Read part one, part two, and part three first!

“Of course I want to know. What could be so bad that you think is turn away from you?”

Eve took a deep breath, one that out Nico on edge. Whatever she needed to say was big. Nico knew he needed to keep his reaction in check. His head was running through a million different scenarios, but the only thing that mattered were the words that came out of her mouth.

“I graduated high school ten years ago. My boyfriend at the time was someone I thought I was going to share my life with. I thought he felt the same. After graduation we slept together. It was my first time, but not his. I knew that, but what I didn’t know was that the condom broke. I got pregnant. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. We loved each other so I just assumed we’d get married. He assumed I cheated on him. At least, that’s what he said. He broke up with me and left me to raise the baby on my own.”

Eve took a deep breath and Nico found he was no,ding his. He forced air into his lung and consciously uncoiled the fists he’d made thinking about someone being so horrible to Eve. Nico wanted to hunt down the bastard and make him pay for what he’d done to her.

“Before David was born I learned he had some problems. He has cerebral palsy. The doctors wanted me to terminate the pregnancy, but I couldn’t. I loved him. Even though I knew it would be tough, I couldn’t even consider killing my child. He’s a great little boy, but he requires near constant attention. Which means I don’t have a lot to give to another man.”

Nico felt Eve’s disappointment as though it were his own. First, being dumped by an asshole who had the nerve to accuse her of cheating, then to find out her child would struggle for the rest of his like, and to go through it all alone.

He knew that wasn’t all of it. A woman as beautiful as Eve had surely dated other men. It killed Nico to think of her with someone else, but he knew the others were jerks, not capable of a relationship with a woman who couldn’t devote all of her attention to him.

“Where is David now? Who’s with him?”

“My parents help out a lot and I have a babysitter who’s great. Tonight he’s with my parents. They wanted me to enjoy a day after working so hard to finish school. After today though, I won’t get a lot of days off. I start my new job Monday.”

Nico was more curious about Eve with each word that came out of her mouth. He wanted to know her, and her son, and show her that he was different than the other men she’d known. “Where will David go when you’re working? Does he have a school he goes to?”

Eve nodded. “He goes to a special needs school year round. Since my job is full time, I needed a place where he could go and not be interrupted. He has school during the day but is home in the evenings.”

“I’d like to meet him,” Nico said, taking a chance.

“Why?”

Nico stepped closer, sensing that what he was about to say mattered more than anything he’d said to her over the last few months. More than his lessons in class, more than his admission that he wanted her, more than anything they’d shared. His next words would make or break his chances with her. And if there was one thing Nico knew, it was how badly he wanted a chance with Eve.

And not because she was beautiful, although she was, but because he knew she was special. He knew she was different. And he knew she was capable of love that went beyond anything he’d ever known.

“I want to know you, Eve. I’ve been watching you in class and you intrigue me, not just because you’re stunning, but because you’re kind and generous and compassionate and amazing. You give so much to the other students without a thought for how it could be returned. After being around college students for so many years, you notice the ones who are different, the ones who give a shit about others. That’s you. So it doesn’t matter to me that you have a son, and it doesn’t matter to me that he has special needs. Knowing that about you makes me want to know you even more. I think you’re a beautiful person and I know any child of yours would be equally beautiful. If you aren’t interested in me, that’s fine, but please don’t hide behind your son. Give us a chance. Maybe it’ll work out, maybe it won’t, but we won’t know if David is the reason you won’t try. I want to meet him and get to know you both.”

Eve’s eyes misted as Nico spoke and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. He waited, breath held, to see what the tears meant. When she broke into a grin he couldn’t stop the matching one from forming on his lips.

“Are you sure? Because this won’t be easy.”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is, Eve. But I know you’re worth it. I bet you’d say David has been worth every challenge you’ve been through also. Let me show you who I am. Let me be the man you need in your life.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask. Now what do you say we get out of here,” Nico asked with a grin.

Eve smiled back at him and said, “That’s a great idea.”

