“You smell delicious,” I whispered close to her ear.
“Thank you,” she said, and I watched her blush.
“We only have one class today. Come over,” I said.
She turned her head to look at me. “You only have one class,” she said. “I have a full day.”
It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. She was right. That age difference became glaringly obvious at times like these. She was a senior in college. Her life hadn’t even really started yet.
“Sorry,” I winced, standing up and walking a few feet away from her.
She shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m glad you only have the one class. You can take it easy today.”
I nodded, but the issue was glaringly obvious. She was sitting at my desk, working on my assignments. She was my assistant. She was a student. I needed to remember that the next time I fantasized about bending her over anything.
She stood, and I caught a glimpse of her blue dress. My mind instantly went back to the closet. Was she wearing panties under the dress? I was staring at her with a heated gaze, my mouth hanging open when she looked at me.
She stalked towards me, holding my eyes. “Am I or am I not?” she whispered before brushing her breasts across my chest as she walked to her own small desk.
I was frozen in place. I couldn’t move or breathe. My mind was stuck in a place it shouldn’t be. I wanted to drag her back to that closet and check for myself what was or wasn’t under that skirt. I watched as she sat down, opened her legs a brief second before she crossed them.
The smile she had on her face was pure devilish delight. She knew what she did to me and was enjoying my discomfort. Now, I had to get through another class while sitting behind the desk. My brain seemed to have misfired, and I couldn’t remember what I was going to talk about. There was only one thought in my head, and that was certainly not one I could discuss.
I managed to muddle through, but I know it was awful. I couldn’t seem to string words together in a coherent fashion. My lesson plan was all over the place, and every time I looked at Tessa, she seemed to be taking a great deal of pleasure in my inability to teach. I either needed to fuck her or forget her. I knew which one I wanted.
After class, she waited around for the room to clear out before approaching me, “Sorry,” she said in a soft voice. “I won’t do that again. You looked genuinely miserable, and I don’t want this to negatively impact your teaching.”
I smiled. “It wasn’t you. I mean it was, but I need to learn a little more self-restraint. I’ll figure it out,” I promised her.
“Good. I have to run. I’ll text you later,” she said, rushing out the door.
I watched as she walked away before snapping myself out of the trance she had put me in. Since it was Friday, there was a good chance Jake would be done early as well.
With a quick call, I arranged to meet him for lunch. After that, we headed for one of the busy parks and strolled along the paved path.
“Since you aren’t going to tell me, let me say I already know. Maria told me,” Jake started.
I groaned. I had wanted to talk to him about what happened between Tessa and me, but felt slightly ashamed.
“And?” I said, waiting for a lecture from my little brother.
He shrugged. “I am really happy for you. I like Tessa. She’s great. Gorgeous, smart, and driven.”
I waited. “But? I hear a ‘but’ in there, don’t I?”
“But, she’s a student. Aren’t you risking your job? Aren’t you putting your career in jeopardy by messing around with her?”
“Yeah, I am, which is why it sucks. I like her a lot. She is the first woman who has made me feel alive. She’s given me a reason to get out of bed and look for the positive,” I explained.
Jake stopped walking, forcing me to look at him. “Ian, she’s the first woman you have let yourself be around. What if it could have happened with another woman, one who is more your age? I mean, you’ve sequestered yourself for so long. The first woman you lay eyes on is of course going to look like a goddess sent from heaven.”
I shook my head. “It’s more than that. I have seen and talked with plenty of other women. None of them do it for me. I mean that paralegal you brought to the barbecue. I had actually hoped there would be a spark, but there was nothing.”
We started walking again. “There was nothing because you were already hooked on Tessa.”
I mulled that over. Was it possible?
“I want you to be happy, man, really I do, and if Tessa is the one who does it for you, then I guess you have to weigh the risk against the benefits,” he finally agreed.