Suitors & Sweethearts

Chapter 11

FOUR

“Mum, I understand what you’re saying,” Ike said into the phone braced between his ear and shoulder as he popped the cap off the bottle of beer he’d just taken out of the fridge. He tossed the opener onto the kitchen counter and the cap into the bin under the sink. “I’m sorry about the stress this is causing you and Dad.”

A sigh escaped him. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently. Apologising to people. First, it had been Mrs. Bello, the woman who’d been his mentor since he’d started the placement at Hillcrest. Then to Mr. Idowu, the Principal, who had seemed so disappointed by what he’d done.

Now, he had to deal with his parents. At least, it proved some consolation that he didn’t have to face his family yet. Their displeasure measured at a different level, considering his past transgressions.

He had screwed up. Again. And as his screw ups tended to be of monumental proportions, this time was turning out to be no different.

“I know you are, son.” The sadness in his mother’s voice twisted his gut. “Being kicked off your industrial placement is very bad. Is there nothing that can be done? Perhaps I should speak to the school principal.”

He sucked in a deep breath and puffed it out. “I know you’re trying to help me, Mum, but that’s not a good idea. The parents of the student are insisting they don’t want me teaching in the school anymore. They’ve threatened to sue the school if I go back.”

His mother heaved a big sigh. “I can understand their perspective. If I were in their shoes, I’d probably do the same thing. So what are you going to do?”

He took the phone back into his hand and pressed his warm forehead against the cool wall. “I’m going to write the report of my experience during the past few months. Although I’m not due back at University for another couple of months for the presentation, there’s no harm in getting the preparation done early.”

“What about Hillcrest? Aren’t they supposed to write a recommendation for you, as well?”

“Yes, I’m hoping they’ll take into account all my efforts from the previous eight months I worked there. And not just what happened in the last one month.” At least, that was what he hoped.

“I pray so,” she said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to Lagos in the meantime?”

“No, Mum. I’ll be fine here.” He didn’t want to face his father and his wrath. Not yet.

Thankfully, he had this apartment which he’d paid for two years. It came in handy because it was close to the university campus, so he could still live here next year. In the previous years, he’d shared digs with his friends.

Hopefully, by the time he got to see his parents face to face, he would’ve salvaged the mess of his life.

“Okay. You take care of yourself and call me if you need anything.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He cut the call after they bid farewell to each other. Leaning against the wall in his kitchen, he closed his eyes and took a swig from the bottle of beer.

Being kicked off the internship so late in the program year was bad. He wouldn’t find another placement at such short notice. And if Hillcrest gave him a poor recommendation, it would impact on his degree program. That would be a year’s worth of work down the drain.

He rubbed the back of his neck. He’d worked so damned hard at the job only to jeopardise it all in one crazy moment. One stupid mistake.

His fist curled in tight, fingers digging into his palm, the other hand tightening on the neck of the bottle as he remembered what’s he’d done to Malcolm.

“f**k!”

He opened his eyes and walked out, going towards the living room, and took another swig of beer. He didn’t usually drink in the middle of the day. But this call to his parent had left him jittery.

With him halfway down the hallway, his doorbell rang.

“What now!” he griped. He really wasn’t in the mood for company.

With stomping steps, he marched to the front entrance, turned the lock, and yanked it open.

His body stiffened and his eyes bulged at the sight before him, his senses pealing.

On the level landing, just outside his door, stood the sum of his misery and joy.

Lara.

He was so used to seeing her in the blue and white of the school uniform that, for a brief moment, he didn’t recognise her.

Blood rushed in his veins as he took a step back and stared at her from head to toe.

Today, she wore a black tank top, a pair of navy skinny jeans, and black sandals. Her toenails were unvarnished although buffed to shine. He swept his gaze back up, taking in how her clothes hugged her body. She wasn’t a skinny girl. Neither was she chubby. But the curves were in the right places.

He swallowed as his knees loosened, desire sparking in his gut, the temptation she presented all too real.

