Dean's List Read online

  Of course he'd want to do a little catching up. It was the polite thing to do, especially considering how she'd apparently influenced his life. Leigh could tell him how his show of support had strengthened her. It wasn't exactly fraternization, just old friends getting together. Why not over ice cream? They'd had their best talks over lemonade or ice cream.

  She crawled beneath the cool, crisp sheets, turned off the light...and wondered if Dan was thinking about her tonight. Had he looked at her and judged her old? Laughed at himself for building this image in his mind only to have reality crush it? Or did he stroke his cock in the shower while dreaming of sinking it into her body?

  Leigh shivered at the image and placed herself in the scene. Rubbing suds over his shoulders and chest. Lathering it through the hair around his dick. Listening to his mounting groans as he thrust his erection into her hands, clutched her head and urged her to her knees to suck him. Turned her around to take her deep and hard while his fingers circled her clit. Another shiver rattled her bones.

  God, he was handsome! Tendrils of want curled at the base of her spine, then around her clit in a chokehold.

  There was no harm in fantasizing, was there? It was no different than imagining a movie star like...like... No one came readily to mind. Dan was all that existed.

  Leigh reached over to the nightstand and fumbled in the drawer for her favorite vibrator. She knew it wouldn't be enough before she grabbed it. Flinging back the covers, she charged to her dresser drawer and yanked out her favorite pleasure tool--a wooden hairbrush. She wouldn't need the sting tonight, just the promise of it, the warmth of the wood rubbing her bare skin while she came.

  Leigh snagged her toy from the nightstand drawer as she crawled back onto the bed. Then she lay there in the dark, building her fantasy. Hard nipples tented her nightgown, juices sopped into her panties. She inched her nightgown up slowly, the way she wanted a lover to do. He'd be cautious, perhaps afraid she'd say no, but determined to reach his goal. Big hands would cup her breasts, plump the flesh until she ached, then pinch her nipples until she cried out.

  He'd pull her arms up with the nightgown and bind her wrists firmly to the spindles on her headboard. Panties would crawl down her legs at his will. Protesting at this point would be out of the question. Doing so would earn her the spanking Leigh coveted and had yet to receive from another person. He'd roll her to one side and slowly, methodically, warm her ass until she squirmed. He might let her come...or he might bind her facedown and find another implement to make her squirm. Make her come again and again this way, letting her know he cared enough to give her this. Then he'd release her legs, roll her back over, and give her a fucking to match the spanking she'd received--thorough, hard, relentless.

  Had Dan seen her that long-ago day? Watched her lean over the bed, peel her panties down, and whip her ass with the leather crop she'd acquired? Watched her come? It should make Leigh sick inside to think of him watching. It didn't. Because there was no then, there was only now and it was Dan the adult who lived in her fantasy, watching, wanting, stroking his cock. Dan who loomed over her and wrapped his maleness around her.

  Leigh pushed her panties down and off her legs. She seated the dildo with a single thrust. The clitoral stimulator cozied into place. She clamped her legs together and rolled to her stomach. Fingers curled around the hairbrush handle. She needed this. She always had. She always would. One hard swat warmed her ass. Leigh gasped at the pleasure racing through her and imagined herself at Dan's mercy. Reaching beneath her, she turned the vibrator on high and spanked herself to sweet orgasm...twice.

  Fantasy was always so much better than reality. She'd be doing good to remember that. It saved a lot of heartache in the long run.

  * * * *

  Dan didn't show up for class. No matter what her resolve the night before, his absence crushed Leigh inside. Everyone else was here, even Blondie, whose real name was Gretchen Carlson, this time minus her piercing adornments and the "Fuck You" necklace. Makeup stood in for the shaved eyebrows and she wore a turtleneck T-shirt, jeans, and clogs. The attitude lurked behind her bloodshot eyes. Leigh wondered if Gretchen had cleaned up hoping to impress Dan, then had to admit that her own extra spritz of apple blossom body scent in the privacy of her car had been for him as well.

