Pushing the Limits (25 page)

Opening her eyes, she positions herself so she can continue as I slide deep inside her, the buildup already tight and hugging my cock fucking tight.

“That’s my girl,” I hum. “Keep going.” Her hand moves faster as I thrust harder, feeling her body shake every time I hit that one deep spot that’s sure to keep her screaming.

Moaning, her body shudders, and her thighs shake as I pull her legs up to her chest. She’s wide and open for me, my cock pushing deeper with every eager thrust.

“Aspen, baby…” I growl. “Fuck, you feel amazing.”

“Don’t stop,” she pleads, her hand furiously working her sensitive clit.

I lean down against her chest, wrapping her legs around my waist as I cup her ass cheek in one hand. I work against her harder and faster, her body quick to keep up with my movements.

I wrap my lips around her breast, sucking her nipple into my mouth and biting lightly. She yelps, begging for more. I squeeze it hard in my palm, giving it a gentle slap before my mouth clamps down on her again.

“
Yesyesyes…ohmygod…fuck…”

“Christ, I fucking love it when you’re loud, baby.”

“I need to come…
pleaseplease
let me come.”

“How do you want it, sweetheart?” I slow down just a bit, her chest pounding rapidly against mine. “Tell me what you want.”

“Bend me over,” she begs. “Take control.”

A heated growl releases deep in my throat at the intensity of her words. I love that she trusts me enough to take care of her, all fear of showing her how I feel eases as I flip her over.

I lay her flat on her stomach as I kneel over her and slap her ass cheeks. “
God
…” I mutter. Her flesh flushes a rosy pink from my handprints. I palm her cheeks and spread her as I line my cock up with her entrance and thrust inside in one long stroke.

A sweet moan hums from her lips as I slide a hand up her spine and grab a fist full of her messy hair. I tug lightly, pulling her head back, exposing her throat. I thrust inside her again, deep and smooth. I feel her tightening around me already, her pussy so tight and wet, but I can’t get enough. I slide my other hand under her chest and palm her breast, fucking her recklessly as she begins quivering against me.

“Mm, Morgan…” her voice a breathless plea as her fingers dig into the mattress, moaning my name again. “Yes, like that.”

“That’s it. Let me hear you, sweetheart,” I demand. 

Her pussy clamps down on my cock, as she comes screaming my name. “
Jesus
…your pussy gets tight when you come.” I bury myself deeper inside her, chasing my own release.

“
Fuck…
” My jaw clenches as both our bodies go limp, motionless.

I barely catch myself before collapsing on top of her. I roll to the side and quickly dispose of the condom. 

Aspen’s still trying to catch her breath, all sated with mussed up hair. The epitome of the just fucked look and she’s gorgeous. I lean up on my elbow looking down at her smiling face. She’s everything I could have asked for but never thought I would have, and I’m falling hard. Gently, I brush her hair back, tucking the wayward strands behind her ear then lightly kiss her lips. 

We lay there, catching our breaths, kissing—until her stomach growls breaking the silence. Her cheeks turn pink and she hides her face behind her hands, embarrassed laughter fills the room.

Her embarrassment is so damn adorable.

“Well, sounds like we need to get some food in you.” I tease, “We wouldn’t want you to get
hangry
.”

“Can we pretend that never happened?” She wrinkles her nose. “And I don’t get hangry!”

I laugh loudly at her indignation. “It’s my experience that all women get hangry when denied food.”

I playfully slap her ass and get up, grabbing her hand to pull her with me. I was supposed to leave an hour ago, but it’s so worth it to be late.

As we walk toward the kitchen, I stop and notice the paintings displayed in the hallway. They’re covered with portraits of her sister and some with them together.

I carefully rub a finger along the painting, tracing the lines of her face. “What was her name?” I ask, realizing she’d never told me.

“Um…” she stumbles, looking down. “Ari.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine.” She cuts me off. “It’s starting to feel easier to talk about her now.”

I give her a sympathetic smile. “I can’t get over how beautiful they are. I notice you use a lot of similar colors in your pieces of her.”

“Yeah.” She smiles. “Teals and yellows,” she explains, her eyes bright and wide. “Each color means something to me.”

