacher,” she said, her nostrils flaring. “Can you call her in, please?”

I frowned. “Who is your son?”

“Brett March.”

I cringed. “I’m Brett’s teacher,” I said. “My name is June.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Marlene,” she said. “Marlene March.”

I bit my lip. “What can I do for you, Mrs. March?”

“I demand to know why my son has been acting out,” she said sharply. “Why aren’t you taking more of an effort to reign him in? Do you know that he’s barely even speaking to me about school anymore?”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not really sure those two problems are relat—“

“Shut up,” Marlene growled. She put both hands on my desk and leaned close, glaring at me with her icy green eyes. “I demand you help him!”

“I’m trying,” I said quickly. “But Brett – your son – has been an incredible disturbance in class, and I can’t spend as much individual time with him as I should.”

“Why not?” Marlene’s voice was high and indignant. “This is supposed to be the best public school in the city!”

“It is,” I said. “But ma’am, I have over thirty students in my class. If one of them keeps acting out, I have to send them to the principal. I can’t just pause the education of twenty-nine other children because one of them is misbehaving!”

“You’re a bad teacher,” Marlene said. “My child is in school to learn, not to get pushed aside just because he’s acting out!”

“And he will learn, as soon as he can behave himself and control his anger,” I said firmly.

“You little bitch,” Marlene spat. “You don’t give two shits about these children!” She crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her red curls. “I should have you fired!”

A stab of cold fear pierced my belly and I shivered.

“Yeah, you don’t like that idea at all, do you,” Marlene growled. “But I think it’s only fair. You’re pushing my son to the side, I push you to the side.”

My lip began to quiver and I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in my eyes.

“Please, ma’am, I’m doing the best I can with your son,” I said quickly. “I really, really am! I swear!”

“I bet you are,” Marlene said. “You’re weak. You can’t even handle an angry parent! How the hell am I supposed to trust that you’ll handle my son?”

I stood up and glared at her angrily. Hot tears streamed down my face. I’d never felt more humiliated in my life.

“Your son is a child,” I spat. “And children listen to their teachers, unlike you!”

“Oh yeah?” Marlene smirked. “Then explain why you have to keep sending him out of class! My son is a perfect little boy, and you and this goddamned school have been treating him like he’s some kind of delinquent!”

When I opened my mouth to speak, nothing came out. In frustration, I buried my face in my hands and cried.

“You can’t even handle the lightest of criticism,” Marlene spat. “You are not fit to teach my son!”

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to slap her, to stamp my foot, to throw a fucking fit. But I knew that wouldn’t accomplish anything. I knew that would only make myself look worse, and possibly open myself up to a lawsuit.

“I’ll be in touch,” Marlene said smugly. She turned on her heel and clacked her way out of the room, humming under her breath.

I flopped down in my chair and wiped my face with tissues. Just as I was starting to calm down, the door burst open again and my heart sank.

But this time, it wasn’t Marlene.

It was Thomas March.

He strode towards me, smiling and looking sexy…until he saw my face. Once he realized how distressed I was, he rushed closer.

“June! What the hell happened?”

I sniffed. “Your wife happened,” I said flatly.

Thomas’s face fell. “Let’s get out of here,” he said darkly. “There’s a coffee place around the corner. Come with me and I’ll tell you everything.”

--

Ten minutes later, Thomas and I were sitting side by side, sipping cappuccino.

“I’m so sorry about Marlene,” Thomas said, after I’d told him the whole bloody story. “She’s angry with me right now, and she’s taking it out on you.”

I licked my lips and shivered. “She threatened to have me fired,” I said, trembling. “She sounded serious, too.”

“She won’t do that,” Thomas said firmly. “And if she does, you bet your ass I’m going to your boss and telling him that she’s full of shit. Marlene likes to throw her weight around to get her away. She’s not going to win this time, June. I won’t let that happen.”

“Why is she so angry?” I turned to look at Thomas, to stare at his gorgeous face and hair streaked grey and silver.

“Fuck if I know,” Thomas said bitterly. “She’s the one who cheated on me.”

My jaw dropped.

“Oh, yeah,” Thomas said casually. “She was thrilled when we first split up, she said it meant she could finally get everything she wanted.”

I took a long sip of my coffee. It was both creamy and bitter, just the way I liked it.

“What a horrible woman,” I said softly. “Sorry,” I added quickly. “I know you were married to her and everything.”

Thomas shrugged. “I had no idea what she was capable of when we first got together,” he said. “Trust me – if I’d known, I’m not sure I would’ve gone through with it.”

I shivered. “She’s really gunning for me,” I said. “She’s doing everything she can to make me doubt myself.”

Thomas nodded. “I swear it won’t happen again.”

“Oh god,” I said. I could feel my cheeks growing pale. “Please, please don’t say anything! It’ll look like I went and tattled to you!”

Thomas chuckled. I blushed – the sound of his voice was so melodious, so deep that I couldn’t stay afraid for long.

“June,” Thomas said heavily. “You’re an adult. You’re not a little kid. What the hell do I care if you ‘tattle’ or not? My ex is being a nasty bitch, and she’s not going to get away with it.”

I slumped down against the seat. “I really am trying,” I said softly. “But Brett keeps acting out, and I can’t take time away from the rest of the class in order to discipline him.”

“I know.” Thomas sighed. “This is all really hard on him. I’m sure he blames me – hell, he might even blame himself.”

We lapsed into silence. “Thanks,” I said quietly. “I just don’t want you to think that I’m ignoring your son, or anything like that.”

Thomas smirked. “You’re a good teacher, June,” he said. “I know you wouldn’t do something like that.”

I shivered. “Thanks,” I said softly.

Thomas got to his feet and sighed. “I hate to rush off,” he said. “But I need to pick Brett up. You want a ride home?”

I shook my head, too embarrassed for Mr. March to see where I lived.

“No thanks,” I said softly.

Thomas grinned. “Okay, June,” he said.

I blushed. The way he said my name always made me shiver with happiness. He had such a beautiful voice. My body always responded to him. At least he didn’t ask you for a drink, I thought. Then you really would’ve made a fool of yourself.

“See you, June,” Thomas said. He winked at me and I blushed.

“Bye,” I stammered.

Thomas whistled as he walked away. I couldn’t tear my eyes off his tall, handsome silhouette. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted him so badly.

I need a distraction, I realized. I just need to find someone my own age, who won’t belittle me. Someone who doesn’t have an ex-wife and tons of baggage.

But the problem was, I didn’t want someone like that.

I wanted someone like Thomas March.

That evening, I was lying on my bed and grading papers when my phone buzzed. Angela hadn’t come home yet, and I didn’t even have to look at the caller identification to know that it was her.

“Hey,” I said. “Could you pick up a pizza on the way home? I’m starving.”

A deep masculine laugh filled my ears and my cheeks burned bright red.

“I’d bring you a pizza, but I don’t know where you live, June.”

I blushed even harder. “Mr. March! I’m so sorry!”

Thomas chuckled again. “How many times do I have to tell you – call me Thomas, June.”

I gulped and swallowed. “Okay.”

“Look, June, I was calling to ask you out to dinner on Friday night.”

I bit my lip. “Did something happen with Brett? Is everything okay?”

Thomas laughed. “Brett’s fine. He’ll be with his mother this weekend.”

“Oh,” I said quietly. “Why, then?”

“Because I want to take you out,” Thomas said. “On a date. A real date, to a nice restaurant.”

I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.

“You can’t be serious,” I said quickly. “Me?”

“Yes, June, you.”

I bit my lip.

“So, are you free? Can I pick you up at seven-thirty this Friday?”

I nodded quickly, forgetting that Thomas wasn’t in the same room to see me.

“Yes,” I said quickly. “Yes, yes!”

Thomas laughed. “That’s the response I was hoping for,” he said in a deep growl that sent a shiver of arousal crawling down my spine. “I’m looking forward to it, June.”

I blushed hotly. “Me too,” I said softly. “Me, too.”

When we hung up, I had to pinch my arm to make sure that I was really awake. It stung, but I still felt delirious and happy. I couldn’t believe that Mr. March had asked me, of all people – me! – out for a fancy dinner date night. I was grinning so wide that both of my cheeks ached.

I couldn’t believe it. Me and Mr. March…together, out on a date!

Suddenly, life was really looking up.

Chapter Five

June

For the next few days, all I could think about was Mr. March. I still couldn’t believe that someone like him would want anything to do with someone like me.

“Come on, June. You’re so pretty,” Angela whined one morning as we were finishing up breakfast before work. “Of course he’d want to go out with you!”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m closer to his son in age than I am to him,” I said. An image of Marlene, angry and flustered, popped into my head. “And besides,” I added miserably. “I might be pretty, but his ex-wife is beautiful.”

“Well obviously, he doesn’t want anyone like her,” Angela said.

“Thanks,” I muttered sarcastically.

“June, I didn’t mean it like that!” Angela flushed. “You know, I just meant…he likes you. He wants to get to know you.” She batted her eyelashes at me. “He’s falling in love!”

“Oh, my god, stop,” I said, getting up from the table and wiping my hands on a dish towel. “I can’t think about that right now. He’s probably just bored and wants to be friends, you know?”

Angela giggled. “I guess you’ll find out,” she said.

I yawned. When I glanced down at the time display on my phone, I yelped in surprise.

“I need to get a move on,” I said quickly, grabbing my coat. “I’m going to be late.”

Angela waved and I opened the door and darted down the hall.

By the time I got to school, I was so distracted that I knew I wouldn’t be able to focus, no matter what. I ran into the break room and stuck my lunch in the fridge, praying that I wouldn’t be late to class. The kids were already here, and I hoped that Ruth was taking charge of the class.

Just as I was about to go to my classroom, Andy stepped into the break room. He grinned when he saw me.

“Hey, June,” Andy said. “Nice morning, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I said quickly. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. “I’ve gotta go, I’m gonna be late.”

“Hey, wait a sec.” Andy grabbed my shoulder. “June, look, I really want to talk to you.” He glanced into my eyes and I flushed hotly.

“I’m really sorry,” I said quickly. “But I’ve got to run to class.”

“I didn’t mean here,” Andy said. He smiled, like it was a joke.

I forced a smile right back.

“How about we go out to dinner this Friday?”

“Oh, god, Andy, I’m sorry – I can’t. I actually have plans that night.”

Andy’s eyes flashed. “Oh yeah? With another guy?” I could tell he was struggling to keep his voice neutral and calm.

I blushed. “Uh, no, I’m just going out with my roommate, Angela,” I lied.

“Oh?” Andy raised an eyebrow. “Where are you going?”

pp

Why are you giving me the third degree, I thought in exasperation. Just let me go!

“I don’t know yet,” I said. “Look, I’ve really got to run. Bye, Andy!”

Andy narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know how you can be like this, June.”

“What?” I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I don’t like being toyed with,” Andy continued. “And I hate how you’re trying to play me. Hot and cold, which is it?”

Thankfully the bell rang just as I was about to open my mouth.

“I can’t talk,” I said quickly. “Bye, Andy!”

Andy stood there, glowering at me as I ran off towards my classroom.

Thankfully, the kids were just starting to file in as I took my place at the head of the class. Ruth raised an eyebrow at me.

“Sorry,” I mouthed. “Bad traffic.”

Ruth nodded.

As I called the class to order, I couldn’t quite get Andy’s words out of my mind. What had he been talking about? Hot and cold? I wasn’t even sure what that meant!

The day, thankfully, seemed to speed by. I was afraid of running into Andy, so I stayed in my room for planning and lunch. It was pouring rain, and the kids were so restless by three-thirty that they were practically bouncing off the walls. I was more relieved to see them dismissed than usual, and my stomach was in knots by the time I left school.

At home, Angela was making a batch of sangria. She poured some into a glass and held it out towards me.

“Rough day?”

I rolled my eyes and took a sip. It was good, and I closed my eyes as I savored the fruity tastes bursting on my tongue.

“It was okay,” I said. I shrugged and carried my glass into the living room before flopping down on the couch.

“What happened?” Angela narrowed her eyes. “You nervous about tomorrow?”

I blushed. “Yeah,” I said. I wrinkled my nose. “I dunno. Someone I work with said something kind of odd to me.”

Angela snickered. “Oh, girl,” she said. “Like what?”

“It was Andy,” I explained. “You know, that guy I had coffee with last week.”

“He totally has a thing for you,” Angela said.

I laughed. “That can’t be true,” I said. “I think he’s just bored and I’m there, you know? Like he wouldn’t approach me if we didn’t work together every day.”

Angela shook her head. “You’re so naïve,” she said. “He totally wants you.”

My stomach twisted into a knot. “Well, whatever, he told me I was hot and cold with him.”

Angela laughed. “See, girl? He’s totally got it for you, and he’s mad that you’re not draping yourself all over him.”

“Ew!”

“Well, it’s true, he probably wants to sleep with you,” she said smugly, taking a long sip of her drink. “He probably senses there’s some other dude in your life. Men are like that. They can practically smell competition from a mile away.”

I flushed hotly. “Mr. March isn’t anything like Andy,” I said. “And that’s a good thing – definitely.”

“So, why’d you ask him to coffee if you don’t really like him?”

I bit my lip. “I felt guilty.”

“June!”

“What?”

“That’s such a dumb reason,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes. “You can’t do that! It just leads guys on.”

“Well, I felt bad that he asked me out and I said no, so I thought I’d make things right by asking him out.”

“God,” Angela sighed. “You are never gonna learn!”

I frowned. “It was just a coffee thing,” I said. “It didn’t even feel like a date. Besides,” I added. “We ran into Hannah – that assistant that Mr. March has.”

“And another thing,” Angela said sternly. “You’ve got to stop calling him Mr. March! He’s going to be your boyfriend soon.”

I blushed hotly. “It just doesn’t feel right,” I said. “He’s so much older than I am.”

Angela groaned. “Girl, you are going to have so much fun with him. Just please, relax and promise that you’ll start calling him Thomas.”

I could feel my blush deepening into a bright crimson. “Okay.”

“And don’t ask out that other guy again, what’s his name?”

“Andy,” I supplied.

“Yeah, Andy. You stay away from him. If he asks you out again, tell him something came up and you’re no longer available.”

“It doesn’t seem right to lie,” I said slowly. My stomach churned just thinking about it. “I’m sure he could tell.”

Angela sighed in exasperation. “Trust me, June, if he calls you on your lie…is that really the kind of guy you want as a boyfriend?”

I wrinkled my nose. “I guess not.”

“Good,” Angela said. “Now come with me.” She stood up and brushed her hands off on her jeans.

“Where are we going?”

“My room,” Angela said triumphantly. “If you’re out with this silver fox, you’d better have something good to wear.”

I bit my lip. “Oh, you’d really do that?”

“Duh,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes for emphasis. “June, you’re going to kill it on this date. Just trust me, girl. If it goes well, he’ll probably ask you for a second date before he even takes you home. He’s older, men that age don’t like to play games.”

I nodded. “I hope you’re right,” I said softly. “Because I like him so much. I get butterflies in my stomach just listening to his voice.”

Angela pretended to swoon. I threw a couch cushion at her and it bounced off her head. We collapsed in peals of laughter over our sangria – the alcohol was starting to relax me, and take the edge off of some of my nervousness. I didn’t really like being drunk – I’ve only been drunk twice in my life – but a glass of wine (or in this case, sangria) was always nice after a long day.

Angela led me into her room and I flopped on the bed as she opened her closet doors. Immediately, she began grabbing dresses and tossing them towards me. I laughed and dodged the barrage of fabrics as Angela turned around, breathless and excited.

“This one would be perfect,” she said, raising an eyebrow and holding up a tight, black cocktail dress.

“Oh my gosh, no way,” I said, shaking my head. “I couldn’t wear something like that!”

“Why the hell not?” There was a devilish gleam in Angela’s eye. “This would look so great on you, June!”

I blushed. “It’s so tight.” I wrinkled my nose. “Mr. Mar—I mean, Thomas, would think that I was just trying to have sex with him.”

Angela laughed. “Well, you do, right?”

“No!”

“Really?” Angela laughed. “I doubt that, June.”

I colored deeply. “I mean, yeah, I do,” I said softly. “But I want more than that. I want to get to know him.” I swallowed – a lump had been forming in my throat ever since Thomas had first asked me on a date. “I don’t just want him to think that I want him for sex.”

Angela rolled her eyes. “You’re so principled,” she said with a snicker. “But fine, point taken.” Tossing the black cocktail dress on the floor, she started combing through her closet once again. I sat awkwardly on her bed, watching as Angela fumbled with different dresses and outfits, all while making noises under her breath.

After what felt like an eternity, Angela turned to me and held up a green silk dress. “This would be so pretty with your eyes,” she said. “And you’re so pale, you’d look really pretty.”

I bit my lip. “I don’t know….”

“What?” Angela rolled her eyes. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“It’s low in the bust.” I blushed. “I don’t want to make myself look slutty.”

“June!” Angela sighed loudly. “Come on. It’s a gorgeous dress.” She walked closer and dropped it in my lap. The rich silk slithered down to the ground and I picked it up, gazing at it with skepticism.

“Just try it on,” Angela encouraged. “Come on. For me?”

I sighed. “Fine,” I said. “But I’m not making any promises.”

Angela grinned. “You don’t have to,” she said cheekily. “Just try it on and have a look.”

Although the dress looked big, I had a hard time getting it on and zipping it up myself. When I looked in the mirror of Angela’s bathroom, I gasped.

“What? What’s wrong?” Angela came rushing in before I could stop her. “June, what happened?”

“Nothing,” I said. I couldn’t suppress my smile any longer. “It’s perfect.”

Angela grinned. “I told you,” she said.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from my reflection in the mirror, even though I knew that was vain. The green silk perfectly set off my green eyes, pale skin, and black hair. I didn’t look like June Rogers anymore – I looked like a real woman, someone confident and sexy. The dress wasn’t overly complicated – just a simple, sleeveless A-line. But it made my waist look nipped in and the skirt billowed around my legs, making them look shapely and much smaller than I was used to seeing.

The kind of woman who would be perfect for Mr. Thomas March.

“You’d really let me borrow this?”

“Oh, my god, yes,” Angela said.

I cocked my head to the side. “This had to be expensive,” I said, fingering the folds of the skirt as it swished around my hips. Somehow, the silk had a sensual feel that made me feel…sexy.

“I don’t care, I know you’ll take care of it,” Angela said. “Besides, you’re my best friend. I want you to succeed.”

I threw my arms around Angela and hugged her tightly.

“You’re the best,” I said softly. “And I won’t forget it.”

Angela grinned. “I know,” she said.

We burst out laughing. At least I could always take comfort in her. No matter what happened with Thomas, I’d still have my best friend.

Chapter Six

June

Friday seemed to take forever. After school, I rushed home and gave myself a quick manicure and pedicure, in pale pink, my favorite color. Angela had taken the dress to the dry-cleaners, and it was hanging on the back of my door.

I nervously killed two hours watching reruns of television, barely even paying any attention. The second the clock hit seven, I wriggled into Angela’s dress, then applied two coats of mascara, lipstick, and a little blush. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe the girl I saw.

I just hoped Thomas would like her, too.

At twenty-five past, I spritzed on some perfume, grabbed my clutch, and shoved my feet into a pair of Angela’s black patent platform pumps. Her feet were slightly bigger than mine and for a moment, I wobbled nervously as I walked into the foyer of our apartment. I’ve got this, I thought, trying to stay positive. I can do this.

As I walked outside, my heart was pounding like a nervous drum. I bit my lip and glanced up and down the block, looking for any sign of Thomas.

I didn’t have to wait long. At seven-thirty on the dot, a silver Porsche cruised by the building and braked hard. Seconds later, Thomas climbed out from behind the driver’s seat and beamed at me. He was so handsome that it almost hurt to look. His silvery hair was pushed back and he was clad in a black button-down shirt and black slacks.

“Hi,” I said, blushing furiously and biting my lip.

“Hey yourself,” Thomas said. He winked at me. “You look stunning. I’ve never seen that before. New?”

My blush deepened and I was glad it was twilight.

“I borrowed it from my roommate,” I confessed with a small laugh. “I don’t really need stuff like this for school.”

Thomas laughed – it was a nice, deep sound – and grinned. “No, I guess not,” he said. “But damn. Your kids would really pay attention if you did.”

My cheeks hurt from smiling as I walked carefully to the car, making sure not to wobble too much in my borrowed heels. Thomas opened the passenger door and held it open for me, carefully tucking the silk of my skirt inside before closing it. When his skin brushed against mine, I shivered.

“So, I thought we’d go to Daniel,” Thomas said.

I giggled nervously. “I have to admit, I’ve never heard of that place.”

“You’ll love it,” Thomas said confidently. “It’s French, and very new.”

Oh, no, I thought nervously. I don’t know how to read French!

“Don’t worry, everything is fantastic,” Thomas said. He steered the Porsche smoothly down the street. Being there, in the car with him, I could barely remember to breathe. In Angela’s silk dress, I slid sensually against the black leather seat. It was all too much to take in. The sound of Thomas’s voice made me shiver every time he spoke.

“I’m really glad you asked me out,” I said softly, taking a nervous gulp. “I…I don’t really date much.”

Thomas chuckled. He reached across and briefly rested his hand on my bare knee before shifting the car into a different gear.

“I’m glad you said yes,” he said, his voice booming through my chest. “I’ve been wanting to ask you out ever since we first met.”

I licked my lips. By the time Thomas took his hand away from my knee, I was trembling with excitement.

“Are you okay?” Thomas eyed me. “Are you always this quiet?”

“No! I mean, yes,” I babbled, blushing deeply. “I mean, sorry. No. I’m just nervous.” I glanced down at my hands twisted tightly in my lap. “Like I said, I don’t really date much.”

“I don’t mind,” Thomas said. Now his voice was lighter, teasing.

“Good.” I gulped again.

“June, are you nervous being with me?” Thomas glanced at me, raising an eyebrow.

Yes, I thought quickly.

“Um,” was all I could say.

“Don’t be nervous,” Thomas said. He smiled. “I promise, I’m not some big bad wolf.”

No, I thought. You’re just gorgeous and rich and sexy and I can’t believe you’d want anything to do with a little nerd like me.

“I am, a little,” I said quietly. I glanced out the window and watched the shops and restaurants whizzing by. The warm, leathery Porsche felt like a different world, somehow like I was seeing everything in Manhattan for the first time.

“Would it help if I said that I’m nervous, too?”

“What?” I narrowed my eyes and whirled around in the seat. “Why?”

Thomas laughed. “Because I haven’t dated in a long time,” he said. “Probably fifteen years or so.”

I blinked. “You…you haven’t dated since the divorce?”

“No,” Thomas said. He swallowed. “I didn’t want to jump back in right away, you know,” he said. “The divorce was such a headache, it took all of my energy. I didn’t think that would be very fair.”

“I see.”

“And besides, it’s not going to be easy for Brett,” Thomas added in a low voice. He pulled the car over to a little area marked ‘valet.’ I blinked – the outside of Daniel was as beautiful as a luxury hotel.

“I know,” I said quietly. “He…he hasn’t been taking this well.”

“No,” Thomas said dryly. “And I’d want to ease him into the idea that I’m seeing someone.”

“Especially his teacher,” I added in a quiet voice.

Thomas laughed. “June, don’t worry about it,” he said. “This is just a first date. I’ll handle Brett, okay?”

I nodded.

A tuxedoed valet swooped down and pulled open the passenger door. I was careful to keep my knees together as I climbed out of Thomas’s fancy Porsche. Once I was on the ground, I wobbled once again and almost fell but steadied myself with a hand against the car.

“These are my roommate’s, too,” I said, giving a guilty glance down to my heels.

Thomas laughed. “I’d like to see your closet,” he said. “But I have to admit, that dress is perfect for you.” He reached out and swept my black hair across the nape of my neck. The slightest touch of his fingers made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I shivered.

“Thank you,” I said softly. “That means a lot.”

Thomas grinned. He offered me his arm and after a moment, I accepted.

“Wouldn’t want you tumbling down,” he said with a smirk.

I blushed as Thomas led me inside. The inside of Daniel was breathtakingly beautiful, with elegant marble and gold fixtures everywhere I looked. The plush red carpet under my heels felt like walking on a lush bed of grass, and the ceilings were so high that I felt tiny, like a dwarf.

“Like it?” Thomas gave me a bemused smirk.

“I love it,” I said, craning my neck and glancing all around. “This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen!”

Thomas nodded. “I love it, too,” he said. “I hosted a business dinner here last month and everyone agreed that it was phenomenal. I hope you like escargot,” he added with a smirk.

I blushed. “I don’t know what that is,” I said quietly.

Thomas gave me a wicked grin. “We’ll order some and let you decide for yourself,” he said.

A beautiful brunette hostess gave Thomas a warm smile. When she saw me, it faded a little. She was poured into a tight black dress – much like the one I’d rejected from Angela – and as she led us to our table, I couldn’t help but notice that she was salaciously swinging her hips from one side to the other.

I had to bite the inside of my mouth so I wouldn’t roll my eyes. Thomas was so gorgeous that I knew he was probably used to this kind of attention, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t find it rude.

After we were seated, the brunette turned to Thomas and gave him a megawatt grin.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, thank you,” Thomas said. His voice was polite but his eyes were firmly fixed on me. I blushed hotly.

The hostess’s smile faded. “Of course,” she said. Then she turned on her heel and sashayed away, showing off her perfectly heart-shaped butt.

“She was pretty,” I said quietly once the hostess had left.

“I didn’t notice,” Thomas said. He winked at me. “I’m here with you, remember?”

I blushed.

We hadn’t been seated for more than two minutes when another very attractive woman came up to the table and smiled.

“Hello, my name is Katharine and I’ll be your server tonight,” she said with a smile. I frowned when I realized her whole body was turned to face Thomas. It wasn’t like she didn’t even realize I was there.

“We’d like to start with a bottle of the ’93 pinot noir,” Thomas said smoothly. He turned to me. “June, do you like red wine?”

I nodded. Katharine turned, too. When she saw me, she smiled.

“It’s so nice that you’re taking your daughter out to dinner,” Katharine cooed to Thomas. “I can’t tell you how much I love seeing that.”

My cheeks were burning red and tears sprang to me eyes. Thankfully, Thomas laughed politely and shook his head.

“June is my date for the evening,” he said. “She isn’t my daughter.”

Katharine’s smile vanished. She glared at me, almost as if she were angry that Thomas wasn’t single.

“Oh,” she said shortly. “I’ll be right back with your wine.”

After she left, Thomas laughed. When he saw that I wasn’t smiling, he reached across the table and put his hand on my shoulder.

“June, relax,” Thomas said. He chuckled. “That was kind of funny, wasn’t it?”

“I guess,” I said sourly. “She’s jealous,” I added. I swallowed a lump in my throat. “It’s like she can’t believe you’re with me.”

“Well, I can hardly believe it myself,” Thomas said. He winked at me and I felt my frown melt off my face. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the room. I’m sure she’s just insecure, and she wanted to make you feel bad.”

“Stiff her on the tip,” I said dryly, winking at Thomas.

Thomas burst out laughing. “I should, shouldn’t I?” He snickered. “This menu is incredible,” he added smoothly, switching gears in less than a second. “What looks good to you?”

I glanced down. “I don’t know,” I confessed. “It’s all in French.”

“The lamb is fantastic, as is the hangar steak,” Thomas explained. “Do you like seafood?”

“Sometimes,” I said. I wrinkled my nose. “Not when it’s too fishy,” I added. “I only like it when it’s with a cream-based sauce.”

Thomas laughed. “You’re in luck,” he said. “That just about describes everything on the menu.”

We fell silent as Thomas perused his leather-bound menu. I glanced down at mine. The foreign words and accents intimidated me. The only thing I recognized was the word “entrée.”

“What’s chicken cordon bleu,” I asked, forming my lips around the strange words.

Thomas chuckled. “It’s a chicken dish with ham, cheese, and a creamy sauce,” he said. “It’s good, but very rich. Would you like me to order that for you?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Just get whatever you think is best.” I closed my menu. “I’m hungry, but this all sounds really good to me.”

Thomas nodded. “If that’s what you’d like, then that’s what I’ll do,” he said.

Katharine returned with the wine. She barely acknowledged me as she poured Thomas a taste. I watched, fascinated, as he swirled the glass around in his hand, releasing fragrant aromas into the air. As he sipped, he closed his eyes and relaxed his sensual, leonine features. I blushed hotly – it was somehow sexual, watching Thomas drink.

I wondered if that was the face he made when he came.

“Yes, this is perfect,” Thomas said after a long pause. “June, I think you’ll love this.”

Katharine turned to me with a sickly sweet smile on her face. “Ma’am, may I see some ID please?”

“Sure.” I pulled my wallet out of my clutch and handed over my driver’s license. Katharine stared at it longer than necessary, squinting hard at the date.

“Come on,” Thomas said. “She’s twenty-two.”

Katharine flashed him a big, fake smile. My stomach curdled as I heard her speak.

“Yes, sir, I’m sure – it’s just our policy to card anyone who looks underage.”

She handed my license back to me and flounced away.

“She forgot to fill my glass,” I said miserably.

“June, don’t let this bother you, please,” Thomas said. He chuckled. For a second, he almost looked nervous himself.

I swallowed. “I’m sorry.” I stuck my license back in my wallet and tucked my clutch away. “It just bothers me.”

Thomas sighed. “I know,” he said. “Look, it bothers me, too. But I don’t want it to ruin our evening.” He leaned closer and touched my hand, sending a thrilling warmth through my body. “Besides,” Thomas added with a wry smile. “As much as I hate to admit it, if we keep seeing each other, this kind of thing will happen.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I hope not,” I replied. “I mean, I hope that it doesn’t keep happening.” I covered my mouth with both hands. “Not that I hope we don’t keep seeing each other.”

Thomas laughed. “June, relax,” he said. He poured me a huge glass of wine and passed it over. “Drink this. It’s good, you’ll like it.”

I took a few sips and discovered that not only was the vintage wine good, it was the best thing I’d ever had. Closing my eyes, I took a long swallow and let the flavors burst in my mouth.

“This is incredible,” I said softly. I’d seen the price on the menu – one bottle was over two hundred dollars! – and part of me still couldn’t believe that a man like Thomas was so eager to spend money on someone like me.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Thomas said. He refilled both of our glasses, then we clinked. Just as I was starting to feel happy and relaxed, Katharine came bustling back up to the table.

“We’re going to start with escargot and baked brie,” Thomas said. “And then we’ll both have the rack of lamb, medium rare, with mint jelly and bordelaise.”

Katharine nodded. She started to open her mouth but Thomas held up his hand.

“Please, only speak if you have something kind to say,” he said.

Inwardly, I cheered.

Katharine’s cheeks flushed with anger and she looked pained. “I was going to tell you that our special tonight is a maple infused salmon terrine,” she said. “Would either of you be interested in trying that?”