Read part one and part two first!

Eve was blown away by the sight of Nico. There was no denying how much he wanted her, something that turned her on more than any man had in longer than she cared to admit. His ferocious look and wild eyes made her feel sexy and powerful. He approached her like a wild animal, dangerous and out of control. Eve knew his control was slipping every time she gasped but she couldn’t stop. With every word her bathing suit grew wetter and wetter between her legs, and she was more and more surprised by his attraction to her.

As he approached her, fists clenched at his sides, cock straining against his shorts, muscles rippling with tension, Eve knew she’d never seen a man who was sexier.

Lusting after her professor hadn’t been the greatest of ideas, but teasing him was definitely looking like a good one. Her eyes widened as Nico moved closer, each step bringing more of him out of focus as she strained to look up into his eyes. When he leaned over her a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. She liked seeing him look like he was ready to ravish her, and she liked the idea of him doing just that.

His knees hit the soft sand beside her chair and he kept moving closer. When he was just a breath away, he stopped and said, “I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into Ms. Martinez.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I know exactly what I’m trying to get into, Nico,” she said with a glance at the massive bulge in his shorts.

Eve surprised herself with how forward she was being, but she couldn’t stop herself from flirting with Nico. It’d been a long time since a man looked at her with such want, such desire, that she couldn’t bottle up what she was feeling. He made her feel bold, sexy, and more like a woman than she’d felt in a long time.

“Then maybe I should try out calling you Eve. After all, in less than a minute I plan on knowing exactly what that succulent mouth of yours tastes like, Eve,” he said, rolling her name off his lips as though he were already tasting her.

Eve gasped, an involuntary reaction to how her name sounded on his lips. With her gasp came his lips, the softest of touches against her own. A tentative first kiss, unlike the man himself, Eve knew he was simply warming her up. She exhaled softly, content with the gentle kiss as her body reacted like he’d touched her with more than just his lips. She wanted him to, dear God, how she wanted him to, but she was painfully aware that they weren’t alone, and they weren’t in a private place.

As if defining her thoughts, a whistle sounded from behind them, loud and shrill through the air. Nico broke away from her ever so slightly and dropped his forehead to hers. “I’d almost forgotten about them. Dammit.” His eyes pierced hers, holding her in place as though she could, or would, dare move. “This isn’t over, Eve.”

Goosebumps covered her body as a rush of cool air found her. Her nipples went from happy to painfully erect and her bathing suit felt as though she’d wet her pants. She didn’t want things to stop with a kiss, especially one as chaste as they’d shared, but she couldn’t deny that it blew her away. Not once had Eve been kissed so sweetly and burned so badly for it to never end.

“I hope not, Nico,” she teased as he stood up. He offered her his hand and she let him help her stand.

“I think I should get in the water before I embarrass myself. Would you care to join me?”

Eve followed Nico to the water’s edge and right out into the lake. He introduced her to his brother, Caleb, and Ms. Perfect Boobs, whose name was Denise. The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, floating on inner tubes, and basking in the sun. As dark approached, Eve knew her day with Nico would end. She wouldn’t get another day with him. Eve was certain of that. The idea brought a sadness to her she hadn’t felt in years.

“Hey, we’re going for pizza and beer. Are you joining us?” Nico asked as they pulled dry clothes over wet bathing suits.

“No,” Eve said sadly. “It’s time for me to get home.”

“Another time then,” Nico said, his brow furrowed, not knowing why Eve would brush him off after a day together. She wished she could explain, but it wouldn’t do any good. Nico wouldn’t understand, just like no other man understood. It was her burden to carry, and she’d long ago accepted that she would carry it alone.

“I don’t think so, but today was wonderful. I’ll never forget it.”

Eve stood and gathered her things, knowing Nico was watching her. She wanted to add a swing to her hips or shake her ass for him, but there wasn’t any point. In a few minutes she would be walking away and he would let her go.

