Chapter 2
CHRIS
Houston, we have a problem.
The whole foundation of the academy has cracked since Gracie walked in.
My chest is pounding heavily like I’ve got two hearts running in overdrive.
I go through my precalc lecture on autopilot because all I can picture is Gracie, standing there in the hall, tempting me in that schoolgirl outfit she so clearly modified.
I’ve seen her plenty of times at her house when I’d go over for dinner or to watch a game with her dad, Tom. But she was always wearing sweatpants or bulky tees. Never a short skirt showing off smooth thighs with alluring curves leading up to—
Jesus, I can’t stop myself.
Even when I was at their house, I’d try to keep my eyes off her. She’s my best friend’s daughter, for Christ’s sake, and she’s had a major glow-up recently. She’s no longer just the awkward, cute girl I used to look after.
She’s a full-blown woman now. A stunner.
Long dark hair, gorgeous green eyes, and a mouth that has me thinking sinful thoughts that Tom would kill me for. Just standing there with those leather shoes, high socks, and short skirt, she’s threatening to tear my life down, brick by brick.
For the last year or so, I’ve done everything I can to avoid her. If she’s inside, I go out to the patio. If she comes out to join me, I make up an excuse to go back inside. During movie nights, I sit as far away from her as I can.
Tom hasn’t noticed, but Gracie clearly has.
My knuckles whiten as I grip my desk, trying to force the images of her from my mind. But my body is screaming to go drag her out of whatever class she’s in at the moment and bring her back to my place.
No, I can’t do that. She’s Tom’s daughter. That would be kidnapping. And I’m not that kind of man…
…am I?
I put on a nice smile and a friendly demeanor here at work, but what the girls at school don’t know is that underneath all my poise and gallantry, I’m an animal, an ex-football player who was headed for the NFL until I blew out my knee.
Contrary to the dumb-jock stereotype, I was always a math whizz, so pivoting into teaching felt like the sensible thing to do. My main way of blowing off steam now is boxing. It helps me let loose and just not think.
Wish I had a heavy bag here now…
Tom was my buddy in college and was there for me after my wife slept with my physical therapist. Since then, Tom’s been the only person in my life I truly trust. And now I’m betraying him by fantasizing about his daughter, who just walked into my school looking like a goddamn fantasy.
And she doesn’t even go here.
Gracie graduated two years ago. I know that. She knows I know that. So what do I do?
The right course of action would be to report her to the office. Put an end to whatever scheme she used to get in here. Hell, I could even tell Tom about it.
That’s what I should do. The question is, do I have the strength to?
I’ve never been what you’d call a ‘good man.’ But these thoughts I’m having about Gracie are crossing the line.
“Mr. Davis?” I look up to see Regina, my best student, frowning at me and realize I have been spacing out. “You were saying something about next week’s quiz?”
“Oh, right.” Shaking my head, I try to come back down to Earth. “Yeah, I’m pushing it back a day to give you all time to nail down the material.”
She smiles, tossing her hair. “You’re just the best, Mr. Davis.”
“Thank you, Regina.”
Yeah, Regina’s an obvious flirt, but I’m not interested. Not to mention, I’m her actual teacher here. She is a real student enrolled at this school, and as the Chinese proverb says, rabbits don’t eat the grass near their burrows.
But just knowing Gracie is a few doors down the hall has me clenching every muscle in my body tightly to keep my arousal from growing. Talk about the worst places in the world to get horny.
Somehow, I manage to keep a straight face while the girls leave the room before leaning against my desk with both hands, causing the wood to creak like it’s about to shatter.
How is she doing this to me?
It’s been minutes since I last saw her. Minutes! And I’m already consumed.
I cannot be having thoughts like this about Gracie.
Not about Tom’s daughter.
But pushing her from my mind is impossible. Even a quick trip to the teacher’s restroom to splash cold water on my face does nothing. If anything, it just makes me more aware of how damn hot my body is. My skin is on fire, and my cock is a growing bar of molten steel, just moments from solidifying.
How am I going to get through the damn day when I can’t stop thinking about that miniskirt?
No doubt some of the other female teachers will notice and reprimand her, which is why I made sure to be first and schedule a disciplinary meeting with her for after school.
If anyone’s going to punish her, it’s going to be me.
Plastering an amiable expression on my face, I go back to the classroom as my next period girls start to funnel in. I’m wiping the board down when I catch something out of the corner of my eye. It’s just a glimpse, but it causes me to whirl.