“What are hers?” I ask, intrigued. I glance over at her staring hard at it.

“Happiness and laughter. She was the teals and yellows of my life. Always laughing, always smiling. Her happiness made me happy. Before she started cutting, we’d always get into trouble for talking and laughing past our bedtime. She’d tell me made up stories and they always made me burst out into fits laughter. I’d pull my sheets over my mouth to cover the sound, but our parent’s room was down the hall and they always heard us.”

“I love that.” She turns and looks at me. “Teals and yellows.”

She nods with a small smile. “Yeah. It’s how I want to always remember her.”

“You can remember her any way you want. She’s your memory. Her life might’ve been short, but it’s made a big impact on you.” Her eyes lower as she fidgets, and I’m afraid I’ve pushed too far. “Aspen?”

She clears her throat and looks back up at me. “I’m fine.” She nods, reassuring herself more than me.

I check my watch and groan. “I’m sorry I have to leave so early.” I wrap an arm around her and pull her body to mine. “I’ll see you later?” I ask, kissing the top of her head.

“Yeah, of course.” She returns a forced smile.

“Don’t forget to eat something,” I remind her as she walks me to the door. Before walking out, I tilt her chin and place a soft kiss on her lips. “Bye, sweetheart.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ASPEN

Teals and yellows.

Ariel could make me laugh until I was in tears. Our dinners were spent giggling at the table while our parents narrowed their eyes at us with a warning. Eventually, they cracked and ended up laughing at her jokes, too.

The way I paint her is how I saw her on the outside—bright, funny, and confident. People look at my abstract paintings and see a girl full of life—a girl, who has her whole life ahead of her, can be anything she wants, and the freedom to express herself.

After the first time I found her in the bathroom, someone else surfaced in place of the sister I knew. Ariel wasn’t Ariel anymore. She’d changed, and I couldn’t figure out why or what had caused it.

I think that’s what kills me the most. Perhaps, had I known, I would’ve known how to help her.

Those painful thoughts and memories are what inspired my Ariel Rose Collection. I think about telling Morgan the truth, but I can’t help the fear of it changing how he sees me. They’re dark and some are even creepy. They represent her inner struggle that she hid from the rest of the world and the sadness that surrounded her—the part she didn’t let anyone else see until it was too late.

When I paint them, I release something from deep inside of myself. I welcome the bad thoughts, feeling that same sadness and the memories to fuel that same internal struggle to create something on paper. I give into the depression and paint those feelings.

I’m not sure how I can explain that to someone, especially him, without scaring him away. Or maybe it’s because when I do, it’ll mean they’re no longer just for me anymore. Our memories are sacred and letting someone else into that part of my life feels more intimate than I’m willing to share right now.

But the longer I don’t tell him, the worse the consequences will be.

I sleep over at Morgan’s house Monday night after classes, except neither of us really sleep, but I sneak out before his niece wakes up and sees me.

Now I have to go through the whole day of classes and a shift at the gallery before I can go to his night class. It’s going to be hard keeping a straight face around him now knowing I had my lips wrapped around his cock less than twenty-four hours before that.

But I’m a professional.

I can do this
, I tell myself.

The moment he steps into the classroom, I feel my cheeks heat. I’d hoped chatting with Ellie beforehand would help distract me, but my body shivered the moment I saw him.

Perhaps I can’t.

I lower my head and bite my lip to keep the stupid grin off my face, but it doesn’t work. The corner of my lips tilt up as he walks in all teacher-like—briefcase in hand, crisp button-up shirt tucked into his dark dress pants. He barely flinches as he sets his briefcase down on the desk and looks out at all of us.

“Evening, everyone.” They all straighten up in their seats and greet him back. I avoid making eye contact with him but find it hard to not be drawn by his deep voice and bright eyes. The sexual charge between us is so strong, I’m almost certain everyone in the room can feel it. But they go on as usual, grabbing their supplies and back to their projects. Next week is spring break, so we have the rest of this week to finish our assignments before we have a week off.

