A Yearning Beyond Years
“We…shouldn’t be doing this,” Stacey moaned as she felt Noah’s lips kiss the side of her neck.
“Tell me to stop, and I will,” he whispered.
“I’m twelve years older than you; what would the world say?”
“I don’t care what the damn world says. The only thing I care about is the woman in front of me.” He kissed her on that same sensitive spot on her neck.
“So I say again, Professor, tell me to stop and I
will.”
******
32-year-old Stacey Smith's life comes crashing down when she discovers her husband's betrayal. Seeking comfort, her best friend drags her to a club where she ends up having a one-night stand with a stranger.
Stacey is shocked to realize the guy she slept with is one of her students, the popular star basketball player of her school, 20-year-old Noah Baker.
What happens when an unlikely romance blooms between the two? In an era of scrutiny and criticism, how would they handle the world's reaction to their unusual love?
And with Noah’s future hanging on the line, her ex-husband and a new love interest her age after Stacey, would they be able to overcome all the challenges they face, or would they cave in and walk different paths?
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Chapter: Chapter Twelve Stacey’s POV:“Okay, sweetie, you got everything you need?” I adjusted Tessa’s tie and brushed her hair a little to the side. Well, the best one could. Tessa had curly hair that I had no idea where she got that from. Neither I nor Liam had curly hair. “Mommy, are we still getting ice cream after school?” She looked up with an adorable, pleading look. “Sure, my love, just be good in school, and I’ll get you whatever you want.”“I will, Mummy!!!” She yelled, which made me cover my ears.“Tessa, baby, inside voice. Aunty Chloe is still asleep.” She quickly covered her mouth. “Sorry, Mummy.”I grabbed the keys and carried her up in my arms, placing a kiss on her forehead.“It’s okay, my love. Let’s take you to school, hmm? Tessa clung to my shoulder tightly. I carried her out to the car, her arms wrapped lazily around my neck. The early morning sun filtered through the trees, casting a golden glow across the driveway.This fresh air was exactly what you needed. The air was cool and
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Chapter ElevenNoah’s POV: The dining room table was set too perfectly, the kind of setup that screamed, “Company’s over or company is coming .” Silverware sparkled under the light of the chandelier, and wine glasses were filled just enough to feel fancy . I adjusted the collar of my button-down shirt again for what felt like the hundredth time, my jaw clenched tight. I really didn’t want to be here, but I didn’t really have a choice.Sophie sat across from me, her smile a shade too big and her lipstick a shade too vibrant, shining in the glow. Her father, Gerald Matthews, sat next to her like a corporate freaking god. A household name in the world of basketball now, the former professional athlete has friends high up in positions of power and a reputation for making or destroying a young player's careers, so hopefully I will escape. Yup, definitely no chance of that. At the head of the table, I could sense my father's pride and expectation beaming from his eyes as he watched him.“You know, G
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Chapter TenStacey’s POV:I don’t even remember driving home.I could still feel the shape of Noah’s lips on mine, the press of his body, the way he made everything else disappear, even the parts of myself I had tried so hard to keep protected.What were these feelings bubbling within? I hurried out of the car, shivering from the sharp wind slapping my face. Unsteady, my heels reverberated across the stone walkway. After fumbling with the keys, dropping them once, and muttering obscenities, I eventually succeeded in opening the door. At home. I hurriedly exited the vehicle and entered. I had no idea how I got home, but I did. I was having trouble breathing by the time I reached inside.You need a hot bath. Maybe that would calm your senses and wash away what just happened.With my hands gripping the metal meant for towels so tightly that I could feel the tremor in my arms, I leaned against the sink. I kept thinking about my reflection, which was staring back at me with red-rimmed, exhausted eye
Last Updated: 2025-06-14
Chapter: Chapter NineStacey’s POV: We drove for about 20 min before we were finally at Larry’s ice cream shop. I remembered it being Chloe’s and my favorite stop. We parked and I turned back to see Noah’s car behind us.Was really hoping he might have changed his mind. “come on, let’s go” Chloe excitedly stepped out going into the shopI walked out behind her as Noah approached me “So ice cream huh?” He glanced at me with a mischievous smile “Yeah, Chloe and I love the ice cream here.” We stepped in and found Chloe had already ordered and was in a private booth.We all sat there for a bit waiting for the ice cream to arrive. The shop was quiet as it was a bit empty. “Why is the shop empty?” I asked looking around.“oh yeah, it’s closing and relocating to a new branch” Chloe answered and I nearly choked in my ice cream “Really!? I didn’t know,” “Yeah! I helped them with the paperwork and everything” she added“So you’re like a really good lawyer huh?” Noah finally said “Well I wouldn’t say real
