Free Summer's Temptation by Ashley Lynn Willis

toward the front of the room. Mr. Westbrook’s staring at where I’m nibbling my lip. Startled, I suck my entire bottom lip into my mouth and sit up straighter. His gaze goes from my mouth to my eyes, and he blushes.
    “Oh, girrrl,” Freddy says. “I think you just gave Mr. Westbrook a woody.”
    The guy who sits behind us chuckles.
    I slap Freddy on the arm. “You’re a dumbass.”
    Freddy leans in close so the guy behind us can’t eavesdrop. “I bet you could skip the rest of the summer and still get an A if you brought a lollipop to class on Wednesday.”
    “All right, class. Let’s begin,” Mr. Westbrook says, his fair cheeks ruddy.
    I nudge Freddy away and pull out my notebook and pen. There’s no way Mr. Westbrook is attracted to me. I’m his student, and that’s just wrong… and a little titillating. I mean, he’s not that much older than me, so it’s not a big deal if he finds me interesting as more than a student. Right?
    Wrong. The last thing I need is Mr. Hotter-Than-Hell Westbrook staring at my lips during class. That’s a recipe for losing focus. My heart beats double time at the thought of his mouth on mine, our tongues intertwined, his arms wrapped around my waist while I tangle my hands in his curly dark hair. I’m missing the lecture, but I can’t break away from my fantasy.
    Arg! Who knew crushes could be as bad for my grades as a breakup?
    I blink hard and grab my pencil to take notes. Mr. Westbrook’s saying something about an extra credit assignment, but I missed the first part. His eyes are on me, and it’s my turn to blush. Could he tell I was lost with him in another world? I know the idea’s ridiculous, but the way he’s watching makes me wonder.
    Freddy snickers. When Mr. Westbrook looks away, Freddy leans close and whispers, “I think our teacher’s found a pet.”
    “I am not his pet.”
    Mr. Westbrook glances at us, and I brace myself for an admonishment. Inside, I’m smug. Teacher’s pets don’t get into trouble for talking during class. That’ll show Freddy.
    Mr. Westbrook smiles at me. “Since Miss Faye was kind enough to supply material for the book I’m currently working on, I’d like to extend extra credit to her or anyone else who writes a case study of publishable quality.”
    I’m sure I’m red from my hairline down to my soles. When I shift uncomfortably in my seat, Mr. Westbrook goes back to lecturing.
    Freddy snickers again and leans in. “Told you so.”
    Denying it won’t do any good. Worst of all, I’m not sure I mind being his pet. Or his anything else for that matter, and that could be a problem. For my sanity, my scholarship, and my heart.

Chapter 6
    I ’m in the parking lot of Lakewater Marina, leaning against my car and waiting for Dylan to finish applying sunscreen to Hannah’s back. I shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but they’re only a few feet to my left, so it’s hard to avoid overhearing.
    “You know you’re the prettiest girl at Vandeveer, right?” Dylan asks Hannah while rubbing lotion onto her shoulders.
    Her lips tip up at the corners as she raises her hair so he can get at her neck. “You really think so?”
    She’s not stupid. She knows that other girls are better looking than her, but she wants to be the prettiest to Dylan. I understand. I wanted to be the prettiest to Wyatt too.
    Dylan leans in and whispers so low I can’t hear what he says, but his words make Hannah giggle. She spins around, wraps her arms around Dylan’s neck, and kisses him, long and soft. Just watching them makes me blush, so I pivot and grab my beach bag from the backseat of my car.
    After a rocky couple of days, things seem back to normal between them. Hannah forgave him for not telling her he’d had a fuck buddy, but she’d been mopey for a few days, wondering if Dylan was keeping other secrets. He’d finally convinced her his fuck buddy wasn’t a secret; he’d just forgotten about the girl.
    “You coming to the beach with us?” I ask