Page 53 of Learning Curves

Seven Months Later

Michelle’s thoughts were a whirlwind as she blew through the door into the garage, headed for her car. Audrey would be home in a few hours, but she couldn’t wait. Michelle had to see her now, and if she hurried, she’d catch her as she returned to her office from her Women in Art class.

The BMW’s tires spun on gravel as she backed out of the driveway a bit faster than she’d intended.

Michelle exhaled slowly, doing her best to calm herself as she drove toward campus.

The fall semester had begun two weeks ago without her, and while it had been a bit strange at first to be at home in September, she’d been so busy with the textbook she was writing, the transition had been easier than she’d expected.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled through Northshire University’s front gates, faltering slightly as she realized she no longer had a pass allowing her to park in the faculty lot. Undeterred, she pulled into the visitor lot in front of the administration building.

The trees in the quad were beginning to change colors, bits of orange and red mixed in with the green. It was beautiful. Now that she was working from home and it no longer meant the dreaded start of a new academic year, she could truly embrace autumn as her favorite season.

“Dr. Thompson?”

She turned to see Nuala McGarry waving at her with a smile. “Hi, Nuala. How are you?”

“I’m great. You look very casual today.” She gestured at Michelle’s jeans and flannel, her new work uniform. “I heard you aren’t teaching anymore?”

“I’m not. Just here for a visit.”

“Well, good for you. Whatever you’re doing now, it obviously suits you.”

“Thank you,” Michelle said. “You know, you inspired me last year, reminding me we’re never too old to change careers. Thanks for that.”

Nuala’s eyebrows went up, and she grinned. “How about that? It’s good advice, isn’t it?”

“Very good. I hope your new path works out as well for you as mine has.”

“I do too. Nice seeing you, Dr. Thompson.”

“You too, Nuala.”

Michelle hurried toward Holman Hall. Audrey should have gotten back from class about five minutes ago.

She went in through the back entrance and headed straight for the stairwell.

As she approached Audrey’s door, Michelle glanced at her old office, now occupied by an adjunct professor Audrey couldn’t stand.

It was weird not seeing her name on the door, but at the same time, not.

She really didn’t miss this job, while Audrey was absolutely thriving in her new tenure-track position.

“Knock, knock.” She leaned against the doorway to Audrey’s office.

“Michelle!” Audrey popped out of her chair, wearing Michelle’s blue tweed blazer over a black sheath dress.

It had been Michelle’s idea. She’d wanted to see Audrey in tweed, but now .

.. seeing her at her desk, wearing that blazer?

Good lord. Now she understood why Audrey loved seeing her in tweed so much.

“This is a surprise. What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to tell you something.” Michelle’s stomach started to tingle, and her eyes were unexpectedly watery. She pressed a hand to her chest.

“Oh wow. You look ...” Audrey came around her desk and shut the door to her office, giving them privacy. “What is it?”

“My agent called this morning. We have an offer on A Light in the Storm . It’s going to be published next year.

” She paused, completely caught off guard by the tears on her cheeks.

“They’ve offered me a three-book contract.

They want stories about Lotte Laserstein and Clare Atwood too.

It’s ... it’s more than I could have hoped for. ”

“Oh, Michelle!” Audrey threw her arms around her, spinning Michelle in her excitement. “This is the best news. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you. I ... you know, writing textbooks has been fine, but this is my actual dream, and now it’s happening.”

“It is. It really fucking is. Oh wow, we’re going to need champagne later. I wish I could leave right now to celebrate with you.”

“I do, too, but I’m just glad I could come right over and tell you in person.”

Audrey held on to her for another minute before pulling away. “Maybe we could grab lunch together before my office hours start?”

“Yes, I’d like that.” Michelle leaned her hip against the edge of Audrey’s desk, watching as Audrey sat behind it to shut down her laptop and grab her bag.

Audrey looked up, her lips curved in amusement. “Seeing you in my office, dressed like that ... you look like a student.”

