Midnight Ecstasy (An Erotica Collection)

Extra Credit (3)

Maya pulled back from the kiss, her body still humming. She looked down at him, at his flushed chest and the way his hands still rested on her hips like he wasn't ready to let go. A smile tugged at her lips, but underneath it, a question was already forming in her mind.

"So," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "Does this mean I passed?"

Daniel's hands stilled on her hips. He looked up at her, his expression shifting from dazed to something more guarded. He let out a breath that was almost a laugh, but not quite.

"You're asking me that right now?"

"Why not right now?" She stepped back, grabbing her shirt from the floor. She pulled it over her head, not bothering to hide the fact that his c*m was still drying on her stomach. "I came here for a reason. You know that."

He stood up, tucking himself back into his pants. "I know."

"So?" She watched him closely, reading his face. "Did I pass the course?"

Daniel walked to his desk and leaned against it, arms crossed. His shirt was still open, and he made no move to button it. He studied her for a long moment, and Maya felt her confidence start to waver.

"Well, you have earned yourself a D." he said slowly.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Think about it, " He rubbed the back of his neck. "Me changing your grade from F to a D, is already a huge leap. People will notice anything higher than that. The department reviews grade changes at the end of every semester."

"So change it to something else. C maybe, I don't care."

"And what reason would I give?" He raised an eyebrow. "Oh, the student came to my office and slept with me, so I decided to bump her grade up. That'll go over well."

She felt heat creep up her neck. "That's not what happened."

"It is exactly what happened." His voice was flat, matter-of-fact. "And I agreed to it. Both of us did. But I can't just erase your exam with a few good fucks."

Maya's hands clenched at her sides. "That's not what you said earlier."

"I didn't say I'd pass you." He shook his head. "I said I'd think about it. And I have been thinking about it. The most I can do is raise it to a D. That's the maximum I can justify with your exam score."

"A D?." She repeated the word like it was poison. "D is less than a pass. I just need a pass. That's all I came here for."

"D is the bare minimum. It means you scraped by." He pushed off the desk and stepped closer to her. "But a D is also all I can give you right now."

Maya stared at him, her mind racing. D?. She would have a D on her transcript. She would graduate. That was the whole point. And yet, something about the way he said it made her feel small, like she had just traded herself for the lowest possible return.

"So," she said slowly, crossing her arms. "I did all of that for a D."

He was quiet for a second. Then he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "The D is what I can give you without raising questions. But like I said, that's just for right now."

"What does that mean?"

He tilted his head. "The semester is almost over, but it's not over yet. There's still a week left. There's still the final project I haven't graded."

"Final project." She remembered it vaguely. A group project she had barely contributed to. "I didn't even submit it."

"I know." His fingers traced her jawline. "But I can give you an extension. A private one. You can submit something this week. If it's good enough, it could bring your overall grade up."

"How much?"

"With a solid project, a C plus. Maybe a B minus." He shrugged. "That depends on you."

"Depends on me," she echoed.

"Yes." His hand dropped to her shoulder, then trailed down her arm. "The D is guaranteed. That's what you walked away with today. But if you want more, you have to work for it. Harder than you did before. Harder than you did just now."

Maya's breath caught. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying the higher the grade you want, the harder you'll have to work for it." His eyes met hers, and there was something unreadable in them. "I'm giving you a chance, Maya. More than I'd give anyone else. But you have to earn it."

"You're asking me to come back."

"I'm asking you to prove yourself." He took a step back, giving her space. "The D is already yours. I'll submit the grade change tomorrow morning. But if you want something better, if you want to leave here with a transcript that doesn't make you cringe, you'll have to show up. Show me you actually care about this course. Show me you're willing to put in the effort."

She bit her lip. "And if I show up?"

"Then we'll see." He smiled, a small, careful thing. "I'm not promising you an A. I'm not promising you anything except the chance to try. Whether you take it or not is up to you."

Maya stared at him, trying to read between the lines. He was giving her an out. A way back to the office. But he was also making it clear that this was going to be transactional. A little bit of effort for a little bit of grade. More effort for more grade.

"And the D is guaranteed?" she asked.

"Guaranteed." He nodded. "You don't have to come back. You can walk out of here right now and never see me again. The D will still be on your transcript by tomorrow."

"That's generous of you."

"It's the least I could do." He said it with no irony, and that somehow made it worse.

She turned away from him, picking up her panties from the floor. She slipped them on under her skirt, her movements slow and deliberate. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move.

"So," she said, turning back to face him. "When do you want me to come back?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you might want to think about it."

"I don't need to think." She walked back to him, closing the distance. "D is fine. It works. I graduate. But a B minus sounds better. And if I have to come back here to get it, then I'll come back here."

"Even after what we did?"

"Especially after what we did." She reached up and buttoned his shirt for him, slowly, one button at a time. "You're making me work for it. That's fair. I respect that."

"You respect it."

"I do." She finished the last button and smoothed the fabric over his chest. "I also respect that you're giving me a chance when you could have just kicked me out. So thank you, Daniel."

He caught her wrist before she could pull away. "Tomorrow. Come back tomorrow. Same time."

"Same time." She nodded. "I'll bring the project."

"Bring yourself too." He tugged her closer. "And maybe something a little less formal than this skirt. It was hard to work with."

She laughed, surprised at herself. "You didn't seem to have trouble."

"I had to reach up." He let go of her wrist. "I prefer easier access."

Maya stepped back, picking up her bag from the floor. She slung it over her shoulder and walked to the door, turning the lock with a soft click. She paused with her hand on the handle.

"Daniel," she said, not turning around.

"Yes?"

"Does this happen often?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Students in your office. Deals like this."

He was quiet for a moment. "No. This is a first."

She wasn't sure if she believed him. She wasn't sure if it mattered. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway, letting it close behind her. The door clicked shut, and she stood there for a second, alone in the empty corridor.

A D. She had walked in hoping for a miracle and walked out with a D. It was enough. It was just barely enough. But he had dangled something better in front of her, and now she couldn't stop thinking about it. A B minus meant a decent grade. A B minus meant she didn't have to explain anything to her parents. A B minus meant she could hold her head up..

She started walking down the hallway, her heels clicking against the tile. Tomorrow. She would come back tomorrow. She would bring the project. She would bring herself. And she would figure out exactly how much effort he wanted from her, and exactly how much grade she could get in return.

The thought should have made her feel dirty. It didn't. It made her feel powerful, like she had just discovered a new kind of currency. She had something he wanted, and he had something she wanted. That was all this was.