Page 57 of Reckless Kiss

I pretended to be shocked. “Dr. Brown!”

She sauntered up to my seat and gave me her fuck-me-eyes. “You gotta work for those A’s”

I grabbed her by the hips and spun her into my lap. “Oh, I’ll work for my grades, Dr. Brown.” Then I trailed kisses down the sensitive skin behind her ear until she quivered.

“Leo,” she sighed.

“Esme.” I gently bit the skin just above her collar. “Let me take you to dinner.” She’d been cooking almost every night, not that I minded. Her food was amazing.

“It’s still early.”

I bit her again, this time a little harder. “Then we’ll have plenty of time after for me to earn my A.”

She moaned softly.

“Come on professor. Let me feed you.”

Over Dos Equis at our favorite Mexican restaurant I learned exactly what these magical keys were about.

“So at the beginning of the semester everyone is given a set of clues. Basic elements of real civilizations.”

“Elements?” I added extra salt to the chips and dove into the spicier of the salsas.

“Things like population size, type of political structure, technical capabilities, family structures. They don’t know when or where these cultures lived. From there they spend the first half of the semester building their ideal culture from these elements. It’s all at their discretion. During class each week I give them real scenarios that they debate.”

“What kinds of scenarios?” It was fascinating how animated she became when she talked about work.

Her eyes were so bright, her cheeks flushed, and that smile...it was amazing. Her hands moved through the air as she spoke almost as if they had a life of their own. “Today, for instance, I chose two students. Kyle’s society is very large and cohesive but Martin’s society, which is much smaller, was invading. They had to debate what events would take place and what the effects would be. They document everything and before class next week they’re turning in the data.”

“And the key?”

She sat back as our waiter delivered our burritos. “Their imaginary cultures are all based on the elements of a real culture. On Monday they’ll get that information. It’s their key to the clues I gave them at the beginning of the semester. We’ll spend the rest of the semester analyzing what they got right and wrong, where their personal biases influenced their thought processes, and learning how to approach research in the future knowing all of this.”

I sliced through the massive tortilla. “That sounds like a life lesson a lot of students could use, not just anthropology students.”

“You would be correct. It’s why I have such a large class. There are anthro, sociology, psychology, and most of the hard sciences, in there. My class is recommended for anyone going into research.”

I wondered if she knew how much happier she was now than when I first met her. “You’ve found your calling. You’re radiant, Esme, and so very good at teaching.”

“I like teaching but my research is really what drives me. Can I have some of your beans?” She paused with her fork an inch from my plate.

I pulled it away. “You were just going to take them, weren’t you?”

“No!”

“You were. You think that’s the kind of boyfriend I am? A food sharer?”

She laughed and it was a light, intoxicating sound. “If you let me taste your...food...I’ll let you taste...me.”

If there was an award for fastest and most inconvenient erection, I would have just won it. Hands down.

I moved my plate across the table. “Oh trust me, Dr. Brown, I was going to have dessert whether you wanted my beans or not.”

She took a generous scoop with her fork and made a sexy show of tasting the food and then slowly placing the fork in her mouth. It was sexiest beans had ever been or ever would be.

“When did dinner turn into foreplay?” she murmured.

“When I got the hots for teacher.”

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