A student? Hardly. Michelle narrowed her eyes at Audrey. She knew about the many fantasies Audrey had about Michelle in that tweed blazer. And now, Michelle had an idea of her own. She hopped up to sit on the desk. “Is that so?”

Audrey watched in confusion as Michelle sat on the desk, giving her a coy look. She swung her legs, acting entirely unlike herself. Michelle had been different—more relaxed, happier—since she quit her job last winter, but this felt like something else.

Michelle’s gaze roamed hungrily over Audrey’s dress. “Dr. Lind, do you have any idea what it does to me, watching you up there in front of the class, dressed like that?”

“What?” What in the world was Michelle talking about?

She hadn’t even observed Audrey in the classroom since last semester, but .

.. oh. Oh. She was role-playing the way Audrey had wanted to do that day in Michelle’s office, only this time Audrey was the professor, and Michelle was the student. Oh ... fuck .

“I watch you at the lectern,” Michelle said, her voice soft and breathy. “And it’s all I can do not to touch myself.” She dragged a hand slowly down the front of her shirt to the waistband of her jeans. “When what I really want is to touch you .”

Michelle’s eyes gleamed with arousal, but there was something else, too, a lightness to her demeanor. She looked so carefree, so happy . Michelle was glowing, and if it was possible, Audrey fell for her a little bit more.

“That would be wrong,” Audrey whispered. “You’re my student.”

“I can’t help how I feel.” Michelle pouted, and Audrey sucked in a breath. Michelle—gorgeous, confident, successful Michelle—was batting her eyes at Audrey like an infatuated undergrad, and it was unexpectedly hot.

As much as she swooned for Michelle in her work clothes—all buttoned up as the untouchable professor who’d first caught her eye so many years ago—Audrey had always had a thing for casual Michelle, too, and this flannel-and-jeans combo was really doing it for her.

The flannel was a blue-and-purple pattern that complemented Michelle’s complexion.

Her hair was down, adding to the collegiate vibe.

“Double-check that the door is locked.” Audrey was surprised by the tremor in her voice.

Michelle slid from the desk—moving with much more elegance than an actual college student—and crossed the room. She locked the door, then turned to face Audrey. “Please, Dr. Lind.” Michelle toyed with the button of her jeans. “May I please touch you? No one will know ...”

“Oh god.” Audrey’s knees parted. “Yes. Just ... be quiet.” Because role-play or not, the walls in this building were thin.

“I’ll be so quiet, Dr. Lind,” Michelle murmured.

She crossed the room and knelt between Audrey’s legs, gazing up at her.

Her pupils were dilated, her cheeks stained a gorgeous pink.

She was loving this, and well ... so was Audrey.

“I’ve thought about this so many times.” Somehow, her accent made the whole thing even sexier.

“So have I,” Audrey confessed, not even sure what she meant by the words.

Was she playing along with Michelle’s game, or was she thinking about those early days when she’d sat in Michelle’s classroom, fantasizing about her professor?

That professor was now crouched between her legs, sliding a hand up Audrey’s bare thigh beneath her dress.

“Aren’t you at least going to kiss me first? ”

“Whatever you want.” Michelle crawled forward to sit in Audrey’s lap, but she brought the dress with her, bunching the fabric between them so her hand met the front of Audrey’s underwear as her lips pressed against Audrey’s. Oh, she was good ...

“I shouldn’t want you like this,” Audrey whispered, biting down on Michelle’s lower lip as Michelle teased her through her panties.

“I won’t tell.” Michelle devoured her mouth while her fingers slid beneath Audrey’s panties, stroking her into a frenzy.

“God ...” Audrey melted into her chair, hips bucking as Michelle drove her rapidly toward the edge. Michelle’s hips pressed forward, driving her fingers even deeper, and it was all so good. So hot .

“Please, Dr. Lind. I want to feel you come,” Michelle murmured as her hips rocked and her fingers plunged.