  Leigh focused on teaching, not on her disappointment at Dan's absence. That didn't stop her gaze from wandering to the door for the first half hour or the next. By break time, she knew he wouldn't be coming. The second hour crawled along. The end of class couldn't come soon enough. It looked like her students felt the same way. None of them wasted time leaving. Leigh kept her smile to herself. It was that way every semester. She filled them with so much information they were exhausted.

  "All done?"

  She jumped at the sound of Dan's voice, scattering the contents of her folder across the floor. He knelt with her to pick them up.

  "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

  Their fingers brushed, sending little fireflies dancing up her arm. "You're...you're late."

  "Nope, just switched teachers."

  Leigh jerked her head up, spilling the papers once more. "You did what?"

  Dan grinned and picked everything up. "Switched teachers." He tucked the papers into her folder and handed it to her. "You said college policy forbids fraternization between student and teacher. Well, now we're no longer student and teacher. We can fraternize all we want."

  His emphasis on that word pierced Leigh's protective barrier. She slipped the folder from his hands and tucked it into her tote. "Oh." Clearly, she'd lost the use of the English language, or any other.

  "So..." Dan cupped her elbow to steady Leigh as they stood. More fireflies, on a path right to her pussy.

  "You ready for that ice cream now? I know I am."

  That's when she knew. Dan Jefferson was coming for her, and it scared her half to death because she didn't think she'd be able to say no.

  "Where in the world are we going to get ice cream this time of night?" She actually managed a light-hearted laugh with her words.

  Dan's hand slipped to her back, barely touching as he maneuvered her toward the door. It burned through her blouse like a branding iron. "I know the perfect place."

  The words whispered against her ear and slithered into her racing bloodstream.

  "Follow me?" he asked.

  This couldn't end well. The age difference. Their past association. No, the answer is no. "O-okay." She hoisted her purse over her shoulder and let him sweep her away.

  "How did class go tonight?" He kept a minute yet respectful distance from her as they walked to the parking lot. The question calmed her jitters; the distance had her second-guessing his intent all over again and calling herself foolish.

  "Very well." Leigh clutched her tote bag with both hands to keep from giving in to the impulse to touch him. "The papers they turned in gave me good insight into where we need to focus."

  "And did mine give you insight into that as well?" he asked.

  He'd bent closer, his breath trickling down her neck and into her blouse. The fairy twins argued his intent. Leigh couldn't take it anymore. She jerked to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. He stopped with her, turning to face her fully. Caught between the security lights from the college buildings and those of the parking lot, a silvery glow bathed them in an otherworldly light. Leigh wanted to call it magic; right now, it felt like hell tearing her apart. Fear fought with want. Uncertainty warred with confidence. Society's condemnation battled what her heart and body wanted more with every second.

  "What do you want from me, Dan?" she asked breathlessly.

  Hands that could crush her gently cupped her upper arms. He drew her closer, lifting her to her toes until the tips of her breasts kissed his chest.

  "You, Leigh," he replied. "I want you."

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth, to lips parted and aiming for hers. She closed her eyes on an exhale, waiting while her heartbeat drummed out the rest of th
e world.

  Outraged shouts of "What the fuck," "Goddamn it," "Oh, my God," and "Noooo" yanked them apart. Fifty feet away people circled their vehicles or stood to one side, hands clutched to their faces, chests, or hips as personalities decreed, and stared. Leigh and Dan moved at the same time, quick strides keeping time with one another. She heard the jingle of keys and looked down to see Dan pulling a small flashlight from his pocket.

  "Oh, so that's what was in your pocket." The words slipped out on their own. Leigh clamped her hand over her mouth before anything else untoward came out.

  Dan, however, grinned despite the urgency ahead of them. "My manhood and I are insulted you would demean us to such minuscule proportion. Your anatomy lesson will begin at a more opportune time."

  Leigh squelched a giggle. "I look forward to it."

  He made a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl, then turned his full attention to the problem ahead. "What's wrong? Oh...shit."