Thomas looked at me expectantly. “June?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you,” I said. “I prefer the lamb.”

Thomas grinned. “As do I,” he said. He handed the menus to Katharine, who looked as if she’d been sucking on a lemon. “Thank you. That’ll be all.”

Katharine glared daggers at me as she stalked away.

“June, I really am sorry,” Thomas said in a deep, husky voice. “I had no idea we’d be treated like this, at least, not here. The previous times I’ve had dinner at Daniel, everything was perfect. The servers were very polite.” He reached up and adjusted the collar of his shirt. “I’ll be speaking to a manager after the meal.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t want her to lose her job.”

“Really?” Thomas arched an eyebrow.

I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “I mean, she was rude. But she shouldn’t be fired just because she thinks you’re hot.” I blushed. “I mean, you are hot. No wonder she couldn’t help but stare at you.”

Thomas chuckled. “That’s very flattering, June,” he said. “Thank you.”

I bit my lip and took another long sip of wine. When I felt Thomas’s hand on my knee under the table, I froze. He looked at me and raised his eyebrows, not speaking. After a few moments, I nodded, blushing furiously.

Thomas’s fingers caressed my bare skin, stroking my knee. He slid up, inch by inch, until the tips of his fingers were stroking the inside of my thigh. I blushed hotly and squirmed. It tickled, but it also felt exquisite. No one had ever touched me like this – no one had ever turned me on more than Thomas March.

“You’re flushed,” Thomas said with a smirk. “Are you feeling unwell? Is it too warm in here?”

I bit my lip and shook my head. Thomas’s fingers moved higher and higher, until he was practically at the crotch of my panties. A strange, hot arousal flowed through my body – unlike anything else I’d ever felt before. It almost felt like my crotch was burning. I realized all too late that I was straining my body towards Thomas, spreading my legs and allowing him greater access to my soaked pussy.

As Thomas teased my inner thighs under the table, my clit tingled and swelled. Soon, I could feel that my clit hood had rolled back and my bare clit was rubbing against the fabric of my panties. I bit my lip and suppressed a loud moan as Thomas’s fingers stroked higher. He slid the tip of a finger around the edge of my panties, where my leg met my body, and my eyes rolled my back in my head. I wanted him to take me right there. My whole body was on fire as Thomas teased me, stroking me gently. When his fingers moved to the crotch of my panties and began to touch me there, I thought I would die of pleasure.

Suddenly, Katharine swooped over the table. Thomas yanked his hand back and sat up straight, looking every inch the immaculate billionaire. Flushing furiously, I sat up and yanked my skirt down. My breath was coming in hard little pants and I could feel that my whole face was bright red.

Katharine eyed me with cold amusement as she set two dishes down on the table. One of them was vaguely familiar – brie baked in a puff pastry crust, served with fruits and crackers. But the other, a small white dish with nine round holes, was something I’d never seen before. Tiny little lumps of meat filled each hole. Melted butter and herbs covered the dish and it smelled heavenly.

“Escargot,” Thomas said, nodding to the white dish.

I nodded. “Oh,” I said.

“Would you like to try?” Thomas took a small fork with three tines and dipped it into the dish. He speared one of the small hunks of meat and lifted it to my lips. Obediently, I parted and let Thomas feed me.

“Delicious, aren’t they?” Thomas asked.

I chewed. The meat – whatever it was – was surprisingly tender and it fell apart in my mouth. The butter and herbs soaked into my tongue in a sensual blend. I closed my eyes, savoring the small morsel of meat.

“That’s incredible,” I said. “Wow.” I opened my eyes and smiled at Thomas. The sexual energy was still flooding my body, and all of my senses were heightened. When I tasted my wine, it tasted different than before – richer, with more body. It was almost like being incredibly turned on just made things more delicious.

“I’m glad you like,” Thomas said. He speared another tiny piece of meat on the fork and popped it into his mouth. “No one makes escargot like Daniel does.”

I nodded. “It was really good,” I said. I dabbed my lips with the napkin. “What was it?”

Thomas gave me a puzzled look. “Escargot,” he said.

I blushed. “Yeah,” I said. “But, um, I don’t know what that is.”

Thomas raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Snails.”

My jaw dropped. The delicious, buttery flavors in my mouth turned to ash and I spit some wine back into the glass.

“Oh, June, I’m sorry,” Thomas said. He looked apologetic this time. “I assumed you know.”

The blood drained from my face and I wiped my lips with the napkin, not even caring that I’d likely smeared lipstick all over my face.

“Snails?” I gasped. “You fed me snails?”

Thomas chuckled. “They were good, though,” he said. He smirked at me. “You were fine with it before you knew what they were.”

I blushed. “It…was good,” I admitted grudgingly. “But that’s so gross! How can anyone eat snails?” I shuddered.

Thomas speared another on his fork and popped it into his mouth. He gave me a devilish smirk. “Because they’re delicious,” he said. “And come on, you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy them.”

I wrinkled my nose. “You’re right,” I said. “But I think I’ll stick with the baked brie.”

Thomas laughed heartily. “Fine with me,” he said. “More snails for me.” He wriggled his eyebrows at me and I burst out laughing.

The brie was heavenly, and thankfully it didn’t contain a single trace of escargot. I smeared some on a cracker and topped it with the fig preserves that had come with a tiny dish. Already, despite Katharine’s bitchy behavior and the discovery of escargot, I loved Daniel. I loved the posh opulence, I loved the attention to detail in every dish.

Most of all, I loved being there with Thomas.

When our lamb came, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. Every bite seemed to melt in my mouth.

“I’m glad you like lamb,” Thomas said. He took a small bite, then a sip of wine.

“Why?”

Thomas shrugged. “It’s one of those things, people either love it or they hate it.”

I laughed. “Whoever hates it just hasn’t tried the lamb here,” I said, raising my eyebrow. “It’s incredible.”

Thomas nodded. “It is,” he said. “But I’m often prone to liking things that many people don’t.” He raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed.

“Like me?” I giggled.

“June, I can’t believe you think that way about yourself,” Thomas said. “You should know – you have so much to offer. You’re young, you’re beautiful – you’re obviously smart, you teach at the best public school in New York City.”

I bit my lip. “I just feel so dumb,” I said. “And so young. It’s so cliquey at school! I thought everything would change, you know. I thought people would grow out of catty behavior.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they rarely do,” Thomas said. He shook his head. “My ex, Marlene…you’ve seen her. She still acts like the queen bee, like someone just elected her prom queen.”

I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t know what to say – I didn’t know Thomas very well yet, and I felt like criticizing his ex would only make me look bad. So I just nodded.

“You’ll be fine,” Thomas said. He grinned at me. “I’ve got faith in you, June. You’ve got no reason to ever feel like you aren’t good enough.” He leaned closer. “And besides, you’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I blushed hotly. My panties were still soaked with my own juices, but I was feeling so overwhelmed – with the food, with Thomas, with the wine – that I could barely focus. By the time the check came, I felt like I was floating on air.

Thomas paid, refusing to look at Katharine when he handed her his credit card. After the bill had been settled, Thomas stood up and offered me his arm. We walked out into the chill New York City evening and I closed my eyes, resting my head on Thomas’s shoulder as happiness flooded my body.

The valet pulled up in Thomas’s silver Porsche and again, Thomas opened the passenger door for me. I knew that I should be thrilled – after all, I’d just had a wonderful time with one of the world’s sexiest men. But part of me was sad, too – I didn’t want the night to end. I wanted to stay with Thomas forever, smiling and happy by his side.

And now that I knew how much he wanted me, I desperately wanted to have a passionate encounter with him.

“I had a wonderful time with you tonight,” Thomas said. The Porsche rolled silently through the bright streets of Manhattan. I pressed my nose to the glass, staring at all of the bright young people who were just getting a start to their night.

“I did, too,” I said shyly. “Thank you so much for asking me out.”

Thomas grinned. “I’m glad you said yes.” He reached over and I shivered, thinking that he was going to slip his hand between my legs. Instead, he twined his fingers with mine and squeezed. The simple gesture somehow felt almost more intimate than when he’d been stroking my cotton-covered pussy back at Daniel.

I squeezed back. Thomas lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my fingers, sending a blossoming warmth through my body. When he pulled up at my apartment complex, he unfastened my seatbelt and slipped his fingers under my chin. I blushed hotly as Thomas pressed his lips to mine. At first, the kiss was chaste. But then he slipped his tongue into my mouth and I moaned softly as the sensual, slick muscle wormed into my mouth. I was putty in Thomas’s arms as we kissed and I was barely aware of wrapping my arms around his neck and sliding closer to him.

Thomas smelled musky and expensive, like three-hundred-dollar cologne. He nibbled on my lip and took my face in his hands, kissing me deeply. I moaned softly and gave myself over to him, tangling my hands in his thick, silver hair.

“Mmm,” I purred, unable to control myself. “I want you so much.”

Thomas chuckled against my mouth. The sensation tickled and I giggled. We kissed again, and Thomas nipped at my lower lip almost hard enough to draw blood.

“I want you, too,” Thomas said. He slid his hands down my body. In Angela’s silk dress, I felt practically naked. My nipples sprang into stiff little pebbles as Thomas moved his hands over my breasts. Touch me, I begged silently. Touch me again, make me yours.

“Oh, god,” I moaned, biting my lip and throwing my head back. Thomas’s hands felt hot through the thin layer of silk and I practically shoved myself at him, desperate and craving more of his touch.

Thomas chuckled and pulled away. “I haven’t made out in a car since I was a kid,” he said. His silver hair was ruffled and he smoothed it neatly back into place.

“I’ve never done that before,” I said softly. My heart was pounding in my chest and my skin felt hot and flushed.

Thomas leaned over and kissed me gently. “I had a wonderful time with you tonight,” he said. “I’d love to take you out again soon.”

I blushed. “I’d love that,” I said softly.

“Have a good night, June,” Thomas said. As always, the way he said my name sent shivers crawling down my spine.

“You, too,” I said softly.

I felt like I was floating on air as I walked into my apartment building and began climbing the stairs. I was still in a magic spell from Thomas that hung around me like a rainbow fog, but it was slowly starting to fade. By the time I got to my front door, I realized how uncomfortably Angela’s shoes were pinching. I sighed and took them off, gasping when I saw my feet were swollen, red, and covered in blisters.

Angela was waiting on the couch. When she saw me, she leapt to her feet and grinned.

“You’re home late!” Angela exclaimed. She grinned lasciviously. “I take it that means you had a good time?”

I flopped down on the couch, grinning. “It was the best night of my life,” I said softly. “I feel like I’m falling in love.”

Angela grinned. “Good,” she said. “That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear.” She winked at me and together we burst out laughing.

I had no idea what the future would hold, but that night when I went to bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Thomas and the way he’d touched me. I’d never experienced anything like it…and I’d do anything to make sure that I felt it again.

Chapter Seven

Thomas

As I watched June’s perfect ass walk away from me, my cock was so hard that it ached. I could barely wait to get home – I desperately hoped Brett was asleep – so I could lock myself in my bedroom and jack off. June was intoxicating. Everything about her was fresh, lovely. I’d never been around such a naïve woman, but then again, I’d never met anyone as charming as June, either. In the jaded world of New York City, June was a fresh breath of air. She was magic, she was perfection.

And I wanted to fuck her so hard that she wouldn’t be able to walk for a week.

By the time I got home, Manhattan was dark. I handed the keys of my Porsche over to Ernesto, the valet of my building, then took the elevator to the penthouse suite. I’d known that I was going to be late, so I’d asked Hannah to watch over Brett. It was much too late for Isabelle – she normally got here at five in the morning, and I’d given Hannah three hundred bucks just to order a pizza and hang out with my son for the night.

The foyer was dark.

“Brett?” I called quietly. “You awake, bud?”

Inside there was no sign of Brett or Hannah. I frowned, kicking off my shoes and unbuttoning the first buttons on my shirt. In the living room, the television was stuck on muted cartoons. I frowned. As I got closer, I saw Brett curled up on the couch, fast asleep with a throw blanket over his lap.

Anger ripped through my body. As gently as I could, I shook Brett awake.

“Hey, buddy,” I said. “Where’s Hannah? Why didn’t you sleep in your room?”

Brett yawned in my face, sending a wave of pizza-breath over my senses.

“Come on,” I said. I scooped him up in my arms and carried him down the hall, nudging his door open with my foot and carrying Brett inside. By the time I set him down in bed, he was practically asleep once again. After I tucked him in, I gently closed his door and started stalking down the hall. I had no fucking idea what made Hannah think it was okay to let my kid fall asleep on the couch and then leave. She’d had explicit orders from me to stay until I returned home. And even if some kind of emergency had taken place, she could have left a note! She could’ve called me!

I pushed open the door to my bedroom. Hannah was lying on my bed, clad in a jade silk robe that barely covered the round cheeks of her ass. When she saw me, she gave me a sexy smile.

“I thought you’d never come home,” Hannah said in a sleepy, purring voice. She stood up and stretched. The dark green silk parted, showing a black lacy bra and panties.

“What the fuck is going on,” I asked, trying to keep my voice low for the sake of my sleeping son.

Hannah pouted and walked closer, swaying her narrow hips. “I thought you’d be pleased,” she said. She stuck out her lower lip.

I drew back my arm and slapped her across the face.

“You fucking ignored my son all night,” I growled, grabbing the collar of the robe and pulling Hannah close. “You fucking let him fall asleep on the goddamned couch and then what? Stayed here, waiting for me? What the fuck were you thinking?”

Hannah’s eyes filled with tears. She puckered her lips and tried to kiss me but I shoved her away.

“No,” I snapped. “This is fucked up! You don’t get to try to seduce me, you fucking understand?”

“Thomas, I love you,” Hannah said. “We should be together. I’ve always wanted to be with you, and now is our chance.”

“You’re fucking insane,” I roared. “And you’re fired. Now!”

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. “You can’t fire me,” she snapped. “I could sue you for sexual harassment!”

Up until then, I’d tried to keep my anger as contained as possible.

“Fuck you,” I snarled in her face. “You think you could sue me and win?” I laughed hollowly, throwing back my head. “I could crush you in court,” I said. “No one would ever believe you.”

Hannah’s face fell – I could tell that she knew I was right. Still, she tossed her long blonde hair over one shoulder and smirked.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Hannah said icily. “You know better than to do that, Thomas,” she added, spitting the last word like a curse. “You wouldn’t want that kind of publicity, and you know it.”

I rolled my eyes and threw my hands into the air. “Get the fuck out of my condo before I call the cops and tell them you’re trespassing,” I said.

Hannah sulked. She turned towards me and licked her lips. “Thomas…don’t you want me?” She put her hands to her breasts and rolled her eyes back in her head. I watched as she slid her hands down her body. Hannah was beautiful – almost all men stared at her – but somehow, I’d never felt attracted to her as anything more than a passing glance.

“No,” I said shortly. “I don’t want you, Hannah. I want you to get your things and leave. And I want you know that if you ever try to trespass at my office or in my home, I will have you arrested on the spot.”

Hannah blinked. It seemed like the severity of the situation was finally starting to sink in that thick, blonde skull of hers.

“Now,” I said sharply. “Come on.”

Hannah still didn’t move. Her feet remained firmly planting in the plush white carpet. When another second passed and she hadn’t moved, I grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her out of my bedroom.

“Wait,” Hannah shrieked. “My clothes!”

“Shut the fuck up,” I snarled. “If you wake Brett, I’ll make you regret it.”

Hannah glared viciously at me as I dragged her towards the front door. When I got to the foyer, I wrenched open the door and dragged her into the harshly lit hallway.

“Stay here,” I ordered. I slammed the door in Hannah’s face before stalking through the apartment and grabbing her clothes, shoes, and purse. When I returned to the hall, Hannah was standing there, leaning against the wall and smirking.

“You think you’ve won,” Hannah said softly. “You think you intimidate me.” She threw her head back and laughed. “The truth is, you asshole, you don’t know anything about me.”

“Good,” I snarled. I dropped her clothes and purse on the floor, taking satisfaction when the bag spilled all over. “Now leave.”

Hannah gave me one last, lingering sulky glance before pulling her jeans on and grabbing her things. I stood in the door and watched as she got into the elevator and disappeared.

With a sigh, I turned and walked back into my condo. Brett was standing in the hall, looking small and scared.

“Dad, what happened?” His voice was trembling.

“Nothing,” I said. “Don’t worry about it,” I added.

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Brett said. “Hannah never ordered dinner. She just told me to watch TV until I fell asleep.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry,” I said. “She’s not coming back here. I fired her.”

“Oh.” Brett frowned. “Are you okay?”

I sighed. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m fine. Come on, let’s order a pizza.”

Brett grinned and raced into the living room, jumping on the couch. After a few seconds, I smiled. This wasn’t exactly the end of the night that I’d wanted, and all thoughts of sexy June had been pushed from my head. But if it meant that I had a chance to finally bond with my son, I didn’t care. After all, Brett was the most important thing in my life. And I would’ve done anything to make sure he realized that.

--

In the morning, I woke up and sat in bed for a long time, reading the paper. I could hear Isabelle and Brett chatting animatedly in the kitchen, and the whole condo smelled of bacon and soft-boiled eggs.

When I finally got into the kitchen, Brett grinned. I grinned back – maybe this was for the best, maybe the departure of Hannah would finally mean that Brett and I would be close.

“Hey, Dad, Isabelle brought a surprise,” Brett said. He held up a bunch of comics.

“Oh, that’s nice, did you say thank you?” I raised my eyebrow.

Brett nodded.

“He was very polite,” Isabelle said. She smiled. “Would you like some eggs, Mr. Thomas?”

I nodded, helping myself to a piece of bacon from the platter on the island. It was perfect – not too crisp, not too soggy.

“Thanks, Isabelle,” I said. I took the plate she offered, neatly cutting the top of one soft-boiled egg and taking a bite.

Brett smiled again. “Hey, Dad, can we go to the zoo this weekend?”

“Sure,” I said. “Is Saturday okay? You want any friends to come?”

Brett nodded. He put his dishes in the sink and then raced into the living room. Isabelle threw an affectionate smile towards him.

“He’s growing up so fast,” she said.

I nodded and reached for my laptop, pulling it closer. As soon as it booted, I opened my email and frowned. Sixty-three emails…a bit high for a Saturday morning.

But when I saw the first subject line, my heart sank. It was from Hannah.

“Urgent – Need To Discuss Last Night.”

I groaned inwardly as I opened it and was greeted with a solid wall of text. Frowning, I leaned closer and began to read. As I scanned the page, my stomach twisted into a furious series of knots. By the time I was through, I was shaking with rage. That little cunt, I thought, slamming my laptop shut. She isn’t getting away with this shit.

“Mr. Thomas?” Isabelle looked up at me with concern. “You okay?”

“No,” I said shortly. “But I will be.”

Chapter Eight

June

On Saturday, Angela and I went out shopping. I wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone other than her, but I was desperate to find something that wouldn’t made me look like a little kid in the eyes of Thomas. We went from department store to department store, looking at dresses, lingerie, and shoes.

“What about this?” I held up a grey silk bra, La Perla, with the cups done in lace.

“It wouldn’t look right on you,” Angela said. She frowned and stepped closer. “Let me have a look.” She shuffled the shopping bags from one arm to the other, hoisting them high on her shoulder. “What about this?”

I frowned. Angela was holding up a white cotton chemise, slightly sheer.

I wrinkled my nose. “I’d look like Anne of Green Gables,” I said, twisting my lips.

Angela laughed. “It would be sexy on you!”

“I want something sexier,” I said, pushing the chemise aside and rifling through a table of brightly-colored silk panties. “Like this,” I added, holding up a pair of black silk undies.

Angela burst out laughing. “June, those are crotchless.”

“What?!” I dropped the black silk on the table, blushing hotly. My flush deepened when I realized that people all over the store were staring at us.

“June, come over here,” Angela said. “Put those down,” she added, pointing to an emerald pair of undies clutched in my hands.

Frowning, I followed Angela out of lingerie and into outerwear.

“Getting a coat would be just covering up even more,” I said in irritation.

“No, I’m not talking about that,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, okay?” She pulled me over to the shoe department. “What about just…you know, kind of modifying your everyday wardrobe?”

“I don’t know,” I confessed. “What exactly do you mean?”

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. “Like, I don’t know.” She gestured down at my outfit. I glanced down, half-expecting the solution to pop into my head. I was wearing slim jeans, a white blouse, and a black cardigan with the first button fastened.

“I still don’t get it,” I said.

“So, you look cute,” Angela said. “But what if you traded your pants for something that came above your ankles, and then wore heels?”

“That sounds painful.”

“And ditch the cardigan,” Angela added. “And get a cuter blouse – you know, something that actually fits you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You can stop insulting my whole wardrobe now,” I said testily.

Angela laughed. “June, I didn’t mean it like that.” She sighed. “But a dramatic change is too much, at least, for now. Unless you feel comfortable in something, you won’t look sexy.”

I stared at her.

“Remember the black dress?” Angela gesticulated with her hands, drawing them tightly from her bust line to her hips. “You know -- the first dress I picked out for you to wear on your date.”

“I wouldn’t ever wear something like that,” I said quickly.

Angela grabbed my hand. “That’s the point,” she said. She tossed her hair, looking smug. “Because you wouldn’t feel comfortable in it.”

I blinked. “I guess I get that,” I said.

“So, for now, we just…upgrade a few things,” Angela said. “And we branch out, until you start feeling sexy. Then you can rock stuff like this,” she added, pointing towards a trench coat.

I frowned. “I could wear that now,” I said.

Angela stared at me for a few seconds before she burst out laughing. “June, I mean like, wear it without anything on underneath.”

I blushed and gaped. “You can’t mean that,” I said hotly.

Angela smirked. “Thomas would love it,” she said, tossing her hair. “Come on,” she added. “Let’s go to sportswear. I’ll pick some cute stuff for you, okay?”

I frowned. “Okay,” I said. “I’m not feeling very optimistic, though.”

Angela laughed. “You don’t have to,” she said. “It’ll come. Don’t worry, June. I’ll make sure you look super hot.”

I rolled my eyes.

But an hour and a half later, I was surprised to see that Angela had been right. She picked out a pair of black cigarette jeans for me that hit just above the ankle and a pair of sandals with a low heel that looked deceptively sexy once I was wearing them.

“You do innocent well,” Angela said. She narrowed her eyes and surveyed me. “So, you should stick with that and make it work.”

I sighed and twisted my long black hair into a knot.

Angela held up a blouse. It wasn’t like most of my tops. It was navy cotton, with puffed short sleeves and ribbon threaded around the eyelet cuffs.

“Try this on,” Angela said.

I took it and slumped into a dressing room. I was tired – even on the best of days, I hadn’t always enjoyed shopping. It always felt like tedious work to me. And even though I knew I had a decent body, I always looked so puffy and fat in the florescent store lighting. Even expensive stores, like Neiman Marcus, didn’t seem to have very flattering fitting rooms.

I sighed as soon as the blouse was on and stomped out of the dressing room. Angela grinned when she saw me. She tugged the neckline of the blouse down and moved the short sleeves so they sat just off my shoulders.

“That looks sexy,” Angela declared. She spun me around and pointed to my reflection in a mirror. “You agree?”

I bit my lip. “I hate to say this,” I said. “But you’re right.”

Angela grinned triumphantly. “Come on,” she said. “I need a new pair of shoes, and then we can go get ice cream. You look like you’re ready to drop dead.”

I nodded. “I hate shopping,” I told her as I carried my purchases to the counter.

“This was worth it,” Angela said. She gave me a satisfied smirk. “Thomas is going to flip when he sees you in that shirt.”

I blushed. The truth was, I’d been really hoping to hear from Thomas. But two days had passed since our last day and he hadn’t called. I knew that it was the twenty-first century, that men didn’t always have to make the first move. But somehow, I also knew that Thomas was a guy who enjoyed making the first move, that he was the kind of man who would be turned off by a woman who was actively pursuing him.

On Sunday, Angela and I went to the park and I did some schoolwork while she read. The days were growing chillier. I had a feeling by the end of October, I wouldn’t want to be outside at all. As it was, I was wrapped up in a blanket cardigan and enjoying the feel of the sun warming my black hair.

I tried to ignore the growing feeling of dread in my stomach. Thomas seemed to really like me, I thought as I rolled over onto my belly and stuffed the paperwork back into my bag. Why hasn’t he called me yet?

Monday morning, I woke up almost too late. I managed to pull a dress over my head and match it with tights and boots before stumbling out of the apartment and catching a cab all the way to P.S. 151. Cabs were normally a forbidden luxury for me, especially on the salary of a public teacher. But I couldn’t risk another tardy, especially not when it was so early in the school year.

It started raining in the middle of the morning, which put all the kids in a bad mood. Brett was acting especially terrible. Now that I was dating his father, I knew I had to walk a very thin line between Good Teacher and Possibly Dangerous Teacher. Still, I wasn’t going to tolerate any more bad behavior. At ten-thirty, Brett slipped out of his chair and yanked Lily’s pigtails so hard that she shrieked. I dropped the chalk onto the ground and whirled around, glaring angrily at him.

“Brett March,” I said angrily. “Come with me.”

The other students were silent as I took Brett’s arm and walked him down the hall to the principal’s office. He was silent the whole time, his face clouded with anger and rage.

“I didn’t even do anything,” Brett whined. “Why are you picking on me?”

“Because you’ve been a really naughty little boy,” I said angrily. “And I’m not going to tolerate that kind of behavior in my classroom.”

The principal was in a meeting, so I left Brett with his secretary and pushed my way into the hall. My face was flushed with anger and my heart was pounding. I knew that Thomas wouldn’t be happy with Brett, and I desperately hoped that I wasn’t killing our relationship before it had even gotten off the ground by disciplining his son.

“Hey June.”

I jumped. Andy was standing right behind me, smirking.

“Oh, hi,” I said quickly. “I’ve got to run back to class, Andy, I just had to take a kid to the principal.”

Andy raised his eyebrows. “So, when can I take you out again, June?”

“I’m really busy,” I said quickly.

Andy laughed and looked hurt. “I didn’t even mention a date yet,” he said. He crossed his arms and frowned. “Why don’t you want anything to do with me?”

I swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. “I’m just really dealing with a lot of stuff,” I said.

“Well, I’m not asking you to marry me,” Andy said. “Come on, June. I’m asking you for a date. Just one more date, okay?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Andy, I really don’t know.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

“Just say yes.” Andy’s eyes flickered with anger. “Just say yes, June. Just one dinner.”

“Okay,” I said quickly. “Fine. But I’ve got to get back to class, Andy. Bye!”

Turning on my heel, I jogged in the other direction. I was only grateful that Andy didn’t follow me.

Back in my classroom, Ruth had things under control. I flashed her a grateful smile as I took my place at the front of the class. In a span of just a few minutes, I’d gone from feeling bad to worse. I couldn’t believe that Andy had pressured me into saying yes. I didn’t even like him! I just felt obligated, and he was so pushy that I couldn’t stand it.

I sighed. “Okay, class,” I said. “Please take out your copies of Misty of Chincoteague and turn to Chapter Two.

“Yes, Miss Rogers,” the class echoed in unison.

At least I’m doing one thing right, I thought as I lifted my copy from my desk and began to read. So at least there’s that.

--

By the time the bell rang at the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to get home. A low-grade migraine had started to throb at the back of my neck and my eyeballs were aching with tension. The only good thing was that Andy was leaving me alone…even if I was trapped into going on a date with him sometime in the nearby future.

When I got home, Angela was still at work. I took a long hot shower until the water ran cold, then wrapped myself in a fluffy bathrobe and made a mug of hot chocolate. Just as I was curling up on the couch with Wuthering Heights, the door flew open and Angela stalked in.

“I can’t believe it,” Angela said. She groaned. “There’s something outside for you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What?”

Angela smirked. “Go and see,” she said. “It must’ve come after you got home.”

I frowned. “I thought I heard someone ringing the buzzer,” I said. “But I guess I thought I imagined it. I was in the shower,” I added.

“You’re so spacey,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes. “Go and see. I promise, you’ll like it.”

Cramming my feet into an old pair of slippers, I went out into the hall. When I saw, what was waiting for me, I gasped. An enormous display of white roses, shaped perfectly like a cube, was waiting for me. It was easily the most beautiful display I’d ever seen. When I saw, the card marked with ‘June,’ I shivered.

“Can you help?” I called. “These things are heavy!”

The flower cube had a convenient little pedestal stand and Angela and I worked hard to push it into our apartment. Soon, the whole flat was filled with the delicious scent of roses.

“You’re lucky I like floral scents,” Angela said sarcastically. “That’s the biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen!”

“I know.” My mouth felt dry and I walked in slow circles around the cube of white roses, gently brushing the tips of my fingers against the petals.

The card read: “June – I can’t wait to be with you again. You’re even softer than these roses. Thomas.”

I blushed. “I can’t read this out loud,” I confessed. “You read it.”

Angela held the card in her hands. As her lips moved over the words, she blushed and her mouth formed a small ‘o.’

“Wow,” Angela said. “He really likes you!” She laughed. “And I hope you didn’t do anything that would make my dress need to be dry-cleaned.”

“Definitely not,” I said quickly. I recounted how Thomas had touched me in the restaurant and in his car. “But it didn’t go further than that,” I said, blushing hotly. “I wanted it to, though.”

“I bet,” Angela said dryly. She tucked the card down into the beautiful white roses. “These really are gorgeous,” she said. She sniffed. “No one has ever even sent me carnations,” she added sourly.

I laughed. “Want me to ask Thomas if he has any single billionaire friends?”

“Oh, could you?”

We burst out laughing together. “I’d feel so weird,” I said. “Ugh!”

“So, how was your day?”

I shrugged. Something told me I shouldn’t bring up Andy, but I couldn’t help mentioning it.

“It was so creepy,” I added. “It was like he was so persistent, but he wasn’t even being nice about it! Like, why the heck would he want anything to do with me when he has this much disdain for me?”

Angela eyed me for a long time. “June…someone sent you this,” she added, pointing to the white roses. “And you’re thinking about going on another date with that loser?”

“I don’t want to,” I said honestly. “I just…well, I don’t really know what to do. I feel like I have to! He wouldn’t take no for an answer, Ang.”

“Call him and tell him that it’s off,” Angela said. “He can’t possibly back you into a corner when you’re just on the phone with him.”

I sighed. Just as I was about to reach for my phone, it started to buzz. I leapt up in excitement when I saw Thomas’s name on the caller identification.

“Hello?” I was flushed and breathless as I answered.

“Hello, June.”

“I love the flowers!” I gushed quickly. “They’re so, so beautiful, Thomas! I’ve never seen anything like them before!”

Thomas chuckled. “I’m glad you like them,” he said. “I picked them out with you in mind.”

I squirmed and flushed, biting my lip.

