January Week 2: Friday-Leah and Mr. Howard Make Love (Tenure: +25, Suspicion: +15)

Leah was surprised at how fast the mask slid off her face the moment she was bolted in with him—no longer the perfect, smiling educator, but just a woman with her blood pressure rising and her skin prickling with the anticipation of something wicked and forbidden. The door’s click was final, authoritative. Mr. Howard’s smile didn’t falter as he rounded the desk and leaned against its edge, folding his arms. The cold fluorescent light gave his features a wolfish edge, all teeth and calculation.

“So,” he said, his voice low, “how was your week?”

Leah’s reply was lost in her throat, her mouth too dry, her mind nervous and excited. She perched on the guest chair, knees tight together, trying to suppress the tremor in her hands. But Howard wasn’t going to let her get away with anything less than full surrender. He gestured for her to stand, then stepped in close, so close she could smell his spiced aftershave and something else—an undertone of authority, perhaps, or just plain arousal.

“You know why I wanted you to stay after.” His hands were on her arms now, heavy and insistent, pulling her up until she was flush with him.

Leah did know, and the knowledge both frightened and thrilled her. Beneath the sensible teacher’s blouse and her standard-issue pencil skirt, she was soaked with the wrongness and the inevitability of it all.

Howard pressed her back against the wall, hands already up her skirt, fingers finding the thin lace underneath. He yanked her panties down to her knees without ceremony, then covered her mouth with his, kissing her hard, biting down on her bottom lip until she moaned. He tasted like coffee and peppermint and power. She clung to his suit jacket, nails digging into the expensive fabric, as he ground himself against her thigh.