Authors: Crystal Perkins
Lessons in SECRET
Lessons in
SECRET
Book
#4 of Corrigan & Co.
By
Crystal Perkins
Copyright © 2015 by Crystal
Perkins
Cover Design by Helen Williams
Ebook
Formatting by Jesse Gordon
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECRET
A woman whose
IQ is so high, it can’t be measured
Isabelle Carlton
has always hid behind her brain, staying in the background and not
going on many missions for the Society—or many dates. When she
stumbles upon a high school prostitution ring, she knows that it’s
time to finally put herself out there in more ways than one. A sexy
history teacher could be just what she needs, in and out of the
classroom.
A man who’s
running from a past that can’t be ignored
Mason Wells is
more than just a high school teacher, but exactly how much more is
his biggest secret. Even though he knows Isa isn’t really a
student, getting involved with her is wrong. He’s hiding too much,
and she’s just too innocent. Despite knowing that it will destroy
them both, he can’t stay away from her, even when they’re both
put in the crosshairs of a powerful and evil man.
Lessons can be
learned, but will their love pass the test when a devastating SECRET
is revealed?
Crystal Perkins
The
Griffin Brothers series
Gaming
For Love (The Griffin Brothers #1)
Building
Our Love (The Griffin Brothers #2)
Creating
A Love (The Griffin Brothers #3)
Learning
To Love (The Griffin Brothers #4)
Designing
The Love (The Griffin Brothers #5)
Working
On Love (The Griffin Brothers #6)
Keeping
Their Love (The Griffin Brothers #7)
Corrigan
& Co. series
Fielding
Her SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #1)
Devouring
the SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #2)
Rocking
a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #3)
Publicly, The
Corrigan & Co. Foundation has been supporting women for years.
Secretly, five powerful women led by Jane Corrigan have recruited ten
agents, sending them to rescue women and children in need, and take
down those who exploit the weak. This secret society of women all
have unique skills they’ve brought to the foundation. Additionally,
they’ve all had training in weapons, etiquette, martial arts,
technology, and languages. Helping out friends and family of their
five mentors from time to time is something they were told to expect.
What they didn’t plan for is falling in love.
About the Corrigan & Co. Foundation and the Society:
• Mitchell Corrigan created the Corrigan & Co. Foundation
for his wife as part of his company ten years ago. He stipulated that
the foundation would continue as long as there is a Corrigan woman to
oversee it.
• Jane Corrigan, Cyndi Evans, Maggie Griffin, Mallory Daniels,
and Helen Wilson are the founders of the secret society within the
foundation. They focus on helping women and children, but take on
other missions from time to time.
• While they assist government and private organizations on a
regular basis, they only take referrals for private missions.
• Each founder has recruited, and mentors, two agents.
• The company was founded in Chicago, but has now moved to Las
Vegas, where Mitchell was born. On his deathbed, he asked his
grandson to move the company headquarters to help revive the economy
in his hometown. There are satellite offices all over the world.
• Jane’s grandson, Matt, who is President and CEO of
Corrigan & Co., knows of the society. His friends Nathan and
Aiden, who he brought in when they all left the military, know as
well. This was a decision by the five women when they needed help on
a mission that went bad. They do not know all mission details, but
help when they are asked.
For Lisa Dess and Sarah Vela, two girls
who love books as much
as I do, and who’ve
supported me from the very beginning!
And also for all the women and men who
fight against human and
child trafficking every day.
You’re dedication and hard work is
appreciated,
even if you don’t hear it as often as you should!
Mason
When I told my friend
Luke Griffin what I thought was going on at the private school I
teach at, I never expected to be sitting in a conference room at the
Corrigan & Co. Foundation. Luke swore me to secrecy and told me
about a Society that’s part of the foundation. He said it helps
women and children, like the foundation does publicly. Just in a
different way. Since a high school prostitution ring covers both
women and children, he convinced me to come here for help. He said
they’d contact the police if they found anything concrete.