About half way through class, Ellie leans over and grabs my attention. “So I forgot to ask, how the hell did you end up standing naked for the life drawing workshop? One second you were sitting next to me,
clothed
, I might add—” She waggles her brows. “And the next, you were in the front, buck ass naked.”

I cringe knowing how many people saw me naked the other night. I hadn’t had much time to think it through, but I don’t regret it either. Ms. Jones needed me, and I’d do anything for her after how much she’s done for me.

“The model got sick after the first set and needed a replacement. My boss needed a fill-in, and I volunteered.” I shrug it off as if it’s no big deal.

“Was it awkward? All those people just staring at you?”

“They weren’t staring,” I correct. “They were drawing me. There’s a difference.”

She snorts. “Hardly. But if you say so.”

She gets back to her painting, but I notice every few minutes, she glances over at me and furrows her brows. “What?” I finally ask, tilting my head and lowering my brush. “You want a second viewing or something? A personal session maybe?” I tease.

She laughs quietly and shakes her head. “Nah, the first show was good enough to last me a while. However, I just figured out why you’ve been acting so weird.”

“I have not,” I defend.

“You’re more timid than usual, and every time Professor Hampton walks around us, you blush and lower your head like a cowering animal.”

“I do not.”

She smirks. “He saw you naked,” she clarifies. “I’m sure he barely remembers the first class,” she states, reminding me of my and Morgan’s first interaction.

A small smile slips from my lips, and I choke out a cough to cover up a laugh. “Well, how’d you feel if one of your professors saw you and stared at you for an hour?”

“I thought they weren’t staring?” she quips, arching a brow. “Plus, if it’s a professor as hot as him, then I’d feel aroused, sweaty like my loins were on fire and he was the only one capable of putting them out.”

“Oh God. I just threw up in my mouth.” I snort. I lower my head even more, embarrassed at how she’s talking about him. I know it’s not a secret how good looking he is, but he’s so much more than that to me. He always has been.

I start to notice students nearby are looking at us. I give Ellie a side-glance that tells her she needs to keep it down.

“Sorry,” she whispers with a devilish smile.

We manage to get through class without any more outbursts of laughter. I purposely pack my things away slowly, waiting for the rest of the students to file out. Ellie stands around waiting for me, but I find an excuse to get rid of her.

“Oh, I have to ask him something real quick. I’ll catch up with you.”

“I don’t mind waiting. My ex-boyfriend and roommate finally moved out, giving me the freedom to basically have no life at all.” Her lips purse together, and I can see she’s still struggling with the breakup. She found him in bed with her roommate, Rachel, and acted as if she was supposed to join their little party. She was devastated and has now been covering up her feelings about it since.

I nod instead of arguing. “It’s okay. I’ll ask him later. It’s no big deal.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll walk out with you.” I pull my bag over my shoulder, and we head out down the hallway.

I ask her about her ex-boyfriend, Chad, and if she wants to talk about it. She rambles on about how she gave him all her best years. She’d been hoping they’d be engaged soon and planning a wedding for after graduation.

“You’re too young to want to be tied down,” I say. “You have plenty of great years ahead of you.”

“I’m an art student who spends my nights painting and reading. When I’m not at work, I’m studying or crying over fictional men who’ll never appear in real life.”

“What you need is a girl’s night,” I declare. “I have a couple friends who’d love to go out if you’re interested. Maybe this weekend?”

She shrugs, her eyes low to the ground. “Sure, maybe. Can I bring my friends, Kindle and Chocolate, with?”

I shove my shoulder into hers and laugh. “No. You’ll have to break the news to them that they have to stay home and keep your bed warm for you instead.”

She finally cracks a smile. “All right, fine. I guess I can manage one night out.”

“Trust me. Kendall and Zoe are my sole reason for getting through this past year. You’ll love them,” I reassure.

As soon as we walk out, I pretend to have left something back in the room. I tell her I’ll chat with her Thursday about this weekend and say my goodbyes. It’s my chance to quickly head back in and see Morgan.

The hallway has already cleared out. Most of the students bail as quickly as they can after night classes. I don’t expect to see anyone, but as soon as I walk past a dark room, a hand grabs me from behind and covers my mouth, pulling me back against their chest and into the empty room.