“June, come out to dinner with me this Saturday,” Thomas said firmly. “I’ve got this great new wine bar – you’ll love it. Lots of vintage blends and little tapas.”

“Yes,” I said instantly, not even thinking about it. “Yes, I’d love to.”

“I’m sorry that it’s going to have to be around eight,” Thomas said. “I have a meeting earlier in the evening, but I’d love to see you. If that’s too late, let me know – I could always send you dinner first.”

“No, no,” I said quickly. “That’s not too late. Eight sounds perfect.”

“Good,” Thomas said. I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was smirking. “I can’t wait to see you, June.”

His voice was full of dark promise. I shivered, closing my eyes and thinking about what would happen between us.

“I can’t wait, either,” I whispered hotly into the phone.

We hung up and I clutched my phone to my chest, smiling happily and swaying from side to side.

“Thomas?” Angela asked.

“Oh, yeah,” I said smugly. “He called me and asked me out on Saturday. We’re going to a wine bar,” I added. “With vintage blends. And tapas!”

“That sounds great,” Angela said enviously. “God, can you bring home your leftovers?”

I laughed. “It’s tapas,” I said. “Unless I only have like one bite of each thing, there won’t be any!”

“Find an invisibility cloak and take me with you,” Angela said. She smirked.

I didn’t reply. Something had just popped into my head.

“What? June, it was a joke,” Angela said. “I didn’t actually mean—“

I grinned. “I don’t have to go out with Andy,” I said.

“Duh, now just call him and tell him.”

“No,” I said impatiently, shaking my head. “I don’t have to go out with him because Thomas asked me for a date at the same time I was supposed to meet Andy.”

“You’re just going to ghost him?” Angela raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think he’ll be pissed?”

“Yeah,” I replied nervously. “But like, maybe he’ll get the message this time, you know?” I frowned. “I don’t want to be rude, but if he asks me about it afterwards, I’ll just tell him I was honest when I said I was busy. That way he shouldn’t ask again.”

Angela laughed. “That’s bold for you, June,” she said. “But yeah, you’re probably right.” She sighed enviously. “I’m so glad Thomas asked you out again.” She leaned in close. “Do you think you’re going to sleep with him this time?”

I flushed. “I hope so,” I said quietly. “God, I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be!”

“I am,” I said. I bit my lip. “You know I only slept with Aaron a handful of times.”

“And he was a college boy who didn’t know shit,” Angela said firmly. “Thomas is a man. Don’t be nervous, June. I’m sure he’ll be great in bed.”

I blushed. “I’m just worried that I won’t be,” I said.

Angela laughed. “Don’t be,” she said. “You’ll be fine.” She sashayed into the bathroom and closed the door, humming merrily.

I sank down on the couch and looked at my hands. As much as I wouldn’t have wanted Thomas to know, I was nervous. I’d only had sex with one guy before – Aaron, my college boyfriend. We’d been together for two years, although I hadn’t felt nearly the same way about him that I felt about Thomas. It was more like we were just friends, who started dating because it was the right thing to do. Aaron had always pushed me for more seriously commitments, but I hadn’t been ready to give him anything even close to what he’d wanted.

I just hoped Thomas didn’t view me in the same light.

Chapter Nine

Thomas

After my meeting on Saturday, I was dying to see June. We’d made arrangements to meet at La Toscabelle, since I was coming from Jersey. I couldn’t believe how crazy I acted whenever June popped into my head. I hadn’t been this crazy over a girl since I’d first met Marlene…and that obviously hadn’t worked out.

When I walked into the restaurant, I saw June instantly. She was sitting at the bar, bare-armed and beautiful in a white dress that set her pale skin and black hair off in a perfect contrast. She was sipping something that looked sweet and fruity. My skin crawled when I thought about how it would feel to tear that white fabric away from her pale, sweet body.

Still, I knew I had to restrain myself. June was young, and obviously inexperienced – it was part of her charm. But I couldn’t frighten her off. I had to play the gentleman until she was all but ready to throw her lithe little body in my arms.

“June,” I said in a deep voice.

June blushed. She spun around on the barstool. I grinned as she stuck her little pink tongue out of her mouth and licked her lips. Like a goddamned kitten, I thought. My cock twitched inside of my briefs. I wanted to pick her up and crush her to me, kiss her deeply until she was moaning and purring in my arms.

But I restrained myself.

“Our table is ready,” I said. I offered June my arm and she slipped her silky fingers through my elbow and rested them on my bicep. We walked to the table together. I knew, as always, that I attracted the attention of every woman nearby. But with sweet little June on my arm, I barely noticed. Look at this goddess, I thought, juicily hungering for the curve of June’s ass pressed against my crotch. She doesn’t know how perfect she is.

We were seated at a back table – the most intimate in the restaurant. This wasn’t an accident. I’d arranged everything beforehand with the maître d.

“Wow,” June breathed. Her voice, as always, was slightly husky. “This is really something, Thomas.”

God, I love the way she says my name.

“Yeah,” I said. I felt weak. “It’s a really nice place.”

June could barely tear her eyes away from me as I ordered two white wine flights for us.

“I thought you just liked reds,” June said. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like there was a touch of coyness in her voice.

I smirked at her and lifted the first glass, a beautifully woody chardonnay, to my lips.

“I like all wine,” I said. I sniffed. “And La Toscabelle does a beautiful job.”

“Mn,” June purred. She closed her eyes and took a long sip. “This is delicious,” she said softly.

When it came time to order, I laid the whole menu down and smiled.

“We’ll take two of each tapa,” I said. I smirked at June. “My date hasn’t ever been here before. I’m sure she’d love to be impressed.”

The waiter’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. “Oh, yes sir, very good sir,” he said quickly. He bowed and gave a polite smile to June before taking our menus and disappearing.

“This is nice,” June said quietly. She smiled happily. “I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying myself.”

I grinned. “Good,” I said. “That’s what I like to hear.”

June blushed. “This sounds silly,” she said quietly. “But I’m glad we don’t have another bitchy waitress.” She rolled her eyes and I laughed.

“I know,” I said. That also wasn’t an accident – I’d called ahead of time, when requesting the private table, and asked for a male waiter who wouldn’t comment on our appearances.

June grinned, obviously oblivious of my scheming. “It’s just a nice change,” she said. “I know it’s stupid, but that idiot Katharine almost ruined my time last time.”

I smirked. “Not stupid at all.”

I scooted forward in my chair and reached my hand under the table. When June realized what I was about to do, she bit her lip and blushed. I began stroking her knee. Her skin was as soft and smooth as silk and I could barely keep my eyes from rolling back in my head as I moved my fingers higher and higher.

June let out a soft little sigh. Her pink lips parted and she tilted her head back, moaning too quietly for anyone to hear but me. By the time I was touching her soft, narrow thighs, my cock was rock hard in my pants. I wanted to tear her panties away from her skin and fuck her right then and there, throw her over the table and ram my cock inside her soaked pussy until we were both sweaty and spent.

A warm, musky scent filled the air and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

“I love your scent,” I said in a low voice.

June flushed. It was a delicious pink that spread all over her cheeks, down her neck, and across her smooth white chest. She had small tits, but they looked juicy and bite-sized to me. I imagined that her pink nipples were stiff in her bra, eagerly scratching against the fabric and wanting my touch.

“God, I want you,” I growled. My fingers brushed against the crotch of June’s panties. This time, I could feel that they were silk instead of cotton. But this time, they were also soaked by the time my fingers brushed against her clit. Her legs were spread so far that her thighs were dangling off the chair. June pushed her hips forward and bit her lip. By now, her face was bright red. I grinned eagerly, feeling like the Big Bad Wolf as I stroked her pussy through the thin layer of cloth.

“Next time, don’t wear this,” I said. I pulled the soaked crotch of her panties to the side and slipped a finger inside. June gasped audibly, covering her mouth with both hands.

“Shhh,” I said sternly. “Don’t make any sound.”

June was obedient and quiet as I slid another finger inside her tight, wet cunt. She moaned and arched her back, brushing her hips against my hand and I groaned with desire.

Just as I was about to slide another finger inside of June’s lovely body, the waiter appeared with a huge tray full of dishes. The scent of June’s pussy juice and the wine mingled with the scents of roasted meats, vegetables, and cheeses. I closed my eyes, loving the blend of smells that were floating right under my nose.

“This looks incredible,” June said in a strained voice. She was still bright red.

“Please, more wine,” I said to the waiter, gesturing to the wine glasses with my free hand. June gasped as I pulled my hand free of her body and licked my fingers, right in front of the waiter. I closed my eyes, savoring her warm, musky scent on my fingers.

When the waiter had gone, June was staring at me with her wide green eyes.

“I can’t believe you,” June said softly. “You’re so bad!”

I grinned and winked at her. “Baby, you bring it out in me,” I replied wolfishly.

I could barely get through dinner. All I could think about was June – and how I needed to fuck her as soon as possible. The more wine I drank, the more I wanted her. By the time I paid the thousand-dollar tab, I was ready to grab June and possess her.

June was swaying on her heels when she left the restaurant. She almost stumbled and I reached out to grab her, holding her tight.

“Are you okay?” I gazed down at June’s face.

She was flushed and giggly. “I’m just tipsy,” she said.

Shit. As much as I wanted to fuck her, I didn’t want our first encounter to happen while she was drunk. I wanted it to be magical, perfect.

Still, once we were in the car, I didn’t stop June from climbing into my lap and kissing me passionately. Hot arousal pumped through my body and my cock twitched hard against my leg as June’s delicious weight sank into my lap. She still smelled like her own pussy juices and wine, and I kissed her deeply, shoving my tongue in her mouth and licking all the secret places where I hoped no one had been before.

June took my hands and held them to her breasts. She moaned and rubbed my fingers over her nipples. I could feel they were hard and stiff through the thin white cotton and I groaned, biting June’s lip until her eyes rolled back in her head. I ground against June’s pussy, spreading her legs on my lap and wishing my cock was about to slide into her wet velvet cunt.

“Thomas,” June moaned. Her face was slick with sweat as we kissed. A frenzy of passion was building in my stomach and it took all of my self restraint not to rip her dress away from her pale, porcelain skin. June twined her arms around my neck and pushed her body against mine. I could feel that her crotch was once again damp with juices as she ground against my cock through my trousers.

Lust was clouding my vision. Everything was bright red as I tangled my hands in June’s soft black hair and yanked her head back, exposing her lily-white neck. I bit and sucked and nipped at the delicate skin. June growled and moaned, whining and twisting in my arms. I could tell she was loving every minute of it, and I could tell no one had ever ravished her like this before. Her heart was beating like a drum behind her narrow chest and she moved like supple silk in my arms.

When June bent her head to me and began kissing and sucking on my earlobe, I nearly came in my pants. My cock and balls were throbbing in agony. I’d never felt anything like this before. It was invigorating and frustrating as we moved together in a tangle of clothing and panting breath. June arched her back and nudged my chin up with her head. She kissed my neck and it felt so good, but I pushed her gently away.

“No hickies,” I said sternly.

June was panting. Her little pink tongue stuck out of her mouth and she licked her already-wet lips. A hot surge of lust went through my body and I felt powerful, like a god.

“If you leave a mark,” I growled in deep, shaky voice. “I’ll have to punish you.” I raised an eyebrow. “But you wouldn’t do that, would you, June? You’re going to be a good girl – a very good girl indeed. You’re not going to be a bad girl who needs to be spanked.”

June’s cheeks flushed. As I imagined how it would feel to spank June’s soft ass, I shuddered with lust. God, I want her, I realized. I want to own her. I want her to be mine.

“I want to possess you,” I growled at June.

June flushed. The straps of her white dress had slid down her shoulders. She was panting with obvious lust and her green eyes were open and beautiful.

“I want you to take me,” June said hotly. “Please, Thomas.”

I growled. “Soon.”

“Not tonight?”

I sighed. “I really want you, June.” I paused and took her hand, licking her palm and making her shiver. “But you had a lot to drink. I need to make sure that when I take you, it’s what you really want.”

June blushed. “Yes, sir,” she said softly.

I grinned. “And I want you to keep calling me sir,” I added.

June nodded.

As we kissed one last time, I could tell that I was falling into something strange and deep. It didn’t matter that June was probably fifteen years younger than I. It mattered that we had chemistry – it mattered that she aroused me more than any other woman I’d ever met.

I just hoped she wouldn’t wind up getting hurt.

Chapter Ten

June

I was walking on air when Thomas dropped me off at home. This time, he walked me to my front door and we kissed for a long time. I was just about to invite him in when he said he had to go, kissed me one last time, then left.

I closed my eyes, savoring the moment for a long time before I opened the door. Angela was curled up on the couch, reading a book. When she saw me, she laughed.

“What?” I narrowed my eyes. “Do I have something on my dress?”

Angela shook her head and gave me a guilty smile. “You smell like sex. Look in the mirror,” she added.

Frowning, I turned to the mirror and gasped. My lips were pink and swollen and the rest of my face was flushed. My black hair was a mess and my forehead was damp with sweat. And my whole body felt different – almost like something had slipped inside of me and changed me forever when I was out with Thomas.

“Did you fuck him?”

“Angela!” I blushed. “No!”

“You look like you fucked him,” she said dryly.

“Well, I didn’t.” I sighed and flopped down on the couch, right on top of Angela’s feet. We tussled and laughed for a moment as she tucked her legs underneath her body.

“What happened? Why not?”

I shrugged. “He said I had too much wine. He said he wanted me to be more sober for the first time we had sex.”

Angela raised her eyebrows. “Wow, a gentleman,” she said. “You don’t really see those around anymore.”

“We made out in his car again,” I explained. “It was so hot.” I shivered. “It hurts, you know,” I added, blushing and making a quick gesture towards my crotch.

Angela hooted with laughter. “It’s like a female version of blue balls,” she said. She snickered with laughter. “I know. It does hurt. But it’ll go away.” She smirked. “Unless you want…to help yourself.”

“Oh, my god, ew, no!”

Angela shrieked with laughter. “Oh, June,” she said affectionately. “My little prude. Don’t ever change,” she added.

I glared at her. “Ha, ha,” I said sarcastically.

“So, I take it you had a good time?”

I sighed with happiness and flopped against the back of the couch. “It was the best night of my life,” I said dramatically. “He ordered so much wine, and seriously every tapa on the menu. I’m stuffed. Everything was so nice.”

“I bet,” Angela said. She yawned. “I’ve been trying to have a quiet night.”

I frowned. “What happened?” I glanced around. Our apartment, though not the greatest, wasn’t plagued with some of the common problems in New York City. We rarely had rats, and we weren’t close enough to the subway for it to be too loud…which was both a blessing and a curse, as I’d come to discover over freezing winter mornings of running to work.

“Someone sent up a bunch of messages,” Angela said in a neutral tone. “I assumed they were from Thomas, until I realized that you were already out with him.”

I blushed. “Maybe he did them for me to find when I got back? That kind of seems like something he’d do.”

Angela shook her head and gave me a wary look. “I wouldn’t get too excited,” she said. “They’re not flowers, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I frowned. Angela pointed to a bunch of small manila envelopes by the door.

“Whoever it was, actually used a courier service,” she said, turning her attention back down to her book and yawning once more. “I didn’t actually know that those were still around.”

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “Weird.”

Angela was clearly finished talking, so I took the envelopes and dumped them in my room, on my bed. Then I went into the bathroom and washed my face, taking a long, hot shower. I couldn’t even touch my own body without thinking of Thomas’s huge, sensual hands…and suddenly, I wished that he were inside that cramped stall with me, covered in soap and water and making love to me until I was blind with passion.

When I was sick of standing in the tepid water, I wrapped myself in a big fluffy towel and braided my hair. The messages were still waiting for me on my bed when I got back to my room, and I sat down, crossed my legs, and opened the first envelope.

“June – where are you? Call me. Andy.”

My stomach twisted into a knot and I frowned, tossing the note away. A slight pang of guilt hit me in the chest and I swallowed, trying to make it disappear.

“June – where the fuck did you go? We had a date, remember?”

“That’s not very nice,” I said under my breath, balling the message up and tossing it away. My slight feeling of sympathy for Andy vanished. What a jerk, I thought as my trembling fingers opened the third message. Thomas would never speak to me like that.

“June – are you fucking with me? Why the fuck would you do something like this? Are you a bitch? Are you trying to fuck with me?”

The bad feeling returned with alarming speed, but this time it wasn’t guilt. This time, I felt nothing more than shame and fear.

“Angela,” I called in a trembling voice.

Seconds later, Angela was standing at the door.

“June, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”

I pointed to the opened notes scattered around my bed. There were still four notes, unopened.

“They’re from Andy,” I said shakily.

Angela picked one of them up and read it. “What the fuck,” she murmured under her breath. “What an asshole! Where the hell does he get off talking to you like this?”

I shuddered. “I don’t know,” I admitted softly. “But I’m scared.”

Angela frowned. “Don’t be,” she said. “He’s probably just fucking with you.”

“I hope so,” I mumbled. “I really do.”

--

The rest of the weekend was quiet. It stormed all day on Sunday, so I curled up by the window and planned my lessons for the rest of the week. Thankfully, there was no word from Andy…but troublingly, there wasn’t word from Thomas, either.

Monday morning felt warmer than it had in weeks. I only wore a light sweater over my knit dress as I took the subway to P.S.151. I wasn’t looking forward to Andy. Angela and I had decided that if he confronted me, the best thing to do would be to lie. Say I was sick, that I forgot, anything. And then I had to be firm with him – I had to tell him that I wasn’t interested, or that I was dating someone else.

When I got to school, I went into the break room. Thankfully, Andy wasn’t there. Michelle and Ruth were, though.

“Hey guys,” I said, tucking my sandwich into a corner of the fridge. “How was your weekend?”

Michelle stared blankly at me before turning and leaving.

I turned to Ruth and frowned. “What’s up with her?”

Ruth flushed. “No clue,” she said. “Come on, we should get going.”

I nodded. “Okay, yeah.”

Thankfully, my class was well-behaved. Even Brett didn’t make a peep. He was very obedient that day, and I wondered what the principal had said to him…whatever it was had seemed to work. Brett was a model student all day, and I was so relieved when the last bell rang that I gave all the kids a piece of candy from the treat jar on my desk.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Thomas. During planning, I even spaced out and started doodling his name all over my notebook like a little kid. When I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder, I shrieked.

“God, June, calm down,” Ruth said. She sounded exasperated. As she glanced down at my notebook, I grabbed it and tucked it out of sight, blushing furiously.

I narrowed my eyes. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “You just startled me. What’s wrong?”

Ruth cleared her throat nervously. “I…I wanted to speak with you about something.”

“Okay.” I swallowed. “That doesn’t sound good. What’s wrong?”

“Well…” Ruth trailed off, looking anxious. “I don’t know, June. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

“What?” I stood up. My palms grew cold and damp and I wiped them on my skirt. “What’s going on?”

Ruth looked helpless. “Come with me,” she said. She led me down the hall and into the teacher’s lounge before pointing at the wall. “You might want to take that down,” she added. She pointed to a piece of paper tacked onto the wall.

I gasped. A piece of white copy paper was stuck to the wall, covered in crude drawings of a female stick figure with long black hair. Another stick figure – actually several of them, all male – were surrounding the female and laughing at her. I flushed hotly when I saw that all of the male figures had huge, crudely-drawn penises.

“Oh my god!” I shrieked. “What is this?”

Ruth looked guilty. “This was there, too,” she said. She handed me a crumpled piece of paper and I unfolded it, gasping in shock when I read the words scrawled on the page.

“June Rogers is a fuck slut!! She is a sexual predator!! She will fuck your male students so keep them locked away!! She is a pedophile and should be arrested!!!”

I screamed and grabbed the page with stick figures off the wall, crumpling it and tearing it into a thousand pieces. Tears stung my eyes and I covered my face with my hands before I began to cry.

“Ruth, what’s going on,” I cried, feeling helpless. “Why would someone do this to me?”

Ruth looked nervous. “You probably don’t want to rip that up,” she said. “You probably should want to keep it as…you know, evidence.”

“Evidence?” My jaw dropped. “What’s going on, Ruth? Why is someone trying to sabotage me?” Tears of humiliation and hurt streamed down my face and I wrapped my arms around my body, hugging myself tightly.

Ruth licked her dry lips. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “Is someone mad at you, June? Is that what’s going on?”

“I have no idea,” I said. Then, an image of Andy popped into my mind and I shuddered.

“June?” Ruth asked cautiously. “It’s okay – you can tell me.”

I shook my head and bit my lip. “Forget it,” I said. I tried to pull myself together, and wiped the tears from my face with the backs of my hands. “It’s not worth talking about.”

Ruth nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said. “But if you need to talk, I’m here.”

I set my lips in a thin line. “I’m fine,” I said softly.

At least, I hoped I was fine.

By the time I left school, I was a nervous wreck. All of the happiness and joy that my date with Thomas had brought me over the weekend had vanished. Why was Andy doing this? Why did he hate me? I knew that I shouldn’t have ghosted him, but that didn’t warrant any of this insanity! He was acting like a total crazy person.

I was a few blocks away from school and almost to the subway when someone grabbed me and pulled me into an alley. Before I could scream, a hand clapped over my mouth. Someone’s arms wrapped around my torso, pinning my arms to my sides, and carried me far away from the street.

“Help!” I tried to shriek. It only came out as a muffled grunt. Panic began to race in my belly and a cold sweat broke out over my body. This is it, I thought as my unknown assailant dragged me farther and farther from the safety of the street.

“Shut up, bitch,” a familiar voice hissed. “Did you like my notes?”

When I realized it was Andy who had grabbed me, I twisted and shrieked in fear. Andy gripped me with surprising strength – he was a smaller guy, and I was shocked that he was able to carry me at all.

Finally, Andy took his hand away from my mouth and I gagged and coughed. Pain bloomed in my chest and I shuddered as sobs began to wrack my body. When I looked at Andy, he looked smug and satisfied.

“Hi, June,” Andy said coldly. “I was hoping you’d see my drawings.”

“Why?” I asked softly. “Why would you do something like that, Andy?”

Andy’s eyes flashed with anger and he stepped closer, balling his hands into fists. I shivered with fear.

“Please don’t hit me,” I said softly. “Please, Andy. I’m sorry – I know I shouldn’t have stood you up, that was wrong and I’m sorry.”

“You’re right,” Andy said coldly. “That was a shitty thing to do, June. I thought girls like you were nice – I thought girls like you didn’t mess with innocent men and their emotions.”

“I swear, I wasn’t trying to hurt you!” I shrieked. “I was just feeling scared. Andy, you made me feel like I couldn’t say no to you! But I don’t have time for a relationship,” I added quickly. “I don’t have time to date you – or anyone else!”

Andy shook his head and licked his lips. “I don’t believe that, June,” he said softly. His voice was as cold and chilling as steel. “I think you lied to me on purpose because you wanted to hurt me. Tell the truth, June – you lied because you wanted to hurt me.”

He stepped closer and my heart began to pound in my chest. Cold sweat raced down my back and I put my hands up in a weak defense as Andy advanced on me. My bag slipped from my shoulder but I was barely even aware of the contents spilling all over the wet asphalt of the alley.

“Andy, please,” I begged. “Please, please don’t hurt me!”

“I’ll do whatever I want to you, June,” Andy hissed. “So don’t think you can get out of this alive.”

When he put his hands on my shoulders, I screamed and screamed. My throat was burning as I called for help. Knowing that I was only feet away from the safety of the street somehow made me feel even more panicked, and I twisted furiously, trying to free myself from Andy’s grip. Enraged, Andy pulled one of his hands free from my body and slapped me across the face.

The pain stung, but it was enough to startle me into action. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I screamed and threw my whole weight to one side.

“Help!” I screamed. “Help, someone’s trying to assault me!”

Andy was clearly stunned and he made another grab for my arm but I darted out of the way and started to run towards the street.

“Help!” I shrieked again. “Somebody, please!”

My heart was pounding and the adrenaline was rushing through my body as I tore out of the alley and stumbled onto the sidewalk. A curious pool of people circled around me and I launched myself towards one of the men who had gathered in confusion.

“Ma’am, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Please,” I sobbed. “The man in the alley! He was trying to assault me!”

A couple of the people nodded and ran into the alley while someone else called the police. Suddenly, I felt faint. The world around me began to zoom and spin and I clutched at my chest. Sharp pains were spreading from my heart out into my shoulders and I gasped as my eyes rolled back in my head and I passed out.

When I came to, I was surrounded by uniformed police and EMTs.

“Miss Rogers?”

I nodded weakly. “Did you get him?” I asked softly.

Two of the cops exchanged a dark look.

“No,” one of them said shortly. “He ran off before we were able to make the scene.”

Despair welled up in my chest and I began to shiver as the tears came rushing back to my eyes.

“Please,” I begged. “He was trying to assault me! He grabbed me from the street and dragged me into the alley!” Please, you’ve got to help me!”

One of the cops nodded. “That’s why we’re here,” he said. He sounded tired as he pulled a small notebook from his pocket and began to scribble notes.

But as I recited the story, including the part where Andy and I had gone on a date before, to the cops, I could practically see my chance of success draining from their eyes.

“This is someone you’ve dated before?”

“Just once,” I said quickly. “Because he pressured me into it.”

The cop frowned. “But you asked him,” he said.

“Yeah, because I felt like I had to!” I said hotly. “And now he’s stalking me!” I told them about the messages Andy had sent to my apartment, as well as the lewd stick drawings he’d posted in the break room.

The cops exchanged a look. “We’ll go talk to him,” one of them promised. “Just don’t get your hopes up.” He chuckled. “Men don’t like it when women aren’t straight with them. You should’ve just told him no.”

My heart sank. “I can’t believe you’re blaming me for this,” I said softly. “That’s so messed up.”

The cop sighed. “Look, I can’t say anything else right now. Just know that we’ll do our best.”

I closed my eyes and tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe that the cops weren’t doing more to help me. I’d just gone through one of the scariest experiences in my life and they were acting it was my fault!

“Forget it,” I said bitterly. “I can handle this on my own.”

Chapter Eleven

Thomas

The first few days without Hannah were nice, almost quiet. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but she’d become an incredible distraction. I had one of my secretaries place a job ad for a new personal assistant, but I told myself that in the meantime, I would step up and start doing all of that stuff for myself. Even though I was a busy man, I knew that I wasn’t above picking up my own coffee and dry-cleaning. Maybe having an assistant, especially one like Hannah, had really gone to my head.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday all passed in a blur. I called June a couple of times, just to talk. But something was bothering me, and no matter how many times I asked, she wouldn’t tell me the truth. I desperately wanted her, and I knew how much she wanted me. So why was she playing these games?

She agreed to another date with me, on Saturday, and I told myself that I’d really throw myself into work on Thursday and Friday. Thursday morning, I was supposed to have a meeting with Keith Carner – he was one of my old buddies from MBA school, and we’d been doing business together for almost ten years. At one point, Keith had been one of my best friends in the world. Hell, he’d even been a groomsman in my wedding to Marlene.

When I called Keith’s office, he sounded distracted.

“I know it’s been forever, but I was hoping we could talk about a new deal,” I said. “I’m really hoping to acquire UPS by the end of the year, and I need your help.”

There was a long pause.

“Hello?” I narrowed my eyes in irritation. “Keith, you there, man?”

“Oh, yeah,” Keith said after a long pause. “Sorry, man. Just a little busy at the moment. How ‘bout I stop by your office later, after lunch?”

“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ve got to look for a new assistant anyway. See you then.”

“I’ll be there around two,” Keith said.

We hung up and I treated myself to a long lunch at the new Russian restaurant down the street. As soon as I saw the inside, I knew that June would love it – it was even more posh than Daniel had been, with lots of intimate touches. Thinking about the way she’d reacted to the escargot made me laugh. I wondered how she’d react to caviar.

June was easily the most refreshing person I’d met in my life. I wondered what made her tick, I wondered how she’d grown up into such a stunningly beautiful woman who didn’t even know her own power. Even though she was naïve, she was obviously quite smart. I closed my eyes as I sipped infused vodka and thought of taking June on weekend trips to Boston or Maine, watching her play in the snow. I snickered – somehow, I just knew that she’d be as eager as a child when it came to playing outside.

It wasn’t long before my thoughts turned to lusty ones. My cock stiffened in my pants as I thought of June’s lithe body spread out on a bearskin rug before a roaring blaze. I knew she’d have perfectly pink nipples and a neat little thatch of dark pubic hair. Normally, I liked my women hairless. But I knew that June would take immaculate care of herself, and I felt a hot bolt of lust careen through my cock when I thought about how it would feel to eat her out. Her pussy had to be soft and velvet smooth…and likely, unexplored. I knew that realistically, she couldn’t be a virgin…but at the same time, her obvious lack of experience with men told me that she’d still have that new car smell when it came time to fuck.

I closed my eyes and imagined June’s pale hands running over her body, teasing me. The idea was astonishingly arousing and I growled as I thought about taking both of her pale wrists with one hand, pinning them over her head, and holding her helpless while I fucked her raw.

After lunch, I was pleasantly drunk. The fall day was a chill one, but I sauntered back to the office and chain-smoked Dunhills while thinking about June. My meeting with Keith was in a little over an hour, and I thought I’d take a little nap in my office while I waited for him to show up.

I locked myself in my office, loosened my pants, and reclined on the black leather couch that Hannah had picked out. Even if she was a manipulative brat, she had good taste, I thought sleepily as I settled down and relaxed with my head in my arms. And I’d much rather have this couch around than her.

My head began to feel pleasantly exhausted and the next thing I knew, one of the secretaries was waking me up.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “What time is it?”

“Mr. March? It’s just after two,” the secretary replied. “Your phone has been ringing nonstop.”

I blinked and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I couldn’t recall it immediately to mind but somehow, I knew that I’d been dreaming of June.

“Thanks,” I muttered. I hauled myself into a sitting position, still rubbing my eyes with my fists. Outside, the sky was dark and gloomy. Despite my nap, I still felt tired.

The secretary pranced out of my office, leaving the door open behind her. I growled as I stood up and stretched. I need a shave, I thought as I rubbed my fingers over my chin and jaw. My hands were greeted with prickly hairs that somehow felt coarser than they had twenty years before.

I walked over to my desk, expecting to see a flood of notes from Keith. But oddly, there was nothing. When I checked my messages, they were all spam. I frowned. Still, it was only ten past two. Keith wasn’t exactly known for being punctual. I decided to give him ten more minutes, then call over to his office to make sure he hadn’t forgot about our meeting.

I opened my email and sent off a few quick replies. There was an email from Marlene asking if we could meet for dinner, but the thought of that made my stomach curdle. I sent her a short, terse reply and five seconds later, she’d already replied.

“Don’t u think it would be for the best if Brett had both of his parents together?”

Ugh. Slamming my laptop shut, I strode into the hall.

“Hey Susie,” I said, leaning over the head secretary’s desk. “Did a Keith Carner call here for me?”