“Why do I feel like you’re dumping me, or pushing me away? I thought today was special. We connected. Why now are you turning away from me?”

Eve shook her head, knowing it wouldn’t matter. She could let him think what he wanted or she could tell him the truth. Either way, the day was all they’d had, and all they’d ever have.

“Do you really want to know why? Because once you find out, you’ll never see me the same.”

Read part one first!

Nico took his time appraising his student, just as she’d done as he approached. She was beautiful in class, wearing jeans and a t-shirt most days, but in a blue one piece suit that did nothing to hide curves that made him salivate, she was simply stunning.

“I didn’t know many people knew about this place,” Eve said in a sultry voice, or at least Nico’s brain made it sound that way.

“I grew up right around the corner from here. My knucklehead brother and I used to come out here all the time. How did you find it?”

I smile tilted her lips, one that told Nico more than her words did. “An old friend brought me here a while ago.”

Nico made fists with his hands, immediately jealous of a man he’d likely never met and never would. Just knowing someone else had touched her, kissed her, maybe even made love to her, stirred a rage that Nico wasn’t familiar with.

“Is this old friend still a friend?” Nico asked, trying to play it cool and knowing he was failing miserably.

Another smile, this one completely for Nico, lifted her lips into the most beautiful grin he’d ever seen. “No, professor Rich, he’s not still a friend. I haven’t seen him an a lot of years.”

Nico bristled ever so slightly at the title. In class all his students called him that, but none of his students had ever struck him the way Eve did. He’d fantasized about her in the privacy of his own home, as he gripped himself in pleasure, more times than he cared to admit. He hadn’t even been able to bring himself to date another woman since he’d met her. No one compared in his eyes. ”Please call me Nico. The semester is over. For today, I think I can just be Nico.”

With a peaceful grin, Eve closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yes, the semester is over. And so is my college career. I’m done, Nico.”

The way his name sounded rolling off her tongue was so good it had to be sinful. He imagined what it would sound like if she whispered it in his ear before flicking her tongue against his flesh. He hated to admit the thought stirred his cock nearly as much as the sight of her in her swim suit.

“Well, then I suppose congratulations are in order, Ms. Martinez.”

She whipped her head around so fast he nearly got whiplash. “I believe, Nico, that if I can use your first name then you can use mine.”

“Well, Ms. Martinez, I’m afraid that might cross a line because, see, you are way too beautiful for me to get personal with. And if I said your first name I might not be able to keep the effect you have on me to myself.”

Eve’s eyes immediately went to his crotch, which made him smile and made his cock jump. Nico wasn’t sure exactly what she saw, but her eyes widened and a small gasp escaped from her perfect lips. That sound, the smallest of sounds, made him twitch again, hardening under her obvious appraisal. Nico wasn’t sure how much longer he could take her watching his crotch without embarrassing himself so he cleared his throat, drawing her beautiful blue eyes back up to his face.

“So, what is your degree in?”

“Seriously?” Eve asked, cocking her head to the side. “You just told me you want me and you want to talk about my degree?”

Nico shrugged, “It seemed like a safe topic. Besides, I’m trying to stop imagining you naked and talking about school will help.”

She gasped again at his admission and he growled, a low, deep, painful sound that was ripped from his gut. It made her gasp a third time, and Nico grew hard enough to pound nails. “Ms. Martinez, you simply must stop making that sound. If you don’t I might have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out into that water so I can ravish you. Or better yet, carry you home so I can properly worship you in my bed.”

She gasped again, a sound that sent a jolt straight through him. He took a step toward her, his fists clenched and his brain stuck on one clear objective, to hear that sound in his ear as he touched, kissed, and caressed every last inch of her body.

The wind rustled through the trees, making the leaves tremble. Eve sat and listened, her eyes closed, to the peaceful sound. Every once in a while I bird would chirp or sing, adding to the serenity of the moment. Where she sat, nothing could touch her, not the long school year she’d just finished or the annoying sound of trucks barreling down the interstate.