She wore no makeup. Perhaps a touch of gloss that enhanced the heart-shaped plumpness of her lips, making them luscious. But nothing marred her beautiful face. Her loose braids were swept over the left shoulder.

Overwhelming passion fuelled by her presence spread in his veins. He wanted to take the step and breach the gap dividing them. He wanted to take her face in his hands and seal their lips together. His grip on the handle tightened painfully.

The scrape of lock and key brought him back to earth. One of his neighbours would be out before long. They’d see her. She shouldn’t be here.

Reaching across, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into his apartment before slamming the door.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Even as he asked the question, he regretted his abrasive tone. His frustration still rode his blood.

She flinched, taking a step back, her head bowed. “I came to see you. I was worried about you.”

“I’m fine. You shouldn’t be here. I’m your—” he was going to say ‘teacher,’ but he couldn’t use that term anymore as he didn’t have a job any longer.

Turning, she paced four steps down the hall, swivelled, and came back to stand in front of him. Her chest lifted as she sucked in a breath and let it out in a rush. She lifted her gaze up to his face.

“I know I shouldn’t. But I couldn’t help it. After Mrs. B told us that you got suspended, I knew it had to be because of me.” She gesticulated, hands jerking in the air. “So I had to come and see you. I promise you I didn’t tell them what happened in the car between us. I swear I didn’t.”

Taking a step in her direction, he rested his palm on her shoulders to calm her agitated motions.

“I know.” His palm scorched and he pulled his hand back. “I know you didn’t tell the principal. I didn’t get suspended because of you.”

Well, at least not directly.

“Oh?” Her forehead creased in a frown. “So why did you get suspended?”

Good question. He didn’t like talking about what he’d done. Grimacing, he scrubbed a hand over his face and spun on his heels, walking into the living room. He slumped on a sofa and took another swig of his beer.

She came in and stood beside the sofa opposite. Her gaze flitted across the room before settling on him. Her brows drew together and she twisted a single braid around her finger. She did that a lot when something worried her.

That he could be the source of her unease prickled his spine. He waved at the sofa. “You can sit down.”

“Thank you.” She walked around tentatively and sat on the edge. “Why did you get suspended, sir?”

His back stiffened. Why didn’t he send her home straight away? The plea in her softened eyes made his heart clench, answering the question for him. He took another swig of his beer. “I punched Malcolm.”

“You did what?”

The shock and accusation in her voice made his face burn. He closed his eyes. The scene with the boy resurfaced in his mind. His blood boiled.

“He’d been spreading lies about you. Saying he had s*x with you.” He opened his eyes and leaned his bent head forward against his palms so she couldn’t see the shame on his face. “I’d heard some kids whispering about it and went in search of Malcolm. I invited him into a classroom to talk and he started mouthing off. I knew it was all lies and asked him to take it back and go and apologise to you, but he refused. I lost my temper and hit him. Then I dragged him to the Principal’s office and reported him for assaulting you. He got suspended because you verified the story when Mr. Idowu questioned you. I got suspended because I struck a student.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m so sorry. You’re coming back to school, right? Malcolm is back to school. Why aren’t you?”

He lifted his head and met her gaze. Her brows wrinkled and she bit her bottom lip. He’d seen the expression of concern a few times previously. He felt a constriction in his gut. He’d missed seeing her these past few weeks. He’d missed the gestures; the curl of her lips when she smiled, even the furrowing of her brows when she frowned.

“I’m not going back to Hillcrest. I’ve been sacked as a teacher.”

“What?” Jerking back, her frown deepened and tears glassed her eyes. “They can’t sack you.”

Sighing, he finished the beer and placed the bottle on the small wooden table beside him. “Malcolm’s father demanded they sack me. The school doesn’t want to have a reputation of teachers assaulting students. They had to let me go.”

Fat tears dropped down her face and her voice cracked. “It’s not fair. You’re the best teacher.”

His chest ached. He couldn’t stand to see her so upset. Before he knew what he was doing, he’d rounded the table and scooped her up onto his lap on the sofa.

“It’s okay,” he said softly as he held her close.