“You’re about to,” Audrey groaned.

Michelle hooked her fingers forward, hitting that magical spot inside Audrey and sending her headlong into a fierce orgasm. She gasped with pleasure as her body tensed and then went limp beneath the warm weight of Michelle, who still straddled her lap.

When she opened her eyes, she found Michelle gazing down at her, bottom lip pinched between her teeth, eyes glinting with so much heat they scorched Audrey, even in her current postorgasmic state.

She knew that look. Michelle was so turned on by what she’d just done, she was probably dying in those snugly buttoned jeans.

Audrey reached out a hand and cupped her over the denim, rewarded by a harsh inhale from Michelle. “I can feel how wet you are, even through all these layers.”

“I’ve told you how much it affects me, watching you in front of the classroom, but fucking you?” Michelle rocked her hips into Audrey’s touch. She so rarely swore that the word “fuck” on her lips nearly sent Audrey over the edge again. “Please, Dr. Lind.”

“Okay, but we’ll have to be quick. My office hours start soon, and I can’t have my office smelling like sex.”

Michelle nodded eagerly as Audrey unbuttoned her jeans and pushed down the zipper. She really should have worn something less confining for this little rendezvous, but then again, Audrey didn’t think this part had been planned.

And she was determined to give Michelle as much pleasure as she’d just given Audrey, snug jeans be damned.

Audrey wiggled her fingers as her hand slid down the front of Michelle’s pants, and oh god, Michelle was soaked .

Role-playing really did it for her, apparently, a fact Audrey planned to keep in mind.

She found Michelle’s clit and began to circle it, loving the whimper that tore from Michelle’s throat. She rocked her hips, riding Audrey’s fingers, her movements somewhat frantic by Michelle’s usually reserved standards.

“You want me so much ...,” Audrey whispered.

“I do.” Michelle’s hips moved faster, and she threw her head back, seemingly lost to everything but the pleasure of Audrey’s fingers.

“You’re so close. I can tell.”

“I am,” Michelle confirmed, her voice breaking slightly. “Oh ...”

Audrey stroked harder.

Michelle went rigid in her arms, a high-pitched whine escaping her throat. She ground herself against Audrey’s fingers, chanting “yes, oh yesssss ...” before she collapsed against Audrey’s chest in a limp, sweaty heap.

“Goddamn, Michelle. This was not at all what I expected my lunch break to look like, but wow ... let’s do this again sometime.”

After sucking in several deep breaths, Michelle sat up, hands on Audrey’s shoulders, eyes bright. “Who knows, maybe next time I’ll sit behind the desk and finally let you live out your own student fantasy.”

Audrey’s core clenched at the thought. “Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.”

Michelle huffed a quiet laugh. “I didn’t promise.

I said, ‘Who knows,’ but you know what? Yes, I’ll make that promise.

” She sobered then, her expression so intense that the whole world seemed to come to a halt.

Nothing existed but the two of them and this moment.

“Anything you want. I’m yours. Forever.”

Audrey’s breath caught in her chest. “Anything?”

“Anything.”

“That’s easy, because all I want is you.” She brought Michelle’s left hand to her mouth and placed a kiss there. “Maybe I should put a ring on this finger and make it official?”

Michelle’s smile widened, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I had been thinking the same thing.”

“You know what they say about great minds.” She leaned forward, claiming Michelle’s lips. “Sounds like we need to go ring shopping.”

“Yes.” Michelle’s tears broke free, her chest heaving against Audrey’s. “Let’s get married before my book releases so I can sign a copy to my wife.”

If that wasn’t the most romantic thing anyone had ever said ...

Audrey blinked back tears. “Yes.”

“You inspire me,” Michelle whispered. “My life is so much brighter with you in it.”

“Michelle, you’ve been inspiring me since I was an undergrad. I had no idea then that I’d fall in love with you twelve years later. Life just works out sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“With you?” Michelle cupped her cheek, her expression tender. “Always.”