Last Updated: 2025-06-14
Chapter: Chapter EightStacey’s POV:If only the ground would open so I can just hop inside and it could swallow me whole.No one moved. No one blinked. The sound of Noah’s voice still was all anyone could hear. “Yes, I had sex with Stacey last night… and I’m her student.”My lungs weren’t working. My heart wasn’t beating. At least, it didn’t feel like it.It felt like I was watching myself from outside my own body, as if the real me had run screaming from the courtroom the second that video started playing.Cunning bitch!I had no idea how they got that video or even how Noah agreed to this. Are you serious? He only ever just wanted you for your body, or worse, this was just a whole plan by Agatha… That night… the sex… everything I felt something awful at the pit of my stomach as I moved back to my seat.Agatha looked calm. Smug, even.Liam leaned forward, whispering something to her, but I couldn’t make out the words. Whatever it was, she didn’t respond. She just sat there, arms folded like a queen ove
Last Updated: 2025-06-13
Chapter: Chapter SevenStacey’s POV: “Are you ready?” Chloe asked as she prepared the papers.We were still in her car, the courthouse building looming over us.“I’m not sure, girl. I mean, I could lose my baby girl after this.” I have been paranoid all through. I really didn’t want to lose Tessa; she was the only thing that mattered to me now, and losing her to that witch and my so-called soon-to-be ex-husband will be the last thing I do. “You won’t lose her, my love; I’ve got you. Have I ever lost a case before?” Chloe tried reassuring me. “Yeah, a few,” I answered bluntly. “Jeez, girl, I was hoping for a no. That was savage.” She carried her briefcase, and we stepped out of the car. “You’re right. I’m sorry, it’s just a lot.”“It’s okay, I got you, Cece.” With a deep breath, we stepped into the court. To my side, I saw Liam and Agatha. She wrapped her arms around him, and I just knew she did that out of spite. We took our seats as the trial began.The judge entered, and everyone stood up on cue. My
Last Updated: 2025-06-12
Chapter: Chapter 16Hannah’s POV:“You know, I’ve missed you.” Hayes whispered in my ear, his voice hinting at dark intentions. “I’ve missed the way your skin feels, missed the way your lips taste.”My body weight felt heavy, like I couldn’t hold myself up for long. My frame swayed, and Hayes brought my head to rest on his shoulder.“All your toughness has evaporated,” he chuckled as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “This is how you’re meant to be, meek and submissive.”My vision began to blur, objects in the environment dividing into two. At this point, I was now half conscious. “Did…you drug…the drink?” My speech came out slurred. Hayes put a finger against my lips. “Shush!” He hissed.“Let’s not waste this moment with who did what.” He slowly took my head off his shoulder, holding it in his hand as he stood up. “Let’s just enjoy it.”My stomach churned when Hayes carried me up from where I sat and laid me flat on the floor. His eyes scanned my defenseless body like a sugar-crazed toddl
Last Updated: 2025-06-15
Chapter: Chapter 15Hannah’s POV:It was almost the close of work at the company, and I tried to focus on completing my work for the day. Josh had still not returned from his educational trip. The last time I texted him, he said the mentor he went to see invited him to stay over, and he was having so much fun. He promised to be back as soon as he could, though. Great! If he only knew his unexpected trip ruined my plans to take him as a date to my parents’. Although everything seemed to work out somehow with Adam volunteering to go with me instead. I could still remember how shocked I was that he actually volunteered by himself to go because those kinds of things weren’t something he’d do. It was the opposite of the cold, hard exterior he put out.But I wasn’t complaining; in fact, he had been my first thought, but I didn’t ask him because I didn’t want to bother him.I put in some finishing touches to the file I was stacking on my laptop when I saw Selena walking over to me. “Hi, Hannah,” she waved as
Last Updated: 2025-06-10
Chapter: Chapter 14Hannah’s POV:The surface of my palm was a tainted red, caused by the impact of my hand against his cheeks. Hayes stood in front of me, one hand cupping the smacked cheek and his eyes wide with disbelief. Disbelief that I had actually slapped him.He was lucky. I only gave him one slap because he deserved a few more. For him to stand face-to-face with me and call me damaged goods. To tell me I owed him for the three years we spent together, like he wasn’t the one who leeched off me the entire time. Like all he had wasn’t gotten through my own brains, my own sweats, and my own influence.I bit my lips so hard I felt a tinge of pain from the pressure. I should have known a dog only knew its usual tricks and would continue to only use that one truck it’s learned. But no longer was I held by that trick, no longer did it affect me. Hell! Now it only disgusted me.I was disgusted that I had ever loved this man. Infuriated that I had blinded myself to his obvious lies and deceit. Disappointm
Last Updated: 2025-06-07
