The Monarch Room Read online

  I drew in a shaky breath and dropped my pen realizing I had to go see him. I had to stop being so damn stubborn and realize that Clermont was right. We couldn’t kiss anymore. I would be crushed if we got caught and he lost his job all because I wanted to kiss him as much as he wanted to kiss me.

  I had to be a big girl.

  I had to go to the art exhibit.

  I looked at Brittany Sawyer and rolled my eyes. “I’m here,” I said.

  “Why? Isn’t your father just going to pay for an A? Isn’t that what he did when he donated that sculpture last week?” She snickered quietly and I felt the urge to shove her into one of the expensive sculptures nearby.

  “Girls, I’m glad you both made an effort to come out tonight even if you’re late.” He was Mr. Clermont. He wasn’t Roman. My lips burned with the need to call him by his first name but it was wildly inappropriate.

  “I’m sorry for being late, Mr. Clermont,” I said in a quiet voice.

  “It’s fine. We’ve missed the paintings, which was what I really wanted you to see. Now they’re showing sculptures but I challenge you both to walk around and find sculptures that show movement. Point them out to me as you find them.”

  He pulled a few small rectangles of paper from his pocket and two pencils not bigger than my pinky. “Jot down the names of the art you see and recreate the sculpture any way you can at home but I want it to be a drawing. I want to see how a sculpture translates on to paper.”

  He was hypnotizing. I was having a hard time listening, but I heard him. No matter how gorgeous he was, I had to get those extra credit points. I wasn’t doing well in his class. After looking at everyone else’s work compared to mine, I realized it wasn’t because he was being hard on me. I sucked.

  How did I go through art all these years and not notice it before? The realization that Father was paying for me to pass hit hard. A mixture of fury and helplessness shrouded me.

  I took the slip of paper from Mr. Clermont and we touched fingers. I had to look around briefly to see if anyone else heard the sizzle and pop that sounded when our skin connected. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I was losing my damn mind.

  “Should we walk off alone?” I asked him with a swallow. I noticed Brittany was already gone, exploring pieces. She was such an overachiever. Bitch .

  “You can stick close if you want,” he said with a shrug. I couldn’t tell if he wanted me to be closer to him or if he was being an accommodating teacher.

  When he reached out discretely and hooked his fingers with mine, my heart raced and I realized he was not being an accommodating teacher. “You look beautiful, Zuri.” His breath swept over my skin and gave me goosebumps. It was sweet like champagne. Just as quickly as he grabbed my fingers, he let them go leaving me with a dry mouth and a ribcage threatening to break in half.

  “Thank you.” I managed to croak out. I wished more than anything I could have one of the glasses of champagne floating around. I needed something to wet my mouth. “You look really good too,” I allowed my gaze to take a forbidden trip down his sturdy frame. The way his suit hung on him should have been illegal. His shoulders were broad and strong like the thickest branches of a sequoia. I wanted to climb him.

  “Thank you.” The way he looked at me made me dizzy. I felt naked but I wanted to feel naked because I was hot. I was so fucking hot .

  He took a few steps forward and like I had an invisible string anchored to my hip, I was at his side. We danced around the exhibit that way for ten minutes. Neither of us spoke although I could feel the air being ripe with so many words. They threatened to pour from both of us like a rainstorm.

  I glanced around at the ornate sculptures and tried to find something that inspired me but the only thing I could find was Roman Clermont. He was the only work of art I saw. My head was turned to the left, staring mindlessly at a sculpture of a woman with her back turned and the wind whipping her hair to one side when I was jerked away.

  Roman tugged me behind a massive sculpture of a black tree with a single red apple hanging from one of the branches. When my eyes fell to the brass nameplate I saw: prohibitos autem fructum right before Roman kissed me.

  His mouth crashed into mine; hungry and urgent. The feeling swept me up and I got lost in the moment. I fed him my tongue and he pressed me against the massive trunk of the tree. I wished we could sink inside of the sculpture away from prying eyes.