She pulled back and looked up into his face. “No, it’s not. It’s my fault you are in this position. If I hadn’t given Malcolm the opportunity to start rumours about me, you wouldn’t have been sacked.”

His body stiffened. With his right hand, he pulled her glasses off her face. “Can you see me clearly?”

She looked confused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. I can see things close to me. It’s just the things far away that are a bit fuzzy.”

“Good. I want you to understand that what Malcolm did was never your fault. Any decent boy or man should know that when a woman says no, it means no. Malcolm is a sociopath. He thinks he can do whatever he likes and get away with it. I simply should’ve controlled my temper better. Okay? I’m paying for my rash actions. I let all my students down by punching him.”

She shook her head, sending her loose braids across his cheek. “No. You didn’t let me down. None of the class members think you did a bad thing. We all miss you.”

“I miss all of you, too.” You, especially.

You, especially.He stared at her face as his thumb stroked her smooth cheek. His heart felt as if it would punch a hole in his chest. The hairs on his arms and nape stood erect.

The last time he’d seen her, he’d denied the affection he had for her. Now, she sat on his lap, the most intimate contact they’d had so far, her warmth wrapping itself around him. She tilted her head up. She had beautiful amber eyes that flared with heat. Her mouth, so lush, so near.

Nights, even days, he’d dreamt about having her like this. Now, he couldn’t resist bridging the gap that separated them and brushing their lips together.

The motion, just a caress, proved to be immensely more to his mind and body. Tingles spread through his flesh, longing erupting and spreading with the rush of blood in his veins. His heart thudded against his ribs. All the months, the mental struggles of asserting control, of keeping her apart, crumbled in the simple and powerful stroke.

“I shouldn’t do this,” he whispered, not pulling back “But I can’t help myself.”

She gave a small moan. Her hands crept up his chest, creating searing paths through the cotton of his t-shirt. Her movements were so tentative he could swear she’d never been held like this.

Leaning back, he lifted her chin with his fingers. “Have you been kissed before?”

Her lashes feathered her cheeks as she closed her eyes. “Yes, but not like you just did. I...Please kiss me again.”

She lifted her lids. Her brown eyes shone bright with adoration and expectation, bringing him to his senses.

He slid off the sofa, dumping her on it, and turned his back to her. “You should go home.”

“Sir?”

“I’m not your sir anymore.” He froze. That one obstacle no longer existed. The one thing that had kept him in check and demanded he lived up to the respect and admiration of his students. Now, the risk of him ruining her increased with each minute she stayed. “Go home before I take away your innocence. Before I do what I shouldn’t.”

“It was my birthday last week.”

Hesitant fingers feathered his back. Through the fabric of his t-shirt, he felt the burn. His breath caught as his knees jellied.

“Since you’re not my teacher anymore, there’s no reason we can’t be together.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. True. They had no more barriers, except for the ones that surrounded his soul.

When did you become spineless and afraid of living in the moment? Images of the reckless, conceited, and selfish boy he’d once been returned to taunt him. The one who drove carelessly, partied energetically, and f****d rigorously. The one who seized what was on offer with personal gratification in mind. The one who wouldn’t turn his back on a woman unless he’d already satisfied his cravings.

When did you become spineless and afraid of living in the moment?Remember your promise. Every action bears a consequence. You are not that boy any more.

His older brother’s image overtook the others from his past. His brother had been his voice of reason when he’d been alive. In death, he came back to sit as the angel on Ike’s shoulder, when the devil in him tried to take over.

Dragging in a long breath, he puffed it out and opened his eyes. Her fingers still traced his back as if she were uncertain about what to do next. A more experienced girl would press close, making her need blatant. He should send her home for her lack of knowledge alone.

“I’m no good for you. No different from Malcolm. I’m not going to write you love letters and read poetry to you.” A girl like her deserved such things. He just didn’t do them. The things he wanted to do to her were dirty and naughty and, frankly, pornographic.

He turned around. She stood less than twenty centimetres apart. A little step and there would be no space between them. A little fumble and there would be no clothes separating them. His pounding pulse thundered in his ears.

