Teacher’s Pet Anthology Volume Two from NineStar Press Featuring Eight Stories of Lessons Outside the Classroom by authors Lee Welch, Elizabeth Coldwell, Elna Holst, Riza Curtis, Danielle Wayland, Karmen Lee, Morwen Navarre & Maryn Blackburn
Title: Teacher’s Pet, Volume Two
Author: Lee Welch, Elizabeth Coldwell, Elna Holst, Riza Curtis, Danielle Wayland, Karmen Lee, Morwen Navarre, Maryn Blackburn
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: October 22, 2018
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male, Female/Female
Length: 75900
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Historical, fantasy, magic, historical, college, contemporary, grief, bdsm, athlete, friends to lovers, vacation, cleric, holiday
Eight Stories of Lessons Outside the Classroom
- A Spell for Master Vervain by Lee Welch
Apprentice magicians aren’t supposed to fall for their masters, but after a year of longing, Kit is desperate for Master Vervain. Kit casts a forbidden spell to raise an incubus doppelganger of his master—oh, the things he’ll do with that incubus! But Kit’s invoking forces he can’t control and anything can happen when love and magic are mixed.
- Finding the Words by Elizabeth Coldwell
On a simple night out, Brendan’s life changed forever. He gave up college lecturing for the world of private tutoring. He may be a virtual recluse, but at least he’s safe. When student Zack approaches him for help with understanding poetry, he’s reluctant to take him on, afraid any connection to his old life might stir up the memories.
Being around Zack awakens long-buried desires in Brendan. He wants to act on his impulse to get closer, but he needs to find the words to say how he really feels.
- The Silent Treatment by Elna Holst
Reverend Jane Sinclair has been preaching nothing but fire and brimstone lately. After being dumped by her long-term partner, her mood has been going from bad to worse, and it deteriorates further when her vicar strong-arms her into going off on a yoga retreat. Once she arrives at Serenity Farms, however, the sultry and playfully dominant yoga instructor soon has her singing quite a different tune. A very, very quiet one.
- One Small Step by Riza Curtis
Student mage Ilya regrets not paying more attention in class when he teleports two hundred miles instead of the hundred yards he was supposed to go. Concussed, exhausted, and completely underdressed for the bitter winter weather, Ilya is rescued by the handsome Søren.
Sparks fly between the two mages while Ilya recovers, but Ilya must return home. Unable to use his magic and not skilled enough to attempt teleporting back, even if he could, Søren insists on making the journey with him. But train rides and bandits reveal something more between them.
- Shedding Doubt by Danielle Wayland
Twenty-six-year-old Grayson is on a mission to get the most out of his gym membership, but when he goes at it too hard on his first day and slips off the treadmill, embarrassment makes him want to quit. Heath, a gym rat, rushes to his aid and offers to help. Initially suspicious of his motives, Grayson reluctantly accepts his help.
The more time they spend together, the more their friendship grows. They both have internal battles keeping them apart, but a Halloween party might just be the place to have a heart-to-heart.
- Academic Temptations by Karmen Lee
Twenty-three-year-old Savannah Archer has kept her sexuality buried for years out of fear of being ostracized by her disapproving community. After getting pregnant in high school and putting off college for five years to raise her son, she is finally attending college—away from the prying eyes.
In her first class of the semester, she meets Anetta Springs, who is not only her professor, but also her academic advisor, and the attraction is immediate. Savannah and Anetta both know that the potential consequences of a teacher-student relationship are life-changing, but a book club and a meddling sister may not give them a choice.
- The Sidhe’s Apprentice by Morwen Navarre
For anyone serious about magic, studying with a Sidhe Master is essential. Alistair Brady is very serious, and when he’s chosen at a Calling—a search by the Sidhe for new students—he’s elated. However, his assigned Master, Cianán, doesn’t want a new student and makes it painfully obvious.
Despite Cianán’s disdain, Alistair is determined to learn magic. But Alistair has difficulty finding the place inside where magic lives, and even the simplest spells continue to elude him. He just needs to figure out what’s missing, while trying not to let his growing attraction to the cold and aloof Cianán show. It takes a backfiring spell to show both Alistair and Cianán exactly what’s missing to make Alistair’s magic come alive.
- Press “Copy” to Begin by Maryn Blackburn
Dr. Marissa Muniz worked hard to earn her Ph.D., so she is rightfully outraged when she detects plagiarism in the work of wealthy grad student. When Muniz confronts Libby Highsmith, the young woman begs for a second chance.
Ms. Highsmith must propose a new master’s thesis and design a project to serve as punitive measures. Muniz accepts the thesis proposal but balks at the project—a replica of the paddle used in private schools and a contract promising secrecy.
Exclusive Excerpt from One Small Step by Riza Curtis
The first indication that something had gone terribly wrong was the ricocheting pain that rattled through Ilya’s head as a tree branch smacked it. Then his knees and hands fought for attention as he collided with the ground, landing hard in a pile of freezing white stuff. Ilya stared at the ground in dismay. There shouldn’t be snow in the school gym, or trees either, for that matter.
“No, I imagine there shouldn’t be.”
Ilya scrambled backward at the sound of someone’s voice, shifting onto his knees in an attempt to get up, but he collapsed forward into the snow once more. The speaker was a short distance away, leaning against a tree. A tall man, dressed rather more sensibly than Ilya, in a thick winter coat and hiking boots. Just looking at him made Ilya feel the cold more where the icy snow was seeping through his flimsy trousers. He gritted his teeth and forced himself back onto his knees.
“Where am I?” he asked.
“Obviously, not where you’re meant to be,” the man replied, concern tinged his tone as he moved closer. “Are you okay?” He offered a gloved hand, which Ilya accepted, and helped him up. Ilya swayed when he was released onto his own two feet, overcome with an exhaustion he hadn’t realized he felt.
“Steady,” the man cautioned, wrapping an arm around Ilya’s shoulder for support. “You might have a concussion. Do you know where you are?”
Ilya managed to shake his head, but words were beyond him.
The man frowned, worry visible on his face. “We’re in Ambergate Forest.”
The name was vaguely familiar so Ilya searched his brain, trying to recall where he had seen it before. Ambergate… Ambergate Valley? But that was on the other side of the country!
“A-ambergate?” he repeated dumbly when his mouth finally worked.
The stranger glanced up at what little they could see of the sky from beneath the trees. “I think we should worry about that later. We need to get inside.”
As if on cue, fresh powdery stuff began to fall, instantly covering the world in a clean layer of white and dropping the temperature even further. Ilya had never seen snowfall so thick before. Shivers racked his body and he tried to take a step forward, but the man shook his head and picked him up bodily as if he weighed nothing. Ilya was upside down, leaning over the man’s shoulder before he even managed to let out a noise of protest. It was ignored anyway.
“I think this conversation should be continued inside—” The man eyed the sky warily. “—hopefully, before you come down with hypothermia.” The smooth voice was now much closer to Ilya’s head, and he nodded before it dawned on him that the man couldn’t see him.
They moved through the trees at a speed that Ilya thought would have been impossible even before he had been thrown through the air and half-frozen. His helper was nimble and managed to pick a path that avoided the low-hanging branches with ease.
Heat seemed to seep into Ilya from where he was pressed against the other man. He wanted to bury himself in the warmth and sleep for a million years. How the man was so hot in the frigid atmosphere was beyond Ilya’s understanding, but he wasn’t sure that he cared about the hows and whys all that much.
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