  I shut my eyes and let my fingers see for me as I stroked his neck, his face, and his shoulders. I wanted him to have his way with me. I was so drunk on our kiss that I was trembling. And even though my eyes were closed everything swayed.

  I curled my fingers around his tie, making a fist. I pulled him closer to me even though we were already touching. Touching wasn’t enough. I wanted to absorb him.

  How could one kiss commit arson and set fire to my insides scorching me until ash was the only thing left? My thighs ached and throbbed, pushing pulsing tingles up to the hottest parts of me.

  I’d touched myself plenty of times and imagined sexy men more than I cared to count but nothing made me as wet as kissing Roman behind the forbidden fruit sculpture. My nails scraped against the stubble scattered across his squared jaw while his hands slid down to my ass. The way he squeezed me…I thought I would pop. I wanted to pop. I’d never wanted to pop so badly in my life.

  It hurt to pull away from him. He backed away slowly like he’d finally come to his senses. Normally, I loved logic and explanations but not right then. I had no explanation and logic was long gone. All I wanted was him.

  “I—I don’t know what the fuck came over me, Zuri.”

  “I don’t know either but I liked it. I want more.” I let go of his tie and he straightened it before clearing his throat.

  “Me too. Fuck . What the hell are we doing?” He stepped back again and shook his head. I made the mistake of looking down and seeing the thick dick print in his pants. It did nothing for the throbbing between my legs. It made everything worse, actually.

  “I don’t know,” I answered shakily. It was true too. I had no idea what we were doing. I was out of my league with him. I’d kissed boys before but no boy ever made me feel like I was falling into the sky like Roman did.

  “Mr. Clermont, I found a few sculptures that really spoke to me. Can you come look at them with me?” Brittany appeared out of nowhere and I wondered if she could see Roman’s fingerprints on my ebony skin. I wondered if they glowed bright blue like UV light.

  “Um, sure, Miss Sawyer.” He looked at me like he didn’t want to leave me but honestly we needed to be apart before one of us lost our sanity and we started kissing again. I needed to think.

  “Zuri you can’t hog the teacher,” she laughed but it was petty and it grated on my nerves.

  “Miss Okolo, are you gonna be okay on your own for a few minutes?” His warm hazelnut pools begged me to understand and I did. He had to put on his Mr. Clermont mask again. I gave a short nod and a smile that didn’t travel to my eyes.

  I watched Brittany walk off with him, chattering and I sagged against the tree sculpture.

  Holy fuck. I just kissed my art teacher .

  It wasn’t a little kiss either. It was a kiss that snatched the soul from my body and made me want more. It was a kiss that made me tremble, and made wetness saturate my panties.

  Why weren’t Roman’s kisses listed as highly addictive drugs? They should have been class one drugs. I was already hooked and I needed more. I needed all of his kisses.

  Once my legs stopped shaking, I walked over to the sculpture of the girl with the blowing hair and wrote down the name of the art: Invisible Girl .

  From where I stood, I could tell Brittany was flirting with Roman relentlessly. She giggled loudly and she kept leaning forward, hoping her cleavage would spill out. His eyes never left the art in front of him.

  She was bombing.

  The thought made me snicker a bit. Still…after that kiss I was possessive. I walked toward them and stood nearby
. I could tell he noticed me the moment his back went stiff and his head turned to the right.

  “Miss Okolo, I’m glad you’re here. We’re about wrapped up at the exhibit.” He looked at the slip of paper in my hand, then into my eyes. I couldn’t explain it but when he looked into my eyes, I felt like I was freefalling.

  “I found one piece that I liked,” I told him, holding out the paper. He read the words I wrote and smiled at me.

  “Very good. I’d like to see your finished drawings by Monday.”

  “Yes, Mr. Clermont,” Brittany grinned. “Is it okay if I have mine in by tomorrow?”

  “I’d prefer you took the weekend to really research and soak in the piece you chose, Brittany. It’s Thursday now, taking Friday and the weekend to really get into it is a good idea.”

