The Lesson (6 page)

“Was it the hot tub?” Bianca asked. “I bet
they were pretty upset about having to replace it.”

“No,” he shook his head. “If it had been
just that, I think my father could have paid them to keep me. We
were able to get into the pool house because I filched the keys for
the entire campus from one of the janitors. At some point during
the party, I found my way to the dean’s office, and that’s where he
found me the next morning.”

“You broke into the dean’s office?” Bianca
whispered in horror.

He nodded. “The problem was that I wasn’t
alone. I had a few friends with me.”

“Women?” she squeaked, one hand covering her
mouth.

“Of course,” he choked out. “Four of them.
And not a stick of clothing between the five of us. We’d trashed
his office, fucked on every available surface including his desk,
and the very, very worst of it was that one of the girls, I found
out later her name was Veronica, just so happened to be the dean’s
daughter. He walked in and found her stark naked, her face in my
crotch with three other girls draped over us, used condoms all over
the room along with several empty liquor bottles.”

Bianca blanched. “That’s …“

“Terrible? Horrible? Fucking awful?” he
supplied. “Yeah. I didn’t know she was his daughter, but it
wouldn’t have made a difference. In fact, I probably would have
gone after her twice as hard. After the dean walked in and found
us, I managed to rouse her. She was still completely wasted and she
looked up at her father, giggled, and said ‘hello, Daddy.’ I knew
in that moment it was all over.”

Bianca didn’t say anything. All she
could think about was Mason with those women, and despite her best
efforts she couldn’t stop the twinge of jealously that surged
through her.
Stop it,
she
told herself firmly.
What he did before
you doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what he does
now.

“Bianca?” he pressed. “Say something.”

“What happened afterward?” she managed.

“What do you think happened?” he asked
harshly. “The dean freaked, I got expelled, my father had to pay a
ton of money to clean up the mess I made, and I came home in shame.
My father refused to send me to any other school than one here so
he could ‘keep an eye on me.’ So here I am, stuck in Portland,
stuck taking the same fucking business classes again and trying to
figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do with my life.”

Bianca fell silent. What could she say?

“Please say something,” he begged. “I can’t
stand not knowing what you’re thinking.”

“I’m not sure you really want to know,” she
answered.

Mason tore at his hair. “You think I’m some
waste of space, just like my old man, don’t you?”

Is that what he
thinks?
Bianca reached out a hand and placed it on his
shoulder, massaging lightly. “Of course I don’t think that,” she
told him. “I think you’ve had a very lonely life. And I think
you’ve been trying to fill the holes with all the wrong things, but
I also think a big part of what’s wrong is your own fault. You have
to stand up to your father and go after what you want, otherwise
you’re going to spend your whole life letting other people run it
for you.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Mason ground out
between clenched teeth. “The old man will cut me off if I don’t
fall in line.”

“Gee, I don’t know,” Bianca crossed her
arms. “Get a job like the rest of us?”

Mason stared at her.

“Is money that important to you?” she asked,
dropping the sarcasm. “Do you really need the car and the apartment
and the money to feel good? Isn’t that part of what you hate so
much? That your father uses those things to control you?”

When Mason still didn’t respond, Bianca
pressed further. “Why didn’t you just go? To the Sorbonne, I mean?
Take out loans, get a job, whatever you had to do and make it
happen. Just because your father wanted you to go to Duke, or come
back home and study business doesn’t mean that’s what you had to
do.”

Mason stared at her. “You make it sound so
easy,” he muttered.

She shook her head. “Not easy, but if you
want something badly enough, you shouldn’t let anyone stand in your
way.”

He stared at her in wonder for a long moment
before he spoke again. “Right now, the only thing I can see is you.
How much I want you. You’ve suddenly eclipsed everything else in my
life.”

Uh-oh.
The
little voice inside her piped up.
Don’t
you think he’s moving a little too fast? Like a freight
train.

He’s passionate,
she argued.
I like that.

Passionate like a psychopath.

