The Stake

“Just toss it down anywhere.”

She folded the jacket. As she bent down to place it on a cushion, a hand stroked the back of her head and she flinched.

“Sorry. Did I startle you?”

“A little.”

She stood up straight. The hand slipped down to her shoulder. Then both Mr. Kramer’s hands were on her shoulders, gently rubbing them through the heavy denim. Her mouth went dry. Her heart thudded.

“Does that feel good?” he asked.

“Yeah. But... I really can’t stay.”

“I know. We’ll go in a minute. But you like this, don’t you? I know you liked it after school the other day. Really eases the tension.”

He kept on massaging her, squeezing her shoulders, moving to the sides of her neck.

We shouldn’t be doing this, she thought. Not here.

Her head felt heavy. She could hardly hold it up.

His hands eased down along her neck. Under her collar. The top snap of her blouse popped open. And his hands were inside, kneading her shoulders.

“Mr. Kramer,” she murmured.

“Hal. Call me Hal.”

“Hal. I’d better go now. Honest.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “We’re not doing anything wrong.”

It feltwrong. But it felt good, too. Incredibly good.

His big, warm hands curled over her shoulders and down her upper arms. She realized they had taken her bra straps with them. Something low in her belly, something cold, seemed to jump.

“Now, you’re smooth,” he whispered, massaging her shoulders.

“We shouldn’t. This isn’t...”

He brushed his mouth against hers, and the words got lost. “Oh, Lane.” His breath caressed her lips. His hands drifted over her cheeks as softly as a mild breeze. They went away. He kissed her again, his mouth open and warm and tender.

Lane had daydreamed about this. And this was much the same as her daydream. But more exciting. And more frightening. And somehow shameful. She hadn’t expected the feelings of fear and guilt.

It’s already gone too far.

But she felt helpless, trapped by the pull of his moist, warm mouth.

While he kissed her, he popped open the next snap of her blouse. And then the next.

Jesus, she thought.

After the last snap came apart, Hal slid his tongue into her mouth and spread her blouse open.

She turned her face away. His tongue came out of her mouth and spread a wet path across her cheek. “I have to go home,” she gasped. “Right now.”

“This is what you’ve been waiting for,” he said, slipping the blouse off her shoulders. She tried to raise her arms, but he pressed them down and pushed the sleeves off. “It’s what we’ve both been waiting for. You know that.”

“No.”

Embracing her, pinning her arms to her sides, he kissed her wet cheek and unclasped the back of her bra.

“No! I mean it!” She squirmed, but he hugged her hard against him.

“What’s the matter with you?” he asked. She heard no anger in his voice. He sounded confused, even hurt.

“It’s just not right. You’re a teacher.”

“You’ve been trying your best to seduce me. Well, I’m only human. You’ve won. You’ve got me.”

She struggled in his embrace, but he held her fast.

“There’s no reason to be frightened. Just calm down.”

Lane stopped struggling.

“That’s better. That’s much better.” He relaxed his hold. His hands roamed gently over her bare back. “Doesn’t this feel good?”

“I guess so.”

“You’re a very lucky young lady,” he said. “They allwant me. You know that, don’t you?” His hands slid lower. They rubbed her buttocks. “Every female in that school has the hots for me. But only a lucky few actually getme.”

“I want to go home,” Lane said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “Please.”

“I’ll take you home.” He found the button at the hip of her skirt. He opened it and slid the zipper down.

“No!”

“I’ll take you home as soon as we’ve finished.”

The skirt dropped around her feet. He slipped his hands inside the seat of her panties. His fingers kneaded her rump.

“Mr. Kramer, don’t.”

“It’s Hal. Remember?”

He peeled the panties down around her thighs.

“Damn it!” She shoved him.

He stumbled backward and dropped onto a cushion. Sprawled there, he said, “You’re a real disappointment, Lane.”

She bent over. The bra fell away from her breasts, its straps sliding down her arms. She tugged her panties up. Bending lower, the bra drifting down to her wrists, she reached for her skirt. Before she could lift it, Hal stretched out a leg and pinned the skirt to the deck. “Take your foot off.”

His leg jerked back. The skirt, hooked by his heel, tugged sharply at Lane’s boots. Her feet skidded. With a gasp she lurched up straight and waved her arms, flinging her bra through the darkness. Just as she found her balance, Kramer ducked, grabbed the skirt with both hands and yanked it toward him.

Her feet flew out from under her.

“No!” she cried out as she fell.

The edge of a cushion caught her across the rump. Her back slapped the cool surface. She jammed her hands down and pushed herself up.

Kramer stepped between her knees. He grabbed her throat and shoved her down against the pad. With his other hand he punched her just below the sternum.

Pain blasted through Lane’s body. Her breath whooshed out. She wheezed, trying to suck in more, but her lungs didn’t seem to work. Nothing seemed to work. She felt as if her body had exploded apart from the center.

Kramer let go of her throat.

She tried to lift her head but couldn’t.

“You’ll be okay in a minute,” Kramer said, his voice faint through the roaring in her ears. “I hit you in the solar plexus. It’s a nerve ganglion, in case you’re not up on your physiology. Somewhat the equivalent of a man catching one in the nuts. I’m sorry you made me do that to you.”

Lane realized the agony was fading and she could breathe, taking small, painful gulps of air.

“But I’ll do worse,” he said, “if you give me any more trouble.”

She felt one of her boots come off. Then the other. Kramer’s hands moved slowly up her legs.

“We’ll have a long, wonderful relationship, though. In spite of this rather shaky beginning. You’ll see.”

She felt his mouth against the crotch of her panties. She felt his lips and teeth, his squirming tongue. Then