I’m ready to scream and elbow punch whoever it is when I hear Morgan’s voice in my ear. “It’s just me.”

He releases his hand and spins me around. “You scared me half to death!” I whispered loudly, slapping a hand to his chest.

A warm smile forms on his lips. “Sorry, I just needed to kiss those lips. And maybe this neck. And…”

He pulls me against his chest and covers his mouth over mine. I wrap my arms around him and lean into him, soaking up every forbidden second we have before one of us has to leave.

“That felt so awkward,” I say as soon as he releases me.

His brows furrow. “The kiss?”

“No.” I laugh. “Being in class with you. Ellie kept asking why I was acting weird, which I hadn’t realized I was. Did you think I was?”

“I don’t know. I was trying hard not to focus on you.” He cracks a smile, and I laugh again.

“We’re so bad at this.”

“It’s going to be fine,” he promises. “We’ll have a whole week off for spring break and then just half a semester left to go.”

I groan. “That’s a long time.”

“Trust me, I know. It’s how long I’ve been waiting to feel those lips against mine…” He smirks. “But it’ll fly by. Don’t worry. Just act normal in class. Participate as usual. Ask questions. Undress me with your eyes if you feel the need.”

I nod and flash a mocking sneer. “Sure, no biggie. Just pretend I didn’t have my professor’s cock in my mouth. No problem.”

He covers my mouth with his hand again and shushes me with a quiet laugh. “And learn to talk
quieter
.” He makes a face and releases his hand.

“No one is even here. Relax.”

“You never know. I could have a stalker waiting out there for me.”

“Well, for your sake, I hope so. You could use the distraction from constantly staring at my chest.”

“Only when you wear shirts like that.” His eyes purposely glance down to the low V of my shirt.

“And what about when I wear short skirts and heels?” I prompt.

His eyes widen his lips form a firm line. “You better not,” he threatens. “Jeans and turtlenecks are the only things you’re now allowed to wear in my classroom.”

I snort, shaking my head at his exaggerations. “I don’t even own a turtleneck.”

He groans, throwing his head back. “Lord, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? Punishing me for kissing my student and now you want to punish me while she sits in my classroom half naked and untouchable?”

“Good way to test your willpower, Professor.” I wink, lean in, and give him a chaste kiss before heading out of the classroom first. “Feel free to follow me home though.”

MORGAN

God, I wish I could.

I wouldn’t wait until we were back to her place, though. The elevator, maybe. But it’d be a challenge.

I pick Natalia up from my mom’s and she nearly passes out as soon as I get her in the house. We talk a little before her eyes flutter closed, and I give myself a mental note to ask about her night at breakfast in the morning.

I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face as I walk through the house making sure doors are locked and lights are turned off. Aspen’s consumed my mind for so long that it seems impossible that I finally have her.

I just need to make sure I can keep her without the board finding out. Jeopardizing both of our futures would be the worst thing that could happen.

But I can’t
not
have her. Having my heart ripped out again would be the end of me. She fits me so perfectly, it’s as if we’ve been two broken puzzle pieces all this time just waiting to find the other piece to connect to—to finally feel whole.

I change clothes and settle in bed with my laptop. I’ve been behind on updating grades, so I know I have to enter them in tonight for midterms before students leave for spring break.

After a half an hour, I hear a soft knock on the front door. I walk down the hallway and gasp as soon as I open the door and see Aspen standing there.

“Hi…” My eyes light up shocked to see her. “What are you doing here?”

She starts unbuttoning her long trench coat, slowly walking toward me. “Came to surprise you,” she drawls out, her voice sweet and laced with seduction. “Thought since you couldn’t come to me, I’d come to you.” She sweeps her tongue across her lower lip, and I’m about five seconds away from peeling the rest of her coat off along with all my clothes.

I grab her hand and pull her all the way inside the foyer. She shuts the door with the back of her heel and molds her body against mine. I feel my cock hardening at the way she rolls her hips against me, teasing and taunting me before I even have a chance to do anything about it.

“I have a feeling you’re going to be the death of me,” I growl in her ear, grabbing her hand and wrapping it around the noticeable bulge pressing against my pants.