Art teacher Stone Larrabee dreads parent/teacher conferences. One following Christmas break becomes especially awkward, when a man with whom he shared a hot anonymous hookup and a nasty argument afterward walks in. Edison Watts.<br><br>The moment they’re reunited, sexual sparks reignite. Too many conflicts force Stone to decree there can never be anything between them but the one night, though, even as fate keeps throwing them together throughout the school year, and developing feelings become hard to ignore.<br><br>Some problems are easily solved while others, including the reason for Edison’s initial attraction to Stone and the chip on Edison’s shoulder bigger than the high school’s football field, prove more difficult. Stone can teach, but he decides must also be willing to learn and grow. When Edison promises to do the same, can they find a way to make one and one equal two?

Substitute Teacher

“We might as well leave all clothing at the door, then.”


“Your wish is my command.” The jacket and a shirt beneath it went flying. “Too bad that wasn’t on the test.”


“We’ll think about that after. Come look.”


Edison’s awe seemed sincere as he stood before the canvas with the European kissy faces and hundreds of paint strokes. “It’s amazing.”


“The colors are you. Every color I could remember, your flesh, your hair, your eyes.”


“Yes. Highlights here.” Stone ran his fingers through the softness atop Edison’s head. “And the skin is different here,” he touched his cheek, “than here.” Edison shivered when Stone tickled his ribs. “Your lips get darker when you lick them, not just shiny, but maybe more blood pumps through them when you’re…”


“Yeah. There are so many shades that make the blue in your eyes, too.” With Edison’s face in both hands, Stone stared right into them. “I wanted to get every one. They change, you know, when you smile.”


Chapter 32