  “Okay, I can do that.” Brittany didn’t seem pleased that she couldn’t show off with Roman. She swallowed her pride and glared at me. “You only wrote down one piece of art?” Her tone was so condescending. “What if it doesn’t speak to you once you get home? You should have picked more than one.”

  “I’m fine with this one,” I spoke from between clenched teeth.

  “Whether you picked one or four, it doesn’t matter. All I care about is that something spoke to you tonight.” Roman’s eyes lingered on mine and I tried not to blush.

  “I suppose,” Brittany sighed.

  The walk outside was quiet and awkward with Brittany wedged between us like a giant third wheel. I had so many questions I wanted to ask Roman. My palm itched with the need to be pressed against his and my lips burned with the need to connect to his mouth again.

  Brittany had to go.

  “Do you two have the permission slip I handed out in class?” He asked, swinging his gaze from Brittany to me. He tried not to stare at me for too long.

  “I do,” Brittany fished around in her bag and pulled it out, placing it in Roman’s hand.

  “Thank you Miss Sawyer. Miss Okolo?” He used the moment to probe me with his beautiful brown eyes.

  “Can I bring it to you in the morning? I left it at home. My father did sign it though. I can assure you.”

  “Next time we have an extra credit assignment that is off school grounds, I’ll need you to do better. I could get in trouble for having students away from school without their parents’ knowledge. Bring me that permission slip immediately.” His tone was stern but his eyes were a different story. They were soft and asking for my understanding.

  It seemed everything out of his mouth had a double meaning. He was balancing on a thin line between Roman and Mr. Clermont.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Clermont. You won’t get in trouble, will you?” I asked. I really didn’t intend to get him in hot water and I’d do whatever I had to so that didn’t happen.

  “I need to turn in the permission slips by tomorrow morning. Have it to me by then, okay?”

  “Yes, Mr. Clermont.” I sent a quick text to Duke to come pick me up even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn’t know how to get Brittany out of the way so I could ask Roman all the questions surging through my mind.

  “You ladies do have rides back home, right? I can’t leave you until I know that you have a ride home. Your parents signed the permission slip knowing that transportation must be provided to and from the event.” Right on cue, the black Escalade pulled up and my driver got out, holding back door open for me.

  “I was planning to catch the bus back home,” Brittany said.

  “Miss Sawyer, you have to have reliable transportation home. I can’t send you off on the bus. Why did your parents sign the slip if they couldn’t provide a ride home at least?” The space between his brows creased when they crashed together.

  “I don’t know,” she stammered.

  “Listen, I can give you a ride home but I don’t want to get in trouble for it.” His shoulders slumped and his demeanor changed. He was agitated.

  “I won’t say a word, I swear.” Brittany held her hand over her heart and grinned. She wanted to get him alone.

  “You don’t have to do that. I can have my driver take you home, Brittany.” The words leaped out of my mouth before I knew what was happening. Roman looked at me and smiled a little.

  “Honestly, yes, that’s the best thing. I have to stop past the school anyway. Enjoy the rest of your night, ladies. He smiled and my chest nearly cracked open my heart was beating so fast.

  “You don’t have to take me home, Zuri,” Brittany’s eyes narrowed as she glared at me.

  “It’s not a problem, right, Duke?” I nudged my driver a bit and he smiled at Brittany then opened the door for her. Thank goodness for Duke. Once the door was open, Brittany couldn’t just stand there defiantly so she got in after muttering something under her breath.

  “I’ll see you in class , Miss Okolo?” Desire burned bright in Roman’s eyes and I caught every inflection of his double meaning.

  “Yes, Mr. Clermont. I’ll be there.” We stood there for a few extra seconds, then he waved goodbye and headed in the opposite direction. That man set my insides on fire and I needed to feel him. All of him.

  “You really didn’t have to do this,” Brittany said again once I was seated beside her.

  “It’s fine. It’s too late for you to take the bus anyway. Did your mom really sign the permission slip?” I asked.

  “No,” she admitted, looking down at her nails. “To be honest, I wanted to get the extra credit and see Mr. Clermont outside of the Monarch Room. He’s so damn fine,” she sighed.

