ALANA

The walk to his office was slow and excruciating, more excruciating since I was the invisible person here. Random greetings from random students were being thrown at Rowan from every possible direction; I should be envious for the amount of female species showing so much interest. I couldn't help but notice the sympathy that washed over them as they watched me tail behind Rowan. I knew exactly what they were thinking.

Boy, she's in for a long boring lecture.

This was more than a university student disrupting and causing trouble in class; this was about a husband watching another man flirting with his wife, this was about a man getting caught in a dilemma where he finds out his wife is a student in his classroom.

Fucking Joyride.

Not sure about the joyride, but we still rode the elevator together in silence. I contemplated the entire way, preoccupied by my thoughts that I never noticed the large door of doom loom right in front of me with his name tag on it; I assumed my time was up.

I'd never been to his office before, never. I used to be a constant visitor to his office when I was his student in Carmel. Things were different at that time. We were trying to get to know each other, and while the student-teacher was just part of the masks right now, we were acting the part three years ago. That was a time I'd decided I wanted the professor all for myself.

Rowan's new office was spacious. He was restoring the title of a neat freak well; nothing was out of place other than the stacks of books towering over his desk and an empty thermos of coffee, one I'd filled the same morning.

He shut the door behind him and tugged at the white blinds and hissed, "What the fuck do you think you're doing in my classroom?"

"May I sit?" I didn't wait for his permission as I lounged on the long beige leather chaise and crossed my legs, "Nice décor. Love how the white walls match the further."

"Let's talk about the things that are far more relevant and important right now, starting with why you never told me about this."

"Trust me, I would've told you if I knew." I explained, "Which I obviously did not. I was asked to choose a class of my choice and I chose Economics. I figured you could help me with assignments and I was told Holly Jones was the teacher. No one mentioned your name."

"This is fucking wrong, Alana." Rowan pulled at his tie. "We are doomed. You can't be my student!"

"I maybe your student Rowan, but I'm your wife first." I snapped.

Rowan was on his knees in front of me a second later, and he covered my hands with his. His eyes softened as he said, "This can't happen again. I can't jeopardize your year, baby, not this time." He rested his face on my lap as he continued, "You shouldn't be in my classroom. That's the first rule we are breaking. This is a distinguished university, Alana. There are a set of rules which cannot be bent."

"I'm sorry." That was the first thing that popped out of my mouth. I'd always been the reason to take down Rowan. I always ruined his career.

"Don't be." He dragged himself up to sit beside me; it felt like eons of silence as he continued to stare into space, circling my wedding ring in his finger, the solitaire diamond ring glimmering. "Will you do me a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

"Stay away from Kellan."

"What?"

"You don't know who he is?"

I shook my head.

Rowan sighed. "Jonathan Fitzgerald is the dean as you already know and everyone on campus calls Kellan...Fitzy. Does that ring any familiar bells?"

Realization crawled inside me like slow poison. "Oh my god. Is he the university Dean Fitzgerald's son?"

"You're a smart woman. Smarter than I've given you credit for." He teased me. "So you see, love, we've dug ourselves some deep fresh graves."

"I'll be careful next time," I whispered as I kissed him. "I'm sure you'll figure a way out of this."

Rowan leaned in to capture my lips. The kiss started slow, but as he continued to explore my mouth, he built the sweet pressure, his tongue plunging deep into my mouth as his fingers held me in place. He continued the assault, and it was the kind of kiss that proved how much he possessed me, how much he loved, and wanted me. I dug my nails in his hair, pulling him closer to get better access. I moaned in frustration as he pulled apart.

We were breathing hard, our heads touching each other.

"Keep your distance maintained from Kellan and I'm good." He kissed me once again. "I will not tolerate him flirting with my wife so openly while I teach in front of the classroom."

"Are you jealous, Mr. Masters?" Gosh, I loved teasing him.

"Do I have a reason to be?" He was quick to ask. "Does anyone stand a chance against me?"

I giggled, "No one does and no one ever will."

He smiled bashfully at me, "I love you."

"I love you too, Rowan. So much." It felt like I'd rewound some part of my life, and this love confession to my professor was going to get me in trouble again. I continued. "I've been thinking a lot and I've decided that I'd like to take up the correspondence course. I want to stay home with the kids."

I waited for his reaction.

"We've been over that before, Alana. It's just a matter of two years."