Thighs…soft…smooth and slightly tan.
Gracie.
Am I imagining things, or is that a mischievous glint in her eye as she passes me? A soft aroma of vanilla and rose drifts sensually into my nostrils, and my muscles clench. She takes a seat right in the center of the front row and crosses her legs, causing her skirt to hike up even more.
My blood pressure skyrockets as my thoughts instantly race to the most forbidden places. I have to bite down on my teeth just to bring myself back to reality.
You’re a teacher! Keep it together!
But as I turn back to the board, I notice her the top button of her blouse is unbuttoned, exposing a line of cleavage that threatens to shatter my resolve.
All I can do is turn away and go back on auto-pilot.
I scribble problems on the board and start calling on students. Normally, this would be simple. A routine I’ve gone through a thousand times. Only this time, Gracie’s presence tugs at me like an invisible force, tempting me. Telling me, Be a bad man.
And I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to resist.
My lust twists into tension, which twists into anger, a passionate rage urging me to act. You want to provoke me, little girl? I’ll show you what I’m made of.
She has no idea what she’s getting herself into with me. If I crack and let her through my walls, I’ll never let her go. And both of our lives will change forever.
I don’t fuck around. If I want something, I take it.
Full throttle. But with Gracie…God, I can’t let that happen.
Tom would kill me. But what am I supposed to do?
It’s been less than an hour since she walked in here looking like a dream, and I can’t get her out of my mind.
She’s a pleasure poison that’s pumping through my veins and threatening to take over my body if I don’t find a cure.
And then there’s my protective instincts kicking in too…
I want to button her up, give her a new skirt so no one but me can see her. I want to scold her and tell her just how naughty she is for breaking dress code. For tempting me and any other men who might see her looking like that.
Other men…
No! That can’t happen. Thank God we’re at an all-girl’s school. Because if I saw any male checking her out, even if he was a student…I don’t know how I’d hold back.
I shift my stance, using every ounce of willpower I have to fight back a full erection when I hear Gracie’s voice behind me.
“Mr. Davis? In your example, are you sure the granola bars cost one dollar and the water bottles cost three? Because that wouldn’t make sense for the first solution.”
There’s a murmur through the class, and I glance back at the board as sweat begins to drip from my brow. Shit, she’s right. I totally just screwed up my example because I was too busy thinking about her!
Hastily, I wipe away the numbers and replace them with the correct ones. I’m falling apart. How the hell am I going to get through the rest of the day if I can’t even make it through a single class?
And it’s my best friend’s gorgeous daughter who’s going to destroy me.
“Yes. Good catch, Ms. Williams.”
I stuff two pieces of gum into my mouth and chew hard as I turn back to the board, trying my best to ignore the fact that Gracie is sitting a few feet behind me.
Every time a breeze blows through the window, I catch a whiff of her perfume, threatening to drive me wild.
But I keep my back to the class and hold out until the bell rings.
As the girls filter out, Rachel stops at my desk and whispers, “Mr. Davis, are you mad at us?”
“No, of course not,” I reply, forcing a smile. “Why would you say that?”
Over her shoulder, I see Gracie frowning. But her eyes aren’t on me; they’re on Rachel. Could it be?
Is she…jealous that Rachel’s talking to me? Jealous of me giving her attention?
“Well, it’s just that…” Rachel starts talking, but her voice fades out into a dull hum as Gracie rises from her desk and straight-legged, bends over to grab her bag, causing her skirt to rise up and expose the cleft of her ass, along with a tiny flash of pink fabric beneath.
And a tiny wet spot…
My gut goes tight. Just an inch or two of moist fabric hiding a treasure.
She’s tempting me. Toying with me. Bringing me to my knees. I nearly bust in my pants.
“Sorry, Rachel, but I have to deal with something.” I brush past her and over to Gracie’s desk. I wanted to postpone this until after the day was done, but it can’t wait. “Gracie, I need to speak with you about your…dress code violation.”
Coyly, she twists her hips and looks down at her skirt as it spins. “Really?” she asks, sounding like a little girl about to be disciplined by her father. “Is it really that bad, Mr. Davis?”
She flashes doe-eyes at me, while at the same time puckering her lips. The combination of sexy and innocent finally does it. My cock springs to attention like a warrior’s spear, pressing uncomfortably against the teeth of my zipper.