“Keith?” Susie wrinkled her face. “I don’t think so, Mr. March. Do you want me to place an outgoing call?”

Strange. We just made these damn plans and he already forgot.

I rolled my eyes. “No, thanks,” I said. “I’ll be in my office. If Keith – or anyone from Carner Enterprises – shows up, please show them in.”

“Got it,” Susie said. She bent her head over her desk and scratched at her scalp with long fingernails. Flakes of dandruff scattered across her keyboard and I tried hard not to shudder. Susie had been working for me for years – hell, she’d probably been working since I was in diapers. She was a repulsive elderly woman, but she knew what she was doing.

“Hey, how’s the hunt for my new assistant coming?” I turned back and cocked my head to the side.

Susie frowned. “Do the same…restrictions still apply?”

I laughed. “No,” I said. “They don’t.”

Susie’s frown melted and she gave me a tentative smile. “Very good, Mr. March. I hope to have someone for you by the end of the week.”

“Excellent. You’re the best. Thanks, Susie.”

Her smile grew a shade wider and she dipped her head, obviously unused to compliments. Grinning, I turned on my heel and sauntered into my office, closing the door behind me. Thinking of the “restrictions” made me laugh. When I’d first placed the ad to hire Hannah, Marlene and I had been in a rocky place. I knew it would piss her off if I found someone young, gorgeous, and blonde…so I specified that all candidates had to fit those criteria before I’d even consider hiring them. But now that we were divorced – not to mention, now that I was seeing June – they seemed ridiculous.

I laughed a little under my breath, imagining June’s face when I told her. It was too soon to tell if she’d think something like that was funny. She was so insecure, I wondered if she was the jealous type. But she’d met Marlene a handful of times by now…she had to know that I couldn’t want just any hot woman around. I was old enough that personality mattered a lot more to me, almost as much as looks had mattered when I’d been in my youth.

When two-thirty rolled around and Keith still hadn’t shown up, I was starting to get a little pissed off. I picked up my phone and reclined back in my chair, kicking my legs up on the desk and crossing them at the ankle.

This time, it took several minutes for someone to answer the phone.

“Hello, this is Mr. Carner’s office. Whom may I say is calling?”

I frowned. “Yeah, this is Thomas March, over at Steel Visions. I’m calling for Keith – we had a meeting today at two and he never showed up.”

There was a long pause.

“Hold on, Mr. March,” the woman replied. “Let me go ping him.”

I sighed forcefully. “Whatever,” I mumbled.

The woman put me on hold and I cringed at the tacky Muzak rendition of “My Heart Will Go On.”

After what felt like an eternity, there was a series of blips and beeps in my ear. I frowned, then the line went dead.

“What the fuck,” I grumbled. “Did that stupid cunt hang up on me or what?”

Now I was truly irritated. I called Keith’s office back, waiting impatiently for someone to pick up.

“Hello, this is Mr. Carner’s office. Whom may I say is calling?”

“Yeah, this is Thomas March, I just called a few minutes ago. We got disconnected.”

There was another long pause.

“Don’t hang up,” I said forcefully. “I wanna talk to Keith. Patch me through. Now,” I added forcefully.

“I’m sorry, Mr. March. But Mr. Carner doesn’t wish to speak to you at the moment.”

I squinted. “You’re kidding me – I talked to him just a few hours ago! We made an appointment for this afternoon. Do you know who I am?”

“Sure. You’re Mr. Thomas March, of Steel Visions.”

“Yeah,” I grumbled. “So put me through to Keith. And tell him that this bullshit isn’t funny – I don’t like it when someone wastes my time.”

“Sir—“

“Shut up,” I growled. “Put me through. Now.”

“Sir, Mr. Carner really doesn’t want to speak to you. He told me to ignore your calls.”

I rolled my eyes. “Tell Keith I don’t have time for this bullshit,” I growled. “We’ve known each other for years and he thinks this little fucking game is funny?”

“Goodbye, Mr. Thomas.”

“Wait, don’t hang—“

Click

“Fuck!” I screamed. I threw my phone at the wall, taking satisfaction when the immaculate screen cracked in two.

]]

Seconds later, my door burst open. Susie was standing there, looking frightened and more alive than I’d ever seen her.

“Mr. Thomas, is everything all right? I heard a terrible crash,” she said quickly. “What’s going on? What is the meaning of all of this?”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my laptop, shoving it hastily into my laptop bag. “Nothing,” I said. “I mean, I’m fine. I’m going home for the day, Susie. Take my messages and just forward them to me at home, okay?”

Susie eyed me suspiciously. “Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Thomas?”

“No.” I grabbed my jacket. “Thanks, Susie.”

She looked startled as I pushed past her and into the elevator. On my way down, I called for a driver to take me home. I was in such a rotten mood that I had a feeling my Porsche would wind up through the storefront of an expensive restaurant if I didn’t watch myself.

When I got home, Brett had just gotten home from school. He was kneeling in the foyer, still clad in his New York Yankees jacket.

“Dad, oh my god, you’re the best!” Brett launched himself at me and wrapped his still-skinny arms around my waist. “I can’t believe it, Dad! You rule!”

I chuckled nervously. “Well, I’ve always thought so – but why now?”

Brett laughed. “Dad, you don’t have to play dumb.” He pointed down to a giant box sitting in the middle of the foyer. It had been ripped open and the floor was littered with Styrofoam packing peanuts.

“What is this?” I stepped closer and squinted.

“Dad, thanks! You’re seriously awesome,” Brett said. “I can’t wait to tell all the kids at school that my dad bought me a PlayStation Five!”

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Brett pointed down into the box and cleared away some of the packing material with eager little hands. Inside was a shiny box, covered in Japanese print and featuring a space-age looking machine.

“I don’t even know what that is,” I said. “Was there a card? Was it a gift from the office?”

“Dad, seriously!” Brett rolled his eyes. “Thanks! I can’t wait to play, I just wish it had come with more games!” He held up two shiny plastic cases featuring animated figures and racing cars.

“Uh, hold on there,” I said, reaching forward and plucking the plastic cases from Brett’s hands.

Brett looked sour. “Oh. I bet you’re going to make me wait until after I’ve done my homework or something stupid like that. Dad, please! Come on, just a half hour! And then I’ll do my work – I swear!”

“Hold on,” I repeated sternly. “We need to figure out where this came from.” As gently as I could, I pried the large box from my son’s hands and looked at the mailing slip. Brett’s name was printed in a plain font, along with our address. There wasn’t any indication of who had sent it, only a stamp from a post office right here in New York City.

“Dad, please,” Brett whined.

“You need to be quiet,” I said sharply. “Brett, if I can’t figure out who sent this, I’m sorry but you’ll have to return it.”

“What?” Brett screeched loudly. “You’re kidding me! That’s not fair! It’s for me, look right there,” he said angrily, pointing to his name printed on the box.

“That may be,” I said. “But I’m your father, and you need to obey me. And if we can’t determine that it’s safe, too bad. You’re not keeping it.”

Brett looked at me with hatred in his eyes.

“Brett, I’m sorry,” I said. “But this could be dangerous. This could be…oh, I don’t know. Rigged to explode or something.”

Brett squinted at me. “You’re being crazy and paranoid,” he said coldly. “You can’t even let me have fun because you’re too worried about your stupid business all day.”

“I’m only going to say this once,” I growled, grabbing the box and holding it in the air where Brett couldn’t reach. “You don’t ever insult me, or my business, ever again. Do you like having a nice life? You like living here, and having Isabelle around?”

Brett gave me a sulky look.

“Yeah,” he said after a moment. “It’s okay. I guess.”

“If I didn’t have my company, we wouldn’t have any of this,” I said sharply. “And you wouldn’t have fifty thousand dollars in the bank, just waiting for the day you go to college.”

Brett looked sour. “I just want to play,” he whined. His eyes lit up with hope. “Dad, if you…I dunno, inspect it, can you let me play? Just for a little bit?”

“No,” I said sternly. “Go to your room and do your homework.”

Brett glared at me. I could practically read his thoughts: “I hate you.”

“I know you’re mad,” I continued calmly. “But this is for the best, Brett.”

“Whatever,” Brett mumbled under his breath. He glared at me for a long pause, then turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs.

Just then, Isabelle came out of the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron and cocked her head to the side.

“Is everything okay, Mr. Thomas?”

I nodded and heaved a sigh. “Yes,” I said. “But when you have a free moment, would you mind cleaning this up?” I gestured down to all of the packing peanuts. “When everything is back in the box, please tape it up, set the box in my office, and lock the door.”

Isabelle frowned but she nodded. “Yes, Mr. Thomas,” she said. “Is that a present for Brett?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea,” I said, struggling to stay calm. “It arrived with no return address.”

Isabelle nodded. “I see,” she said. “Anything else, Mr. Thomas?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Please call my ex-wife and make sure she can take Brett over the weekend. I have reason to believe I’ll be entertaining.”

Isabelle nodded again. “Would you like me to do anything? Prepare for your company?”

“No, thank you,” I said. “That will be all, Isabelle.”

Isabelle darted back into the kitchen and I sighed and closed my eyes. Right now, the thought of bringing June here and fucking her senseless was the only thing keeping me sane.

I wondered how much other shit could possibly go wrong before I’d crack.

===

Chapter Twelve

June

I was shocked when Thomas showed up at my apartment on Friday evening, unannounced. He looked gorgeous in a tailored suit – I could tell that he’d come directly from work.

I could also tell that something was really bothering him. There seemed to be distance between us, distance that I couldn’t seem to reach. Thomas was acting both interested and cold…I wondered what was going on.

“I’ve arranged for Brett to spend the weekend with his mother,” Thomas said. He raised an eyebrow at me. “How about you come home with me and spend the night? We’ll order takeout,” he added. “Whatever kind you like.”

I flushed hotly. “Even cheap pizza?”

“No cheap pizza,” Thomas said. He smiled, but there was no hint of warmth or affection in his eyes. “But I promise you’ll enjoy yourself.”

I glanced down. “Should I…change?” I was still wearing the same jeans, blouse, and cardigan that I’d changed into when I’d come home from school. The event of the previous day had left me reeling, and my day had only been a success in that thankfully, I hadn’t seen Andy at all.

Thomas chuckled. “No need,” he said. “I think you look perfect. After all, we’re not exactly going to do anything fancy, now are we?”

I blushed. “I guess not,” I said softly.

After leaving a note for Angela, I stuck my cell phone charger in my purse and followed Thomas outside. This time, there was no Porsche – only a shiny black Lincoln SUV parked by the curb.

“Sometimes I don’t feel like driving,” Thomas said. He smirked. “So, I have a car service.”

“Ah,” I said. I bit my lip as Thomas helped me into the luxe expanse of the backseat.

The whole ride out of Brooklyn, Thomas was noticeably absent. He kept fiddling with his phone, fumbling all over the screen.

“Thomas, what’s bothering you?” I bit my lip, hoping he wouldn’t chew me out for asking.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said dismissively. “Just a rough week at work. What about you?”

I swallowed nervously. For a second, I almost told him what had happened with Andy in the alley…and the NYPD’s lackluster response. But I didn’t feel nearly as close to Thomas as I sometimes did. I figured I’d tell him later, after he’d relaxed.

“Oh, not much,” I said. I forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

It was dark by the time the Lincoln pulled up to Thomas’s building. I couldn’t help but gasp as he led me inside and we rode the elevator to the penthouse floor.

“This is beautiful,” I said softly. The walls of the elevator were papered in elegant leather. A masculine, woodsy smell hung about the building, as if somehow they only sold to wealthy, gorgeous men.

“It’s adequate,” Thomas said. “Brett doesn’t always enjoy it. He wishes that we had our own house.”

“He’ll be grateful when he grows up,” I said. “Kids that age…well, it’s kind of a miracle when they aren’t totally selfish.”

Thomas eyed me and nodded. “That’s entirely correct,” he said. “I love my son, very much, as you know.” He sighed. “But this year hasn’t been easy for either of us.”

“Oh.” He’s finally going to open up to me, I realized happily. Finally, we’re getting somewhere!

But just as Thomas was about to speak again, the doors of the elevator pinged open and I followed him down a lush hallway into a beautiful condo.

“Wow.” I glanced around. “This is incredible.”

“That’s all because of Isabelle,” Thomas said. “Brett’s nanny, but she also cooks and cleans.”

“Oh,” I said in a small voice. “Is she here now?”

Thomas gave me a wicked smile. My lower belly gave a lurch to the side and I felt my cheeks pink with a hot flush.

“No,” Thomas said. “We’re all alone.” He leaned in close and raised an eyebrow. “I trust you feel safe.”

I nodded quickly. Safer with you than with anyone else, I thought. If only I could tell you how I really feel.

Thomas led the way into a beautiful, opulent living room with black leather furniture. It looked very adult, very masculine.

“I redecorated recently,” Thomas said. “I’ve always owned this place, but Marlene and I used it as a crash pad when we were married. She kept her house in Bed-Stuy, and I kept this condo.”

I nodded. “I like it,” I said. I glanced around, surreptitiously running my hand along the back of the elegant couch. “It really suits you.”

“Would you care for a glass of wine?”

My stomach rumbled and I flushed hotly as I remembered Thomas’s warning from the last time we were together.

“Only if you don’t give me too much,” I said softly. “I…I wouldn’t want to…”

Thomas grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he said. “But sometimes, on a Friday, there’s nothing like a glass of wine.” I watched nervously as he set his briefcase down on the floor, then walked into the kitchen and selected a bottle of wine from an elegant chrome-and-glass wine cabinet. I gasped when I realized it was also a chiller.

“This is so cool,” I said. I looked around, feeling completely out of my element. “You have so many kitchen gadgets. I have no idea what most of these even do!”

“Oh, I don’t either,” Thomas said. He laughed. “I give Isabelle a budget and tell her to buy whatever she wants for the house. She’s here most days, from five in the morning until I get home from work.”

I nodded. “She must be good for Brett,” I said.

“She is,” Thomas replied. He handed me a glass of wine and we clinked. I couldn’t help but notice that his wine glasses were even more expensive-looking than the glasses had been at Daniel, or La Toscabelle.

“This is so good,” I said. I inhaled and took another long sip.

Thomas’s eyes gleamed. “June, exactly how hungry are you?”

“Not very,” I confessed. Truth be told, I didn’t think I could eat at all. I was so nervous to finally be in Thomas’s home that I could barely stand still. I wondered if we were finally going to have sex.

I wondered how perfect it would be.

“Good,” Thomas said. He set his glass down on the counter. “How do you feel about playing a little game?”

I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”

Thomas chuckled and reached out for my hand. When he touched me, sparks leapt from his body to mine and I shivered. It was the first time he’d touched me since we’d arrived back at his place.

“Come with me,” Thomas said. There was a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. Nervously, I licked my lips and followed Thomas down the hall and into a small, dark room. I frowned – aside from a large wardrobe and dresser, the room was empty.

“Is this where you keep your winter clothes?” I joked awkwardly, biting my lip when Thomas didn’t laugh.

His lips curled into a smile and he eyed me, starting at my face and moving his gaze slowly down my body until I was blushing beet red.

“Strip,” Thomas said softly. He stepped closer and put a hand on the back of my neck. Nervously, I took a sip of my wine before setting the glass down on a small table.

I flushed and shivered. He can’t be serious, I thought. He hasn’t even kissed me yet!

“Excuse me?” I asked softly.

“I believe I told you to strip.”

Thomas stepped closer and stroked a hand down my back before gripping my neck. I shivered at the feel of Thomas’s fingernails on the back of my neck.

“Yes, Sir,” I replied automatically. Suddenly, the air between us was tense and full of lust. I wondered what he would do when I was naked – would he touch me? Make me beg for his cock?

I licked my lips and unfastened the buttons of my cardigan, sliding it down my arms. Then I pulled my blouse over my head and tossed it in the floor until I was standing in front of Thomas clad in my cotton bra and jeans. The air in the room was chilly and I crossed my arms over my chest and hugged myself as Thomas reached forward and yanked my jeans down my hips. Goose bumps sprang up over my flesh and I stepped out of the material.

“These, too,” Thomas said. He squatted down and trailed a finger down one of my socks. “Take them off, June.” His voice was low and deathly calm. I closed my eyes and bent over, sliding the socks down my legs

When I was standing in only a bra and panties, Thomas walked around me in a circle. “Strip,” he repeated, reaching out and gently spanking my ass. My cheeks turned crimson as a bolt of desire and pleasure went through sailing me. It scared me how much I’d liked it when he spanked me just now. I wondered if he was going to do that again, later. I want him to! I thought desperately. I really do!

Licking my lips nervously, I reached behind myself and unfastened my bra. It was an older one – the white material had small holes and stains – and I let it drop to the floor. As I closed my eyes, I hooked my fingers in the waistband of my panties and tugged them down my legs before kicking them to the side.

When I opened my eyes, Thomas was staring at my chest. I glanced down to see my hard nipples protruding and I felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over my body. The room was suddenly filled with the musky scent of my pussy and I blushed hotly. He knows how much I want him, I realized nervously. He can smell it, just like me.

“Very nice,” Thomas purred. “Now stay there.”

I swallowed and watched helplessly as he stalked across the room. Thomas opened a set of drawers adjacent to the wardrobe and pulled out something dark green and silky. When he walked back over to me, he handed me slippery, silky garments. I glanced down and saw a bra and panties, in a brilliant emerald green. They would have matched Angela’s dress perfectly, and suddenly I knew that Thomas had purchased them just for me.

“Put these on,” Thomas instructed. I bobbed my head and fumbled with the clasp on the bra. Even though it was silk, it wasn’t all that comfortable – it pushed my breasts high in the air and pinched at my rib cage. I’d never worn a thong before, either, and I was surprised at the feeling of the material on my labia. It cradled my pussy in a sensual way that made me think of Thomas’s touch. As I took a step forward, the silk twisted between the cheeks of my ass and sent a tingling sensation straight to my clit. My cheeks broke out in a blush as I let out a little gasp.

“It was mostly right about your size,” Thomas said in a lazy, low voice. He walked around me once more, inspecting me. “Those will do nicely. Come with me, June.”

When I didn’t move, Thomas raised his eyebrows. “Why, June,” he purred. “There’s no one here save for me and you. I thought you wanted me. Don’t you want to obey your Sir?”

I blushed hotly and looked away. “Yes,” I mumbled in reply. “I do.”

Thomas smirked at me and I felt another strong thrust of desire towards him. I licked my lips and stepped forward. Each step wearing the silk thong was torturous – almost like Thomas himself was rubbing between my legs and making me cry out in fierce pleasure.

“Having trouble?” Thomas raised his eyebrow.

“No,” I managed to say clearly. “I’m fine.”

“Good.” Thomas winked at me. “Let’s go have some dessert.”

I followed Thomas down the long dark hall and into his kitchen.

“Come here, June.”

I stepped closer. Thomas opened one half of the giant combination refrigerator/freezer and took out a carton of gelato. He turned to me. “Do you like caramel?”

I nodded. I still wasn’t hungry, but the air was so full of tension that it almost hurt. Thomas plucked a silver spoon out of a drawer and took the top off the carton of the ice cream.

“Come closer,” Thomas said. His face was the perfect mask of a sex god. Trembling, I stepped nearer to him, feeling the chill from the empty room on my limbs. It felt delicious, like I was experiencing a whole new world of sensuality.

I watched as Thomas dipped the spoon into the gelato and lifted it to my mouth. When I reached out to take it from him, he shook his head. “No,” Thomas said simply. “You will eat when I offer food to you.”

Blushing hard, I obediently opened my mouth. Thomas let the spoon rest on my tongue. The creamy taste of caramel melted on my tongue and dripped down my tongue, rich and smooth as butter. I moaned softly as I swallowed. It was the most exquisite thing I’d ever tasted, aside from Thomas’s kisses, that is.

“Do you like that?”

I swallowed and licked my lips. “Yes, sir.”

Thomas nodded. He reached behind my head and gently tugged the elastic out of my hair. When I felt it spill warmly over my shoulders, I shivered. Thomas’s hand gripped my shoulder. He began to gently massage me with his fingers until I was putty in his hands, melting and sliding all over the place.

Thomas grinned. I felt a fluttery sensation in my lower belly as he squeezed my neck. “You’re so sexy, especially like this,” Thomas murmured. Instinctively, I let my body be pulled closer to his. “I love it when you look like this.”

I swallowed hard. “Thank you,” I said, blushing hotly.

Thomas took his hand away and I whimpered, desperate for more of his touch. “Thank you what?” Thomas asked, his words hanging in the air like icicles.

“Thank you, sir,” I said, biting my lip. Warm blood spurted into my mouth and I licked my lips nervously.

Thomas put his other hand on my shoulder and traced his fingers down my back. As I stepped closer, he took his free hand and tilted my chin up so that I could look into his eyes. It felt sexy and sensual to be standing so close to him in a state of undress, with him still wearing his full suit from work. I felt like I was on display just for him, like somehow he’d chosen me out of a city full of beautiful women.

Thomas’s dark eyes sent shivers of arousal through my body. “June,” he said in a husky voice.

I closed my eyes and leaned forward, closing the remaining distance between our bodies. Our lips pressed together and sparks flew between our bodies. My stomach melted and my heart started pounding as the kiss became more intense with each passing second. As Thomas wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, he nuzzled me and tenderly slipped his tongue into my mouth.

My breasts were pushing against his chest and the feeling of the silk against my nipples was almost too much to bear. As Thomas squeezed the bare cheeks of my ass, I felt my skin go hot with a sensual flush. Moaning, I arched my back and threw my head back until the ends of my hair were brushing against the small of my back.

Thomas grabbed my wrists. “Come to bed,” he ordered in a low voice.

My mouth was so thick with desire that I could barely speak. “Yes, Sir,” I whispered softly. Thomas led me down the same hallway but into a different room this time. The whole room was black. The walls were covered with leather wallpaper, the floor with a thick shag carpeting that my feet sank into as I stepped inside. Even the ceiling was black. All of the light fixtures were black and chrome, giving an eerie, sleek look to the room.

“Get on the bed,” Thomas ordered. He wasn’t smiling.

I moved forward and climbed on the bed. The duvet was silky soft and plush down feathers. I moaned softly as I got on all fours and let my hands and knees sink into the soft material. My whole body was alive, every cell tingling and craving Thomas’s touch. I closed my eyes as I heard him step close.

“I’m going to touch you now,” Thomas said in a low growl. I whimpered as I felt his fingers tangling in my hair and yanking my head back. As he ran his nails down my back and squeezed my ass, I shivered with lust and delight. When Thomas’s fingers gently rubbed the silk material between the cheeks of my ass, I squirmed and blushed. There was a pause and then a short, hard slap sounded on my ass.

“Don’t move again,” Thomas threatened. “Or I’ll spank you until your ass is so sore you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

Even though I didn’t want him to do that, my clit tingled at his words. I loved Thomas’s hands on me, his rough touch, the way he made my whole body sing with pleasure and desire. I closed my eyes and resolved not to squirm when he touched me again.

It was harder than I anticipated. As Thomas’s hands worked all over my body, I shuddered as his fingers grazed my clit through the silken material of my panties. I bit my lip to keep from moaning as he slipped gently inside the crotch and began rubbing me. I was already soaked and when I wiggled my hips slightly, the fabric strained against my pussy and my ass. My whole body was tingling and thumping with arousal by the time he took his hand away.

“I need you,” Thomas said in a husky voice. I heard the soft swish of him tearing his clothes off and tossing them to the floor. The bed groaned from our combined weight as he crawled towards me and pulled me into his warm, muscular arms.

Thomas smelled heavenly. I closed my eyes and inhaled as he pressed his lips against mine. His chest was smooth, muscled, and it sent shivers of lust through me as we touched. As we kissed, Thomas reached behind my back and neatly unclasped the uncomfortable silk bra. He tossed it to the floor and I moaned softly into his mouth, grateful and relieved to feel my breasts swinging loose.

“Ride me,” Thomas commanded. He got onto his back and stroked his cock up and down, watching me with an evil gleam of lust in his eye. I gasped at the sight of him naked – he was so beautiful, I couldn’t stand it. Just seeing him was enough to make me want to come, and I couldn’t tear the silky panties away from my pussy fast enough.

Nervously, I crawled towards Thomas. He grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, spreading my legs and thrusting upward until his cock buried itself in the warmth and wetness of my pussy. The sensation was incredible – I let out a yelp, then closed my eyes and savored the feeling all over my body. As Thomas grabbed my hips and shoved me back and forth on his cock, I moaned. His pubic bone kept rubbing against my clit with every thrust, and I could barely even breathe. The sensation that was building in my lower belly was amazing – like before, when Thomas was going down on me, but better. I closed my eyes and ground my hips hard against his muscular body until tears came to my eyes. Beneath me, Thomas was groaning and straining every muscle until he was tense and stiff. His cock filled me so completely that I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think of anything but fucking him, it was all I wanted to do, forever.

Thomas grabbed my wrists in one of his strong hands and pulled my arms over my head until I was lying flat against him, my nipples rubbing his chest. I moaned softly – every cell of my body was stimulated, everything felt so incredibly good that I didn’t couldn’t handle it. As we moved together, Thomas’s other hand began to roam around my ass. First, he squeezed my cheeks, then slipped a finger between the globes.

“Someday, June, I’m going to fuck you in the ass,” Thomas whispered softly into my ear. An electric thrill went through me at the sound of his words and I felt his cock plunge deeper inside my pussy than ever before. The sensation was astonishing and I held my breath as it grew and grew, feeling like something was gripping me strongly between the legs. Before I knew it, I was crying out and beating my fists against the headboard, coming so hard that tears were leaking down my cheeks. My reaction set Thomas off – he grabbed me and thrust up inside me, harder than ever, bucking and groaning like a prize stallion beneath me. His cock twitched and spasmed deep inside of me, and I shuddered as I felt his cum shoot through my body.

For a moment, I could barely move. My body was so spent, so wracked with pleasure that it took all of my strength to keep from collapsing in Thomas’s silky, perfect bed.

“That’s better,” Thomas purred. He pulled out of me and flopped down, grinning.

I blushed. “That was so good,” I said softly.

Thomas leaned over and kissed me. I tasted sweat on his lips and I eagerly licked it away, desperate to take as much of him into me as possible.

“I’m glad you find me adequate,” Thomas said. He raised an eyebrow. Slowly, I let myself flop down on the bed. The air in his bedroom was still chilly, but I was so warm that it felt good on my sweaty skin.

“I can’t believe you fed me dessert before dinner,” I said with a laugh. “That seems so improper, not like you at all.”

Thomas chuckled. “I think we’ve worked up an appetite,” he said with a wink. I blushed. “What would you like? And don’t say cheap pizza,” he added sternly. “God knows I have enough of that when my son is around.”

I blushed. For a moment – actually, for quite a few of them – I’d forgotten that Thomas even had a son. I couldn’t believe that in just a few days, I’d be back at the head of my class, teaching Thomas’s son…and hopefully keeping him out of trouble.

I shrugged. “Anything is fine,” I said. “Except Vietnamese. I don’t like pho,” I added.

Thomas reached into a nightstand and pulled out a variety of take-out menus. He tossed them to me.

“Pick something,” Thomas said with a grin. “Then we can find a movie and relax.”

I chuckled.

“What?” Thomas propped himself up on his elbows, covering the lower half of his naked body with a sheet. “What’s wrong?”

I blushed. “Nothing,” I said.

“Come on,” Thomas said. He smirked. “You can tell me, June.”

I took a deep breath, then swallowed. My cheeks were bright red but I forced myself to look at Thomas’s handsome, leonine face.

“It’s just…I didn’t expect things to feel so normal,” I said quickly. “I mean…we got here, and the air was all full of tension…”

“And then we fucked, and it was glorious,” Thomas said with a lazy smirk.

“And now it just feels like we’re hanging out and getting close,” I added. I smiled. “I like it,” I said softly.

Thomas reached for my hand and squeezed. “Good,” he said quietly. “Because I do too.”

I smiled happily. At that moment, in my world, things were absolutely perfect.

--

I stayed at Thomas’s condo until Saturday afternoon. We didn’t make love again – even though his stamina had been impressive, I knew that he likely wouldn’t have the same rebound time as someone my age – but we cuddled and fell asleep together after stuffing our faces with delivery sushi. It was easily the best date I’d ever had, and I was practically floating on air by the time I made it home.

On Sunday, Angela and I braved the local Trader Joe’s, stocking up on all of our favorite goodies and snacks. She suggested we have a girls’ night in and I readily agreed – I couldn’t wait to dish all about Thomas. Naturally, Angela was thrilled for me. She said she was so happy that I was finally dating. Secretly, I wondered if she’d actually been kidding when she’d joked about Thomas having any single, rich friends. But mostly I just appreciated the fact that my best friend was there for me. Her support meant everything…especially given how scary things had gotten with Andy.

When I got to school on Monday morning, Ruth looked troubled.

“What’s wrong?” I smiled happily at her. “It’s a beautiful day! How was your weekend?”

Ruth pressed her lips into a tight line, until all of the blood faded. She handed me an envelope. “The principal wants to see you,” she said quietly. “I’ll cover class until you’re back.”

I narrowed my eyes. A nervous feeling shot through my gut as I opened the envelope and scanned the text.

“Did he say why? There’s nothing in this note,” I said quietly. The kids were just beginning to filter into my room and I didn’t want any of them to hear my conversation with Ruth – especially not Brett.

Ruth shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “I hope everything is okay, though.”

Immediately, Andy’s face flashed to my mind. “Oh, god,” I moaned quietly. “They probably found out about those stupid drawings.”

Ruth shrugged. “Good luck,” she said. “The bell is about to ring.”

I slipped out of class as quietly as I could before the kids would notice something was up. As I walked down the quiet halls, I shivered. There was almost something ominous about the feeling in the air – almost like I was going to my doom.

When I got to the main office, none of the secretaries looked up at me. I had to walk up to the front desk and clear my throat before one of them noticed me.

“Hi,” I said nervously. “I got in this morning and Ruth told me that Principal Morris wanted to see me.”

The secretary looked at me with blank eyes. She was someone I’d spoken to many times – heck, she’d even brought me a slice of cake one day from a party in the teacher’s lounge. But right now, she was looking at me like I was a piece of trash.

“Should I go in?” I asked, feeling awkward when my words hung in the air.

The secretary bit her lip and nodded.

“Okay. Thanks,” I added, feeling stupider by the second.

The door to Principal Morris’s office was closed. I could feel the eyes of the secretaries glued to my back as I walked across the cheerfully-decorated office and knocked. Everything was covered with turkey decorations and smiling, cartoon pilgrims and native Americans.

“Hello, Principal Morris,” I called quietly. “It’s June Rogers. I got a note that you wanted to see me.”

“Come in.”