“Thank you for coming
in Mason. Luke said you think there’s a prostitution ring at your
school,” the woman he introduced as Reina says to me.
“Yes. And I’m
pretty sure it’s student run.”
“What clued you in?”
“I teach history and
wanted to do something to engage the students a little more. I gave
them a chance to write anonymously about something that’s happened
in history, what they’d like to have legalized in the future, or
what they wouldn’t. I got fifteen papers about why prostitution
should be legalized. And four that said it shouldn’t. Those four
talked about girls being intimidated and threatened if they didn’t
turn tricks.”
“I can see why you
might be alarmed.”
“I started paying
more attention to what was going on, and I think I know who the
leader of all this is. His name it Kurt, and his dad’s one of the
wealthiest men in the city. I’m sure he has no problem finding
clients.”
“Since you’re
coming to us, I’m going to trust that you’re not involved and
confirm that Kurt is indeed the person in charge.”
“How do you know
that?”
“We’ve actually had
someone undercover for over a month.”
“What? Who?”
“Me, Mr. Wells,” my
favorite student says as she walks into the room.
Favorite because I
can’t stop fantasizing about her while she sits in my class
twirling her pencil as I teach. I’ve been beating myself up for
lusting after a student. But apparently she’s not a student.
“Isabelle,” I say,
sounding way too relieved for even my own ears.
“You sound relieved
to see me.”
“I am. I mean, I…”
This is so not going well.
“Oh my God. You want
to be the Ezra to her Aria, don’t you?” Luke asks, looking at me
with a smirk on his face.
“Shut up, Luke. And
how do you even know about them? You don’t teach high school.”
“Olivia loves that
show.”
“Can someone please
clue me in,” Luke’s mom says. When he told me she was part of all
this, I told him I already thought his mom was cool, but now I had
even more respect for her.
“Ezra and Aria are
characters on a TV show, Pretty Little Liars. He was her teacher, but
they’re in a relationship,” Isabelle tells her.
“So basically, Mase
wants Isa,” Luke tells her.
I want to die right
now. Like seriously die. After I kill Luke, of course.
“I didn’t come here
for this. I’m glad you know and are taking care of it. I’ll just
be going now.”
I get up and walk out
of the room, stopping to lean back against the wall. Imagine my shock
when Isabelle walks into the hall after me. “Is it true? Do you
want me?”
* * *
Isa
I can’t believe I
followed Mr. Wells—Mason—out into the hallway. But I needed to
know. Because I want him. I never understood the term “hot for
teacher” until I walked into that classroom and saw him. Honestly,
I’ve never been “hot” for anyone before, so I’ve been so
freaked out every time I walk into History class that it’s a wonder
I could answer anything when asked. Thank God for my super brain.
“Do you want me to
want you?”
“What kind of
question is that?”
“The kind that won’t
get me into trouble.”
“I’m 23 and not in
high school.”
“The school doesn’t
know that.”
“So we won’t do
anything there. Or anywhere else where someone could see us. If you
do
want me, that is.”
Who is this bold girl, and where the hell did she come from?
He leans in close, so
his mouth is only about an inch from mine. “Your lips make me
crazy. Especially when you bite the bottom one while I’m
lecturing.”
“Then kiss me.”
His eyes widen, and I
think I may have gone too far. I’m not usually so forward, but
Tegan and Stella have always told me I need to just go for it. So,
now I am.
When his lips meet
mine, I silently thank them for making me bold. And then I shut my
mind off and just let myself feel. He holds the back of my head as he
licks at my lips. I open for him, and his tongue darts inside my
mouth.
It’s better than I
imagined it would be. For all these years I’ve wondered, and now I
know. My first kiss is amazing.
He pulls back sooner
than I’d like and I follow him a little with my mouth, capturing
his again for a few seconds. He chuckles as he cups my cheek. “I
need to go.”
“You didn’t like
it?”
He looks at me
curiously before answering. “I fucking love your mouth, which is
why I need to leave. We’re in your workplace, after all.”