Chapter Four
Ashley couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she drove home and made herself some dinner, still not quite believing what had happened. Not only had she’d gone back up to Carla’s office, but she’d somehow gotten an invite to her place tonight.
Ashley had been so shocked that she’d forgotten that she didn’t have Carla’s number, so Ashley just planned on going over there for around eight o’clock. That gave her enough time to have a shower and get ready without rushing.
Although as she stood in front of her closet, Ashley had no idea what to wear. They both knew where the night was going. Carla wanted her. She could have easily told Ashley to leave her office more than once, but instead, she’d invited Ashley over.
Ashley pulled a few tops off their hangers and tossed them on the bed behind her along with her favorite pair of dark wash jeans.
“Lingerie,” Ashley muttered to herself as she pulled open the top drawer. That was the only thing that mattered tonight, because Ashley had a feeling that her clothes weren’t going to be on for very long.
Ashley pushed her usual, basic bras and underwear to the side, rooting through them in search of some of her skimpy pieces, and she found the black, lacy set she was looking for.
Ashley barely made it through her shower without touching herself, thinking ahead to what tonight would bring, but she managed to leave her apartment without giving in.
She did try to lower her expectations a little on the drive over to Carla’s. Maybe, Carla just wanted to move their conversation from the campus to her apartment. Maybe, she wanted to ask Ashley more questions about college, about how many of Carla’s classes she’d taken.
But Ashley couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d gotten through to Carla, that she’d convinced her to at least see what this was and not dismiss it so easily. Especially when it wasn’t actually against the rules.
When she took the elevator up to Carla’s floor, Ashley wondered if she should have brought a bottle of wine or something, but it was too late now. She just hoped that Carla hadn’t changed her mind in the last few hours, that she wouldn’t even ask Ashley in.
She took a steadying breath as she knocked on the door, her heart already racing. Ashley was back at her professor’s apartment. And this time, she’d been invited here, even though she was Carla’s student.
Ashley never could have imagined this, and if this turned into something more than a few nights together, she’d have to find a way to come clean to Carla. Ashley would have to tell her everything about that night they’d met.
The door swung open, and Ashley forgot all about her guilt. Carla had changed out of her work clothes, and now she was standing barefoot, dressed in all black, her hair swept over one shoulder, a glass of wine in one hand.
“Hey,” Carla said, a hint of a smile on her lips.
Ashley hoped that Carla couldn’t see how infatuated she was in that moment. Ashley didn’t trust herself to speak. How was this woman so beautiful? The crush Ashley had been harboring for the last three years was nothing compared to what she felt just standing in the hallway, her gaze locked on this absolutely stunning woman.
“Come in,” Carla said, taking a step back, holding the door open for her. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Ashley was barely inside the door, but all she could think about was kissing Carla. Properly.
“No,” Ashley murmured. “I’m fine.”
“Something else then?” Carla offered.
“Just you.” Ashley still had her coat on, her scarf around her neck, but that didn’t stop her from reaching for Carla’s free hand and gently tugging her closer.
Ashley’s other hand slid along her neck as she tilted her head, her eyes fluttering closed, and when Ashley parted her lips against Carla’s, every nerve in her body was firing. She could feel the softness of Carla’s lips in her fingertips, her skin tingling as Carla kissed her back.
Carla sighed into the kiss, her wine glass held out awkwardly to the side, and Ashley moaned when Carla’s tongue skimmed across her own.
Carla broke the kiss for a second. “Stay right there.” She padded across the hardwood floors towards the kitchen counter just a few feet away to leave her glass down.
Ashley hung her scarf up on the coatrack inside the door, and Carla was back, her hands on Ashley’s waist, her fingers moving to the buttons of her coat as she closed the gap between them and kissed Ashley hungrily.
Carla pushed open her coat, her hands moving inside it, over Ashley’s top and up along her ribs as they continued to kiss. Ashley shrugged off her coat, letting it fall to the floor, one hand lost in Carla’s hair, the other underneath her black long-sleeved top, her fingertips running over Carla’s silky-smooth skin.
Ashley didn’t think she’d ever get enough of this, and she was going to savor it. As amazing as their first night together had been seven weeks ago, it had been somewhat rushed, as if they’d both known that it was only a one-time thing, that they had to make the most of it.
Tonight, Ashley wanted to take her time, and she could have spent hours kissing Carla. There was something so perfect, so natural about the way their lips fit together.
Ashley’s legs were starting to feel like jelly as their kisses deepened, as Carla’s tongue continued to tease her, as her hands roamed over Ashley’s jeans, up along the back of her thighs until Carla was cupping her ass.
“Fuck,” Ashley panted, breaking their kiss, her forehead resting against Carla’s for a second before she leaned back against the wall.