“I have some. Never leave home without them.” I leaned closer. “And you don’t need to worry about that, gorgeous. We’re the teachers. We’re in charge of the lesson plan and the class supplies and...” I couldn’t think of a third thing. It had been a hell of a long time since I’d sat in a classroom.
“And giving you detention if you’re bad,” Ash finished. He smoothed the stray strands of hair away from her face.
She stilled at his touch, her eyes on me, but visibly nervous.
“We don’t need them for today, anyway,” I told her. “That’s not what the first lesson is about.”
“It’s not?”
“Nope.”
“Why do you get to be the lead teacher?” Ash asked. He had his mouth close to Zoe’s ear, and she shivered slightly when his warm breath brushed her skin. Shivered in a good way, I was pretty sure. A moment later, his long fingers glided through her hair up to the tight bun, and then her dark waves fanned out along her shoulders.
Good. I loved it when her hair was down.
But I hadn’t answered Asher’s question. “I just am. We can renegotiate when you earn a couple of national championships.”
“I’ll put my future Michelin stars against your dusty old trophies any day,” he said.
His words were directed at me, but his attention was on Zoe. He was finally playing it smart, rubbing the back of her neck, toying lightly with her hair. Zoe still had her eyes on me as if afraid she’d miss something if she looked away, but I could see her relaxing under his touch.
Ash didn’t know this was the tip of the iceberg. That under Zoe’s prim and proper professional attitude, there was a wild, sensual woman waiting to be freed. And Landon didn’t know what he was missing. But he got a pass. I missed the old days when he and I would’ve made the most of a situation like this. We would’ve made Zoe come so many times and scream so hard that she’d be hoarse for days.
But that was before.
“Today’s lesson is about kissing,” I said softly before Asher’s fingers lulled her into a trance.
That got her attention. “I know how to kiss,” she said.
“But you need practice.”
Her eyes narrowed and darkened, and I nearly laughed. She looked like a pissed-off kitten facing a Doberman.
“That’s what lessons are for, Zoe. To practice, over and over, until you’ve mastered the skill.” My gaze dropped to her soft pink lips. “Would it really be so bad to kiss me again?”
She didn’t hesitate. “No.”
“Then close your eyes.”
She did so instantly, which I liked. If she was going to follow all our orders, these lessons were going to go from mild to beyond wild. Might even be time for some advanced techniques.
But not tonight.
I laid my lips on hers, pressing softly. Just waiting and breathing in the clean scent of her skin, her hair—something floral and sweet. Her lips were soft and warm beneath mine, but she’d gone still, uncertain. I could feel the tension in her body.
Patience, I reminded myself. Let her come to me.
It took effort. Every instinct I had said to take control, to coax her mouth open and show her exactlywhat a kiss could be. But I held back. Kept the kiss feather-light. Let her feel safe.
And then, finally, she moved her mouth against mine. A tentative press. Then another. She tilted her head slightly, seeking a better angle, and I felt her muscles begin to unclench.
That’s it, baby girl, I thought. But I didn’t say it out loud this time.
I cupped the back of her head, my fingers threading through her silky hair, and deepened the kiss. Slow. Deliberate. Teasing her mouth open with my tongue. She made a small sound—surprise or pleasure, I wasn’t sure—but then her lips parted for me.
Fuck, she tasted good.
I tilted her head toward me, angling it just right, and felt Asher move in behind her. His mouth found her neck, and Zoe groaned against my lips. Her hands came up, wrapping around my shoulders, clinging to me.
