He couldn’t get her out of his head. All he wanted to do was take her. To fuck her. During class, while the kids had ten minutes of study, he’d even fantasized about kissing her.
Out of the blue, the image of her full lips and sexy body pressed against his, and he had no choice but to stay behind his desk.
This was all kinds of wrong. He shouldn’t have agreed to tutor her. Being close to her wasn’t going to help this. It was only going to make things harder. So much harder. There was only somuch strength he had.
She put the pen to paper again and started to scribble the answers.
Before he even realized it, the clock buzzed, bringing an end to the examination, and to finish, Teal growled.
“I didn’t finish it!” She slapped the book closed and moved it toward him. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Math can be tricky.”
She slumped back. “I have no idea how I did.” She dropped her pen to the table and then covered her face with both of her hands. “I used to be good at this. I don’t mean genius level, but I tested well. Then, like overnight, boom, everything fell apart.”
“There can be many factors that affect us.”
Teal dropped her hands and blew out a breath. “Like what?”
“I haven’t seen your dad around.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if he’s coming back.”
“That could be a factor. It … I’ve heard your mother on the phone.”
Teal laughed. “So pretty much every single time you see my mother. Trust me, she’s on the phone all the time.” She sighed. “That’s not new.”
“It could still be adding stress to you.”
She shook her head. “I doubt it. I’m used to my parents’ kind of life. Before we moved here, before my mom quit her job, they used to work in an advertising firm. Rival firms. They were known to get dirty. Steal each other’s clients, but I don’t know, that seemed to keep the spark alive between the two of them.”
“Really?” he asked.
Teal chuckled. “I know, it sounds odd, right? Two people staying together, loving one another, and building a life together, even though there are times they scream and yell. Iknow how all of that ended.”
“But your dad’s not here,” he said.
“I know, because my mom, well, she took it too far. She slept with her boss and my dad found out. He’s pissed and went on a business trip. This was six months ago. Mom quit her job, moved us here, and is trying to convince my dad that it all meant nothing.”
“Did it?”
“I don’t know,” Teal said. “She has changed her whole life for him. I guess that has to account for something, right? It means she loves him enough to change everything.”
It sounded like it.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t be unloading this on you. You’re just my teacher.”
“And neighbor.”
“Shouldn’t that make me not tell you anything?”
He laughed. “I guess, but don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
Teal stared at him, and he couldn’t help but stare at her.
Silence filled his home. It wasn’t awkward. But comfortable.
He had an eighteen-year-old student in his home, and all he could think about was how good she would feel pressed against him. Jaxson knew he should be fucking shot or castrated.