Eve was ready for peace and quiet. Every day had been a challenge. She knew going back to college at 32 would be tough, but she never imagined it would be quite that hard. The twenty-something’s she’d been in class with banded together to keep her down, or at least it felt that way. She wasn’t in their dorm, or their sorority, or going to this party or that one. She was the old woman in class, and none of them were all that interested in getting to know her.

But that was over. Class ended and in a few days Eve would be getting her degree. She’d finally see her lifelong dream realized. After waiting an extra decade before finishing up school, she was glad to finally be done.

The roar of an approaching vehicle drew her from her relaxed state. She knew the small lake access wasn’t private, but not many people knew it existed. Usually Eve could sit in her chair all day, her toes digging into the soft sand as the water danced over her ankles, and not see anyone. On the day she really needed the relaxation, it appeared she wasn’t going to get it.

The red SUV parked next to Eve’s car and three doors opened.

The driver was stunning. Sandy brown hair and a killer smile were the first things Eve saw. A broad chest, barely covered in a white t-shirt that begged to be free of his muscles, led to a narrow waist and low slung board shorts with some sort of fake tropical scene. Long tan legs made her think of long summer days spent lounging in their private spot.

Then Eve noticed the brunette woman who got out the passenger door. A black and pink bikini barely covered her abundance of breasts and perfectly perky ass. She flashed the hunky driver a come hither look that could only be missed by a blind person. ‘Oh, well,’ Eve thought, ‘I wasn’t looking for a summer fling anyway.’

Eve closed her eyes again, hoping they’d go about their business and not bother her. She wanted peace and quiet, not sex on the beach, especially if she wasn’t one of the participants.

Voices drifted over to her, the deep baritone of the guy, a high pitched giggle from the brunette, and a third voice, mixing with the other two. Eve forgot about the third person. She’d been too busy ogling the driver to think about him. Something about his voice was familiar, niggling in the back of her brain. The hottie driver wasn’t familiar, and neither was Ms. Perfect Boobs, so Eve pushed away the thought that he was familiar.

She tried to focus on relaxing again, but his voice kept drifting to her ears. She couldn’t place it, but she definitely liked it. Deep and smooth with just a hint of an accent. The more Eve tried to ignore him though, the more she heard.

“Dude,” he said, “I thought you brought me here to hang out. All you’re doing is ignoring me for your flavor of the week.”

Interesting, Eve thought. He was more interested in spending time with the guy than the half naked woman they were with.

“Relax, bro. I’ll be here for another week. We’ll have time to get together.”

“I’ve got shit to do. That’s why I agreed to come out today. And instead of finding out how you’re doing and catching up after you’ve been gone for almost a year, all I see if the back of your head buried in her face.”

“Aw, come on, Nico, lighten up. Why don’t you go chat up that sexy little thing over there. She looks like your type. Cute, brunette, nice legs perfect for wrapping around – oof.” Eve heard a splash and opened her eyes to see the driver come up from the water. He splashed the other guy who just laughed at him. The brunette jumped in after him and tackled him, joining in the game she didn’t start.

Guy two turned toward Eve and smirked. His eyes danced with mischief. She just shook her head at him. He grinned and started walking toward over after a glance at the other two, who were making out like teenagers.

With each step he came into clearer focus and all at once Eve knew exactly who he was. Her breath hitched in her throat as she took in his glistening body, killer legs, and a smile she’d dreamt about more times than was fair. She’d been lusting after the man approaching her for months, but had never seen him so sexy. She wasn’t sure what to say, or how to act. But the time to decide was nearly over. His shadow covered her toes, then her legs, and finally her face.

“I’m sorry if my brother offended you. He’s a bit of a jerk when it comes to women. I hope we aren’t ruining your day.”

“It’s okay, professor Rich. Don’t worry about it.”

Dread, then recognition filled his face. Then a grin teased his lips. “Well, Ms. Martinez, I never expected to find you here.”