Chapter One
Raina LeBlanc sighed with irritation. She had filed her paperwork weeks ago, but the graduate school administration had seemingly lost it. Without fail, she had met every deadline during the course of her schooling and was proud of that fact. She was a graduate student in the molecular and cell biology program at New York University and was very close to graduating with her PhD. All that was left was a few loose ends in her thesis and a teaching assistant credit requirement. It had been five long years and she couldn’t wait to get out of school. She was twenty-nine years old, for crying out loud. Her friends who had majored in business or nursing had gotten real jobs long ago and sometimes she couldn’t help but be jealous that they were making actual money, instead of a lousy graduate student stipend. Ramen noodles sure got tiring after a while.
“What do I need to do? I submitted the paperwork back in July for a teaching position starting in September. I need this credit to graduate,” she scoffed, trying not to sound as annoyed as she actually was. It certainly wouldn’t help to be difficult right now. She needed a solution.
“Well, there is one last position that needs to be filled. Everyone who has been offered it has turned it down so far. If you fill out the forms right now, I can put you down for it,” Mrs. Smith offered, her elderly voice wavering a bit as she pushed an errant white curl out of her eyes. As much as Raina wanted to be angry with her, she couldn’t. The older woman was always helpful whenever she really needed it and she was about to get her out of a really tough bind. If she wasn’t able to get this teaching credit, she wouldn’t graduate in January. Instead, she’d be forced to wait till May and she definitely didn’t want to do that.
“I’ll fill out the forms. I’ll take it, whatever it is.”
“Sure thing, Raina! Don’t worry, it’s only one semester, right?”
Raina wondered what she meant by that, but sat down and scribbled out the necessary forms with her name, information, bank account numbers for direct deposit, and everything else that was needed. About fifteen minutes later, she finished and popped back over to Mrs. Smith’s desk.
“All set. Who am I teaching with this semester?” she asked politely, yet she was full of curiosity. What position could have possibly been turned down by so many grad students before her? Why was it the only one left?
“Well, you see,” Mrs. Smith nervously began, “it’s for Introduction to Biology.” She fiddled with her hands before looking up at Raina.
“And who teaches it?” she pressed.
“It’s Dr. Eliot Knight’s section.”
With wide eyes, she stared back at the sweet elderly woman. Dr. Knight was a well-known hard-ass, teaching one of the toughest courses here at the university. The undergraduates he taught all complained that his tests were too difficult, that the assignments were too much work, and that the lab experiments took too much time. She’d only seen him in passing a few times and talked to him once, but she hadn’t had the pleasure of taking one of his courses ever before.
“I’ll give him a call and see if you can go pick up any materials you’ll need.”
“Okay,” she responded without thinking.
She remembered the one time they’d met. He had left such a lasting impression that she wouldn’t ever forget it. It had been at a local scientific conference and she had created a poster based on her thesis work. He’d been assigned as one of the judges and had grilled her on her knowledge of her project. She remembered his dark gaze, the way just his presence had made her heart pound and how she had forgotten the most basic of words when she’d tried to explain herself. Surprisingly, he’d told her that she had done a good job before he left and that simple statement had caused her heart to flutter, just a little bit.
“You said that’s the only one left, right?”
“Yup, everything else is taken. There aren’t any other classes that need a teaching assistant. You’re lucky that this one was still left with classes beginning next week.”
“Sure, of course.”
Raina took a step back and put her elbows on the counter. How could she teach with this guy, when he made her forget everything of substance when he was around her? Could she do it? Clenching her fists, she reminded herself that she had no choice. If she wanted to graduate this semester, she had to do it. She would just have to man up and get it done, so she could get out of here and get a real job.
Sighing, she watched as Mrs. Smith dialed Dr. Knight’s office. Before long, the woman was chatting up a storm and when she hung up, she grinned back at Raina.
“He expects that you stop by his office today to pick up a few textbooks and his teaching plans. He said the sooner the better. He’s in the Life Sciences building, office number 20.372.” Writing something on a piece of paper, the woman then handed it to her. “Here’s his number in case you can’t find it.”
“Thanks for all your help, Mrs. Smith. I’ll head over there right now. Gotta make a good first impression, right?”