"I know, but I feel like I don't belong here," I admitted. "I keep thinking about Drew. I remember his adorable little face in the morning which is not happy to see me walk out of the door. He cries if he sees me leave. Cindy has to keep him busy so I could sneak out. I can hardly concentrate in class."

Rowan burst out laughing. "Just until last year, you were worried about yourself, about college and parties and stuff like that." He caressed my cheek with the knuckles. "Look at you now; you've become the best mother Drew and Minnie could ever ask for."

That kind of compliment put a megawatt smile on my face. "You think?"

"You have a beautiful soul, Alana, and a beautiful heart." He brought my hands to his mouth and kissed them.

"I've given it to you."

"I intend to keep it with me forever." He wasn't letting go of my hand. "We'll talk about the correspondence course again after I get home. I'm going to speak with the dean regarding the glitches."

"Okay." I grabbed my bag pack. "I think I'll go home for today until you can talk to the dean and fix this and I'll pick Minnie on my way."

"No. I'll get her. Don't worry."

I started leaving when he got hold of my waist and pulled me against him, locking me in his arms. I gasped when I realized he was rock hard. The contours of his thick biceps squeezed me in his embrace deliciously. Rowan hold of my chin and tilted my face upward to face him, "You're a good little student, aren't you, Alana?"

I laughed and whispered, "Yes, sir."

He reached to touch my thigh and brought me snug against his waist so I was feeling the friction of the hard length of his cock against my front. His mocha eyes were filled with desire, "You'll let me do as I please with you once I get home?"

I was delirious with desire, my head swimming. He made a thrusting motion which only made me wetter. "Answer me."

"Yes...Yes sir..."

He chuckled darkly, enjoying this little game of student-teacher. He always teased me that this was my fantasy, for him to fuck me in his office on his desk. "What do you need, Ms. Hayes? Perhaps I need to discipline you?"

"Yes! I need you to discipline me with that giant—"

He squeezed my cheeks, nuzzling my neck and peppering me with kisses, "You're dismissed for now, and when I'm home we'll see how you can put that smart mouth to use."

I smiled in response, "I'll wait for you, Mr. Masters." I straightened up my clothes and my hair as he slapped my ass playfully.

I blew him a kiss and made my way out of his office.

I walked past the classrooms and down the hallways and scrolled through my phone for checked, finding none. All was good. Drew wasn't causing any trouble.

"Alana."

Claudia jogged her way towards me with her boyfriend Ian walking right behind her.

She blew out her breath. "I need a tiny favor from you."

"What favor?"

"I just met Mrs. Jones a minute ago, she seemed in a hurry. Anyway, she told me to give this to her Economics T.A and I've been looking all over for him. I'm already late for my swim practice." She looked hopeful withpuppy eyes at me, thrusting the file into my hands, "I know he'll be in the parking lot. Can you give this to him?"

"Yeah. Sure." I said.

"Thanks, Alana."

I opened the file, ruffled a few pages, and figured it was confidential. "What's his name?"

Claudia had already turned her back to me, her blond ponytail bounced as she hopped and giggled over something her boyfriend had said. I sighed. Why do I always help people with favors? I wondered if my forehead read I do favors free of charge.

I glanced around; people had started to head towards their respective cars and bikes. Some of them just stood around chit-chatting and goofing around. I had no clue who the fuck I was supposed to look for. I imagined Holly's economic's assistant to be a guy with gelled straight hair, timid guy, wearing large spectacles. A Typical nerd.

The time read 12:30 pm. I waited for a few more minutes and decided I'd let Rowan handle this. After all, he was the new temporary replacement for the economics professor. He'd surely know whom this file belonged to. I'd started making my way out of the parking lot.

"Hey."

I stopped short. Kellan had a little square folded paper he appeared to be studying with precision. He handed it to me. "You dropped this."

"It's not mine," I said. Did it possibly fall out of the file?

"It is yours." He insisted.

I pushed the piece in my denim pockets. "Thanks."

Stay away from Kellan. Rowan's words from earlier rang in my ears like a warning.

"I need to get going home, Kellan. I'll see you tomorrow." I hugged the file to my chest as I started walking out of the university campus.

"I believe you have something that's mine." I heard Kellan call out to me again.

"I'm sorry?"

"My heart." He said with a serious face.

"What?"

He pointed at the blue file tucked beneath my arms. "That belongs to me."

"I'm supposed to give it to Holly's T.A."

There it was again, the presumptuous brazen smile. "Teachers Assistant. That will be me."

* * *