Shut up!

“I want you too,” she told him, reaching out
to stroke his cheek.

He shuddered at her touch, and then wrapped
his arms around her, pulling her close to him. His lips blazed a
trail across her forehead, down her cheeks and finally claimed her
mouth. Their tongues meshed, and Bianca couldn’t stop the moan that
slipped out.

Mason groaned in return, one hand dropping
to caress her breast. The sensation drilled straight to her core,
and Bianca’s head dropped back.

“Mason,” she panted. “I have to go in.”

“I wish you could stay with me,” he murmured
as he peppered her neck with kisses.

She pulled away from him, trying to calm her
breathing. “Pick me up in the morning?”

“Of course,” he answered as he jumped out of
the car and ran around to open her door. “I’ll be here by eight
fifteen. Will that work for you?”

“Yes,” she nodded as he took her hand and
walked with her to the door.

“Good night, sweet Bianca,” he purred just
before he swooped down to capture one last kiss.

She watched as he walked away, wondering if
he was as stirred up by their kisses as she was, when a mischievous
thought occurred to her. “Mason,” she called after him just as he
reached for his car door.

“Yes?” he turned to her.

“Do you know what I’ll be dreaming about
tonight?” she asked.

His gaze darkened. “Are you trying to tease
me?”

She ignored the question. “I keep thinking
about that thing you said about my mouth. I must say, I find the
idea intriguing.” She licked her lips and smiled when his mouth
dropped open. “Night, night, Mason,” she cooed as she slipped
through the door and closed it behind her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Bianca anticipated his arrival in the
morning so much she slept in fits. She gave up finally and got up
at six o’clock, took extra care with her hair and fixed breakfast
for her grandfather.

“Nonno,” she knocked on his door. “I made
you some eggs and toast.”

“I’ll be right there,” he answered through
the door.

Bianca went back to the kitchen and sat at
the small Formica table, eating her own toast and sipping
coffee.

“You’re up early today, sweet girl,” Nonno
Joe said as he shuffled into the room. He sat and began spreading
jam on his toast. “Did you have a nice evening? I didn’t hear you
come in.”

Bianca nodded as she chewed. “I had a good
time,” she answered. “I got home later than I expected. I’m sorry I
didn’t call you like I said I would.”

“You don’t have to check in with me all the
time,” he pointed at her with his fork. “You’re an adult now. I
trust you to make good decisions.” His bushy gray eyebrows climbed
up his forehead. “Your young man comes from a pretty important
family.”

“I didn’t know who his family was until
after I agreed to go out with him. Honestly, it makes me
nervous.”

“Why?” he asked with a mouth full of
toast.

“They’re very wealthy,” she answered. “And
Mason is used to certain things.”

“And?”

“I’m not complaining, truly I’m not, but
we’ve never been part of that lifestyle.” She frowned a little.
“I’m not sure I know how to exist in his world.”

“Bah!” Nonno Joe dismissed with a wave of
his hand. “You are just as good as they are, better if you ask me.
That boy is lucky to have a girl like you interested in him.”

Bianca smiled at the old man. “I love you,
Nonno.”

“Ah, my sweet girl, you are the light of my
life,” his eyes crinkled as he gazed at her. “Losing your mother
was hard, but having you with me has been nothing but a
blessing.”

She reached out and squeezed his hand. “You
always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

The doorbell rang and Bianca jumped.

“Hmmph.” Nonno Joe raised an eyebrow.
“Wonder who that could be.”

She gave the old man a dirty look and he
snickered, almost choking on his toast as she rushed to answer the
door.

“Bianca,” Mason breathed as soon as he saw
her, a wide smile lighting up his entire face. Bianca smiled back,
and his hands snaked out to pull her close. His lips found hers and
she melted against him as his tongue probed her mouth, ravishing
her senses.

“Bring that young man in here for a cup of
coffee,” Nonno Joe called from the next room, and they jumped apart
guiltily.

