His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

28. A birthday surprise

Thing are going to be getting MUCH hotter between Sera and Mr Marek! If you can't wait to find out what happens, you can get the full book of His Model Student on Amazon Kindle, iBooks, Smashwords and Lulu (paperback). Just click the "Buy on Amazon" link below and the whole, HOT story will be yours...

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[RECAP: Mr Marek still utterly refuses to make any kind of move on Sera, even though she just turned eighteen.]

At the end of the session Mr Marek was still in a dark mood so Sera didn't dare repeat her request for a birthday kiss.

Inwardly she was crushed but determined not to show it.

As Mr Marek opened the front door to let her out, she saw a silver sports car parked right outside, with a blond man emerging from it. Sera wasn't an expert when it came to cars but it looked very sleek and expensive.

The man approached up the front path and instantly gave her the eye. He was tall, like Mr Marek, and good looking in a somewhat languid, dissipated way. He wore a flawlessly cut grey jacket.

"Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" His tone was lazily curious, with a suggestive innuendo behind it.

"You're not. She was just leaving." Mr Marek looked annoyed. He obviously knew the man but Sera couldn't tell whether he had been expecting him or not.

The blond man looked at him and then at Sera. "Don't tell me you're giving private art lessons, Tarq?" His eyes, heavy-lidded, skimmed up and down Sera, making her feel as exposed as if she had just slipped off her robe.

Yet he was undeniably attractive. Certainly Lois's type.

"I'm Sera." Trying not to let him realise that his brazen eyeing-up had had any effect on her, she held out her hand.

The blond man took it. His grasp was warm and firm. "Lionel. A very old friend of Tarquin's. And I suspect you're a deliciously new one?"

Sera almost laughed except she caught Mr Marek's gaze and saw that he was furious. His tone masked irritation when he spoke. "Lionel and I were at art college together, and he's shown some of my paintings in his gallery."

"Which is exactly why I'm here. To discuss your new collection, which I'm still waiting for."

"Which you can keep waiting for."

Lionel was unruffled by his friend's attitude. "I am endlessly patient. Why don't we all have a drink if you don't want to talk business?" He turned to Sera. "I've been trying to persuade our mutual friend" - he drew out "mutual friend" - "to actually pick up a brush and paint me something I can sell. Now I'm beginning to realise why he's holed away up here, distracted from his work."

He shot Sera a wickedly sexy grin and she blushed.

"You're holding up Sera, she needs to leave." There was now an icy edge to Mr Marek's voice.

"Am I? Surely you're not in that much of a hurry to get away, are you? It's not like Tarq to chase women away. Just one drink. Perhaps Sera can help persuade you where I've failed?"

Mr Marek glared at him. "A drink won't be possible, I have other things to attend to."

"You attend to them, and I'll attend to the lovely Sera." Lionel gave her another flirtaious grin.

The compliment and his shamelessly seductive tone made Sera blush. She was aware Lionel was just playing about, deliberately and very successfully managing to rile Mr Marek.

The art teacher tightened his jaw. "Go inside," he told his friend. "I'll be there in a minute."

His will was stronger and Lionel had to concede.

"Very well. At least I now know what the attraction is for you in this place." Lionel actually gave Sera a wink before going into inside the house and out of view.

Sera was about to go when Mr Marek spoke her name.

"Sera."

She stopped. Turned back to him.

"Happy birthday." He leant down and briefly brushed her lips with his.

It was like fire. Like ice. She felt a jolt in the pit of her stomach. Shock and instant desire.

But he turned abruptly and went back into the house, leaving her frozen to the spot and wondering what the hell had just happened.