I bit my lip and flushed as I opened the door. Principal Morris was seated behind his desk, thumbing through a copy of The New York Times. He didn’t even look up when I shut the door. Suddenly, my heart started to thud in my chest. Something was obviously very, very wrong here…and I had a feeling it wasn’t going to end well.

“So,” I said nervously as I lowered myself into a chair facing the principal’s desk. “What’s up?”

Principal Morris sighed. He was an older man, with longish sideburns and a white beard that made him look a little like a walrus. Among the faculty and staff, he was generally well-liked. But he didn’t have a warm demeanor, and I’d never felt it more than I did right now.

“What’s the problem?” I asked nervously.

Principal Morris meticulously folded his paper and set it down on his desk. I cringed – it seemed like he was being deliberately slow.

“Well, June, I’m not going to lie. There is a problem.”

I exhaled a shaky, nervous breath. “Okay,” I said. “Can you tell me what it is?”

Principal Morris narrowed his bushy eyebrows at me. “June, Andrew Lipinski was fired this morning.”

My jaw dropped. “He’s the one who made those drawings,” I said quickly. “And he stalked me, outside of school. He tried to pull me into an alley and—“

Principal Morris held up his hand. “Please, June – don’t say anything else.”

“What’s going on?” I asked nervously. “What does any of this have to do with me?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Principal Morris said. “But I know that until we get to the bottom of this, I’m going to have you placed on leave without pay.”

My jaw dropped. “Me?” I squeaked. “Me?! But I haven’t even done anything,” I shrieked loudly. “This is all about Andy, it’s all his fault!”

“I’m sorry, June, this is our policy,” Principal Morris said. “Please, gather your things and you’ll be escorted from the building.”

My heart sank. “You can’t do that in front of my students,” I protested. My eyes filled with tears as I realized this was really happening – it wasn’t some horrible dream, and I wasn’t going to wake up any time soon.

“I’m sorry, it’s out of my hands,” Principal Morris said.

He didn’t sound sorry.

“Okay.” I stood up, my chin wobbling with the force of my emotions. “Fine. I’ll leave. In fact, I’ll leave right now. I don’t need anything from my classroom,” I added with a sniffle.

“Oh, and June?”

“Yes?” Please, please tell me this was all some kind of sick joke, I thought. Please, help me!

“Don’t forget to shut my door on the way out,” Principal Morris said. His head was already buried back in the paper. “Damn secretaries like to leave it open.”

My heart sank. “Yeah,” I said. “I won’t forget.”

Chapter Thirteen

Thomas

Just as I was leaving the office on Monday, my phone buzzed in my pocket. When I saw it was June, I grinned.

“Hey, you,” I said. “I was just thinking about you. What’s up? This is the first time you’ve ever called me,” I teased. “Start of something new?”

June didn’t reply.

“Hello?” I pulled the phone away from my ear and frowned, wondering if she’d accidentally pocket-dialed me. But when I held it back to my ear, I could hear her.

She was sobbing.

“Thomas,” June managed to squeak. “I’m in trouble.” She broke down again and my ear was filled with the hysterical cry of her sobs.

“Hey, hey, what happened? It’ll be okay,” I said quickly.

“I need to talk to you,” June sniffled. “Are you busy?” There was a pause and I could hear her blowing her nose.

“Not really.” I looked down at my watch. “I was supposed to meet Marlene but I can cancel. Where are you?”

“I’m at…at ho-ho-home,” June sniffled and sobbed. “Please, just come over whenever you can.”

I licked my lips. “I’ll be there soon, just hold tight, okay?”

We hung up and I broke into a run as I ran into the parking garage and climbed behind the wheel of my Porsche. Thankfully, rush-hour traffic hadn’t taken full effect yet, and I was able to navigate from Manhattan to Brooklyn with relative ease. Still, it was a long way to Crown Heights and the sky was darkening by the time I pulled up in front of June’s building.

The elevator was broken so I raced up the stairs, pounding on the door until it swung open. June was curled up on the couch, wearing yoga pants and a stained t-shirt. Her face was red and streaked with tears. When she saw me, her chin crumpled and she started to cry again.

“June, what’s going on?” I shut the door and flew over to the couch where I pulled her into my arms and rocked her back and forth. For the first time, I noticed how small, how fragile June’s body was. I could feel the knots in her spine through the thin skin of her back, and she sobbed so viciously that for a moment, I was almost frightened.

“Baby, you have to talk to me,” I said, smoothing June’s sweaty black hair away from her forehead. “Come on, June, just tell me the truth.”

June sniffed. “Something bad happened at school,” she said after a long moment.

“Oh, shit,” I said. My heart sank. “Was it Brett? Did he get in trouble again? Goddamnit,” I added. “I’m so sorry, June.”

“No…” June trailed off. “Nothing like that.” She bit her lip. “I work with this guy named Andy. He asked me out before and I said no, but then…” She blushed hotly and buried her face in my neck. “I felt so guilty that I asked him for coffee.”

“Okay,” I said nervously. “I don’t like where this is going.”

June sighed, her small body filling with frustrated air. “I know,” she said flatly. “Anyway, we had coffee. Just once. And then I saw your assistant, what was her name? Heidi?”

“Hannah.”

“Yeah, Hannah.” June sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve, leaving behind a sticky iridescent trail of snot. “Anyway, she came over and she was like…really interested to see us together, she kept talking about it. It made me really uncomfortable, so I left.”

“When was this?”

June shrugged. “A few weeks ago,” she said. “Before I went out with you for the first time. You hadn’t asked me out yet,” she added, as if that would somehow make everything right.

“I see.”

“And Andy wouldn’t leave me alone after that,” June wailed in frustration. “He asked me out again – he threatened me, even when I said I was busy or that I didn’t have time – so eventually I said yes, but I didn’t actually intend to meet him. Then you asked me to dinner on the same night, and obviously, I went with you instead.”

“I see.”

“And then last week, when I was coming home from school, he grabbed me and dragged me into an alley.” June sniffed. A single tear ran down her porcelain cheek and I brushed it away with the back of my hand.

“What?” My jaw dropped. “June, why the hell didn’t you tell me about this?”

June bit her lip and trembled. “Because I thought you’d be mad.”

“I am mad, but I’m not mad at you,” I said quickly. “And you called the cops, right?”

June nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “But they didn’t care. They said it was my fault, because I’d asked him out once before.”

Rage and anger flowed through my body and I balled my hands into fists, shoving them under my lap so June wouldn’t see.

“I’m so sorry, that’s awful,” I said. “First thing in the morning, I’m going to call Sandy – he’s my lawyer, he’s great. We’ll get you out of this.”

June collapsed into sobs and I held her close.

“That’s not all,” June whimpered.

“What happened?”

“They called me into the principal’s office this morning,” June sniffled. “They told me they fired Andy, but they’re putting me on leave without pay.” She glanced at me, looking completely helpless and childlike. I rocked her in my arms as she cried.

“That’s bullshit,” I said angrily. “We’re going to have Sandy talk to them, okay? I’ll get you out of this.”

I had the feeling that June would resist but instead she just nodded and sniffled.

“Thank you, Thomas,” June said softly. She extricated herself from my arms and stood up. “I’m going to get a glass of water,” she said. “Do you want one?”

I shook my head.

When June came back, I handed her three hundred dollars. “This isn’t much,” I said quickly. “I’ll get you more tomorrow. But for now, you should have this.”

June’s lower lip quivered and trembled. “Thomas, I can’t take money from you,” she said softly. “I can’t do that. That’s not fair.”

“It is fair,” I said. “You lost your job, okay? I’m going to help you until you get back on your feet.”

June still looked lost.

“Look,” I said quickly. “You don’t have to spend it, just keep it in case something comes up, okay?”

June nodded slowly. “I’ll pay you back,” she said. A tear rolled down her cheek and her chin wobbled.

“We can talk about that later,” I said, somehow knowing that she’d resist any other response.

June sighed. She sagged against me. “I don’t know what to do,” she said quietly.

I squeezed her tightly. “We’ll figure it out,” I said.

“I know you had to meet with Marlene, I’m sorry – you should go,” June said. She sniffled again. “Just call me later, okay?”

I felt so torn and helpless seeing June cry. Never – and I mean never – had a woman’s sobs touched my heart in the same way that June’s did. But I didn’t know what to do – and she was right, I did have to leave.

I stood up, feeling like a worthless piece of shit. “Okay.” I leaned down and kissed June on the forehead. “I’ll call you tonight and see how you’re doing, okay?”

June nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly. “Thank you, Thomas.”

“Anything for you,” I said. I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “And I mean that,” I said firmly. “Anything you need – anything you want, just let me know and it’s yours.”

June gave me a small, sad smile. “Okay,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

I tucked June in with an old afghan and left her on the couch as I ran down the stairs. When I got out to the street, I groaned. My Porsche was barely recognizable. The windshield was shattered and the tires had been slashed. The hood was covered in spray paint.

“Fuck!” I yelled, kicking at a trash can with my foot. A rat, larger than a small dog, skittered out and ran down the street. “And fuck you,” I added, glaring down at the rodent.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “I knew Crown Heights was bad, but fuck, I didn’t think it was this bad!”

The sidewalks were littered with people. In desperation, I grabbed a woman’s arm and pulled her close.

“Did you see who did this?” I gestured frantically towards my wrecked Porsche. “Did you see anything?” I pulled out my wallet, momentarily forgetting that I’d given all of my spare cash to June. “I can pay you,” I added quickly.

The woman glared at me and yanked her arm back. “Crazy man,” she muttered under her breath. “You stay the fuck away from me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Stupid bitch,” I said quietly. The other people on the street eyed me with disdain, taking care to step around the obviously-wealthy businessman who had no business in their ‘hood. I groaned, thinking of how much worse my car would be after I left it for a few hours and waited for a tow. As much as I wanted to believe that Hannah had done this, I knew that she was only one of a list of suspects. The rest of the cars on the street were shitty Oldsmobiles and Saturns, all ten years out of date. Someone had probably just seen my Porsche and decided that because they couldn’t have nice things, neither could I.

Just as I was about to call for a car service, a long Lincoln Town Car slowed to a stop. I frowned as the tinted window in the rear rolled down.

“Hey, Thomas!”

I looked up and frowned. Marlene was in the backseat of the car, waving to me.

“What are you doing here?” I stepped closer to the car and crossed my arms over my chest. The early November night was a chill one, and I was only wearing a light jacket.

“I had a meeting in Brooklyn,” Marlene explained. “I was just driving by and I thought I saw your Porsche.” She wrinkled her nose. “God, what happened? It looks awful.”

I shrugged. “Vandalism,” I said. “I was just about to call for a car.”

Marlene jerked her head towards the interior of the back seat. “Get in,” she said. “We were supposed to talk anyway.”

I glanced back at my wrecked Porsche, feeling helpless and somehow tricked. Still, I knew that I didn’t have a better option. It would take forever for a good car to make it into this part of Brooklyn, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to hang out on these thug-filled streets.

“Fine,” I snapped. Marlene grinned.

I walked around to the other side of the car and slid in, relaxing against the plush leather. Marlene smiled at me.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

Marlene tossed her red hair and the spicy scent of vanilla filled my nose. I shivered – when we’d been married, I’d like the smell of my wife’s perfume. But now I loved June’s all natural musk. I loved that she only wore deodorant, and not perfume. She always smelled so young and clean.

And the scent of her pussy was as juicy as a fresh peach.

“How have you been?” Marlene asked. She pulled out a compact and dabbed powder on her already-perfect makeup.

“Eh.” I shrugged. “Good and bad.” I narrowed my eyes. “Remember Keith Carner?”

Marlene narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. He was a dog,” she said. “He tried coming onto me once at a bar.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed dryly. “Well, maybe it’s good he’s blowing me off, then. Maybe he just learned about the divorce.”

Marlene looked wounded. “Why would you say that?” She scooted closer. “Thomas, just because we’re not together doesn’t mean that we aren’t in each other’s lives.”

“That’s right,” I countered. The car slipped through the dark Brooklyn streets and suddenly I regretted leaving my very expensive car behind. “Because we have Brett,” I said firmly. “And if you’re trying to win him over by sending that PlayStation Five, it didn’t work. The thing is boxed up in my office.”

Marlene narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

My heart sank. Even though I still wasn’t sure who had sent my son that expensive toy, it didn’t help to discover that it hadn’t been my ex-wife, after all.

“I was hoping you’d sent it,” I said morosely. “Brett got a box in the mail the other day, with some new video game system that’s only been released in Japan. There was no return address, and when I told him that he couldn’t have it, he got pretty mad.”

“I was wondering why he was in such a shitty mood last weekend,” Marlene said. She rolled her eyes. “I chalked it up to normal ten-year-old boy drama, but holy shit.”

I sighed. “No, definitely not normal ten-year-old boy drama,” I said. “I couldn’t find a return address so I’m keeping it until I can have it checked out.”

Marlene narrowed her eyes. “What, you think someone is trying to hurt Brett to get to you?”

I shrugged. After a moment’s debate, I told her about Hannah, leaving out the grittier details. By the time I was finished recanting the whole sordid saga, Marlene looked shocked and pissed.

“That little bitch,” she said. “I can’t believe I trusted her around my son!”

“I know.” I shook my head. “So, I’m not ruling out the possibility that she’s somehow trying to get revenge. She did come from money, it’s possible she could’ve bought that stupid PlayStation on her own.”

Marlene shrugged. She gave me a devious look. “I bet you’re not doing so well without an assistant,” she said smugly.

“Hey,” I said, pretending to be offended. Marlene burst out laughing and after a second, I joined in. It was odd – I wasn’t having a bad time with her. Now that the poison and vitriol of the divorce had passed, it felt strange to be having an okay time with the woman who had ripped my heart out.

I just hoped we could keep it up, for the sake of parenting Brett.

Marlene sighed. “I wish things could be like this all of the time,” she said, scooting closer to me on the seat.

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?

Marlene pouted. “Between us,” she said. “I wish things could be good like this all the time, you know?”

“Marlene, we’re divorced,” I said flatly. “And honestly, I think that’s for the best. Hell,” I added, turning in the seat and crossing my arms over my chest. “You were the one who couldn’t stop talking about how much you loved your freedom.”

Marlene swallowed. She stroked a finger down the side of my arm. I waited two seconds before pushing her away.

“I was hasty when I said that,” Marlene said. She batted her eyelashes and lowered her voice to a honey-sweet pitch. “I miss you, Thomas. I miss being your wife.”

I exhaled as stiffly as I could. “Well, it’s never going to happen again. We split up for a reason. You cheated on me, for over fifteen years! That was our whole fucking marriage!”

“I made a mistake,” Marlene said. She sniffed and my irritation came roaring back, full blast.

“A mistake is forgetting to pick up the dry-cleaning,” I snapped. “Fucking other men for fifteen years wasn’t a mistake, Marlene. That was a very calculated, intentional decision on your behalf.”

Marlene narrowed her eyes. “Well, I regret that,” she said softly. “Besides, shouldn’t Brett have both of his parents?” She scooted closer and I pushed her away. “I miss being a family with you, Thomas. We should get back together.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re seriously crazy,” I told her, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. “I can’t believe you think we should be together just because you miss me!” I groaned. “And this is probably all because you’re sick of working and you want to live on my dime again!”

“I miss you,” Marlene said. Her voice was insistent, full of passion that I’d somehow never heard from her during the entirety of our marriage.

“I’ve moved on,” I said flatly. I rapped on the back of the driver’s seat. “Stop here,” I called loudly. “I’m getting out and taking the subway.”

Marlene looked at me with hatred in her vivid green eyes. “You can’t have moved on,” she said, twisting her lips into a scowl. “That’s not possible!”

“Well, it happened,” I said. “And I’m falling in love. Marlene, you and I will never be together again. Do you understand?”

Marlene glared at me with such palpable hatred that I was expecting a slap to the face. Instead, she opened her coral lips and spit right on me.

I sighed and pushed open the car door.

“Fuck you,” Marlene yelled after me. “I can’t believe you could be so cruel!”

I stood there for a moment, wondering what I should do. In any other moment – on any other day – I’d turn right back around and tell her she deserved everything that she’d gotten. But I was tired. I was exhausted, from dealing with Hannah, and June, and now Marlene. I couldn’t waste my energy on my useless ex who didn’t deserve to even breathe the same air as June.

“Fine.” I slammed the car door and waved cheerily. “Have a nice life!” I called after the car.

Marlene didn’t respond, but I felt satisfied all the same.

Chapter Fourteen

June

I had to admit that when I told Thomas he should leave so he wouldn’t miss his meeting, I didn’t actually expect him to go. But once he was gone and the apartment was empty again, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. My eyes were burning and my sinuses were choked with snot and saliva, but it was like a compulsion. I couldn’t stop – the tears just kept falling, no matter what I did.

By the time Angela got home, I’d almost tired myself out. She took one look at me and did a double-take, dropping her bag and rushing to my side.

“June!” She sounded dismayed and unhappy. “Girl, what the hell happened?” Angela put her hand to my forehead. “It better not have been Thomas,” she said. “I’ll kill that rich bastard.”

I sighed. “No, it wasn’t Thomas.” I sniffled and reached for a soggy tissue as I recounted the events that had happened that day at school. Like Thomas, Angela was shocked and unhappy that I hadn’t told her about the Andy-in-the-alley incident.

“June, those cops had no right to act the way they did,” she said hotly. “That’s like, a total breach of conduct!”

I shrugged. “They had a point,” I said miserably. “I did ask him out, remember?”

“But you don’t deserve to be stalked and harassed!” Angela shot back. “And those creepy drawings?” She shuddered. “What kind of asshole calls you a pedophile just because you won’t go out with him?”

“I don’t know,” I said sadly. I wrapped my arms around my knees and brought them to my chin, resting my chin on top. “I just wish this was a bad dream,” I said. “And that I’m going to wake up any time.”

Angela sighed. “Have you told Thomas?”

“I called him earlier.” I pointed towards the wad of bills on the table. “He gave me this, for now. He said if there was anything I needed to just ask. But I can’t do that – we barely know each other. We’ve only slept together once. I can’t suddenly start acting like I can depend on him.”

Angela licked her lips. “I want to help, too,” she said slowly. “But we can’t lose this apartment, June. I don’t make enough to cover your rent, too.”

“I know.” My heart sank. “I’ll just use this money and then pay Thomas back.”

“And they have to rehire you soon,” Angela said. “Look, this is probably some stupid school policy where they can’t have either of you around while they check things out. Anyone with a brain could see that this isn’t your fault!”

“Everyone at school hates me now,” I said flatly. “Those stupid drawings must have really done the trick.”

Angela rolled her eyes. “I thought teachers were supposed to be smart,” she said, climbing off the couch and stretching. She walked into the kitchen and two seconds later, I heard the pop of a wine cork.

“Bring me some,” I called loudly.

“Duh,” Angela replied.

When Angela came back into the living room, she was smiling. She handed me a glass of wine.

“To new beginnings,” Angela said.

We clinked and I took a long swallow, barely tasting the cheap wine as it drained into my stomach. Compared to the beautiful wines I’d drunk with Thomas, this tasted like gasoline. But still, I didn’t care – I appreciated the gesture from Angela, and cheap or not, I knew enough of it would make me tipsy enough not to care.

“I can’t believe I have to start looking for a new job,” I moaned, draining my glass. Angela refilled me without even asking. “It took eight months to get that teaching job! Eight months!”

“It’s the middle of the year now, maybe you can sub until the end of the semester or something,” Angela said. “There’s always temp work.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I hate temping,” I said. “But you’re right – maybe I should call about a sub job tomorrow.”

Angela nodded.

“I worked at Starbucks before P.S.151 hired me,” I complained, rolling my eyes. “And it was dreadful. Getting that teaching job felt like the best thing that had ever happened to me.”

Angela eyed me sympathetically and rubbed my back. “Not if you had to work with a creep like Andy,” she said. “No matter what happens, I’m sure things will work out for the best.” She raised her eyebrow. “Maybe Thomas could help get you a job,” she said. “I bet he knows a lot of business guys.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Doesn’t that seem…I don’t know, kind of unethical?”

“What’s fucking unethical is that your school practically fired you without even hearing your side of the story,” Angela snapped. “So, I wouldn’t worry too much about that right now.”

I sighed. “I guess you’re right,” I said. “I just hate the idea of asking.”

“Thomas would be happy to help,” Angela said. She raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed. “He’s obviously way into you.”

“That’s because I haven’t asked him for much,” I said. “It’s not like I’ve been very demanding.” I sniffled and wiped my nose on my hand, disgusted at myself. “If I’d started out asking him for everything, I’m sure he’d see me as a gold-digger.”

Angela shrugged. She stood up. “Want me to order some food?”

I grimaced. “I couldn’t really afford anything right now,” I said sadly.

“My treat,” Angela said quickly. She whipped out her phone and checked her bank balance. “As long as it’s cheap.”

I smiled thinly. “Thanks,” I said quietly. “But honestly, I’m not really hungry.” My stomach gurgled and twisted. “I think I’d just throw the food right back up.”

“And that wouldn’t be a good use of my money,” Angela joked. She smiled. “Come on, June, relax – it was a joke.”

I sighed. “I think I’m just going to try to get some sleep.”

Angela nodded. “Okay,” she said. “If you change your mind and you get hungry later, I’ll be up.” She yawned. “I’m just gonna stay here and veg for a while.”

I stood up from the couch and sighed. Even though I was exhausted, I didn’t feel sleepy. At least, that’s what I thought. But once I was tucked into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a loose fitting t-shirt, I felt much more comfortable. Closing my eyes, I crawled into bed and pulled a pillow over my head. Snuggling in the blankets felt more comforting than ever before. Maybe this is all a bad dream, I thought. Maybe I’ll wake up and I’ll have a message from the school, saying this was all a mistake.

Soon, my brain was clouded in a dense fog and my eyes were burning. Yawning, I rolled closer to the wall and drifted off to sleep.

--

“Hey, June, it’s me. Wake up.”

“Guh?” I opened my mouth and yawned widely right into Angela’s face. She was sitting on my bed, glancing down at me with concern.

Yawning a second time, I balled my hands into fists and rubbed my eyes. “What time is it? Did I fall asleep for a few hours?”

Angela chuckled nervously. “You were out all night,” she said. “It’s like, ten-thirty in the morning now.”

I frowned. “Why did you wake me up?”

Angela gave me a guilty smile and held up my phone. When I saw the screen, I gasped – it was covered with notifications. All from Thomas. Calls, texts, even a few voicemails.

“Damn,” I said.

“Yeah,” Angela said. She licked her lips and cleared her throat. “He’s actually here, right now. He’s in the living room.”

“What?” I sat up in bed, my black hair falling over one shoulder like a curtain. “Are you serious?”

Angela nodded. “Yeah. Sorry I woke you, but damn – this guy is hella protective. He told me that he’s not leaving until he knows that you’re okay.”

The events of the previous day came crashing back to me and I shuddered. I closed my eyes, picturing Principal Morris as he told me to leave. As he told me that I’d be escorted out of the building with security.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I shook my head. “I can’t see him right now, Ang. I really can’t. I feel too bad.”

Angela shook her head. “Oh, no,” she said. “You’re getting out of bed and seeing Thomas and I don’t care if I have to drag you myself.” She put her hands on my shoulders and tugged. I shrieked as Angela pulled me out of bed.

“Okay, okay!” I gasped, wrenching free of her tight grip. “Tell him I’ll be five minutes.”

When I looked in the mirror, I groaned. I should’ve told her to say that I needed a half hour, I thought bleakly as I ran a brush through my tangles of black hair. I look like absolute poop.

After splashing my face with water and soap, I dried off and pulled on a loose sweater and a pair of leggings. They were new – some of the clothes that Angela and I had picked out together. But putting them on only twisted my heart when I realized I wouldn’t need new clothes for work after all.

I swallowed nervously as I combed my hair into a manageable mane, then rolled it into a messy bun. With a swipe of blush and lip balm, I almost looked human again. Taking a deep breath, I opened my bedroom door. Thomas and Angela were sitting on the couch, side by side, looking stiff. When he saw me, Thomas’s face relaxed.

“Oh, god, June, I was so worried about you,” Thomas said sternly. He stood up and walked over to me, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and pulling me close.

“I’m sorry.” I blushed. “I fell asleep, I didn’t think I’d be out for more than a few hours but I didn’t wake up until just now.”

“It’s okay. Stress does strange things to our bodies.”

I nodded.

“June, can I take you out for breakfast?”

“I’m not hungry,” I said sadly. “I don’t really feel like going out, Thomas.”

“Come on,” Angela interjected. “You’ve been moping around here all day, and I know you didn’t eat anything yesterday.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Can’t have my bestie going and getting sick on me.”

“I already feel sick,” I said.

“Well, then you need some coffee and maybe a fancy doughnut,” Thomas said. He winked at me and I tried to smile.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

“June.” Thomas gave me a stern look. “I care about you. Angela cares about you. You can’t stay inside and mope just because the school fucked up.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Fine,” I said. “You want me to come out? I’ll come out.” I stomped across the room and defiantly pulled on a jacket. When I glanced up, Angela was staring at me in shock. Thomas merely looked bemused.

“June, I just—“

“No,” Thomas said firmly. “She’s coming with me and that’s that.”

I followed Thomas out of my apartment, down the stairs, and into a waiting car.

“Someone vandalized my Porsche,” Thomas said casually once we were settled in the back seat.

My jaw dropped. “Thomas! Why didn’t you tell me that? You know – like, sooner?”

Thomas sighed. “I didn’t want to add to your stress,” he said. He reached over and squeezed my knee. A warm, pleasant sensation floated through my body and I closed my eyes. Being with Thomas was making me feel better than I’d felt since before I’d gotten fired. But I knew that wouldn’t last – I knew that as soon as I was alone again, my anxiety would come trickling back in to haunt me.

“When did it happen?” I narrowed my eyes.

Thomas reached forward and tapped the back of the driver’s seat. “Café DeLuxe, please,” he said. “It’s in Bushwick.”

I narrowed my eyes. “That sounds trendy,” I said.

Thomas laughed. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it before.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ll be the oldest one there.”

“You’re getting off track,” I said. “What happened to your car? When?”

Thomas looked guilty. “Yesterday, when I was upstairs with you,” he said. “I came back down to the street to find my tires slashes. Someone shattered the windshield, too.”

Guilt surged through my body and tears welled up in my eyes. This is my fault, too, I realized sadly. Thomas may be having a good effect on my life, but I certainly can’t say the same about my effect on his!

Thomas cupped my chin in his hands. “No,” he said firmly. “Don’t get upset. Don’t blame yourself, June – you had no way of knowing.”

I bit my lip. “I feel like such an idiot,” I said softly.

“Why?” Thomas snorted. “It’s not like vandalization like that happens on the regular, does it?”

“No,” I admitted reluctantly.

“See? It wasn’t your fault at all. Don’t worry about it,” Thomas said firmly. “I want you to concentrate on feeling better, you understand?”

All I could do was nod. The car slowed to a stop and Thomas climbed out before walking around and opening the door for me. Café DeLuxe was just as I’d pictured it from the name. An open-air bistro filled a large space that was easily four times the size of the apartment I shared with Angela. Outdoor heaters were placed strategically between the tables and people sat with coffees, papers, and the occasional laptop.

“This really is a hipster joint,” I remarked to Thomas as we approached.

Thomas snickered. “I thought you’d like it,” he said.

I glanced down at my boring sweater and jeans. “I don’t think I’m cool enough for this place,” I said.

Thomas took my hand and squeezed. “You’re with me,” he said. “You’re cool enough.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re so corny,” I said. I blushed.

Thomas raised an eyebrow. “You like it,” he said confidently.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I do.”

A very hip, tattooed, bearded man showed us to a table in the back and handed menus. It was as different from our dinner dates as night and day, but I had to admit that it did feel good to be out of the apartment. Maybe Angela and Thomas had been right – maybe all I needed was a little time, and then everything would get back to normal.

Thomas ordered two large cappuccinos for both of us, as well as an order of beignet and two large croissants stuffed with cream and strawberries. We sat in silence for a few moments and I looked all around, enviously watching the people working.

“It must be nice to work from home,” I said. I sighed. “I’ve never even thought about that.”

Thomas laughed. “Planning a career change?”

I shook my head. “No. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I don’t want to quit now. I’m just worried about how difficult it will be to find another position.”

“June, don’t write off the school yet,” Thomas said. “If they have any sense, they’ll bring you back.” He raised an eyebrow. “Sandy told me that if at all possible, they’ll call you and ask you to return. They don’t want to open themselves up to a lawsuit.”

“Sandy?”

“My lawyer, Sandy Goldstein,” Thomas said.

I laughed.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly. I blushed. “It’s just…you’re such an adult,” I said. I wrinkled my nose. “Sometimes I don’t even have matching socks! And you’ve got a condo, and a child, and a lawyer…I just wonder what you’re doing with me.”

“June, I’m spending time with you because I like you,” Thomas said gently. “And the sooner you realize that, the better it’ll be.”

Just as I was about to respond, I saw a flash of bright red hair.

“Thomas!”

I glanced up. My heart sank when I saw Marlene lowering herself into a chair next to me, opposite from Thomas. She beamed at Thomas.

“Hello, Marlene,” Thomas said stiffly. “Feeling better?”

“No,” Marlene snipped. She turned to me. “What’s going on?”

“This is June, you’ve met before,” Thomas said slowly. “June is my girlfriend.”

Marlene’s green eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious,” she said softly.

“I am,” Thomas said. “Now we were in the middle of a very serious discussion. Marlene, please leave – if I need to reach you, I’ll go through your lawyer.”

I narrowed my eyes. What’s going on between them, I wondered. This is so strange. Did something happen?

“No,” Marlene said shortly. She turned to me. “You can’t be with Thomas,” she said.

I shrugged. “I am,” I said softly.

Marlene’s face changed from pale, to white, to bright red. She stood up and glared at me, her green eyes blazing with fury.

“You can’t have my husband,” Marlene said angrily. “And if you think I’m going to stand by and let—“

“Marlene, enough!” Thomas stood up and grabbed Marlene by the arm. For a moment, they tussled. Then Thomas pulled Marlene close and hissed something quietly in her face. Marlene turned to me and glared for another long second before stalking off, her fur coat swishing around her shapely legs.

“June?” Thomas sat back down and put his hand on my arm. I flinched. “June, I’m so sorry about that. I had no idea she’d even be around here.”

I sniffed. “I think I want to go home,” I said softly. “I don’t really feel like being here anymore.”

“June, come on – I’m really sorry,” Thomas said. His own face was flushed and I could tell he was almost as distressed by the encounter with his wife as I was. Still, I couldn’t keep myself from beginning to shake. Tears welled up in my eyes and my face turned bright hot red.

“Thomas, please, take me home,” I whispered in a scratchy voice. “I don’t want to cry – not around all of these people.”