“Good thing he said something,” Mason
whispered in her ear as she led him toward the kitchen. “I was
about to rip your clothes right off your body.”

She shivered at the image and flashed him a
dirty look. He responded with a toothy grin. “You’re incorrigible,”
she muttered. “Be good.” They stepped into the kitchen and Nonno
Joe peered up at them with a smile.

“You take cream or sugar?” he asked Mason as
he handed the young man a cup.

Mason shook his head. “Neither. Black is
fine.”

“So, you’re here to take my Bianca to
school?” he asked as he poured coffee in Mason’s cup.

“Yes, sir.”

“You like my sweet girl, then?”

“Nonno!” Bianca admonished and the old man
waved her off.

“Very much, sir,” Mason answered the
question, smiling at Bianca.

“And what are your intentions?”

Bianca shot up out of her chair. “Okay, I
think it’s time to go. Mason, we can get coffee on the way to
class.”

Nonno Joe grinned at her, then at Mason, who
grinned back. Bianca glared at both of them. “I’ll see you after
work, Nonno. Mason said he would bring me home.”

“Have a good day!” His laughter followed
them out the front door.

“You shouldn’t encourage him,” Bianca told
Mason as she climbed in his car.

“What?” he asked, spreading his hands wide
in a gesture of innocence.

“You know what,” she glared at him.

“You’re right,” he sighed as he started the
car and pulled away from the curb. “If he knew what my actual
intentions were, he’d probably have a heart attack.”

He waggled his eyebrows and Bianca burst out
laughing. “Stop it,” she giggled. “He’d come after you with a gun
if he knew what we did last night.”

Mason’s hand slipped between her thighs,
running up their length until he reached the warm center between
them. “I guess we better keep it to ourselves, then,” he told her
as he massaged her core.

“Stop it,” she gasped, pushing his hand
away. “How will I get through class if you do that?”

“I think you’ll manage.” His hand crept back
up her thigh, pressing against her sex.

She closed her eyes and fell back against
the head rest as his fingers found her nub through her clothes and
rubbed. Her breath came faster as he stroked her and she couldn’t
stop her hips from undulating against his hand.

“Christ, Bianca. I could take you right this
minute.” He snatched away his hand and cleared his throat.

She opened her eyes and tried to breathe as
the heat inside her died down. After several long moments, she felt
slightly in control of herself and decided that one good turn
deserved another.

“Tell me,” she inquired as she took his hand
and ran her soft tongue down the length of his index finger. “How
did you sleep last night?”

He groaned and snatched his hand away. “You
tease. I guess I deserved that.”

She tried to hide the smirk on her face as
he did all he could to change the subject, and they chatted until
they reached campus.

“I’ll walk to work,” she told him as she
slipped him a piece of paper. “There’s the address, you can pick me
up at ten.”

“I’ll be there,” he smiled. “Oh hey, I
almost forgot.” He reached into his glove box and withdrew a small
box tied with a pink ribbon. “This is for you,” he told her as he
tossed her the box.

“What is it?” she asked curiously.

“I believe you said I owed you,” he answered
with a wicked grin before he drove off.

Bianca couldn’t help laughing after she
opened the package, because inside she found a pair of white cotton
panties.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The weeks flew by and Bianca grew accustomed
to seeing Mason on a regular basis. Every morning he would come by
her house to pick her up for school, and they would sit and drink
coffee with Nonno Joe, talking and laughing.

“
You’re so lucky,” Mason would tell
her. “Your grandfather is amazing. He’d support you no matter what
you decided to do.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

On the nights Bianca didn’t have to work,
they would study together. On the nights she did, Mason would be
waiting at the curb for her in front of the restaurant.

Once, during a study session, Mason asked
her, “Why are you taking business classses? I mean, I know why I’m
doing it, but why are you taking such awful, boring classes on
purpose?”

She smiled and shrugged. “I’m very
organized, and good with numbers. I don’t mind paperwork. It’s just
how my mind works. Business administration made sense.”

He stared at her and shook his head.