“Jesus.” Duncan’s warm breath puffed against her sweaty neck. “We’re going to kill each other.” His cock softened and slipped out easily, to Emma’s astonishment.
Jake laughed then carefully pulled out as well, holding onto the condom as he backed up. He eased it off his still half-hard cock, tied the end, and tossed it in the garbage. Emma felt him reach between her legs and when Duncan twitched, she realized Jake was taking care of his condom too. After tossing the second one in the trash, Jake snuggled back down against Emma and Duncan, slinging an arm across her stomach. She sighed. She didn’t want to move but the sun was climbing over the sill and she knew she had to get ready for work.
“You don’t mind if we hang out here today, do you Emma? We’ve got the day off.” Jake asked after their breathing calmed down.
“No, of course not.” Emma groaned and levered herself off the two men. She grimaced, sore and itchy from the sweat and spunk drying into flakes on her body. She needed a shower. She climbed out of bed and rummaged in her dresser for clean panties and a sweater before heading to the bathroom, surprised she was still able to walk. On her way out she glanced at the bed. Jake had shifted closer to Duncan and the two men were wrapped around each other. She admired their sleek limbs and the curve of Jake’s ass, wishing she could join them and sleep the day away.
Chapter 10
“What do you mean, they’re not here?” Emma ran her hands through her hair, frustrated.
“I was on bus duty and I heard Ms. Brown talking to the principal. He’d been asking about Samantha and Jonathan and she told him they weren’t in school today. Mr. Williams seemed upset when she told him,” Portia said, standing near the circulation desk.
Emma sighed, listening to the low hum of students shuffling through the halls on their way to class. “Did Ms. Brown know where they were? She’s in charge of attendance. Maybe they’re sick?”
Portia shook her head. “Nope. She told him that they probably wouldn’t be back. Mr. Williams got angry and stomped off. I have no idea why he would get so crazy about it. They were here yesterday. A lot of kids skip once in a while. But I heard him ask Ms. Brown if they were sick and she very clearly said no.” The older woman scanned a few books and stacked them on a cart. Emma watched her line up the spines, wondering if she dared called Samantha or Jonathan at home. Then Portia sighed and Emma looked up. “Something weird is happening.”
Emma nodded. “Yeah. Samantha and Jonathan were really upset yesterday when I spoke to them.”
“You talked to them? Yesterday?” Portia asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“I think they left school early yesterday, too,” Portia said, frowning. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I don’t know either, Portia. I think I’m going to call them at home, see if they’re okay.”
A half hour later Emma rubbed her forehead, wishing she hadn’t called.
You couldn’t have known, honey, Jake thought at her from her kitchen at home. She sighed, putting her face down on her desk. The cool surface helped her headache.
Listen to Jake, he’s right, Duncan thought. Emma closed her eyes and watched him smear cream cheese over a bagel. She could clearly see him sitting in the sun in her kitchen as he and Jake ate breakfast. She wished she were back at home with them instead of sitting in her office, ignoring the class in the library. Thank God Portia can handle the lesson, she thought, then jumped when her office door slammed open.
“Ms. Bell!”
Emma looked up and winced as the sharply-dressed vice principal walked over to her. Ms. Brown seemed unusually abrasive today, the sharp angles of her face accenting her mood.
“What can I do for you, Cynthia?” Emma said tiredly, standing up. Behind the woman she saw Portia quietly ease the office door shut and she nodded her thanks. In the back of her mind she sensed Duncan and Jake finishing up in the kitchen.
“I want to know what you said to those students yesterday,” the vice principal said, her voice hard.
“What students?” Emma asked, playing dumb. I’ll be damned if I’m going to roll over for you, she thought at the woman. She wished the telepathy extended into non-bonded people, but no such luck.
You go, girl! she felt Duncan send. Emma had to struggle not to laugh. She didn’t think the angry woman in front of her would appreciate the levity right now.
“Jonathan Carmetta and Samantha Woolsey,” Ms. Brown stated. She stared at Emma, her brown eyes hard and cold.
Emma wrinkled her brow, wondering why the woman was so worked up. She knows something, Jake thought. Emma sensed him getting in the car with Duncan.
Like what? She sent back to him. She felt him shrug.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Emma said to the woman, confused. She wasn’t going to tell Ms. Brown about giving out her phone number to the students. She didn’t think she would approve. Emma had a hard time convincing her about bonding when the students first came down with symptoms. Ms. Brown had argued that Jonathan and Samantha should be separated at all times, citing morality issues. Emma knew the vice principal was extremely conservative, but she never expected the Ms. Brown’s beliefs to translate into cruelty. Emma could still remember the look of anguish on the kids’ faces as the woman spoke.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Ms. Brown hissed. Emma’s eyes widened as the woman stepped closer. “You’re the teacher that encouraged their bond. I haven’t forgotten your part in allowing it to happen.”
Emma stopped temporizing. There was no way she was going to let this woman walk all over her. Not about this. “Ms. Brown, Samantha and Jonathan were bonded. Are bonded. Separating them would only have caused them more pain. I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but the truth is that those students needed to be near each other. If we hadn’t convinced their parents to let them stay together, both of them would have gone into shock that first night. Haven’t you seen the reports about bonding?” Emma straightened her shoulders. “It’s permanent. The scientists don’t know why this is happening or how, but that doesn’t change the reality.” Emma felt Duncan and Jake in the back of her thoughts, sending her strength and she inhaled, trying to calm herself down. She wasn’t going to let Ms. Brown intimidate her.
“It’s immoral! The violation of the mind, the sanctity of thought, it goes against everything human,” Ms. Brown stated as though Emma hadn’t spoken. “Just because we had to allow it doesn’t mean it was right. Someone needs to put a stop to such things.”
“What were you going to do?” Emma asked, eyeing the vice principal nervously. She didn’t like the look in her eye. “They would have run away together if we’d kept them apart.” Ms. Brown crowded closer and Emma stepped back, not sure if standing up to her was worth getting into a physical altercation. What the hell was the woman doing? She reached up to rub her forehead again, and quick as a viper the vice principal grabbed her arm and shoved up the sleeve of Emma’s sweater.