Thomas sighed. He signaled the waiter and asked for our breakfast to be boxed up. As soon as Thomas had paid the tab, he escorted me over to where his driver was waiting.

I shivered as Thomas opened the back seat of the car and helped me inside. As the driver pulled away from Café DeLuxe, I glanced around, suddenly afraid that Marlene was still lurking behind us.

Angela and I spent the rest of the day inside. Thomas sent over a huge amount of catered French food. When I saw that it was from Daniel, I smiled. I would have much preferred being with him at a gorgeous restaurant, but I still couldn’t make myself feel any better. I felt like a complete and total failure. My first adult job and I hadn’t even lasted two years.

I was really pathetic.

Just as Angela and I were packing up the leftovers, there was a knock at the front door.

“I bet Thomas sent over more food,” Angela said dryly. She rubbed her belly and moaned. “June, I’m stuffed! I can barely move.”

I laughed. “Maybe it’s flowers this time,” I said. I walked over and opened the door. When I realized no one was there, I frowned.

That’s when I saw the small brown box just outside of the door.

“He sent something,” I said, picking up the box and frowning. I turned it over in my hands but there was no return address or hint of who had mailed it.

“What is that?” Angela narrowed her eyes. Just as I was about to rip the tape away from the cardboard, Angela bit her lip. “June, maybe you shouldn’t do that,” Angela said. “What if it’s not from Thomas?”

“Who else could it be?” I gritted my teeth as I ripped the tape away. Immediately, a foul scent filled the room.

“God, that reeks,” Angela said. “It smells like burning plastic and rubber.”

A nervous stab of fear pierced my heart as I pulled open the cardboard. When I saw what was inside, I shrieked loudly and dropped the box to the floor.

“Holy shit,” Angela said. She squatted down. “What the fuck is this?”

I bit my lip. Two badly-burned dolls had fallen from the box and they lay in charred pieces on the floor. The acrid smell of smoke was strong enough to burn my nostrils and I felt tears come rushing back.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But Thomas didn’t send it!”

“June, you should call the police,” Angela said. “This is really getting out of hand. Don’t you think it’s time to take matters into your own hands?”

I frowned. “I don’t know. They weren’t very helpful last time.”

“Well, this is different,” Angela said angrily. “And I live here too. If you don’t call them, I will.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not in danger.”

Angela looked at me sadly. “June, I want to believe that. But we need to worry about our safety. This is our home,” she stressed. “I can’t tell you how important it is that we both stay safe.”

I nodded. “Okay. I mean, you’re right,” I said slowly. “I’ll call the police now.”

Angela stayed right beside me as I dialed the non-emergency line and requested a dispatch. It seemed like forever before the cops showed up, knocking on our door so loudly that I was afraid it would cave in.

“What seems to be the problem?” The bigger cop – Officer Carmody – crossed his arms over his chest and squinted at me.

I explained the whole saga, from Andy’s first advances, to our coffee “date,” to the nasty drawings on the wall at school and the attack in the alley.

“And these just showed up,” I said, pointing down at the baby dolls.

Carmody picked one of them up in his hands and squinted.

“Um, shouldn’t you be wearing gloves?” I asked quietly. “I haven’t touched them – just the box – if you’re worried about fingerprints.”

Carmody set the messy, burned doll down on the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Angela cringe.

“Look, Judy,--“

“It’s June,” I corrected.

“Judy, I hate to tell you this, but it seems like garden variety asshole behavior.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding,” I said softly. “This guy is stalking me! He’s threatening me, and harassing me! And I’m supposed to just take that in stride and let it go?”

Carmody sighed. “Look, I don’t make the rules,” he said. “But unless we have hard evidence of any of those things, you’d have a really tough time making a case against this guy.”

“You do have hard evidence,” I shrieked, pointing down to the ruined plastic. “It’s right there!”

Carmody chuckled. “No, this ain’t nothin’,” he said. “We don’t know anything – how do you even know these were for you?”

“Because my name was written on the box,” I said in exasperation. “Look, I know all of this stuff has to be connected! It’s not just some random guy trying to mess with me. He really wants to hurt me!”

Carmody snickered. “Honey, I get that you have a very high opinion of yourself, but trust me – this is just some kid messing around.”

Tears stung my eyes. Angela wrapped a protective arm around me and pulled me close.

“My friend is really scared,” she said sternly to Carmody. “And you’re telling me you’re not even going to look into it?”

Carmody was already tucking his notepad and pencil away. “There ain’t nothin’ to look into,” he said. “Call us back if you get an actual threat.”

Angela stared at him in disgust and disbelief. “You’re kidding,” she said slowly. “This is disgusting! I thought you guys were supposed be on our side.”

Carmody laughed. He pulled on his jacket and shook his head, nodding his head towards the front door. His silent partner walked out into the hall. Just as Carmody was about to follow, he turned back to Angela and me.

“Look, girls, I know it’s scary. Big, big city and you’re all on you’se own. I get that. But you girls are adults now, and that means not calling the cops for every little thing that frightens you.”

I could tell Angela was about to resist, but I knew that my tears would be falling soon and I didn’t want to cry in front of the cops.

“Fine,” I said softly. “Thanks for coming out.”

“You two have a really good day,” Carmody said. He tipped his hat, then walked out the door.

Angela kicked it shut behind him. “New York’s best,” Angela said bitterly. “Don’t make me laugh. Those two were pathetic!”

I bit my lip and shrugged. “Yeah,” I said softly. “I told you.”

Angela pulled me into a close hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” she said. “I had no idea they would be so callous. They practically blamed you!”

I nodded. “I know.” I wrinkled my nose. “Same way they treated me when Andy tried grabbing me in that alley. They acted like it was no big deal – like I deserved it, because I’d once asked him for coffee.”

Angela heaved a large sigh. “What are you gonna do?”

I bit my lip and sniffled. “I have no idea,” I said quietly. “When I think of something, I’ll let you know.”

Chapter Fifteen

June

On Monday, Angela had to go back to work. I wish I could say that I was starting to feel better about my whole situation, but the truth was that I was feeling more depressed than ever before. Day after day passed by where I did nothing but sit on the couch and flip through old shows, and I was starting to wonder if I shouldn’t be spending my time by looking for a job. But every time I pulled up my laptop and started working on my resume, I just felt guilty and sad. I couldn’t believe that my lifelong goal of teaching had barely lasted for more than a year.

Thursday morning, just as I was settling down on the couch with some leftover pizza and a bad romantic comedy, my phone buzzed on the end table. My hand was shaking as I picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hello, may I please speak with June Rogers?”

“This is she.”

“June, this is Anne Marie, one of the sectaries at P.S.151. How are you?”

“Um, I’m fine.” My cheeks flamed bright red and I bit my lip.

“Good. I was hoping you could come in this afternoon for a small meeting – just myself, you, and Principal Morris.”

Oh, shit, I thought. It’s finally happening. They’re going to hand me a pink slip and then it’s all over.

“Okay,” I said nervously.

“June, could you be here in an hour?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Good. Thanks so much for your cooperation, I really appreciate it. See you soon.”

I hung up and sprang off the couch, knocking my pizza onto the floor. I stared at it for a moment, debating whether or not to clean it up. They’re going to fire me, I thought. It doesn’t matter. I’ll still be home before Angela. I can just clean it up then. Or who knows – maybe I can just eat it, because I’ll be feeling so miserable that I won’t be able to stand myself.

I shuddered and darted into my room. Tugging on a knit dress, I added tights, boots, and a swipe of coral lipstick. My hair was a greasy tangle but I picked it apart as best I could, using some of Angela’s dry shampoo and combing it into a chignon.

Downstairs, I hailed a cab. It made me nervous to be spending that kind of money today – after all, now that I was about to be officially fired, I wouldn’t really have any play money for a while. Or any money, I realized bleakly.

The cab halted to a stop in front of P.S.151 and I gave the driver the biggest tip I could without overspending. Then I ran up the stairs, for what I knew would be my last time walking through the front doors.

The front office was quiet – it was the middle of the day, and I figured most of the kids were at lunch. Anne Marie stood up and smiled when she saw me.

“June, right on time. If you wouldn’t mind coming with me,” she said, leading the way into Principal Morris’s office.

I gulped. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered under my breath. “I just hope I don’t cry.”

Principal Morris was seated behind his desk, looking more regal and walrus-like than ever before. This time, his attention was clearly focused on Anne Marie. When I walked in and sat down, he smiled.

“June, I’m so glad you could make it out,” Principal Morris said. “This is something we’ve been meaning to discuss with you for a few days, but I wanted to be sure that everything was right on track.”

I swallowed nervously. “Just get it over with,” I said.

“What?”

“I know you’re going to fire me,” I said miserably. “I know that’s what’s going to happen. Just, please – do it quickly. Please don’t humiliate me.”

Anne Marie and Principal Morris exchanged an odd glance.

“June, we’re not going to fire you.”

“What?”

Anne Marie laughed nervously. “No. We’re here to ask you back, and we’re going to pay you for your time off, too.”

“What…why?”

“June, you’re a very good teacher,” Principal Morris said gently. “Your class seems to love you. Ruth, your assistant, speaks very highly of you.”

“But…but…what about Andy?”

Annie Marie and Principal Morris glanced at each other again, this time less warmly.

“Andrew Lipinski has been fired, immediately,” Anne Marie said. “We’ve decided to file charges against him.” She pursed her lips. “There’s just one problem.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What? What’s going on?”

Principal Morris cleared his throat. “We haven’t been able to locate Andrew,” he said. “Neither have the police.”

I rolled my eyes. “I doubt they’re looking very hard.” I bit my lip, wondering if I should mention anything about the encounter in the alley, or the weird burned dolls. In the end, I decided it was for the best if I didn’t mention any “drama” that had taken place outside of school.

“Well, as soon as we find him, he’ll be arrested.”

I bit my lip. My head was a confusing swirl of emotions and I had no idea what I was supposed to say.

“I…I can’t believe you’re not firing me,” I said quietly.

“We had no intention of firing you at all,” Principal Morris replied. “June, I’m very sorry for the stress we’ve caused you. But I promise – this was just a procedural thing.”

I nodded. “Well, thank you very much.”

“So, will you come back?”

My eyes filled with tears and I nodded happily. “Oh, yes,” I said quickly. “I can’t wait.”

“Good,” Principal Morris replied. “Why not take tomorrow off and come in on Monday?”

“Sounds good.” I sniffled, wiping my nose on my hand. “Thank you.”

I left P.S.151 before I could start crying for real, but as soon as I was outside, the truth hit me and I shrieked, jumping up and down. I didn’t even care that I was in public – I didn’t care who saw me, as long as they knew how happy I was.

“I didn’t get fired!” I shrieked, dancing around in a little circle. I’d practically skipped all the way to the subway station before I remembered Thomas and Angela. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I called Thomas immediately.

“Thomas, I didn’t get fired. I didn’t lose my job! They asked me to come in and told me they wanted me to come back!”

“June, congratulations,” Thomas said. He sounded far-away, distant.

“Can we celebrate?” I was still jumping up and down for joy.

“Sure. Are you free tomorrow night?”

“Oh, yes,” I said happily.

“Good.” Thomas gave me the name of a new Spanish restaurant, and told me to meet him at seven-thirty the next evening. By the time we hung up, I was positively beaming.

When I got home, I texted Angela. She left work early and burst into the apartment with a cheap sheet cake and a bottle of Prosecco.

“I know I shouldn’t be splurging, but I’m so happy for you!” Angela pulled me into a tight hug. “Girl, this is the best news ever!”

“I know,” I gushed. “I can’t believe it. I just feel so good!”

Angela grinned. “I knew you had things under control,” she said. She poured me a glass of the sparkling wine and we toasted to ‘new things.’

“When I told Thomas, he didn’t seem too happy,” I said. I frowned and bit my lip.

“Oh, June, you know him – he was probably just really busy at work,” Angela said. “Give it time – I’m sure he’ll be thrilled when he sees you tomorrow.” She raised an eyebrow. “Just don’t come back here. I’m going to be here all night.”

I blushed hotly. “No way,” I said. I grinned. “But I can’t wait to sleep with him again.”

Angela laughed. “Girl, you’re too much,” she said.

We spent all of Thursday night celebrating. Friday, I slept in, hoping to get rid of my hangover before my date with Thomas. By now, I was barely nervous – we’d been out together so many times that I was expecting something really special.

Aguilar didn’t disappoint. I was floored at the beautiful display inside the lobby – a fountain made entirely of glass mosaic. The water splashed and flowed over gorgeously vibrant tiles.

“Senorita is enjoying our fountain, yes?”

I blushed and turned around to see a young, handsome maître d.

“Yes, it’s lovely,” I said. “I’m here a little early – I’m meeting Thomas March at seven-thirty.”

The maître d nodded. “Mr. March has not yet joined us,” he said. “But would you like to be seated?”

I nodded and nervously followed the maître d through the beautiful restaurant. The brightly colored tables were filled with all kinds of expensive looking couples, and I wondered what kind of delicious wine Thomas would order for us when he arrived.

“I’ll send a complimentary glass of sangria over to you,” the maître d said. He bowed deeply and I blushed.

Am I supposed to tip him or something, I wondered. But thankfully, he turned on his heel and walked away before I felt too awkward.

Seconds later, a glass of red sangria was brought to the table. I sipped it and thanked the waiter before starting to glance through the menu. Thankfully, it was printed in both English and Spanish. But by the time I’d read the whole thing, cover to cover, there was still no sign of Thomas.

I frowned. It was quarter to eight. When I checked my phone, there was no text or call. He’s probably stuck in traffic, I thought. And I’m sure he doesn’t want to get into an accident by texting. Maybe his Porsche is repaired and he’s still waiting.

Another ten minutes passed and there was still no sign of my date. Frustrated, I pulled out my phone and texted him: “Hey, everything okay?”

No response.

When the waiter came back for my empty glass, I was embarrassed. I picked a cheap appetizer on the menu – and at eighteen dollars for three seared scallops, it wasn’t very cheap – and told the waiter that I was still waiting on Thomas to show.

Fifteen minutes later, just as I was finishing my scallops, Thomas arrived. He looked flushed and out of breath, and he sat down hard without looking at me or greeting me.

“Hi,” I said cautiously. “Is everything okay?”

Thomas didn’t respond. He started digging through his pockets. After a few seconds of irritated silence, he pulled out his phone and pressed angrily at the screen.

I sat there, feeling like a fool. Thankfully, the waiter chose that exact moment to come up to the table.

“Good evening, sir,” the waiter said. “Would you like to see a wine list?”

“No,” Thomas said shortly. “Just bring us anything aged on oak, from the late nineties.”

“Yes, sir,” the waiter said. “Have you had a chance to look at the menu?”

Thomas glanced up and looked at me, as if seeing me for the first time. “No,” he said. “June, have you gotten a chance to look?”

I nodded mutely.

“Just ask her,” Thomas said. “June, pick something with seafood,” he said. “And I want ceviche as an appetizer.”

“Yes, sir,” the waiter noted. He turned to me and I began to sweat. My cheeks flushed as I fumbled with the menu.

“Um, can I have the gamba…gambas de…ai-aye-oh?”

“Yes, the shrimp with garlic,” the waiter said smoothly. “Very good choice. I’ll bring two dinners.”

“Thank you.” I blushed hotly, ashamed of my mistake. I really need to learn basic French and Spanish pronunciation, I realized. That is, if I’m going to keep dating Thomas.

As soon as the waiter was gone, Thomas sighed and took a long drink of water.

“You okay?” I asked nervously.

Thomas glared at me. “No.”

“What’s wrong?”

Thomas sighed. “June, you should really brush up on your foreign pronunciation,” he said. “If we keep going places, it’s best to know all of the dishes by name.”

My blush deepened to a painful red. “I know,” I whispered. “I’m sorry. I was expecting you to order for us – you usually do that.”

Thomas sighed forcefully, as if I’d somehow just him desperately uncomfortable with my comment.

“Normally I’ve had a better day at work,” Thomas said. The waiter brought a bottle of white wine and poured a taste for Thomas. This time, Thomas didn’t even bother sniffing and swirling the wine around in his glass. He poured two generous glasses and handed one to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered shyly.

The waiter beamed, as if he had no idea of the tension at the table. “The shrimp will be out soon,” he said.

As soon as he’d walked off, Thomas glared. “Why didn’t you ask him about the ceviche?”

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I forgot – I’m really sorry, I’ll grab him the next time he passes by.”

“Forget it,” Thomas said sourly. “That kind of behavior isn’t really acceptable at places like these.”

I swallowed and licked my lips. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but suddenly Thomas had gone from my own personal Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde.

“Thank you for taking me to dinner,” I said quietly.

“Oh, yeah,” Thomas said. “Well, I’m glad to hear you weren’t fired.”

I nodded and held my breath. The restaurant was filled with delicious, tempting aromas…but I felt sick to my stomach. It felt like being trapped a bad dream. I’d never seen this side of Thomas before – what exactly was he trying to tell me?

“Um, Thomas?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you angry with me?” I gnawed at my lip. “You’re just acting different.”

“I had a bad day.”

“Well, please don’t take it out on me,” I said gently. “If this is too much for right now, let me know. I’ll go hope and we can get together when you’re feeling better.”

“You wanted to go out tonight.”

I tried not to sigh in exasperation. Thomas was acting like a child!

“I know,” I said gently. “But I assumed that if you weren’t in the mood, you would’ve said something.” I bit my lip, wondering what could have possibly happened to upset Thomas so much.

“And here we are with the shrimp!” The waiter set two sizzling skillets in front of us, loaded with fat shrimp and garlic cloves. They smelled delicious but my stomach flipped and turned.

“Thanks,” I said quietly. The waiter tried to catch Thomas’s eye, but Thomas was staring down at the food with surprising intensity. After a few seconds of silence, the waiter left.

“Well, they fucking forgot my ceviche and you didn’t say anything,” Thomas growled.

I stared at him. “You’re kidding,” I said slowly. “You told me not to say anything! You said that behavior wasn’t appropriate at a place like this!”

Thomas sighed heavily, as if he were dealing with a small child. “No, June,” he said sarcastically. “I told you not to flag the waiter down. That isn’t acceptable behavior. But it’s perfect correct to ask if the waiter is already here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Forgive me,” I said. “I didn’t know.” I bit my lip. The shrimp continued to sizzle and smoke in front of me. I couldn’t tell if my eyes were watering due to the smoke or because I was about to cry.

“Well, now you do,” Thomas said icily.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about what’s bothering you?” I asked gently, reaching out and putting a hand on Thomas’s arm. “I’d be more than happy to listen to you, Thomas.”

“June, I told you!” Thomas thundered angrily. I gasped – some of the other people nearby looked up and flushed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

My chin began to wobble and tears dripped down my face. I reached for my napkin and put it on the table, next to my untouched garlic shrimp.

“Fine,” I said in a shaky voice. “You obviously don’t want my company right now. Enjoy your shrimp, Thomas.”

Before he could reply, I turned on my heel and stalked out of the restaurant. Tears were flooding my vision and I stumbled and ran as fast as I could. It’s funny, I thought bitterly. I’ve finally gotten used to wearing heels, just when Thomas decided he was sick of me.

I felt ill. I felt nauseous – I felt like my heart was going to explode in my chest and my stomach was going to lock up and fall right out of my body. As I ran out of the beautiful Spanish restaurant, I realized that I’d never felt more humiliated. This was worse than anything I’d endured – even worse than when I thought I’d been fired from P.S.151.

“June! June, wait!”

When I heard Thomas’s voice behind me, I didn’t even think to stop. If anything, hearing him just spurned me on. No, I thought angrily. I’m not going to stick around and let you scream at me for no reason! Tears dripped from my face, blinding my vision as I ran out onto the street and turned.

“June! Wait, June, I need to talk to you!”

This time, Thomas’s voice was fainter. I shivered as I ran. A hot wave of nausea rolled over my body and I paused for a minute, resting my hand against a grimy lamppost as I prayed that I wouldn’t vomit.

“June!”

Hearing Thomas’s voice made me break out into a fast run once again. I stumbled into the street and narrowly missed a speeding car that passed in a haze of honking and screaming. I barely even heard the rude words directed my way – all I cared about was getting far, far away from Thomas.

What had changed? What had I done to make him no longer want me? And why couldn’t he have been enough of a man to tell me himself?

I ran until I could feel snot running down my face. A painful, sharp stitch formed in my side and I gasped in agony before darting into an alley and leaning against the scratchy brick. In a way, the prickly surface felt good – like something I deserved, like something that had been coming to me for a long time.

I was a fool to trust him, I thought sadly as I buried my face in my cold hands and sobbed. The night was a chill one – winter in New York City was definitely coming on strong – but I didn’t feel cold. I felt hot and angry and embarrassed. I hated Thomas March. I’d chased after him like a stupid schoolgirl, and this was what I got in return.

I deserve this, I thought, wiping my nose on the back of my hand.

I don’t know how long I stayed in that alley, sobbing my eyes out. Thomas March’s handsome, leonine face kept flashing before my eyes and I cried bitterly until my lungs were wracked with pain and I could cry no more. My sinuses were filled with a hot, liquid snot that felt as heavy as cement. I wished I could blow my nose, but I didn’t even have a tissue on me.

Blinking unsteadily, I began the slow, long walk from where I stood to the nearest subway station. Even though it was Friday night, Manhattan seemed unusually quiet. The only sounds that filled my ears were the sounds of my heels tapping on the concrete ground. In the distance, I could hear groups of people laughing. I envied them.

Stupid people, I thought bitterly. One of my heels tripped over a crack in the cement and I came crashing painfully down to my hands and my knees. Crying out, I gasped as I made full contact with the ground. My knees were stinging by the time I hauled myself into a standing position and I winced as I wiped the bloody scrapes free of gravel.

A car pulled up beside me, then slowed on the sidewalk. I narrowed my eyes. Was someone actually going to try to help me? Did I look as pathetic as I felt?

I watched nervously as the back doors opened and two men stepped out. When I realized I didn’t know them, I sighed with relief.

“Stop staring,” I called, brushing my bloody palms off on my dress. It was new, but it didn’t matter – it wasn’t like I’d be going on any more dates with Thomas.

The men advanced on me, leering at me.

“It’s rude,” I called in a shaky voice. Swallowing nervously, I turned on my heel and began stalking away from the two men. Their feet began to slap the pavement and I broke out into a run. In a matter of seconds, I felt four strong hands wrap around my arms and hold me in place.

“Leave me alone!” I shrieked loudly. “Help! Help! Somebody help me!”

“Shut up, bitch,” one of the men hissed. “We’re armed, and we’re not afraid to shoot you.”

“Help!” I shrieked once more. A sharp elbow to my gut made me cry out in pain and before I knew it, my eyes were rolling back in my head. Something wet and foul-smelling was pressed to my face and suddenly, everything went black.

Chapter Sixteen

Thomas

“June!” I screamed. “June, where the hell did you go?”

My voice echoed off walls and buildings. The crowds of well-dressed people around me eyed me with pity, like they felt sorry for me.

“Stop staring, assholes,” I muttered under my breath. “You want to keep looking at Thomas March, you’d better take a fucking picture.”

I couldn’t believe it. I’d been chasing after June for blocks, and I still hadn’t managed to catch her. I had no idea how she was managing to run so quickly – especially in heels. When we’d gone out before, she’d barely been able to walk.

But somehow, I was starting to guess that my June was a fast learner.

Finally, in complete frustration, I turned around and went running back to Aguilar, the Spanish restaurant where we’d started a disastrous evening. I knew that it had been wrong to shut June out, but I couldn’t have possibly told her the truth without ruining her evening, too.

Now I felt like a fool. I should’ve been honest with her from the beginning, and told her what was bothering me. Now, I worried that I’d ruined a lot more than dinner. I’d acted like a complete fool – how the hell was I supposed to apologize for that? I just needed to find June and talk to her in person…I was sure she’d listen to what I had to say.

On my way down the block, I pulled out my phone and dialed June. Predictably, it went straight to voicemail.

“June, this is me – Thomas. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, and I swear that I’m not angry with you at all. Something really bad—“

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Looking down in frustration, I groaned when I saw that Marlene was calling. I hit ‘ignore’ but by the time I got back to June’s voicemail, the inbox was full and I couldn’t leave another message.

“God damn it!” I screamed. For a moment, I was tempted to smash my phone on the sidewalk. But then I realized that if June got my message, she wouldn’t be able to call me back. Breaking into a run, I darted across the street and into Aguilar.

“Yes?” the maître d looked up at me. “Forget something?”

“Did she come back?” I asked breathlessly.

“Who, sir?” He narrowed his eyes. “Who are you talking about?”

“The girl with black hair, the one I was sitting with,” I said quickly.

“No, sir, I have not seen her.”

“Fuck!” I balled my hand into a fist and slammed it down on the table. The maître d looked perturbed.

“Sir, if I may help you, please let me know. Otherwise, I am very sorry, but I will have to ask you to leave.”

“Whatever,” I mumbled. “Thanks for nothing.”

Outside, I climbed in a cab and gave the driver June’s Brooklyn address. I figured that she must have gone home – aside from Angela, I didn’t think she had any friends. The cab ride felt long – too long – and I was sweating bullets the whole time. Why had I been such an asshole? June was the woman in my life, the woman I was falling in love with! And I’d treated her like nothing, like garbage, just because I’d gotten some very bad news.

When the cab pulled up in front of June’s building, I paid the driver and then leapt out. Bolting up the stairs, I pounded on the door.

Angela opened it, looking surprised.

“Is June here?” I barged in, pushing her to the side. “June,” I yelled loudly. “June, it’s me! We need to talk! June!”

“She’s not here,” Angela said suspiciously. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed me. “What’s going on?”

“I fucked up.” I started pacing back and forth in June’s living room, tangling my hands in my hair and pulling until my scalp ached. “I fucked up so badly, I scared her off. I really hurt her, Angela!”

Angela gave me a sour look. “Well, she’s not here,” she said firmly. “And I’m not lying – although if June had asked me to lie to you for her, I would.”

“You’re a big help,” I said sarcastically. “Thanks for nothing.”

“No, wait,” Angela said. “What happened?”

I told her the whole story, groaning at my juvenile, shitty behavior. When I was finished, Angela looked sick.

“You treated her like shit and now you’re surprised that she ran out on you?” Angela clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Look, I don’t even think you deserve another chance.”

“It’s not that,” I said quickly. “I was a huge asshole, but she didn’t understand. I couldn’t tell her why – at least, not in public.”

“What happened?”

I sighed. “I’m a fucking moron,” I said. “I ran a background check on Hannah, because I’m sure that she’s trying to get to me through my son,” I added.

“And?”

“Long story short, she’s not who she says she is,” I said quickly. “There isn’t really time to explain it now, but she’s incredibly dangerous and I’m really worried about June’s safety.”

For the first time since I’d arrived, Angela looked scared.

“What are you gonna do,” Angela asked nervously. “If June left…” She glanced down at her watch. “Thomas, that was almost two hours ago! What if something happened to her?”

“Is there anywhere you can think of where June could have gone?” I stared at Angela. I could feel the desperation leaking out of my body, like sweat, and drying up in the air.

“No,” Angela said. She bit her lip. “June’s a real homebody, you know. She’s really introverted. She doesn’t really like going out. She normally just takes a long bath.”

“And you’re absolutely sure she’s not here?”

Angela nodded. Her face looked pale and frightened. “I know,” she said. “I tried calling her a bunch of times when I got home – she didn’t leave a note, but I wasn’t that worried because I figured she was with you.”

I groaned. “Fucking hell,” I said under my breath. “We have to find her, Angela. We have to find her before someone else does.”

Angela licked her lips and looked up at me. “Someone like…Hannah?”

I nodded. My heart sank in my chest. “Yes,” I said. “Someone like Hannah.”

Chapter Seventeen

June

 

God, what a horrible dream, I thought. I can’t believe I thought I was kidnapped! I mean, it was a terrible night, but wow.

 

“Hey,” a familiar voice said. “You up?”

 

My head was aching and there was something making a lot of noise in the background – whining, whirring noise, like the kind of thing you’d hear on a construction site. As I struggled to open my eyes, I realized that I couldn’t move. Suddenly, my heart began to pound and a cold sweat broke out all over my body. Oh, crap, I thought. Someone really DID kidnap me!

As I opened my eyes, the memory of the previous night came rushing back. The two men in the car, who had grabbed me and given me something to make me pass out. What had they done? And where were they now?

“She’s awake,” Hannah’s voice said quietly. “You really knocked her out!”

“The bitch wouldn’t stop moving,” Andy replied. “I didn’t want to hit her, but she didn’t really give me a choice.” I winced – he didn’t sound like he was sorry at all.

“Well, what are we gonna do now?”

 

“This is the fun part,” Andy said.

 

My mouth felt like it was full of cotton and I felt dizzy. Even after I opened my eyes and tried to adjust to the semi-darkness, I still felt like I was spinning around in crazy circles. My head ached and my wrists were bound so tightly that my fingers and hands were numb. I was sitting on a hard wooden chair. My ankles were bound to the chair legs, and my hands were tied snugly behind me with what felt like zip ties.

 

“Andy?” I whimpered. “What are you doing? Please let me go,” I said softly. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but please, just let me go and I won’t tell anyone.”

Hannah burst out laughing. She walked closer and my heart sank when I realized that she was made up to look fancy, like she was going out for a night on the town.

“You were out for a few hours,” Hannah said softly. She licked her lips. “I was starting to think that you wouldn’t wake up.”

 

“My head is killing me,” I mumbled. My heart was thudding slowly in my chest. “Can I have some water?”

 

“Can I have some water?” Hannah simpered, mimicking my tired, grumpy voice. “Andy, she thinks we’re actually going to help her,” she said. “Isn’t that sweet?”

 

Andy chuckled. “It’s something, all right,” he said. He stepped forward and I saw that he was sneering. “June, shut up,” he added.

 

I closed my eyes. The pain in my head was so bad that even closing my eyes didn’t help. My world was a vibrating void of red and black pain, so sharp that I felt like I was going to throw up. Moving hurt. Breathing hurt. Everything on my body hurt – even my hair hurt.

 

“She woke up too soon,” Andy grumbled. “How much of that shit did have those guys give her, anyway?”

 

Hannah smirked. “I wasn’t counting,” she said. “I just splashed it on a rag and handed off the bottle.” She shrugged. “I think they were probably a little rough.” She laughed – it was a musical sound, like the tinkling of bells. “I mean, they were hired bodyguards.”

 

“What?” My voice came out as weak and unsteady as a newborn kitten. “What are you talking about?”

 

Hannah stepped closer and grinned. “Well, June, I couldn’t exactly grab you myself.” She made a little pouty face. “I’m not very strong, I certainly couldn’t have wrangled a big girl like you down to the pavement alone.”

 

My eyes stung with tears. “You…you paid someone to kidnap me?”