  “Mr. Clermont?” I squeaked. My throat grew tight and dry. I looked out of the window at the buildings zipping by.

  “You don’t think he’s fine? Girl, I wanted to be alone with him in his car so bad. I bet he smells good.”

  “So, essentially you think I was cock-blocking?”

  “You totally were. It’s okay though. You didn’t know.” She patted my knee and I rolled my eyes.

  “I don’t think Mr. Clermont is the type to mess around with students, He didn’t even want to take you home because he might have gotten in trouble.”

  “True. I’m willing to be the one who changes his mind though.” She gave Duke directions to her house and we pulled up after a few minutes. “Thank you, Zuri.” She sighed before hopping out. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Brittany,” I waved. The moment the door closed I sank down in my seat and pushed out a breath.

  “Home, Miss Okolo?”

  “Yes, Duke. Thank you.” I rolled up the partition and put my earbuds in. I needed Whitney right then. I scrolled through my playlist and tapped Could I have This Kiss Forever . I listened with my eyes closed, remembering how Roman’s lips felt on mine. I skimmed my fingertips across my bottom lip, remembering his taste and smell.

  How could one kiss burn into my memory like that?

  I already remembered it like it was my favorite song.

  My eyes popped open when the truck suddenly came to a stop. Were we home already? Yup. We were. I stared at the empty driveway and sighed. At least my father wasn’t there. That meant I could sneak out and go back to school.

  “Miss Okolo, are you going to be alright tonight alone?” Duke asked as I hopped out of the back seat.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” He never asked me if I’d be okay at home alone before and Duke had been driving me back and forth for the past four years.

  “I was just checking. Normally Dr. Okolo is home at this hour.”

  “Yeah but he’s probably working late. Who knows? I’m fine, Duke. Thank you.” I watched from the porch as he drove off, then I went inside and pressed my back against the front door. All the nerves from tonight came crashing down on my head and I thought I would hyperventilate.

  I had to see Roman again.

  I pulled the curtain back from the front window and looked to make sure my driver was gone. When I realized I was completely alone, I hopped in my car and sped toward Aspen Grove.

  **

  When I
pulled up, I saw a lone car in the faculty parking lot. I walked past the sleek black Lexus and to the side door of the school. I remembered that it was always unlocked for some reason. Something about the lock being broken.

  I went to the most prestigious private school in the state but they couldn’t fix a broken lock? I tugged on the door a few times and it swung open with a squeak. When it was dark and nobody was around, that squeak sounded like the loudest thing known to mankind. My heels weren’t helping matters either. I slid them off the moment I was inside and crept down the hallways like a ninja until I saw a soft glow emanating from behind the closed doors of the Monarch Room.

  I steadied my breathing and knocked twice.

  What the hell was I doing?

  What if Roman didn’t want me to come back to school to see him? What if he really meant it when he said he’d see me in class? What if I was being a crazy stalker? What if—

  The door opened and Roman’s eyes pierced me before my next thought could escape. His strong hand yanked me inside then shut the door. There were no words and for once, my mind wasn’t aching for them. I don’t think words would have fit in that space between us.

  “Zuri,” he called to me, his long fingers pushing through my curls. I laced his tie between my fingers and tugged his tall frame closer.

  “Roman…” I swallowed the second before we collided and it felt like I’d taken my final breath before diving under water. This kiss was slower but it ached far deeper than the kiss at the exhibit. This kiss made me hungry and frustrated.

  I’d never been so upset over the fact that I was wearing clothes before. I wanted them gone. I wanted my dress on the floor in shreds. I wanted his suit to turn to vapor and disperse in the air around us.

  Roman lifted me up and I dropped my shoes to the floor one after the other. It was much easier to wrap myself around him that way. “Tell me not to do this to you,” he begged, his forehead resting against mine.

  “Roman, I need you to do this to me. I can’t stop thinking about you. Everything is you. Every breath is you. I. Need. This.” His teeth nibbled on my lips then he moved down to my neck and I thought I would combust.