“When I look at you, especially seeing you in that figure-hugging jeans and top, my body goes crazy and I can’t think straight. I want to take all your clothes off and spread you on my sofa. I want to get inside you and cover you with my body. I want to surround you and permeate you. I want to devour you, so that I become you and you become me.”

He stared down at her, his hands lifting and dropping by his sides as the intensity of his need threatened to consume him. She didn’t look away, the soft flare of heat in her gaze showed her answering l**t.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Lara? The way I feel right now is too deep, too dark, and too intense for someone as young as you to deal with. You should be thinking about your upcoming exams, your results, and your future.”

She took a step and closed the distance between them. Reaching out, she took his right hand and placed it on her chest above her left breast.

He squeezed his eyes shut and controlled his breathing, resisting the urge to cup the mound of flesh.

“Can you feel my heart racing?” she asked.

“Yes.” The thud, thud, thud came through against his palm.

“It beats so fast because of you. For the past few weeks, I’ve been so distracted. I haven’t been able to study or sleep properly. I’ve been thinking about you. I can’t function without you in my life. I’m ready for you. I love you. Don’t send me away again. Please.”

He stroked his hand over the bare skin on her chest up to her neck. He laid his hand there, not gripping but loose and flat. Her pulse jumped under her skin.

“Are you sure of what you’re saying?” He stroked his thumb across her bottom lip.

“Yes,” she said in a breathy voice as her pupils dilated.

“We’ll have s*x if you stay. You won’t be a virgin afterwards.”

She shifted from one foot to the other. “I know. I want us to be together in every way.”

She had an answer for all of his doubts, demolished the last of his restraint. The corner of his lips tilted in a lopsided grin as he curled his right hand around her nape. He’d always thought her to be intelligent and competent about her school work. Why did he think she’d be any different about her life choices?

“Lara…” He spoke her name with reverence as he wrapped his left hand around her back and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, properly this time. Their lips fused, hers hesitant, although she clung to him, arms around his midriff. “Open your mouth. Let me in.”

She did, parting her lips with a gasp. He swept in, tongue tracing the entrance, sampling her, preparing her, before plunging in. She tasted sweet—bubble gum and Lara.

His left hand slid down her side and cupped the globe of her bum, drawing her close so no space existed between them aside from their clothes. His right hand tangled with the plaits on her nape. He tilted her head back and angled his so he could deepen the kiss.

They both moaned into each other’s mouths. Her grip on his shirt tightened as if she would slip to the ground if he let her go.

Passion burned his veins. Any more arguments he could come up with as to why they couldn’t be together fizzled away. He broke the kiss, panting for breath, as did she.

He rested his forehead against hers.

“I care about you and I want you. But I can’t make you any promises. My life is screwed up right now and I need to focus on getting it back on track.”

“I know,” she replied in a husky voice.

“And I want you to get the best results in your exams, so that should be your top priority. Promise me.”

“Yes. I promise.”

“Good.” He loosened his grip on her. “Now, we have to talk about sex.”

She frowned and dropped her hands, her gaze lowered. “Do we have to? Can’t we just do it?”

He smiled. “No, we can’t just do it. It’s going to be your first time. I want to know what you know.”

She pulled away and shrugged. “What’s there to know? A man puts his p***s inside a woman’s vagina.”

He burst out laughing. “This is not a biology lesson.”

He took her hand and pulled her down on the sofa beside him. “When two people who care about each other have s*x, it is more than a physical coupling. s*x becomes an expression of the way they feel about each other. It becomes about giving and receiving pleasure in the most intimate way, not just with their bodies, but with their minds, too. That’s why some people refer to it as making love. That’s why some wait until they’re married. Don’t you want to wait until you’re married?”

She shook her head, distractedly. “No, I don’t.”

She sounded emphatic enough to convince him. He stroked a line with his fingers from her temple down to her neck, repeating the action until she shivered. “I don’t just want to have s*x with you. I want to make love to you. I want to give you so much pleasure that will make you addicted to me.”

Her breath hitched. He held her gaze, watching the dark pupils blow out even more. She made him want to be a better person. The person she deserved.