“You got that right, dear! Good luck! Candy bar before you go?” the woman said as she held out a small bowl of delicious treats. Raina smiled as she grabbed a piece of dark chocolate stuffed with salted caramel. Her favorite.
“You’re the best! See you later, Mrs. Smith!”
Raina slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the administrative building. The Life Sciences tower wasn’t far and she was very familiar with it, her own lab being on the fifth floor. Her mentor, Dr. Tina Joy, was a sweet woman who knew her stuff and had helped her immensely with her thesis project.
But, right now, her thoughts were arrested by a certain Dr. Eliot Knight.
What would he say? Would he remember her? Would he be as tough on her as all the younger students said? Her stomach in knots, she climbed the stairs up to the door of his office building. She walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator. When it arrived, she took a deep breath as she entered, and hit the button for the twentieth floor.
Her footsteps echoed on the dull cream-colored tile floor as she wandered down the hallway, walking past rooms and looking for the right office. She looked into the windows of the labs she passed, seeing other students and techs hard at work on their experiments and with headphones in their ears. When she finally found the right number, she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and walked into a small sitting room complete with a sofa, coffee table, and another doorway. With slight hesitation, she knocked on the other door and waited.
It didn’t take long for it to open.
She took a deep breath when she saw him. He stood there in front of her, looking stern and hot as ever. Mussed-up dark brown waves were combed back, revealing a broad brow and heavy eyebrows. His eyes bore down on her, a dark grayish blue in color. High cheekbones and a day’s worth of stubble on his chin made him the picture of a confident man. He had a wide set of shoulders that trimmed down to a lean waist, leaving her wondering what was hidden beneath his dark clothing. He stood tall over her short five foot two frame. If she had to guess, he was probably a little over six feet tall.
Dark slacks hugged his hips and he wore a white button-up shirt that was tucked into the waistband. He sported a gray sweater over that, pushed up to his elbows revealing strong forearms. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned a little and a sparse scattering of dark chest hair poked out from underneath.
Oh, yeah, he was all man. Licking her lips, she simply stared.
“You’re Raina LeBlanc, right? My new teaching assistant?”
She could do nothing but nod back at him, caught up in his dark gaze. All at once, she smelled his cologne, decidedly masculine with hints of orange, cinnamon, and something woodsy. All she could do was smile back at him, probably looking like an idiot in the process.
“Well, come on in. Take a seat on the sofa over there. I’ll get the supplies you need.”
She couldn’t help but stare as he walked away. Her eyes wide, she watched the gentle sway of his hips, the taut backside hidden beneath his slacks, and her heart beat wildly out of control. She wondered if the reason his class was so hard was because his students couldn’t focus due to him looking so damn good. He was the epitome of a confident alpha male. A freaking Greek God of a male specimen.
He looked back and smirked as he caught her looking at him and she blushed with embarrassment. Quickly staring down at her hands, she didn’t look back up again until she heard his heavy footsteps coming toward her. The leather sofa across from her creaked as he sat down and he placed a pile of papers and books on the table in between them.
“I expect that you will be familiar with these materials and the syllabus by the time classes start this coming Monday. The first exam is at the end of September, on a Friday and I require that they be graded and returned to me by Monday morning.”
“Sure, no problem,” she answered automatically.
“I understand that you’re almost ready to graduate, but there will be no slacking off when it comes to my class. Understand?”
“I wouldn’t! I’m not like that,” she exclaimed, finding her voice. No one had ever doubted her work ethic before and she wouldn’t stand for it, no matter how hot he was. Setting her mouth in a firm line, she lifted her chin with bravado. She’d have to be tough to handle him.
“Good. Just wanted to make sure,” he mused, his voice lowering to a low seductive tone. She swallowed, feeling her pussy clench in response. It had been forever since she’d had any attention of the male variety and this strong alpha specimen before her was certainly throwing her for a loop. Feeling arousal pool between her thighs, she pressed her legs together before beginning to speak.
“Don’t worry about me. I always do my best.”
He sat back and crossed one leg over another. He lifted an eyebrow and she hastily stood and picked up the teaching materials he had brought her.
“I should probably go. I’ll read everything you gave me and get to work right away. See you on Monday in class, Dr. Knight!”
“Good girl. That’s what I like to hear,” he said, his voice still low.
