Lessons From the Professor

“It depends, how old are you?”

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you it’s impolite to ask someone their age?” His voice was light and playful as he chuckled. “I’m fifty.”

“What a coincidence, that’s the age I like.” Sh

e gave him a saucy wink and relished in the laughter she caused, despite the heat that infused her face. It was times like these she was damn glad her skin was dark, so no one could see her blush.

She gasped when he traced the tiny tattooed heart on her wrist a moment later.

“Tell me, Sutton, what else do you like in a man?” His voice dropped an octave and took on a husky tone as he pinned her with his dark eyes. Damn he was intense.

“Intelligence, wit, manners and humor, to name a few things.”

“I see, what about control?”

“C-control?” she asked, unable to concentrate when his finger traced tiny circles against her skin.

“Do you like it when a man is in control? When he tells you what to do?”

“I- I don’t know.” She licked her suddenly dry lips as she lowered her gazed, unable to understand the emotions this man caused with just a few questions and an innocent caress.

“Ahh, but you’d like to find out, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes.” Her admission made her feel of the arousal and interest he’d piqued.

To everyone else they were having a casual conversation, but the liberties he was taking were anything but. His arm had crept around the back of her chair, and he trailed a delicious path over the small of her back with his fingers. Just light enough to tease without giving true pleasure. She could have told him to stop, yet she found she didn’t want to. His knee brushed up against hers, and it was all she could do not to purr. What kind of black magic did this man possess? Did he know what he was doing?

She peered up at him from beneath her lashes and grimaced when he caught her and smirked. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing, and she’ d e damned if she didn’t find it sexy as all get out. He kept her on edge for the rest of the night with his light caresses and intimate questions. It threw her off kilter and left her unsure of where she stood. She should be insulted, but instead she longed to experience more. When the check arrived at the table she didn’t know if she was relieved or saddened.

He held out his hand to help her up from her seat, and they lagged behind James and Leigh to say a semi-private goodbye outside of the restaurant.

“Did you enjoy my company tonight?” he asked. He tilted his head to the side slightly, almost as if he was studying her.

“Very much.”

He paused and opened his mouth as if to say something, before shaking his head.

“I feel the same, and we’ll see each other soon I’m sure.”

He placed a gentle kiss on her hand as he walked away leaving her flabbergasted. Did that mean he wasn’t interested, or he was leaving the ball in her court?

****

Sutton could feel the questions in Leigh’s gaze as she walked away from James, who was saying his goodbyes to Sidney.

“I’m just going to walk Sutton to her car, honey,” Leigh said. She looped her arms through Sutton’s and leaned in to whisper into her ear as they headed towards her car.

“So, what did you think of Sidney?”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“Come on, Sutton, you were practically drooling.”

“I was not! His conversation was…stimulating.”

“Do you really expect me to think your brain was the only thing he stimulated?”

“He’s an attractive man, with a killer accent. I’d have to be dead not to notice, even if he’s like twenty years older than me.”