Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
“Eve, you’re happiness personified and fucking gorgeous. That’s how I’m looking at you.”
A tiny smile broke through her nervous expression. “Like the centerfolds in your magazines?”
I felt like a pervert. She would never forget about those magazines.
“No one compares to you. But that’s not—”
She kissed me while her hands made another attempt at unzipping my jeans.
“No.” I lifted her off my lap and scooted to the sofa’s edge, rubbing my eyes while trying to settle my breathing. “Dammit. I’m sorry.”
Eve quickly righted her bunched-up underwear. Her hair covered her face, and she kept her chin tucked.
I leaned back to button my jeans, then reached for her wrist as she stepped away to get the rest of her clothes.
“I don’t want to hear it,” she said, yanking her arm out of my hold and wrestling with her jeans to right the legs that were inside out.
I sighed. “Eve—”
“No. Don’t say a word. I told you I wouldn’t be anyone’s regret, and you—”
“And I don’t have a fucking condom.”
She stilled with her back to me, jeans on but not zipped, hair covering her shirtless torso. The buzz of cicadas through the screen door was the only sound between us while I waited for her to process what I said—while I waited for my stupid brain to process the possibility that Josh could have woken up to see Eve straddling me half-naked.
I’m an idiot.
After a long pause, she turned. God, she was beautiful. Eve made me want to burn every magazine under my mattress. I stood, sliding past her to retrieve her shirt. Then I pulled it over her head.
She didn’t help me. Instead, she stood there, staring at my chest with a blank expression and rosy cheeks. So I guided her arms through the holes like dressing Josh.
Finally, she lifted her gaze to mine. “What if you had a condom?” she murmured.
“I’d be deep inside you, probably with a hand over your mouth to keep you from waking Josh.”
A grin bloomed along her face. “You think I’m a screamer?”
I smirked. “I think I’m that good.” It wasn’t not true, but I only said it to get a reaction.
“Will I be graded on a curve, Mr. Collins?”
I stepped back and laced my fingers behind my neck. Worth noting (on record) that I never had inappropriate thoughts about a student or anyone who had ever called me “Mr. Collins.”
Until Eve Jacobson. It had to be in the name. Eves were evil temptresses. Period.
God must have smacked his hand against his forehead, laughing at me.
Her name is Eve, and she loves apples.
“It’s just a metaphor,” I whispered to myself. There was nothing in the Bible specifically stating it was an apple.
“What did you say?” Eve asked.
“Nothing.” I pressed my lips together and looked at her while swallowing hard. “You can’t call me Mr. Collins. Got it?”
Her tongue made a lazy and torturous swipe along her lower lip before she grinned. “Not into roleplaying?”
“Not unless it’s with Josh and we’re playing with toys. And we call it pretend play, not roleplaying.”
“What do your students call you?” She cocked her head to the side.
“You’re not my student.”
“You’ve been teaching me things. And I’m eager to learn more from you.”
I was going to hell despite having been baptized. The “once saved, always saved” only applied to guys who didn’t kiss preachers’ daughters named Eve.
“Kyle,” I said. “You can and should call me Kyle. Or Handsome. Even Awesome works. But not Mr. Collins.”
“Coach?” She stepped closer.
I shook my head.
She grabbed my shirt, head tipped back. “Boss? After all, I work for you.”
“Call me Kyle,” I whispered.
That adoring gleam in her eyes seemed less innocent and more evil. Eve made me grateful that I had a boy to raise instead of a little girl who might someday use her body and flirty smile to drive men wild.
She glanced at her watch.
“Do you have a curfew?” I asked.
She shook her head. Then she laughed and nodded, covering her face with her hands. “It’s so embarrassing. I’m an adult and no longer in school.” She dropped her hands. “But since I still live at home, I have to be back by eleven during the week and midnight on the weekend.”
It was almost twelve.
“I’ll walk you to your car.” I nodded toward the door, stopping while she put on her shoes. “Thanks for getting the tacos.”
She pulled her keys out of her pocket and descended the porch steps. “Thanks for buying them.”
“What are you doing tomorrow? Want to target shoot?”
She turned at her car door. “I’d love to, but I offered to fill in at the motel since Rose is on vacation.”
“Another day then.” I fixed one of her untied ribbons and pulled a few stray hairs from around her eyes.
She nodded. “Another day.”
“Good night,” I said, ducking my head to kiss her.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her chest against mine. Her tongue teased my lips, and the kiss intensified when mine darted out to meet hers. I couldn’t remember the last time I enjoyed kissing a woman so much. Every time it slowed, and I thought I should end it, she leaned into my body a little more and it fed the fire.