 

Hannah ignored me. She turned to Andy, looking annoyed. “She’s stupid,” Hannah said. “I can’t figure out why you like her so much.”

 

Andy chuckled. “Thanks for getting her,” he said. “Now I just have to wait for that shit to wear off and we can start to play.”

 

Panic cut through me like a knife through tender meat. I let out a scream. Screaming made my head ache even more than it was already hurting, and I whimpered and whined, closing my eyes as a torrential downpour of red-hot pain washed over me.

 

“Shut up, June,” Andy said in disgust. “We weren’t talking to you.”

 

I opened my eyes and tried to stare at him. He was moving around, swaying. That was when I realized that Andy wasn’t moving at all – somehow the drugs were making me think that there was more than one of him.

“You’re gonna be fine, June,” Andy said. “Trust me. I’m used to dealing with little bitches like you.”

 

I swallowed. My throat ached, too. There was a raw pain between my legs that was telling me that I had to pee, and I shifted uncomfortably on the chair.

“Can I use the bathroom, please?”

 

Hannah snickered. “Can you walk there?”

 

I stared at her. “What?”

“Bitch, I asked if you could fucking walk!” Hannah came closer. She shook her head and glared down at me. “You really are stupid,” she said. “I can’t believe Thomas fell for someone like you.” She tossed her blonde hair. “Normally he only goes for smart women.” She paused, laughing. “Although normally, smart women don’t care too much about Thomas. Most girls only like him because he’s so hot.”

 

Andy laughed. “Yeah, I know.” He eyed Hannah. “You girls are a bunch of right cunts when it comes down to it, aren’t you?”

 

She snickered. “We can be,” Hannah said. She cocked her head to the side. “What do you think we should do with her first?”

 

I watched in horror as they studied each other. I still wasn’t sure what the hell I was doing tied up in Hannah’s apartment. Did they want me as some kind of prop for some sick sex game? Or did Hannah have darker plans, plans with Thomas? I shuddered. I should’ve known better than to trust her, but I couldn’t help it. My naivete and trusting personality had gotten me into trouble before.

 

Unfortunately, this time it didn’t seem like I’d be able to get myself out of trouble.

 

“June’s a little slut,” Hannah said. She stamped her foot on the ground in anger, her blonde hair swinging. “I can’t believe Thomas actually wanted her instead of me!”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that now,” Andy replied. “June’s not going to be the apple of any man’s eye for a long time. Except mine, of course.”

 

My stomach twisted into a thousand knots at the sound of sick satisfaction in Andy’s voice.

 

“Please,” I whimpered. “What are you going to do with me? Why are you doing this?”

 

“You’re an ungrateful little slut,” Andy said. He stepped closer, until I could feel his hot breath on my face. “You know that? I wanted to date you, June. I really liked you – I thought you were cool.”

I whimpered. “Andy, please don’t do this,” I said softly. “It’s not my fault that we didn’t work out.” I blushed hotly. My sinuses were still filled with snot from my earlier crying jag and even though I couldn’t reach to touch my face, I somehow knew that my skin was red and sticky.

 

“Oh yeah?” Andy raised his eyebrow. “Then what was it, June?”

 

Andy and Hannah threw their heads back and laughed.

“It’s because you’re not rich, Andy,” Hannah said, pretending to pout. “June here only likes wealthy men. Isn’t that right, June?”

Andy frowned. “Yeah, god knows I probably don’t make much more than she does,” he said. Then he shrugged. “At least, I did.” Andy grinned at me and my stomach curdled. “Now I guess it doesn’t really matter who makes the bucks, does it, June?”

Andy looked wounded. For a moment, I thought he was going to cry. Then his lips curled up at the corners into a cruel smile and he threw his head back, laughing loudly.

 

“You’re an idiot,” Andy said. “And if you keep making so much noise…” He trailed off, grinning nastily. “We’re just gonna have to give you some more of that wine you like so much. In fact, Hannah?”

Hannah stepped forward. She was holding a plastic tumbler in her hands and she grinned as she pushed it towards my face. The smell of wine was enough to make me gag, but Hannah didn’t take it away.

“Please,” I moaned softly. “Please don’t make me drink any more. I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

“That is a side effect of being a drunken slut,” Hannah said softly. Her eyes twinkled demonically as she pushed the cup towards my lip. I smelled the sickly sweet wine and gagged, pulling my head back and staring at the ceiling as the bile rose in my throat.

 

“Drink some, June,” Andy ordered. He grinned. “It’s gonna keep you quiet,” he added. “And god knows we need a little quiet around here. Hannah and I have to finish planning.”

“Shit,” Hannah mumbled. “This fucking sucks, Andy.” I thought she was going to put the cup down but in a flash, her free hand was pinching my nose. My lungs burned but I struggled and twisted against her grip. Hannah was stronger, and finally I opened my mouth, sucking in air. As quickly as lightning, Hannah tipped the cup down my throat, sending even more of the drugged wine into my stomach. Tears dripped down my cheeks as the wine burned in my throat.

“That should shut her up,” Andy muttered. “So, is he coming over here?”

“I haven’t called him yet,” Hannah said delicately. “But you fucked everything up! She was with Thomas tonight, and she stormed out!” Hannah laughed. “I bet he’s so upset now that we have his little pet.” Hannah rolled her eyes.

 

“He seems like an emotional little prick,” Andy said. “Is that true?”

 

Hannah licked her lips and walked closer. “Oh, yeah,” she said. She glared at me. “He cried every night when Marlene first left. He cried. On my shoulder,” she added. “And I don’t know why, but then he decided to fall for this stupid little cunt instead of me.”

 

My head was swimming. I felt myself fading in and out of consciousness, like someone was lowering a dark blanket over my face until I couldn’t see. Hannah’s voice buzzed in my ears like a gnat, and I moaned softly as Andy stepped closer.

“Hey, June, give me a kiss,” Andy said. He puckered his lips and leaned down, pressing them to my cheek. I groaned. As Andy moved closer to my mouth, I spat in his face. Outraged, he slapped my cheek hard.

 

“She’s feisty,” Hannah said. She smirked. “You sure you can handle her, boss?”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Andy said. He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. “I can handle her,” he said. He turned away from Hannah and faced me, squatting down until we were at eye-level. “I know everything about your little boyfriend,” Andy said. “Hannah told me everything.”

 

My head was swimming and I was still reeling from the pain of Andy’s slap, but my confusion went deeper than that.

“I don’t understand,” I mumbled. “What’s going on?”

 

Andy grinned. “You don’t need to worry about that,” he said. “Hannah here did her job well. She handed you over to me with no questions asked. Unlike you,” Andy added, cocking his head to the side and looking down at me. “You can’t do anything well, June.” He grinned. “But I bet I can teach you.”

 

I let out a loud scream as Andy began to advance on me.

 

Thump! Thump! Thump!

 

Andy paused, mere inches from where I sat tethered to the chair.

“What the fuck was that?” Andy cocked his head to the side and turned to Hannah. The satisfied, smug look had vanished from her face. Now she looked pale and frightened.

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. She bit her lip. “Just get it over with,” she added, gesturing to me.

 

My heart skipped a nervous beat and fresh tears welled up in my eyes. The combination of the drugs and the alcohol was making me feel like I wouldn’t be able to stay conscious for much longer, but sheer panic and terror were the only things keeping me away.

 

Thump! Thump! Thump!

 

“Someone’s coming,” Andy said nervously. His forehead glistened with a fine layer of sweat and he bit his lip until blood trickled down his chin.

“Well, I don’t give a shit,” Hannah snarled. “After all, this isn’t my apartment!”

 

A loud thudding on the door made Andy jump.

“Fuck,” Andy muttered under his breath. His glance darted nervously around the room. “Hide her,” he snapped, pointing to me.

Hannah rolled her eyes. “She’s too heavy,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to carry her and the chair by myself!”

 

“Open the goddamned door!”

The sound of Thomas’s voice filled me with hope. Oh my god, I thought. Somehow, he found me. He’s coming here to save me! I’m going to be fine!

 

“No,” Andy said nervously. He leaned against the door, his thin frame straining to keep it closed as Thomas beat on the other side.

“Move,” Hannah snapped. She walked over to me and snapped my fingers.

“I can’t,” I whispered hoarsely. My throat was still burning from the wine.

 

Hannah glared at me, as if she’d somehow forgotten that I was trussed to the chair.

 

“Open the fucking door!” Thomas screamed.

 

Andy had his back to the door. His feet were sliding along the floor as he desperately attempted to keep it bolted and shut. But his weak muscles were no match for Thomas’s strong body, and the door popped open. Thomas burst inside. His silvery hair was a wild mess of tangles and his face was bright red with anger.

 

“Thomas!” I screamed. “Help me, they’ve got me tied!”

Thomas pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at Andy. “Untie her,” he said in a low voice.

Andy began to move and Thomas pushed the gun closer. “I wasn’t talking to you, fuckface,” Thomas growled to Andy. “I was talking to Hannah.”

 

Hannah sniffed. “I don’t know why you’re angry at me,” she said. “I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

 

“I’m not taking the gun away from this fuck,” Thomas growled. “But Hannah, I swear to god. If you don’t move and untie June right now, it’ll be the last thing you never do.”

 

Hannah’s face paled and finally she stepped towards me with a pair of scissors. Hannah twisted the chair around and squatted behind me, slicing the plastic ties from my wrists. I yelped in pain as the scissors grazed my delicate wrists, but I knew deep down that it was nothing compared to the pain I would have endured if Thomas hadn’t shown up to save me.

 

“Fucking cunt,” Hannah snarled. She untied my ankles and I sagged, sliding off the pain and colliding painfully hard with the wooden floor.

 

“June, get behind me,” Thomas ordered.

 

Whimpering in pain, I crawled across the floor and flung myself in a corner of the room.

“You ruin everything,” Andy hissed to Thomas. “It’s not fucking fair. I had her first!”

 

Thomas narrowed his eyes and laughed dryly. “No, you didn’t,” he said. “You don’t know the first thing about June.”

 

“I’ve had a crush on her for a year!” Andy roared. “And just as she was starting to show some interest, you had to show up and ruin everything, you fucking bastard!”

 

Thomas shook his head and snorted. “You really are pathetic,” he said. “It’s pretty fucking sad how you went apeshit because June here didn’t want anything to do with you.” He pushed the barrel of the gun against Andy’s chest.

 

Andy let out a yelp of fear. “Don’t hurt me,” he said. “I didn’t do anything to her, I swear!”

 

Without turning away from Andy, Thomas asked: “June, is that true?”

 

Hannah glared at me but I licked my lips and spoke anyway. “No,” I said in a soft, shaky voice. “Andy and Hannah paid two men to kidnap me off the street and drug me. When I woke up, I was here, tied to the chair.”

 

“Oh, you sorry bastard,” Thomas said. “You’re so pathetic you had to hire someone to kidnap June?”

 

Andy nodded and stammered. “I…I couldn’t do it myself,” he said.

Thomas shook his head and laughed dryly. “You’re a sick fuck, and you’re going away for a long time,” he said. He jerked his head to the side. “Go sit,” he told Andy. “I need to keep my eye on you while I deal with Hannah.”

 

Andy gulped. After a few moments and another prod from Thomas’s gun, he walked slowly across the room and sat down in the chair.

 

“Hannah,” Thomas said coldly.

 

“What?” Hannah batted her lashes. I felt sick to my stomach as she walked over to Thomas and stroked her hand down the center of his chest.

 

“Why the fuck would you do something like this,” Thomas growled.

“For you, baby,” Hannah said. She licked her lips. “I thought that as soon as June was out of the picture, I could have you once and for all.”

“So you could destroy my company?”

“What?” Hannah narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cut the innocent bullshit,” Thomas said. “I know what you’ve been doing.”

 

“Thomas, I’d never—“

“Shut up, Hannah,” Thomas said. “Or should I say, Megan?”

 

Hannah looked startled. For once, she opened and closed her lips with nothing to say.

 

Just as Thomas was about to speak again, uniformed men darted into the room.

“New York City Police!” One of them shouted. “Everybody freeze!”

 

I couldn’t take it any longer. I passed out.

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

Thomas

 

After the cops showed up, it was all a blur. June was taken to a nearby hospital where she was checked for injuries…thankfully, it turned out to be nothing more serious than a few bruises and lacerations. Hannah had given her wine laced with a power sedative, but June was able to sleep it off.

 

Hannah and Andy were both apprehended by the police and taken downtown, where they were thrown in jail. Despite feeling exhausted, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. So I went to a bar downtown and drank most of the night, then slept it off. Now I was on my way to pick up June from the hospital and take her home.

 

I couldn’t believe it, but I was actually nervous at the thought of seeing June again. Obviously, I had some major explaining – and apologizing – to do. I swallowed a lump in my throat and pulled up to the hospital carport.

June was waiting outside with a nurse. She looked pale and tired, but otherwise just as beautiful as ever. She was still wearing her dress from the night before. As she climbed into the passenger seat of my car, I noticed she was avoiding my gaze.

After a few torturous moments of silence, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“June, please, talk to me.” I said as I pulled away from the hospital.

June’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“For what?” I narrowed my eyes and reached a hand into her lap. June stiffened at my touch.

“You hate me now,” June said flatly. “And I don’t know what I did, but I’m really sorry, Thomas.”

 

I sighed heavily. “I don’t hate you at all,” I said. “I…I love you, June.”

 

That got her attention. June’s head snapped up. She pushed her black hair over one shoulder.

“What?”

“I said, I love you,” I repeated. “I really do, June. I love you so much.”

 

A tear rolled down June’s cheek. “Then…why did you act like that last night?” She asked softly. “Why did you treat me like that, Thomas?”

 

I sighed. “There won’t be an excuse good enough to justify how horribly I treated you,” I said. “And I can assure you that it had absolutely nothing to do with you, June. You’re perfect, just the way you are.”

 

June sniffled.

 

“Please don’t cry,” I said. “I’ll explain everything. Do you want to come home with me, or your apartment?”

June let out a hiccupping sob. “My apartment,” she said softly.

“Okay. Then that’s where we’ll go.” And if my Porsche gets ruined again, fuck, I deserve it, I thought as I turned towards Brooklyn.

 

Thankfully, Angela wasn’t home. I waited patiently in the living room while June showered and changed into yoga pants and a loose-fitting shirt. She still looked adorable as ever. When she was through, I gestured for her to crawl into my arms.

 

“So, the other day, I did a background check on Hannah,” I said slowly. “After I fired her, I noticed that almost all of my longtime clients wouldn’t speak to me.”

 

June sat up and narrowed her eyes. “Why not?” She asked softly. “What happened?”

 

I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. “Because Hannah wasn’t who she said she was,” I said. “She was actually impersonating someone else. Her real name is Megan Callahan, and she’s been gunning for billionaires since she was a teenager.”

“I don’t understand,” June replied.

 

“I don’t either,” I said. “But Megan was linked with the deaths of Richard Moss and Archibald Kramer.”

 

“Those were…”

“Two of the richest men in New York,” I said grimly. “Hannah, or should I say, Megan, had been chasing after them and trying to get married rich. She lied about her age – I thought she was in her early twenties, but she’s actually been doing this for over ten years.”

June swallowed. “And she hated me because she thought I stole you?”

 

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m so sorry, June. When I got to dinner last night, I’d just gotten the results back about Hannah’s true identity.”

 

“How did she know Andy?”

 

I sighed. “I’m guessing she stalked you,” I said. “And as soon as she realized that there was someone interested in you, she made him an offer. I’m guessing she probably paid him to try to take care of you. Andy, although what he did can’t be forgiven, was just a pawn in all of this.”

 

June’s green eyes went wide. “I can’t believe it,” she said softly. “I can’t believe someone would be crazy enough to do something like that.”

 

I sighed bitterly. “I can,” I said heavily. “Especially someone as demented as Hannah. She’d been working for me since the beginning, when my ex thought I should hire her.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “But I’m a total heel, and I have no excuse for treating you that way. I didn’t want you to know until I’d taken care of everything, and I had no intention of scaring you off.”

 

June nodded.

“I just didn’t want to tell you over dinner,” I said, groping desperately for excuses. “Especially because you were so happy about your job.”

 

June nodded again.

 

“Please,” I said. “Please, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me and give me another chance, I’d be the happiest man in the world.”

 

June bit her lip. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

June flushed, finally looking a bit like her old self. “In the car,” she said softly. “When you said you loved me. Did you mean it, Thomas?”

I pulled June into my arms and kissed her deeply. “Yes,” I said passionately. “I meant it, June. I love you. I love you, deeply.”

 

“I love you,” June purred into my mouth. My tongue slipped between her pink lips and June moaned softly as I licked the inside of her mouth. She tasted like toothpaste and I pulled her into my lap.

“Is Angela going to be gone for a while,” I murmured into June’s mouth.

She nodded and squirmed in my lap, the lush cheeks of her ass squishing over my thighs. My cock twitched and stiffened. I need her, I thought. I need to be inside of her right now.

 

“Do you trust me?” I whispered.

June looked deeply into my eyes. “Yes,” she said softly.

Taking June by the hand, I led her into her cluttered bedroom. It smelled soft and faintly musky, like the unwashed sheets of a little girl.

 

I sat on the edge of the bed. “Take off your clothes,” I said.

 

June locked her green eyes with mine and flushed hotly. I raised my eyebrow as I felt myself starting to sink into my dominant headspace. June licked her lips, then crossed her arms over her body and pulled her loose shirt over her head. The sight of her pale breasts with their perfect pink nipples made me growl with lust.

 

June didn’t break my gaze as she hooked her thumbs into her yoga pants and tugged them down her pale, slender legs. When she stood in front of me clad only in panties, I licked my lips.

“You look good enough to eat,” I said softly. “And I’m going to teach you something today.”

 

June’s flush went from pink to deep red. She nodded slowly as she tugged her panties down. Immediately, the scent of her freshly-washed pussy filled the room. My cock throbbed in my pants and I felt like it would explode if I didn’t fuck her right then and there.

 

“Now lie down on the bed,” I said softly. “And spread your legs.”

 

June nodded. She flushed but obeyed, crawling on all fours and giving me a perfect view of her pink pussy and ass.

 

“Now put your arms up by the headboard,” I instructed.

 

June bit her lip but did as I commanded. I kept my gaze locked with hers as I loosened my tie and crawled on top of June’s naked body. I could feel the heat rising off of her sweet skin and it took every ounce of my strength to stay professional and calm.

 

With my tie, I loosely bound June’s wrists to the headboard.

“I love you,” I said again, leaning down and pressing my lips to June’s. She purred and moaned, arching her back and stretching her body towards mine.

 

I ran my hand down June’s chest and gently tweaked one of her nipples. She cried out in pleasure and I lowered my mouth to her body, taking the stiff and swollen flesh into my mouth. With one hand, I pushed her thighs apart and crawled between them. June moaned as I slid my fingers down her taut belly and gently massaged her labia.

 

“I should’ve had you keep your panties on,” I said in a quiet, cold voice. “That way I could see your beautiful slit through the wet fabric.”

 

June’s face turned bright red and she gasped in pleasure as I ran my fingertips over her swollen, soaked labia. She was already so wet that a small puddle had formed underneath her hips, and as she spread her legs, I could tell that her clit was throbbing with desire.

 

“I bet my little submissive slut wants me to touch her,” I said, slipping a finger inside of June’s pussy and wriggling it back and forth.

 

June went mad. She thrashed and moaned, shoving her hips towards mine. As I pleasured her, I was very careful to avoid her clit. I wanted to pleasure her, but not give her the earth-shattering orgasm that she so desperately craved. Not until I was ready.

 

“Please, Sir, touch me,” June moaned. “Please touch my clit.”

 

I chuckled and pulled my finger out of her sopping pussy. With June’s electric green eyes locked on mine, I slipped my finger into my mouth and licked every bit of her sweet juice away.

 

“You taste delicious,” I purred. “But it’s very naughty to ask me for favors when you’re in this position, June.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” June moaned weakly.

 

“But you’ve been a very good girl, and I want you to know it,” I said softly. Spreading June’s labia with one hand, I crawled between her legs and sniffed at her soaking cunt. “You smell so good,” I added. “And your master wants to reward you for being such a good girl.”

 

June nodded. Her face was bright red and shiny with sweat as I reached forward and gently massaged her clit, moving the tip of my finger over the surface and flicking the hard nub of flesh as gently as I could.

 

June writhed and moaned as my finger gently stroked her erect clit. I was kneeling on the bed, between her legs, stroking her very softly at a rapid rate. I could see the blood rising to the surface of her pale skin, making her look more appetizing and sensual than ever.

 

“June,” I crooned as I gently flicked her clit with my thumb. “I like this. I like this response.”

 

June blushed furiously. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said softly. The way she said ‘sir’ sent a bolt of desire straight to my cock. She was born to be a submissive, and she looked absolutely perfect trussed up on her own bed.

 

“I’m going to teach you about something important,” I said slowly as I crawled off the bed and stood. Walking over to where June’s head lay on the pillow, I reached out and stroked her face. “Watch me,” I commanded. “I’m going to teach you how to pleasure me.”

 

Climbing off the bed, I stripped out of my shirt and kicked my trousers to the floor. When I was clad only in boxers, I licked my lips. June was staring at me with obvious desire. I grinned. She wants me bad, I thought. And I want her in a way I’ve never wanted a woman before.

“Yes, sir,” June responded. Her green eyes were wide with lust and I could tell that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her. Without breaking eye contact, I dipped my fingers into the waistband of my silk boxers and tossed them on the floor. My cock bobbed free, ecstatic to be one step closer to June’s magnetic pussy.

 

I climbed on the bed and straddled June’s chest, shoving my hips forward until my cock was brushing her lips.

“You’re going to open your mouth,” I said slowly. “And I’m going to put my cock inside. Then, I’ll train you how to suck me perfectly. Do you understand?”

 

June gave a quick nod of her head. She opened her lips and I saw that she was shaking.

“Good girl,” I praised her, steadying myself with a hand on the headboard. As June opened her lips, I put the head of my cock inside her warm, wet mouth. The touch of June’s hot tongue against my cock was heaven and I groaned as she licked me enthusiastically.

 

“Not quite so fast,” I said, my voice sounding strained as I rolled my hips back and pulled my cock out of her mouth. “Put your lips over your teeth and suck me gently. Then, swirl your tongue over the head as you suck.”

 

June nodded. She did as I said, then craned her neck forward and once again took my cock in her mouth. The sensation of her virgin mouth wrapped around my stiff erection was incredible, and for a moment I had to think of something unpleasant so I wouldn’t blow my load right in her mouth. June closed her eyes and gently swirled her tongue on the underside of the head of my cock. It felt incredible – I could tell she was thinking about every move she made, every gesture – and somehow her attention to detail made me feel like I was about to burst.

 

“Bob your head up and down on my cock,” I instructed her. “Normally, when you’re giving me a blowjob, you’d use your hand and wrap it around the base of my cock, like this,” I said, reaching down and wrapping my hand around my shaft. “Then, you’d move your hand up and down in the same rhythm while moving your lips and tongue over my head. Understand?”

 

June nodded. A thin trickle of spit dribbled out of her mouth and I reached down to wipe it away from her chin. She looked so beautiful and innocent with my cock in her mouth. Lust flared in my body at the sight of my perfect secretary giving me a perfect blowjob. As June began to bob her head up and down over my erection, I arched my back and threw my head back, reveling in the ecstatic sensation that was washing over my limbs.

 

I let her continue until my cock was soaked with her drool. When I pulled away and climbed off the bed, June swallowed hard and watched me, her eyes not leaving my face.

 

“Now, I’m going to pleasure you,” I said slowly, walking back down to her feet and running my hands up her leg. June squirmed and wriggled as I played with the insides of her thighs, dragging my fingernails along the sensitive skin. I loved seeing the faint lines of red that appeared on her pale skin as I worked my hands on her.

 

June arched her back, spreading her legs even wider. I grinned as I reached down and thumbed her erect clit. As June gasped with pleasure, I slowly worked my thumb in a circle around her pussy. She was so wet that she was dripping on the bed and my fingers were coated with her musky juices.

 

I swallowed hard. I couldn’t wait anymore – now was the moment, the moment that I’d been waiting on for weeks. I crawled on the bed between June’s legs and let my cock brush up against the lips of her pussy.

 

“I’m going to fuck you now,” I told June. “I’m going to fill you up with my cock and claim you.”

 

She licked her lips, sending a wild thrill of lust through my body. “Yes, sir.”

 

Grabbing onto June’s fragile-looking hips, I thrust my body forward and my cock slid inside her soaked pussy. The feel of June’s body against my own was incredible. She was so tight, so wet, so hungry for more. As soon as I was buried inside of her, she let out a little gasp and pushed her body against mine. Realizing that I was pleasing her as much as she was pleasing me was a thrilling sensation, and I began to buck my hips and thrust in and out of her pussy.

 

June closed her eyes and arched her back, throwing her head back into the pillows and moaning. Her bound arms and legs bounced against the duvet as I fucked her with all of my strength, burying my cock inside of her with each thrust. As I plunged deep inside June’s perfect pussy, I felt a thin layer of sweat break out over my body. Yeah, I thought as I closed my eyes and fucked her hard. This is worth it. She’s perfect, she’s everything I knew she would be.

 

As it got more serious for me, I groaned and grabbed onto the headboard. My body was perfectly lined up with June’s on the bed, and the way she was thrusting and gasping made me realize how close she was to an orgasm of her own.

 

Groaning, I thrust into her with everything. I closed my eyes and for a moment, it was just the two of us, alone in the world. June moaned as I stroked my hand down her chest, squeezing one of her tits as I felt my cock gush inside of her pussy.

 

“Thomas,” June moaned loudly. Her eyes were screwed shut and her face was tense and bright red. Beneath me, I felt her own muscles clench and release with the frenzy of her orgasm.

 

When it was over, I was still shaking and panting. Climbing off the bed, I untied June and rubbed at her wrists. She smiled at me and then pulled the duvet over her naked body, snuggling down in the pillows.

 

“I love you,” June said. She sighed with happy satisfaction. “And I always will.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I’d like to ask you one thing.”

 

June raised her eyebrows. “I’m spent,” she said softly, grinning wickedly at me. “If you want round two, you’re going to have to wait.”

 

“No,” I said calmly. “Nothing like that. June, I want you to move in with me.”

 

June gasped. “Are you kidding?”

 

“No,” I said. “I’m completely serious.”

 

June flushed. “I…I don’t know.”

 

“Why not?” I frowned, looking around. “If it’s leaving Angela you’re worried about, I’ll pay the rest of your rent through your lease. That should give her enough time to find someone else.”

 

June shook her head. “It’s not Angela I’m worried about,” she said. “It’s Brett. He doesn’t even know we’re dating. How is he going to act when his teacher moves in?”

 

“How about if, at first, you stay here over the weekends when I have Brett? Just at first,” I promised. “Then I’m sure everything would smooth out on its own.”

 

June nodded slowly. “I’ll think about it,” she said softly.

 

I kissed her and pulled her close. “Good,” I said. “Because I need you in my life, June. If anything, this scare just showed me how much you really mean to me.”

 

Chapter Nineteen

June

 

After all I went through, I couldn’t believe when life starting feeling normal again. It had barely been twenty-four hours since my ordeal, but I knew I needed a little bit more time to really process everything that had happened.

 

Even though I couldn’t wait to start up again, teaching at P.S.151, I called in on Monday morning and said I was too sick to come to school. I was sure that many other teachers and administrators had read the paper – the sordid tale of Andy and Hannah/Megan was splashed all over the front page. Thomas’s lawyer, Sandy, was trying his hardest to minimize damage, but New York City loves angry gossip like no other, and I was shocked that it wasn’t worse.

 

The school understood. I knew they knew I was lying – obviously, I wasn’t really sick – but they offered me two more weeks of paid leave.

 

I accepted. Spending a few days vegging out in front of the television and hanging with Angela was just what I needed, especially if I was going to be moving out soon. I really didn’t want to leave her in the dark, but I couldn’t lie – the prospect of living with Thomas was incredibly exciting.

 

Angela and I decided to go shopping. I was still feeling more than a little afraid to be out in public on my own, but being with Angela wasn’t scary at all. We took a cab downtown and spend the afternoon going in and out of lots of little shops.

“June?”

 

My blood ran cold as the familiar voice of Marlene sounded in my ears.

Turning around, I began to sweat as I saw her unmistakable red mane coming towards me.

“Don’t try anything,” I said in a shaky voice, stepping back. “I’ll call the police!”

 

“No, June, wait,” Marlene said quickly. She pressed her lips together and paused. “I…I feel really terrible about how I’ve behaved,” she said.

 

I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you apologizing now?”

 

Marlene’s green eyes filled with tears and I couldn’t help it – a small flame of pity flared inside my chest.

“Because,” Marlene said stiffly. “I was so worried about my son. But he’s in a stable place now. I know that at least some of that is because of you, and your effect on Thomas.”

 

I frowned.

 

“You’re a good teacher, June,” Marlene said. “I’m sorry I said those things.” She straightened up.

“Don’t trust this bitch,” Angela whispered in my ear. “She might be gunning for you!”

“Hold on,” I said to Angela. To Marlene, I jerked my head to the side. She followed me through the store until we were in a quiet area, across from the bathrooms.

 

“Look, I hate the way you acted,” I said. “I’m not going to lie – it was really cruel on your behalf. But Thomas and I are serious,” I added, carefully watching Marlene’s face. “And we’re going to stay serious.”

Marlene swallowed. “I know.” She bit her lip. “Look, the thing is – Hannah was feeding me information the whole time. She was trying to make me believe that you were some kind of gold-digging bitch, out to score Thomas for your own good.”

“No, god, no,” I said quickly.

 

“I know that now,” Marlene replied. “And I’m sorry that I believed Hannah. But I thought I could trust her – she worked for Thomas for so long, and she never seemed anything but perfectly innocent.”

 

I nodded stiffly.

 

“I had no idea she was so evil,” Marlene finished. “Mostly, I’m ashamed that I acted the way I did. It really wasn’t fair to you.”

“You and I are going to have to deal with each other sometimes,” I said softly. “Especially because of Brett.”

 

“I know.”

“So, I really hope this is a new beginning,” I said. “I know that we’re obviously not going to become friends or anything, but I really hope that we can at least be cordial.”

 

Marlene’s cheeks pinked. I stood up straight and tall, unable to believe that I’d humbled a woman more than twice my age.

“I hope so, too,” Marlene said. She gave me a small smile. “I’ll let you go, June. I think it’s for the best.”

 

I nodded. “Marlene?”

 

She turned around. “Yeah?”

 

“Thanks for being honest,” I said softly. “I really appreciate it.”

 

Marlene smiled, looking more relaxed this time. “You’re welcome,” she said. “And again, I really am sorry.”

 

I watched as Marlene scurried out of the store, no longer the proud and haughty ex-wife. It was strange, but I felt like something actually had changed between us – like somehow, we’d managed to come out on the other side.