Those few words almost caused her to moan out loud, passion taking over her sense of reason. Slamming her lips together, she nodded quickly, knowing that she was still blushing hotly, and scooted out the door. Once in the hallway, she fell back against the wall and caught her breath. Her thighs quivered slightly and she could feel the beat of her heart throbbing loud in her ears.
She was terrible. Was she so sex-deprived that she wanted to jump a professor, a man who was totally off limits? Sure, it had been almost a year since she’d been with anyone and the sex hadn’t even been that good, but she seriously needed to get better control of herself.
Thankfully, it was nearly the end of the workday and she could go home to focus on her assignment, at least after she took care of the pulsating need between her legs. Most of the time, she searched for stories online, or found her pleasure with B.O.B., her battery-operated boyfriend. She’d lived alone for so long that she didn’t have to worry about nosy roommates or curious neighbors.
She caught her breath and walked out of the science building on shaky legs. Catching the subway, she was lost in her thoughts until her stop, where she wandered off the train and down a few blocks to her apartment building. She had rented a studio, not needing much room since she spent so much time at the lab and in classes anyway.
Digging her key out of her bag, she unlocked the door and went inside. She quickly slid the bolt to lock the entryway and was finally completely alone. Looking at her bed longingly, she slid her hand down her waist, slowly pushing her white skirt over her hips. Turning around, she stared at herself in her bedside mirror. Her long chocolate brown hair hung straight, without even an ounce of curl. She stared back at her green eyes, her chin long and pointed, accentuated by the pink pout of her lips. Her cheeks were flushed. Looking down at her curvy body, she ran her palm over her small B-cup-sized breasts, feeling her nipples pebble underneath her touch. Gliding her hand down her taut stomach, she veered out along her curves, her wide hips always a point of insecurity for her. Her thighs, heavily muscled from years of dancing, made her look heavy on the bottom. Looking away, she sat down on the bed, lifting her light blue blouse up and over her head. Next, she unclasped her bra and her breasts bounced slightly, weighted with her desire.
Lying back, she drifted her soft fingers up and down her sensitive skin, imagining how a man like Dr. Knight would take control of her. Closing her eyes, she let her fantasy drift into the realms of something darker, something a bit kinkier than the usual vanilla sex she saw in the movies. Instead, she thought about how he would punish her for being naughty, how he might bare her body, and how he might control her completely.
Raina had always been into kinkier things for as long as she could remember, but she had never told anyone or ever acted on her desires. Her favorite books were ones in which the man was in charge of the relationship, taking his woman in hand whenever she needed it. Her favorite scenes were when he would take his girl over his knee and spank her bare bottom until she was very sorry for whatever she had done.
She imagined Dr. Knight sitting there, on that couch, his lips pursed with disappointment over her naughty behavior. He would then scold her, telling her that he expected better, that he had no choice but to teach her the best way he knew how, with her ass naked over his thighs. Slipping her hands into her panties, she felt how much of her wetness had gathered there. Whimpering, she dipped her fingers into her arousal and brought it forward to circle her needy bud. Closing her eyes, she lost herself in her fantasy.
“Touching yourself like that, such a naughty thing for a good student to do. I’m going to have to punish you. Stand in front of me and hold up your skirt.”
She’d move to follow his directions, only she’d squeal when he grasped the waistband of her pretty lacy underwear.
“You know how punishments are dealt with here. Spankings only happen with your bottom bared. I’m going to spank those naked cheeks of yours until you’re truly sorry for what you’ve done.”
He’d whip her panties down to her ankles and push her over his knees, bringing his heavy palm down hard on her backside. Over and over, he’d spank her until she cried and begged for him to stop, telling him she was sorry for behaving so badly.
“I decide when a spanking is over, young lady, not you.”
She screamed with ecstasy as her orgasm overtook her, the coil that had tightened within her since being in Dr. Knight’s presence completely breaking into a million pieces. Passion hurtled through her veins as her body soared, her heartbeat loud in her head. After a few long seconds, she calmed and pushed herself back up on the bed, her rampant desire quelled for the time being. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against the headboard for a long moment.
Now she could focus on her work. She had a mountain of teaching plans, power points, and exams to review, and it was going to take all night, if not into the weekend. She couldn’t let that tall, dark, and handsome professor take over her thoughts so completely that it distracted her from what needed to be done. She had work to do. Period.