  That's when Leigh saw the slashed tires, hers included. Every. Single. One.

  "This is not how I wanted my evening to end," she mumbled.

  "Night's not over yet," Dan replied under his breath.

  Her body tightened at the declaration, then had a mini-orgasm as she watched Dan take control of the situation.

  "Everyone, calm down." He raised his palms. "Try not to touch your vehicles for now. There could be evidence on them the police want."

  The others flocked his way, drawn to a natural leader. Like a magnet. Just the way he'd been years ago. Unfortunately, Gretchen used the moment to throw herself against Dan.

  "What are we going to do?" She sobbed into his chest.

  "As I said...calm down." He wrapped an arm around her and eased her away and into Lois's arms. "Has anyone called the police?"

  "It was probably some damn gang!" someone shouted.

  "I'll take that as a no," Dan said. "I'll call them. Now...those of you with a photo application on your cell phones take pictures of the damage. Your insurance company and the police will thank you for it."

  "And call roadside assistance if you have it," Leigh added.

  "Yes." Dan nodded and turned to call the police.

  The group obeyed him without question.

  Within ten minutes, police and sheriff deputies had arrived. It didn't take much longer afterward for the place to become a hive of activity with tow trucks responding to calls for roadside assistance and reporters drawn to the scene by the flashing lights. It was obviously a slow news day, although in this small military community anything could be news. If gangs were moving into the area, local law enforcement and all the town councils would be jumping on ways to nip that in the bud.

  Dan greeted the law enforcement personnel like they knew each other. When the deputy called Dan by name that impression was confirmed. Based on Dan's knowledge of the procedures and the way the deputies and police officers conferred with him, she surmised he was also involved in Marine Corps law enforcement or military justice.

  No, his hair was a little long for him to be a Marine. She should have realized that earlier, but Leigh guessed she was too caught up in her lust and then her surprise at whom she salivated over to pay much attention.

  So was he a local cop or sheriff? Leigh raked her brain, then hit on so many other possibilities her brain nearly exploded as her imagination took flight. CID, NCIS, FBI, DEA, ICE...and a host of other acronym agencies. But if any of those were true, then Dan would already have a bachelor's degree. So why was he bothering with an English composition course at a community college?

  Undercover?

  The thought gave Leigh shivers. Maybe that's why all the tires were slashed--as a warning to him. She reeled her imagination back in and focused on the now and facts as they existed.

  The men turned their collective knowledge into investigating the vandalism. Dan observed and kept order, while the civilian authorities took the lead. Leigh swore testosterone fogged the air. It was a little...heady.

  She snickered at her pun, earning a quizzical eyebrow arch from Dan that set off a heated flush from head to toe. A look that said so much, promised much more.

  I want you.

  Night's not over yet.

  Odd how so simple a statement could set her thighs to trembling. There was nothing coy in his approach. She liked that...a lot. Too much.

  "Are you all right?"

  Leigh jerked around at the question asked much too closely, then took a step away from Greg Reed. Someone had alerted him to the vandalism--standard procedure since he was the dean for the college. She wished she'd been on her guard for him. He was a pleasant enough man, good at his job, not bad looking. A hint of silver shot through his blond hair, he was more or less in good shape, and intelligent. Away from the job any pluses the man had were washed away in a sea of minuses.

  Two dinner dates six months ago with Greg were enough for Leigh. He complained incessantly about his ex-wife and yet aggressively pursued a replacement. The man couldn't understand that Leigh wasn't interested. His persistence was sad in more ways than one. She appreciated the man was lonely and socially inept with women. He'd been married for twenty years and now found himself thrown back into the dating pool. Unfortunately, he hadn't realized there were other fish in that pool besides Leigh. His attention had gone from annoying to creepy and was now bordering on stalker-like, a shark in the pool where he fished.

  "I'm fine," she replied, taking another step away. "Just waiting with everyone else for the tow truck." She doubted roadside assistance would be able to replace all these tires. The best they'd be able to do was take vehicles and owners home or to tire repair facilities.