 

By the time I got back to Angela, it was getting late.

“Are you coming home tonight?” Angela raised her eyebrow. “Or are you going to see sexy Mr. March?”

 

I flushed hotly. “God, I can’t believe how much I called him that,” I said. “But…yeah, I was thinking of going to see Thomas. You don’t mind?”

 

Angela shook her head. “Not at all,” she said.

 

I took a cab to Thomas’s penthouse in Manhattan and nervously rode the elevator up by myself, clutching my bags. It was so strange to think that in a very short amount of time, this would be my home, too.

 

When he opened the door, Thomas grinned at the sight of me. He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed me. I stepped into the foyer and dropped my bags. Thomas looked at me with obvious lust in his dark eyes.

 

“Brett’s not home,” Thomas said. “He’s out with Isabelle.” He grinned wickedly. “They won’t be home for hours.”

 

I blushed and stepped forward. “Good,” I said softly. “Because I was really hoping to be alone with you.”

 

“Same,” Thomas said. “Come here.” He held out his arms.

 

“I’ve missed you,” I admitted in a soft voice, closing my eyes and letting my lashes flutter on my cheek. Thomas sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close against his chest. Through my thin dress, I could feel his heart beating. I closed my eyes and tilted my face up for a kiss. When our lips touched, it was like they’d never been apart.

 

Thomas kissed me with urgency. He slipped his tongue between my lips and caressed my own with his. I moaned softly into his mouth and Thomas grunted and picked me up. Without breaking our kiss, he set me back down on his lap and pressed into my back with his hands. The itchy material of my dress scratched against my skin and made me squirm. Thomas grunted softly and pulled the hemline up, spreading my legs on his lap and wrapping them around his torso. I could feel his muscular body pressing against the sensitive spot between my legs and a wave of desire pushed through me. I groaned softly as Thomas’s hands slid down to my ass and squeezed each cheek firmly.

 

“I missed you too,” Thomas whispered in my ear when we broke apart. “But don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to do some awful things to you.”

 

Shivers ran through my body when he said the words ‘awful things.’ I looked up at him with a blush across my face.

 

“Don’t be too awful,” I teased. “I might not survive to tell the story.”

 

Thomas growled. “I’ll do anything I want,” he replied. “And you’ll still enjoy it, June. I know you always like what I do to you. You love it, June,” he repeated. Thomas buried a hand in my hair and yanked my head back so we were gazing into each other’s eyes. His dark eyes penetrated my whole body and I felt as though I couldn’t move. I bit my lip, unable to speak. Everything Thomas had said to me was the truth. I loved everything he did, I loved every way that he touched me. I could never manage to think about it afterwards, but he knew how to turn me on like no other man ever had before.

 

As if reading my mind, Thomas nuzzled my shoulder. “No one can please you like me,” he growled in a low voice. “No one can make you come like I can, June,” he murmured into my body. “You’re all mine, forever.”

 

I shivered as Thomas’s hands slid over my body. “I know,” I whispered. My own pleas sounded weak in comparison. “I’m yours,” I told him. “And I think you know that.” Thomas growled in response. He leaned forward and kissed me savagely, parting my lips with his tongue and shoving it inside my mouth. I melted against him and moaned softly. Without breaking the kiss, Thomas reached to my back and ripped my dress apart with a practiced hand. The tearing of the fabric sounded incredibly loud to me and I felt desire pulse between my legs as I realized soon, I’d be naked on Thomas’s lap. With careful hands, he tugged the shreds of fabric away from my skin and tossed them on the floor. The air inside was chilly and my flesh was instantly pimpled all over. The rough material of Thomas’s shirt scratched against my nipples and sent a whole new frenzy of pleasure through my body.

 

I was clad only in a bra and panties as Thomas moved his hands down my chest.

 

“I like this bra,” Thomas purred. He dipped his head to my breasts and kissed my stiff nipples through the thin fabric. Delicious pleasure raced through my body and I threw my head back and cried out.

 

Thomas reached behind me and unhooked my bra with practiced ease, letting it fall from my body. He cupped my breasts in his smooth hands and massaged the nipples until I was howling with pleasure on his lap.

 

“I like you better like this,” Thomas informed me. I could only whimper in response as he caressed my most sensitive areas. “You’re more vulnerable.”

 

Between my legs, my pussy was throbbing underneath my thin cotton panties. Eagerly, I squirmed and shifted on Thomas’s lap, desperate for some pleasure or release. Thomas sat still and watched me. His dark eyes were blazing with desire and I shivered when I imagined the final moment of our lovemaking.

 

Thomas shifted and I slid further down in his lap. His belt buckle rubbed against the crotch of my panties, making me gasp. At my reaction, Thomas let out a deep chuckle. He grabbed my knees and pushed his hips against my crotch. Pleasure radiated through my body in hot waves and I closed my eyes, feeling sweat bead on my forehead. Thomas growled under his breath and leaned forward. I felt his teeth nip at my neck and I shuddered with a loud groan. Between my legs was pulsing and hot.

 

Thomas picked me up with one hand and lifted me off his lap so I was standing in front of him. I felt even more exposed since he was fully dressed; my thin panties were soaked with my arousal and I wiggled, feeling the material slide against my sensitive skin. Thomas looked at me and licked his lips. “You’re perfect,” he said under his breath. “You’re an angel, June.”

 

I blushed. “I’m not,” I said quietly. Thomas shook his head and held his finger up to my lips. Slowly, he traced it down my neck and over my collarbone. When he got to my breasts, he circled my nipples with his index finger until I was moaning in pleasure. A hot blush spread up my neck and over my cheeks and forehead as he teased me relentlessly. Just when I was about to cry out in agony, Thomas stood up and walked into the kitchen. I heard the freezer door opening and then slam shut.

 

When Thomas returned, he was carrying in ice tray. My heart started to pound even faster and I shook my head from side to side. Thomas gave me a wicked grin and cracked the tray in his hands. Cubes of ice jumped to the floor; one landed on my foot and I shivered at the cold sensation on my hot skin. Thomas reached down and grabbed a couple of the ice cubes. He held his hand out close to my face and caressed my cheek with the frozen cube. I shivered instinctively; it was cold, but it felt amazing against my overheated skin. Thomas grinned as he slipped two of his fingers with an ice cube into my mouth.

 

“Suck,” he commanded. “Show me what a good little girl you are.”

 

Blushing furiously, I locked eyes with Thomas and began to suck and lick at his fingers. He bit his lip and groaned in pleasure as I flicked my tongue over the rough skin and smooth ice. Thomas’s hands were so big that my jaw was straining almost immediately but I kept sucking, pulling his fingers so far into my mouth that I was almost gagging. Drips of water and saliva ran down my chin and Thomas gently wiped them away with his free hand before pulling his fingers out of my mouth. He tossed the almost-melted ice cube on the carpet and grabbed a fresh one out of the tray.

 

Without removing his eyes from me, Thomas reached out and stroked the cube down my neck. I shuddered at the sensation – unlike on my face, I felt goose bumps where the ice touched my skin. Thomas slowly stroked his hand down my torso and wiped my breasts with the ice. I moaned loudly and Thomas grinned. He reached over with his free hand and squeezed one of my breasts. His other hand was remarkably warm and I purred as the hot and cold sensations rocked my whole world. He slipped the ice cube over my nipple and traced a torturous circle around the areola. My nipple puckered and stood out painfully hard. Thomas removed the ice and leaned close to my body. When he was only a few inches away from my bare skin, he gently blew. His warm breath felt amazing and I shivered as I felt my skin begin to slowly thaw.

 

Thomas grinned at me and slipped the ice cube down my belly. He traced a little wet circle around my belly button and I shivered. When he got to my panties, he looked up at me with his dark eyes blazing.

 

I bit my lip, unsure of what he was going to do. Thomas slipped a finger inside the waistband of my panties and tugged them down just a bit. He reached forward and poked at the little tuft of pubic hair that stuck out. I blushed and looked up at the ceiling but a sharp tweak to one of my nipples made me cry out and look back down at Thomas.

 

“You keep your eyes on me,” he instructed. “You don’t ever look away from me or I’ll punish you.”

 

I nodded solemnly, feeling a warm gush of arousal between my legs. Thomas licked his lips and leaned closer. Before I knew what he was doing, he slipped the cube of ice into my panties. The cold sensation against my pussy shocked me and I cried out and wriggled, trying to move the ice cube away from my clit. Thomas grinned and stuck his finger out, tracing damp circles on the cotton. I could feel the ice melting but the water was incredibly cold and I began to plead with him to touch me.

 

“Spread your legs,” Thomas commanded. “And if you let the ice out of your panties, you’ll regret it.” I murmured obedience and gracefully tried to widen my stance. As I did, the ice cube shifted. Cold water leaked through my panties and streamed down my leg. The sensation felt remarkably like I had peed myself and I blushed a furious crimson red. Thomas’s grin widened and he growled at me.

 

“More ice,” he commanded. “It melted too fast that time.”

 

“No,” I begged. “Please. Please, Thomas. Please take me, please make love to me.”

 

Thomas shook his head. He reached into the ice tray and pulled out two big cubes, slipping them into the crotch of my panties. Even though my skin felt frozen to begin with, the new addition of more ice was almost painful. Tears welled up in my eyes and I thrust my hips forward in attempt to get the ice away from my sensitive pussy. Soon, the two cubes began to melt and I felt their hard edges soften inside my panties. Every time I moved or wriggled, the wet fabric brushed against my clit and made me pulse with desire.

 

Thomas got to his hands and knees and crawled between my spread legs. When he kneeled on the carpet, his face was eye-level with my pussy. Licking his lips, he leaned forward and tongued my little strip of pubic hair. I shivered at the feel of his warm, rough tongue against my bare skin. Thomas reached up and planted his hands firmly on the cheeks of my butt. He gripped the flesh tightly between his fingers and wrenched them apart so my labia was parted. I shrieked as the ice cubes slid down in my crotch and made contact with my exposed and swollen clit. Pleas and cries escaped my mouth and I felt tears roll down my cheek with the unexpectedly intense yet pleasurable sensation.

 

With a growl, Thomas nipped at the inside of my thigh. He licked some of the water that was dripping down the side of my leg and then placed his mouth over my crotch. Through my soaked panties, he began to suck and lick at me with his hot mouth. I felt the remnants of the ice melt almost instantly as he lavished my pussy with his tongue. Moaning, I leaned down and rested my hands on his silvery head. Thomas tightened his grip on my ass and buried his face in my crotch, snuffling and licking and sucking with abandon. The sensation was incredibly intense and soon I began to feel small shocks of pleasure in my crotch. I moaned Thomas’s name loudly and threw my head back. My cries echoed off the ceiling and walls.

 

Thomas pulled away and yanked my sodden panties down with one hand. The lukewarm air of the room felt chilly against my wet skin. He slid his hands down my legs and grabbed my ankles, making me spread even farther. The muscles in my thighs ached almost at once and I shuddered knowing that Thomas could see every inch of my exposed pussy and ass. He nipped at my labia and I shuddered and shrieked with pleasure. Without warning, he plunged one of his fingers inside of me. He began to pump it in and out of my pussy and soon, I felt my pussy juice dripping down onto his hand. My legs felt weak and shaky and I moaned loudly, digging my fingers into Thomas’s scalp. He kept fingering me until I could feel myself just about to come. It was almost as if he knew when he yanked his fingers out and stuck him in his mouth, sucking the arousal from his hand. Slowly, his fingers found their way back to my pussy and stroked my labia.

 

I shivered as he inched his fingers towards me once more, but he kept going until he was stroking the soft spot of flesh between my pussy and my butt. Warm sensations began to move through my body again with his gentle touch. It wasn’t as intense as it felt when he rubbed my clit, but I was surprised to find myself gently moaning and yielding to his touch. I felt my rosebud pucker as he slipped a fingertip inside and wiggled it. The sensation was incredible but the rest of my body was crying out for attention.

 

Sweat beaded on my forehead as I struggled to stay upright, and I could feel a trickle of perspiration making its way down my back. Thomas continued to gently flick my ass, then pulled his finger away. I felt his hot breath on my pussy and I shivered, anticipating more of what he’d just been doing. But instead, he licked and bit at the cheeks of my ass before moving closer and gently tonguing my asshole. Pleasure flooded my body as he licked at my most private of areas, and I felt a hot flush spread down over my torso. My thighs were shaking with the effort of holding the position but Thomas’s delicate flicks of the tongue were making me squeal and moan with pleasure.

 

Thomas slipped two fingers inside of my pussy with his free hand and began to thrust them in and out as he stuck his tongue deep inside my ass. Warm pleasure coiled in my belly and the second I felt his tongue stroke at my clit, I knew I was going to explode. I cried out just as he pulled away, my orgasm snatched from me in an instant. Thomas got to his feet and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up off the floor as if I weighed nothing. He carried me through the hallway and into his dark bedroom. I closed my eyes as Thomas threw my body down on the bed. My legs were still aching from having stood in that precarious position for so long, but it was a relief to be laying down. Still, every muscle in me pulsed with want for Thomas and his hard cock. My nerves were twitching and on edge as I watched him strip off his shirt and toss it on the floor. As before, my eyes flicked over the smooth muscles of Thomas’s chest. He unfastened his belt and stepped out of his pants. When he was clad only in boxers, he got on the bed and grabbed me.

 

Thomas pushed me closer to the wall and spread my legs, grabbing my ankles and pulling them wide apart. He dove in between my legs with abandon, sucking and licking at my clit until I was screaming. He kept building me and building me to orgasm and then ripping me away viciously, at the last second, before I could come. I could feel the tears leaking out of my eyes as I screwed them shut and tilted my face to the ceiling, begging Thomas for release.

 

Thomas grabbed my hand and slid it down his rock-hard torso. His skin felt like it was carved out of marble and despite my intense arousal, a whole new level of desire flooded my body as he traced my fingers down his body. He stopped with my hand just touching his thick erection through the boxers. When I opened my eyes and looked into Thomas’s dark orbs, he nodded for me to get up.

 

“You know what to do,” he growled. I nodded and crawled onto my hands and knees, tugging Thomas’s briefs down. His massive, veiny erection sprang free and I took the first couple of inches into my mouth, sucking and licking at the delicate spot under the head. Thomas groaned and pushed his hips forward until his whole cock was filling my mouth. My jaw ached from the strain of accommodating his massive cock and I reached up to start stroking him up and down as I moved my head back and forth.

 

Thomas grunted and closed his eyes, tilting his head back to the ceiling. He leaned forward and I had to crawl onto my knees so the force of his thrusts wouldn’t knock me over. As much as my mouth hurt from pleasuring him, it was satisfying to know that I was making him feel good. I loved the way he writhed and moaned when his cock was in my mouth; it was like I was controlling his world. His cock was so fat that my hand couldn’t close around it and I started pumping my hand with the same rhythm as my mouth.

 

Finally, Thomas groaned loudly and pushed me away. I fell over in a tangle of arms and limbs and landed on my ass, sprawled on my back. Thomas slapped the inside of my thigh and I eagerly spread my legs as far as I could. He leaned in close and inhaled the scent of my pussy, closing his eyes and savoring my smell. I blushed to see him so close and know that my smell was intoxicating to him.

 

When Thomas opened his eyes, he crawled on top of me. He grabbed my wrists with one hand and pinned them over my head. I could feel the delicate bones in my wrists grinding together as he straddled my hips and nudged my pussy with the head of his cock. I could already feel my skin stretching and he wasn’t even inside of me yet!

 

“Do you want me, June?” Thomas growled. I looked into his eyes and nodded.

 

“Yes,” I managed to squeak. “I do.”

 

“How much do you want me?” Thomas’s breathing was coming in sharp, hard bursts and I saw a shudder of desire move through his body.

 

“I want you so bad,” I whispered, trying to make my voice low and full of sex. “I want you to take me forever, to make me yours.”

 

Thomas grabbed onto my hips and slid inside me with incredible force. I screamed with pleasure as his cock tore into my pussy and filled me completely. When he was all the way inside, he stopped moving. I could feel his cock pulsing inside my body and I bit my lip and looked into his eyes. Slowly, Thomas began to thrust in and out. He moved his hips slowly at first and then faster and faster until it became more serious for him. With every thrust, his pubic bone rubbed against my clit and soon, I felt myself become as aroused as I had been while Thomas was licking my asshole.

 

 

As I rode him faster and faster, Thomas growled with pleasure. He pushed his finger in and out of my ass and I felt the pleasure in my belly build and build until finally, I was coming harder than I ever had before. My breath came in hoarse sobs as I rode Thomas’s massive cock. I could feel the spasms in my pussy gripping him even more tightly than before and Thomas gasped with the intensity of it all. He slid his finger out of my ass and grabbed ahold of my hips, forcing me to keep riding him through my savage orgasm. I could feel his cock twitching and pulsing and I braced myself for his explosion inside of me.

 

“June!” Thomas grunted. “June, I’m gonna cum!”

 

“Do it,” I hissed, my own breath coming in damp bursts. Thomas screwed his eyes shut and groaned, thrusting up so hard that I could feel him against my cervix. It was almost painful and I whimpered, but it was beginning to make me feel like I could come again. As he pushed into me again and again, I closed my eyes and rode his body hard. My clit felt like it was on fire as I forced myself to another rough orgasm on Thomas’s pubic bone. The spasms in my pussy set him off and I finally felt his cock jerk and pulse and gush inside of me. Thomas let out a deep breath and squeezed my ass once more before pulling me down on his chest. For a moment, we cuddled like that with his cock still inside of me. His chest was shining and hot with sweat and I felt the damp tangles of my hair against my forehead as I lay down.

 

“Thomas?” I asked softly, still panting from the marathon sex we’d just enjoyed.

“Yeah?”

 

I rolled onto my elbows, propping myself up on the soft duvet. “When can I move in?”

Thomas grinned. “You mean it?”

 

I couldn’t help but return the smile. “Oh, yes,” I said. “I really do.”

 

“As soon as you’d like,” Thomas said. He pulled me close and kissed me deeply. “The sooner the better.”

 

I grinned. “Sounds perfect,” I said softly.

 

Chapter Twenty

June

 

“How’s everything going?”

 

I shuddered as Thomas nuzzled my neck and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against his hard body. He smelled good – like fresh shower gel and new cologne – and I closed my eyes, savoring the scent of my boyfriend.

 

Boyfriend! I thought excitedly. I’ve never had one of those before. I still can’t believe it!

 

“It’s going pretty well,” I said. “Dinner should be ready in about ten minutes.”

 

“Excellent,” Thomas replied. “It smells incredible.” He leaned over my shoulder and inhaled deeply.

 

I blushed. “You think Brett will like it?”

Thomas nodded. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “His favorite food is spaghetti with meat sauce.”

 

I nodded. “Angela said this recipe wouldn’t disappoint – it’s from her Sicilian grandfather.”

Thomas laughed. “Sounds good, babe,” he said. He kissed me on the cheek and I flushed and squirmed, desperately craving more of his touch.

 

“Hey, Dad!” Brett raced into the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?” When he saw me, he stopped dead in his tracks. “What’s Miss Rogers doing here?”

Thomas chuckled. “Son, please call Miss Rogers June, at least when she’s in our home.”

 

“Am I in trouble?” Brett asked nervously. ‘What’s going on?”

 

“No, not at all,” Thomas said. “Brett, I’d like to tell you that June and I have begun to date.” He glanced at me and I flushed nervously, biting the inside of my mouth. “And she’s going to be moving in here with us.”

“At first, when you’re here, I’ll be at my old apartment,” I explained quickly.

 

Brett looked nervously from his father to me. “Okay,” he said. “Cool.”

 

Thomas raised his eyebrows. “I’m glad you’re okay with it, son,” he said.

 

Brett nodded. He puffed out his chest, trying to look more adult than his soon-to-be-eleven years.

“Yeah, I’m cool with it,” he said. “Miss Rogers was always my favorite teacher. Er, I mean June,” he added. “Sorry, June.”

 

“It’s fine.” I laughed nervously. “Whatever you want to call me is fine. You know, except for stupid or anything else mean.”

 

Brett shook his head. “Don’t worry,” he said.

“Well, I’ve got something for you, Brett,” Thomas said. “Why don’t you go into the living room?”

 

Brett’s eyes widened and he raced out of the kitchen. When I looked at Thomas with my eyebrows up, he chuckled and jerked his head to the side, indicating that we should follow Thomas.

 

“Dad, are you serious?” Brett’s voice screeched from the other room. “No way! This is too cool!”

Thomas chuckled. As we walked into the living room, Thomas took my hand and squeezed. Brett was kneeling on the floor in front of a box covered with Japanese print.

“I can’t believe it, I can finally have it?”

 

Thomas nodded. “Yes,” he said. “Sorry it took so long to get the damn thing inspected. It was hard to find anyone familiar with the technology.” He turned to me. “That’s a PlayStation Five,” he added. “It hasn’t been released in the country yet.”

 

“Wow,” Brett said. He ran over to Thomas and threw his arms around his father’s waist. “Dad, you’re seriously the best!”

 

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Thomas said. He squeezed my hand. In a lower voice, he asked: “Would you like to come into the kitchen with me?”

 

I nodded and followed Thomas into the kitchen. The meat sauce was bubbling on the stove and a heavenly, rich aroma filled the air.

 

“Is he going to be okay?” I asked quietly.

Thomas nodded. “Oh, yeah, he’ll be fine,” he said. “What about Angela? How did she take the news?”

 

I blushed and giggled. “A little better when I told her you were covering the rest of my rent for the year,” I said. “But she’s happy for me. She told me it was for the best, that she couldn’t wait to get to know you better.”

Thomas nodded. “Good,” he said. He cleared his throat and coughed. Suddenly, I realized that he looked almost nervous.

“Thomas, what’s wrong?”

 

Thomas licked his lips. “Nothing,” he said. He smiled. I gasped as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red leather jewelry box. My heart began to race in my chest and my palms started to sweat and itch. I wiped them on my thighs in a desperate attempt to seem like I wasn’t freaking out.

“June,” Thomas said in a husky voice. “Getting to know you has been the best experience I’ve ever had in my life.”

 

I blushed hotly. “I know exactly what you mean,” I said softly.

 

Thomas opened the box and I gasped. Inside was a huge, sparkly diamond ring. The stone was round cut, and I guessed it was at least four carats. It was mounted on an elegant band of white gold, covered with smaller diamonds that twinkled in the bright kitchen light.

 

“Marry me, June,” Thomas said huskily. He dropped to one knee in front of me and held out the ring. “Marry me and make me the happiest man on earth.”

 

I flushed. “You can’t be serious,” I said quickly, covering my mouth with both hands. My eyes filled with unexpected tears and I tilted my head back, blinking my tears away before Thomas could see that I was crying.

“I am,” Thomas said firmly. “You’re the love of my life, and I can’t wait to be your husband.” He winked at me. “That is, if you’ll have me.”

 

“Yes,” I said quickly. “Oh, my god, yes! Yes!”

Thomas grinned. He slipped the ring on my finger. I gasped – it was heavy and cold, but it glittered beautifully on my finger. Hot tears dripped down my cheeks and I wrapped my arms around Thomas’s neck, covering his face in tiny kisses.

 

“I love you,” Thomas said. “I love you so much, June.”

 

“I love you, too,” I cried. “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 

As we kissed, I knew that no matter what the future brought, Thomas and I would face it together. And everything would be wonderful.

Epilogue

June – Five Years Later

 

“C’mere, you,” Thomas growled. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back into bed.

 

I squeaked loudly and cried out, tripping over my feet and falling back into the soft bedsheets.

“Mmmn,” Thomas purred. He put both hands on the sides of my face and pulled me close. I closed my eyes and licked my lips as Thomas kissed me passionately. His tongue slipped between my lips and I moaned, arching my back. Thomas tangled a hand in my black hair and pulled, just hard enough for a little pain to mingle with the intense lust building in my body. As he nipped at my neck with sharp teeth, arousal exploded in my pussy and I pushed Thomas down, crawling on top of him and nuzzling his sandy chest.

“God, June, I love you like this,” Thomas growled. I straddled his still-firm torso and leaned down to plant a row of delicate kisses all over his face and neck. Thomas slid his hands down my body, squeezing the cheeks of my ass and sending delicious sensations racing through my veins.

 

“I love you,” I said softly into his ear before nipping at the earlobe. Thomas’s stubbly cheek brushed against mine and I sighed happily.

 

Thomas ran his hands up my back and down my chest, cupping my sensitive breasts and brushing his thumbs over my stiff nipples. I buried my face in Thomas’s neck to muffle my scream of pleasure.

 

“So sensitive,” Thomas purred.

 

I blushed hotly. After five years of being together, Thomas knew my body inside and out. I’d thought that after a while, sex would become routine.

 

But no – if anything, it was hotter than ever. Each time we made love, Thomas took me to new heights of insane, delicious pleasure. I could barely stand how he made me feel – always at the brink of an explosive orgasm.

 

Thomas took his hands away from my breasts and I cried out, wanting more. But soon he was moving them over the newly rounded curve of my belly and down to my hot pussy. I was so wet that I was leaking juices all over Thomas and slipping around in my own arousal was both embarrassing and incredibly hot. As Thomas slid a finger between my legs and gently began to flick my clit, I moaned and purred with pleasure.

 

“So wet,” Thomas growled in my ear. “My good little girl, always ready for me.”

 

“Yes, sir,” I whispered. “I’m yours forever.”

Thomas pulled his hand away and grabbed me roughly by the hips, flipping me over on my back. He crawled between my legs and looked at me, lust blazing in his dark eyes. His silvery hair was tousled from a restless night and he was unshaven.

 

I’d never seen him look sexier.

 

Spreading my legs, I licked my lips and gave what I hoped was an inviting look. Thomas’s cock was hard, nestled in a small thatch of silver pubic hair. I gazed down, salivating as I imagined how it would feel when he plunged inside of me for the very first time.

 

Just as Thomas was about to enter me, the door burst open.

“Eek!” I screamed and pulled the duvet over my naked body. Thomas growled, pulling the sheet up to his hips, just enough to cover his erect cock.

“Oh, fuck,” Brett said. “I’m so sorry.” He was standing in the doorway. But when I noticed the smirk on his fifteen-year-old face, I rolled my eyes.

 

“You’re not sorry at all,” I said. “Get out!”

 

Brett walked out of the room, forgetting to close the door after him.

“You ever fucking heard of knocking?” Thomas bellowed.

 

We glanced at each other before bursting into giggles.

“Sorry,” Thomas mumbled. He rolled his eyes. “Goddamned kid needs to learn some boundaries.” He glanced at me and raised an eyebrow. “Try again?”

 

I wrinkled my nose. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t think it’s still there for me.”

 

Thomas nodded. He leaned close and kissed me. “That’s okay, babe,” he said. “I promise – later tonight, you’re going to be begging for my cock.”

 

I blushed hotly as Thomas’s stubble brushed against my face. “I know,” I said softly. “I can’t wait.”

 

Thomas groaned and stretched, climbing out of bed and pulling on a pair of black boxer shorts. “What time is it?” He narrowed his eyes and picked up his reading glasses from the side of the bed.

 

“You’re an old man,” I teased.

 

“Watch it,” Thomas growled. He winked at me and we burst out laughing. “I feel better than ever.”

 

I giggled. “I should hope so,” I added. “Considering you’re about to become Daddy Number Two.”

 

Thomas glanced with fondness at my growing belly.

 

“Pregnancy is so weird,” I complained. “One minute all I can think about is sex.”

 

“And the next?”

 

“Food,” I moaned, burying my face in my hands. “I’m getting so big! I’m a heifer, Thomas. I can’t even zip my jeans.”

“I like you this way,” Thomas chuckled. “You’re curvy.”

 

I glared at him. “I miss sushi,” I said dreamily, climbing out of bed and pulling on a loose cotton dress. It was one of the only things I had that still fit me. “And soft cheese. And wine,” I added.

 

Thomas smirked. “As soon the baby’s born, we’re going out to Daniel,” Thomas said.

 

I laughed. “Sounds good, Daddy,” I said, batting my lashes.

 

“Are you excited about today?”

 

My stomach rumbled with anxiety. “I am,” I confessed. “But I’m a little nervous, too.”

 

“Don’t be,” Thomas said. He buttoned up his shirt and ran a brush through his thick, silvery hair.

“I just don’t want things to change,” I said softly. “What if having a new baby comes between us?”

Thomas sighed. He walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes and kissing me deeply.

 

“June, nothing could tear me away from you,” he said. “Things are going to be different. At first, they’ll be strained. But I swear, our love is forever. And after the baby gets a little older, things will get back to normal.”

 

I nodded. “I have to admit that I feel a little better, knowing you’ve done this before.”

 

Thomas laughed. “I bet,” he said. “Come on, we should get going. Your appointment is at eleven-thirty, wouldn’t want to piss off the ultrasound tech.”

 

I nodded. “I’m good,” I said. “I’m ready now.”

 

Half an hour later, I was lying on an uncomfortable bed, propped up with my belly exposed. Even though I hadn’t gained more than the doctor said I should, I still felt huge and gawky, especially when I was naked.

Marie, the smiling ultrasound tech, rubbed a cold gel all over my belly.

 

“And how are we today?” Marie cooed, more to my stomach than to me.

 

Thomas and I exchanged glances.

 

“Doing well,” Thomas said. “And you?”

 

“Oh, I’m just fine,” Marie said. She took the ultrasound device in her hands and booted up the screen. “Now June, you’re about four and a half months along, correct?”

 

I nodded.

 

“Would you like to know the sex?”

 

I nodded. “Oh, yes,” I said. “Please.”

 

Marie grinned. “Hey, Dad, why don’t you come over here,” she said, gesturing for Thomas to stand by my side and hold my hand. “This is usually a very happy moment.”

 

Thomas grinned. “It certainly is for me.”

 

Thomas laced his fingers with mine and squeezed. I yelped in surprise as Marie began to move the ultrasound device over my swollen belly.

“It’s cold,” I whimpered.

“Poor baby,” Thomas said. He kissed my forehead. “I love you,” he whispered, too quietly for Marie to hear.

 

“I love you,” I mouthed back at Thomas.

 

“Okay!” Marie grinned and looked triumphant. “Here it is, the final moment. Ready to know?”

 

Tears welled up in my eyes and my face flushed bright red.

“Yes, please,” I said.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. March,” Marie said. “You’re having a little girl!”

 

I shrieked in delight as tears streamed down my face. Thomas and I kissed and he held me close.

“Are you happy?” I whispered.

“I’ve never been happier,” Thomas said. He grinned.

 

I smiled. All of the anxiety and tension I’d been feeling melted away from my body and I relaxed against the bed.

 

Somehow, things had ended absolutely perfect. I couldn’t wait for us to welcome our new daughter. And while a part of me was slightly nervous about how a baby would change our family, I knew deep down that everything would be wonderful.