Free Underneath It All by Scheri Cunningham Page A

dirty fantasies about Joseph Lowry.
    "Aliyah, that's not your business," Paige stated. "Besides, we're just friends," she added a little too quickly and fervently. Aliyah raised her brows and sat in her seat. Paige went back to grading papers, attempting to hide her face. She knew her cheeks were flushed and Aliyah didn't need any more ammunition in this conversation.
    The morning went by as usual. She taught three classes and had lunch. Paige got along well with her students and she liked being a teacher. Most days were a little exhausting but she enjoyed her job. Today, though, she felt like she couldn't quite concentrate on what she was doing. Nothing felt quite right; she stumbled over her words and couldn't get into a groove. The honest truth was that she couldn't stop thinking of the quick flashes of sex that had run through her mind this morning. And, she couldn’t stop thinking about this odd surprise Joseph had told her about.
    Paige finally made it to prep hour. She sat in her chair, a little tired, and needing a short time to herself before she went to Joseph's room. Her head was spinning from teaching and trying to stuff her sexual fantasies down deep inside.
    She felt nervous and also excited to go see Joseph. It felt a lot different from all the other times she'd gone to hang out with him during prep. Though she'd never bothered before, she popped a mint in her mouth and checked her hair and makeup before she left her room.
    She walked down the hall to Joseph's room and saw him standing in the door, leaning on the door frame, looking her way. He'd been waiting for her. When he saw her, his face lit up and he stood up straight. It made her heart flutter and her stomach flip.
    "Hey," he said.
    "Hey," she responded, trying to act calm and cool. She stepped into the room and her eyes immediately fell on his desk. She flashed back to the fantasies from the morning and her cheeks flushed a little. She turned around to see Joseph locking the door.
    Paige inhaled sharply and she felt the familiar throb between her legs. She could feel her wetness dampening her panties. This must be the moment she's been waiting for. He must be about to tell her that he wants to be more than friends.
    "Come over here," Joseph said. He beckoned her to the back of the room and opened the storage room door. Everything in the room had been moved to the sides so there was a wide open space in the middle. Clearly, Joseph was not about to pledge his undying love to her. And her fantasy with the desk wasn't about to come true, either.
    The room was tight and Joseph reached behind Paige to lock this door, too. His body brushed up against hers as he locked the door. Her breathing became very shallow as she felt his lips near her ear. It would be so easy to show him what she wanted but she wasn't sure he would want it, too. The ache between her legs grew stronger and she longed to release it.
    "Ta-da!" Joseph pointed to the floor. Was this a joke? Maybe Paige was just a fool. He hadn't brought her here to make love to her. He had brought her here to show her an organized storage closet. Was she all wrong about the tension she'd been feeling since he broke up with his girlfriend? It had seemed so real, maybe it was all on her side. She must have been imagining it. She smiled, not wanting to betray her disappointment.
    "Looks good," Paige said. "You must have spent a lot of time in here to get it this clean."
    Joseph laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. He squeezed and then released them. He left prickles on her skin where his arm had been.
    "You're not here to see the closet!" He sounded exasperated with her. "Didn't you notice there's a trap door in here?" Joseph leaned down and grabbed an oddly shaped metal tool from the shelf. He opened the large trap door and he and Paige peered down inside.
    "I've been down here a few times." Joseph looked at Paige and could see the reluctance in her eyes. "It's totally OK. It's just a tunnel."
    It