20. Alisha “Kitty” Quin #2
He wrapped his arms around my hips and pulled me back into the bed but on top of him. After grabbing my ass, he kissed my shoulder, my neck, my throat—every part of my body he could reach from that position.
I giggled.
“Ten more minutes and then I’ll make you some coffee.” He promised. “Can you grade those papers naked?”
“Exodus Tan, I cannot give my students their assignment back with cum stains.” I told him. “Because you know we’d never get anything done if I was naked.”
He pouted.
“Pout all you want, mister. But I have to be an adult—no matter how cute you are.”
Exodus groaned, rolled us over and trapped me underneath his muscular frame.
“Yin.”
“Ten more minutes.”
I sighed.
“Okay. Ten more minutes.”
* * *
“Okay.” I stood and closed the book we’d been working from. “I think that is all for today. You’re all giving me that dazed look that tells me whatever I said in the last twenty minutes didn’t stick.”
The students laughed.
“We have ten more minutes left.” I checked my watch. “I can’t release you yet—so what can we talk about?”
Sitting on the edge at the front of my desk, I glanced around to find Gloria had her hand in the air.
“Um—I lost a bet.” She began.
“Hoo-boy.” I murmured.
“But, um, some of the guys wanted to know if you really know Exodus Tan.” She sputtered.
“I do.” I replied.
“Is he your boyfriend of not?” Oshain questioned.
“Well, Mr. Travers. That’s private don’t you think?” I teased. “That’s like asking a woman her age.”
“You just don’t do that.” A student name Callie pointed out.
“It’s not like you don’t all wanna know.” Oshain folded his arms and shrunk in his seat.
“Yes, Exodus and I are dating.” I admitted.
“Is he good to you?” Gloria called.
Smiling, I nodded.
“If not, his brothers and his mother would beat him up for me,” I said. “Don’t worry.”
The students laughed.
A knock sounded at the door, and I looked up to see Exodus’s face. He waved at me and I grinned and motioned for him to come in. When he walked through the door, the girls giggled, the boys’ jaws dropped but the place was silent.
“Hello.” Exodus greeted my class.
“Yin!” Oshain was the first to find his voice. “You’re in our school! I mean, do you know who you are?”
“Of course, he knows who he is!” Callie frowned. “What is wrong with you?”
Oshain stared at Exodus, wide eyed.
“What is not wrong with him.” Someone muttered.
“Don’t mind him.” Gloria batted a wrist toward Oshain. “He has a pumpkin for a brain. I’m Gloria. That’s Callie.”
I face palmed.
“Hi Gloria—Callie.” He replied. “I’m here to take your teacher for a date.”
“Ooo!” The students cooed.
My cheeks were on fire.
“So, my class had questions about things.” I grinned as he leaned against my desk beside me. “Can you answer a few?”
“Sure.” He agreed.
The class became so lively afterward they missed their dismissal time.
They didn’t seem to care.
They asked Exodus questions about his matches, his background, his hobbies—our relationship.
True to who he was, he didn’t shy away from their queries and didn’t make any of them feel stupid or left out.
He promised to visit again to get them out the door and when we were alone, he smiled boyishly.
“I know Sam dropped you off this morning on his way to the university,” he said.
“We’re all heading up to see Mama—surprise her for her birthday.
Tha’lab and Bambam are driving up together tomorrow and Sam and Yang will be coming at some point in the day too.
I thought you and I could go for ice cream and drive up tonight?
Get some alone time with Mama before the horde descends. ”
“The answer is always yes.” I kissed his cheek then gathered my things.
He tossed my bag over his shoulder then walked with me toward the staff lounge. A few more students recognized him, asked him for pictures and autographs. I stood in the background watching him interact with the kids, loving the glow of fatherhood I saw in him.
That was the same for some of the staff and by the time we were on our way to ice-cream, we were late. At a stop light, I glanced over at him and sighed.
“Can I be the mother to your children?” I asked.
Exodus choked.
“What? Is that a no?” I wanted to know.
“Damn, girl!” He coughed. “You can’t just throw that out at a guy. You have to lead into it.”
“And how precisely does one lean into that?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Take me to dinner first?”
“You’ve already taken me to dinner.” I folded my arms. “Do you want me to be the mother of your children or not?”
“Eventually, yes.” He replied. “But it is too soon.”
“Fair.” I looked out the window as we moved to the far lane then turned into the parking lot for ice cream. “I can wait.”
Silence.
“Kitty, I really wasn’t rejecting you.”
“Yin, I know.” I reached over to squeeze his free hand. “I know it’s too early. But I saw you with my kids today and I know you’ll be a great father.”
“You didn’t think so before?”
He parked.
“You see who my father is.” I sighed as we climbed out of the truck. “I was scared.”
“You don’t have to be.” He reached over to wrap his arm around my hips as we entered the store. “I won’t ever let you down like that. Ever.”