  Greg edged into her personal space once more. Leigh loved dominance and aggression in a man, just not this kind. She wanted a man equal to having her. Greg wasn't it. His aggression reeked of desperation and impatience, perhaps even undertones of violence.

  "If the police have your statement, I'll be glad to take you home," he said.

  "Waiting to see about tires," she repeated, putting yet another step between them.

  "Then I'll wait with you."

  "I'm sure the rest of the faculty here tonight appreciates your concern," she replied, then took a decided step toward Dan.

  Gretchen cut her off, reaching Dan first. "I think it might have been my boyfriend." She rested her fingers on Dan's arm, big brown eyes glistening up at him with unshed tears.

  Leigh waited, breath held, for Dan to cave in to damsel-in-distress act. He didn't.

  "What do you mean?" He motioned a deputy sheriff over.

  Gretchen sniffled. "He knew I was upset and didn't want to go to college yet. He said he'd fix it so my parents wouldn't force me. Said that if they thought it wasn't safe they--"

  "He made a threat against the college, and you didn't bother to report it?" Dan's voice was low, yet anger rippled with every word.

  "I...I..." Gretchen moved away.

  Two deputies flanked her, then led her to their patrol car for further questioning. Her eyes never left Dan, even when he turned his back on her and headed Leigh's way.

  "Problem here?" He didn't touch Leigh, didn't muscle his way between her and Greg, didn't do anything but be there. But his stance was clear even to an imbecile like Greg. This woman is mine...stay away.

  A man couldn't get more alpha than that. Leigh nearly melted at his feet.

  "None at all," Greg replied. "Just checking on all my people."

  Dan jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I haven't seen you check on them."

  "Making the rounds." Greg took a step back and then walked away.

  "Are you going to club me over the head and drag me off to your cave next?" she whispered to Dan.

  "Not yet." He closed the space between them, the briefest touch of heat to her body. "Soon, though." A wink and a grin backed up the words. When he stepped away, it was all Leigh could do not to haul him back and let him take her on the hood of her car.

  The man drew people to h
im, so why should she be any different? Was it so wrong to want him? Clearly, his signals responded in kind. Hell, he'd staked his claim tonight, and she'd loved every minute of it.

  Yes, he was younger. Yes, they had history. And if Leigh thought too much about it, that history really freaked her out. Danny the teenager versus the Dan who now stood near her.

  Leigh couldn't remember the last time she'd had sex. Why bother when she couldn't get everything she wanted and needed from a man? Now she felt the ache. It built with every second and wouldn't be appeased by anyone or anything other than Dan Jefferson.

  Maybe sex with him wouldn't be all Leigh wanted--she'd realized long ago she'd never have that. But it would be good sex nonetheless. Very good. That much she did deserve, and she was having it as soon as...

  She hid a smile. Oh, the difference a strong man made. She'd hated Greg's relentless pursuit; now she craved that same thing from Dan. She wanted him something fierce, but Dan was going to have to come to her. Have to continue doing exactly what he'd already been doing. It was by far the best foreplay she'd ever had.

  Deep in conversation with yet another law enforcement someone who'd arrived, Dan glanced up at her. The look in his eyes said volumes. Her body responded, heart beating so loudly it muted the sounds around her.

  Yes...it would be very, very good. Sadly, it wouldn't be tonight.

  Chapter 4

  * * *

  This wasn't how Dan envisioned the night going. Amid the furor over this crime, he'd had to step in to protect his fledgling rights for Leigh. He didn't care who the guy was, the man had no right cornering her the way he had. Dan had no choice but to protect her. But man, oh man, the way Leigh had responded had given Dan another hard-on from hell. He wanted more than anything to show her how caveman he could be.

  Now, while his fellow law enforcement associates dissected theories of the why and who of the crime, all Dan could think about was pressing Leigh up against the side of the nearest vehicle, yanking her skirt up--yes! a skirt that showed those trim calves that could lock around a man's waist and give him the ride of his life--shoving her panty crotch aside, and plunging his aching cock inside her.