The Teacher

CH 29: SKYLAR

The screen flickers as the Zoom meeting starts, faces of board members popping up in neat little squares. I adjust my tie, lean back in my leather chair, and try to look engaged. They're droning on about quarterly projections and market trends, but my mind is elsewhere. My gaze drifts to the office sofa, where Wren lies curled up, her chest rising and falling in a slow, peaceful rhythm. Her curly brown hair is a tousled halo around her head, and her blouse is still half-unbuttoned, revealing the curve of her collarbone.

I can't believe we stayed in this office for nearly two hours fucking her. The memory of her moans, the way she clawed at my back, is still vivid. I can almost feel her heat lingering on my skin.

"Mr. Styrke, your thoughts?"

I snap back to the screen, where a dozen pairs of eyes are now fixed on me. Shit. I clear my throat and give a curt nod. "We'll need to pivot our strategy if we want to stay ahead. Focus on R&D for the next quarter and cut marketing spend by ten percent."

They murmur their agreements and return to their reports. I steal another glance at Wren. The meeting drags on every minute an eternity. I should wake her and tell her to go home, but a part of me likes seeing her here and likes that she stayed. That I could have her again if I wanted.

"Mr. Styrke, are you still with us?"

"Yes," I say, perhaps too sharply. "That's all for now. We'll reconvene next week."

I end the call and close my laptop; the room is suddenly silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning. I stand and walk over to the sofa, looking down at Wren. Her eyes flutter open, and for a moment, she looks disoriented.

"Skylar," she says, her voice a sleepy whisper. "Did I... did I miss something?"

"No, I just wrapped up a meeting," I say. "You should probably get going. I believe school has let out by now."

"This is probably the last thing you would want to hear coming from your daughters' teacher." She sits up slowly, stretching like a cat. "I took the rest of the day off when I came here to see you. I honestly couldn't think after you left this morning. I needed to see you to clear the air."

"And that we did, and more." I lean over, kissing her on the lips. "I want you to come home with me tonight."

"As in dinner or spending the night? Because if it's the latter, I don't think I should. I don't want things to get complicated, Skylar." Wren says, her voice wavering slightly. She looks away for a moment before meeting my gaze again.

"I know it's not simple," I admit, brushing a strand of curls from her forehead. "But I don't want tonight to be about complications. Let's just enjoy each other's company. Dinner, and if you feel like staying, you stay." There's an earnest plea in my tone, hoping she senses the sincerity behind my words.

She gives me a small nod. "Okay, dinner sounds nice." Her smile warms the office, and something in me relaxes.

"Great," I say with a relieved grin. "I'll cook."

"You cook?" Her eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Occasionally," I chuckle. "I do have to feed my daughters. I don't use nannies all the time."

"Right." She reaches for her purse, and her eyes widen. "Oh, my fucking Crayola. Can we take a rain check?" She stands up, her eyes still glued to her phone.

"Rain check?" I repeat, trying to keep the disappointment from my voice.

Wren looks up from her phone. "I'm so sorry, Skylar. It's my best friend. She was supposed to pick up something important for me today, but just bailed. It's time-sensitive."