Moonlit Surrender
Chapter Eleven

Wrapped in a warm cocoon of the soft cotton of a throw blanket, Lucy woke curled up on her side, still resting on John's old couch. She stretched and smiled as images of the sordid acts they had performed on these very cushions flooded back to her. He was no longer seated there with her though and she rose up on one elbow to search the room. The lamp's light had been replaced by the dim warmth of a very old candelabrum. Its heavy metal curled and twisted proudly upright like the branches of a mighty tree atop the coffee table she had just hours ago decorated instead.

"You're awake," commented a deep voice that was beginning to grow as familiar to her as her own. John appeared across the room from the French doors which led to his study. He was clean and redressed in a new crisp set of slacks and a button up shirt and tie. He closed the distance between them in a few confident strides and then was at her side by the couch. "How are you feeling? Let me take a look at you."

She was confused, answering, "I feel fine." But as he tugged the blanket away from her naked body she was shocked to see the first purple of bruises on each of her knees. He carefully touched her and assessed the wear on her body from the game they had played with the keen eye of someone familiar with medical care, and to her surprise, bent down to lay a gentle kiss on each leg. "You're going to be sore tomorrow," he stated gently.

As she pushed up off of her elbows to sit up, she felt the ache in her neck and shoulders and tried to roll the stiffness out of her wrists. "I already am a little."

"It'll be worse in the morning." He slipped her hand into his and helped her swing her legs over the side of the couch, then took a seat beside her. His voice changed, the tender concern switching to something more authoritative, like when he commanded her during one of their games. "You're going to take care of yourself, do you understand?"

She felt the edges of her lips tugging into a smile at his serious concern. "Yes, sir," she answered obediently.

He nodded. "Tomorrow, I want you to take a warm bath to soak your muscles. If a particular area is hurting worse than the others, I want you to alternate ice and heat on it. As for your knees, you're going to stick with ice and leave it on for fifteen minutes at a time. Above all, I want you to rest.” He paused and his eyes wandered down her exposed body and slowly he drew closer, as if drawn in by a strange new gravity he could not fight. "You were exquisite tonight," he breathed softly and touched his hand to her cheek.

Her eyes dropped modestly and she smiled beneath his high praise.

"What did you think of tonight?" he asked gently now.

Her smile widened and though her body ached in protest, she was filled with an electric excitement. "I liked it," she answered just above a whisper.

She watched his own smile break across his stern thin lips. "You're an absolute natural. I knew you would be."

"What do you mean you knew?"

He shrugged and tickled his fingers down the length of her long black hair until they slowly grazed over the pink nipple peeking through its soft curtain. "I could see it in you. I could feel your... need."

She looked up at him in shocked awe of his perceptiveness.

More. He saw the more before I even knew it.

She sucked in a breath as his fingers left a firm pinch on her nipple and tugged her to him. His mouth slowly came down onto hers and took his time tasting each of her soft lips and then the warm roughness of her tongue in the patient, molten way only John Wright could kiss a girl. She sighed and a little moan escaped her as she surrendered beneath his mouth. One of his arms slid behind her and the other wrapped around her bare waist to cradle her to him. A fresh wave of lust overtook her and she grabbed onto his shoulders and swung her leg across him so she sat straddling his lap, whatever pain left in her body dulled by desire.

He smirked against her lips and ran his open palms along her curves.

She moaned and pulled him closer by the tie and ground her hips down into him until she felt that familiar stiff lump rising beneath her.

"The sun is slowly creeping to the horizon, sweetheart. Our night is almost ended."

"But it's not yet," she groaned and began unfastening the buttons of his shirt.

He chuckled and engulfed her hands in his. "We will have more nights."

She bit her lip and huffed in frustration. "Please," she begged softly. "I know you want it too. I can feel how hard you are."

"A naked, very beautiful woman is wiggling about in my lap," he grinned. "Of course I'm hard. I'd have you again if we had the time." He kissed her once more before rising up off the couch and gingerly setting her down on her feet. "Let me get your clothes for you."

He moved around the table to where he had carefully folded her clothes and draped them over his chair. He stretched out an arm and signaled for her to follow him. He plucked her bra off the top of the pile and held it out for her to slip her arms through and then scooped her breasts up in each lacy cup before spinning her around so he could push her hair over her shoulder and fasten the hooks. Next, he held out her panties and bent down to guide each foot through and helped her tug them up with a final firm squeeze to her ass once they were in place. He sat her down onto the chair and then knelt down in front of her once more to slip her stockings up over each bruised knee and around the softness of her thighs. Once her undergarments were in place, he helped her back up to her feet and guided her head and arms into her black dress, then held her hand as she stepped into each of her heeled booties and made sure the laces were tied tightly. "There. Like new," he smiled.

"Thank you."

"I need to stop keeping you out so late," he commented as he tugged her coat off his chair.

"I'd prefer it if you continued." She smiled as she slipped her arms into the sleeves and felt him shimmy the coat up over her shoulders.

He chuckled. “I'll keep it in mind." He quickly fastened each button and straightened her lapels.

She pulled her keys from her pocket and reluctantly followed him to the door. Before he reached his hand to the doorknob, it instead found her waist again and he tugged her to him for one last kiss. Breathless and cheeks flushed, she let him guide her into the hallway.

"Do you remember the instructions I gave you?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good girl."

She turned for the stairwell, but threw a quick flirtatious grin over her shoulder, and said, "See you in class, Professor."