Chapter: Chapter 13Hannah’s POV:The car blurred the buildings and structures outside as it drove by, causing them to appear like smeared spirals through the car window. I relaxed on the cool leather chair, trying to cleanse my mind of the drama that just took place.The audacity of Lenora to even show up at Josh’s building wasn’t even what got me; it was that she was sneakily following me about, trying to gather whatever evidence she could to feed her delusion that I was still interested in her brother, Hayes.It was like me moving out of the house and quitting the company wasn’t enough evidence for her that I was done with both of them. She even threw away the food I had prepared for Adam.I didn’t want to completely disappoint Adam. “I can’t just go back empty-handed; I’m sure he must still be waiting for something to eat.” I thought to myself. I sat up and was about to instruct the driver to take us to a fast food joint where I could get food for Adam when my phone rang, jolting my concentration.I
Last Updated: 2025-06-04
Chapter: Chapter 12Hayes’ POV:“I only came to offer you…push me…,” Lenora’s voice came out distorted through the other end of the line. She had called me a few moments ago and it seemed she was having a conversation with someone but I couldn’t quite make out what she was saying.“Nora, I can’t hear you. It’s breaking.” I replied, shifting the phone from my ear to my mouth to speak.I moved it back up to my ear again to try and decode the hazy frequency. I heard a string of words form another sentence from the other person she was talking to. “I saw everything…I saw you throw the…falling to the ground…” It all made no sense. I couldn’t decipher what was going on and honestly it was starting to get a little annoying that she wasn’t responding to me. I mean why call me only to ignore me.Just then some accused her. “…sneakily dialing a number on your phone…” BEEP! BEEP!! The call ended.“What the hell was that about?” I tossed the phone to the table, my annoyance now heightened. “She called me and then
Last Updated: 2025-06-04
Chapter: Chapter 11Hannah’s POV:I stared at the lunchbox with its contents spilled all over the sidewalk. The food I had devoted the last hours preparing was now spread out on the cold ground in the shape of a disjointed world map, the liquid tomato sauce dripping into the drainage vent a few inches away from us.I had tuned out Lenora’s agitating voice, causing her words to sound like muffled vibrations to my ears. But from her muffled shouting, I suddenly heard her say something that forced me to pay her my attention. “Once a prostitute, always a prostitute.” Lenora’s remark sliced through the barrier of ignorance I had been giving her like a sharp obsidian blade.I turned my head to face her, and I could see a proud smile crawl up her face, seeing that she had finally gotten my attention. Behind her sick smile was a full look of confidence. Confidence in the accusation that she just threw out.“Everyone knows what you did in those two years you went missing,” Lenora continued, her tone full-on cond
Last Updated: 2025-06-03
Chapter: Chapter Thirty FourTessa's POV:I didn’t expect Olivia to seek me out the next morning. Or even remotely want to have anything to do with me again till thy kingdom come.After everything that had happened with Summer and Tori, I figured the entire estate would be shifting into damage control – Lucian certainly was. But as I stepped out into the hall, rubbing the last traces of sleep from my eyes, there she was. Waiting.She wore an emerald green dress that made her presence impossible to ignore. Even though we were inside, her hair had been pinned back like she was preparing to address a crowd. But her eyes, those intelligent, sharp hazel eyes, were warm when they met mine.“Morning.” She said.I blinked. “Morning…?”She arched a brow. “Are you always this suspicious when people greet you, or is it just me?”“I–” I gave a nervous laugh. “No, I just… wasn’t expecting you.”“Well, I wasn’t expecting you to be half as clever as you are, yet here we are. Guess we should start expecting the unexpected now, s
Last Updated: 2025-05-21
Chapter: Chapter Thirty ThreeTessa's POV:She was the last person I expected to see.“Summer?” I whispered, heart racing.She flinched as if my voice burned her, her wide eyes shimmering with panic. The mask slipped off completely—both the literal one and the one she’d worn for weeks. Her hands trembled as she tried to scramble back, but I was already on her, pinning her wrists down.“You followed Tori?” I hissed. “You stole the necklace?”“I—I didn’t mean to.” She gasped. “Not at first. I saw her do it. I swear I wasn’t part of the plan. I just—I needed a way out.”My mind reeled, barely able to keep up.“You needed a way out, so you stole Olivia’s necklace?”Summer nodded miserably. “I thought… if I could sell it, I could leave the manor. Start fresh. Somewhere else. Away from all this.”Her voice cracked. I stared at her—at the same girl who once clung to Tori like a shadow, the same girl who had tried to help me when I was accused. The pieces started falling into place. She’d watched everything unravel and ne
Last Updated: 2025-05-19
Chapter: Chapter Thirty TwoTessa’s POV:I pulled the recorder from my coat pocket and held it between us, the small, silver object suddenly feeling too loud in the quiet room.Lucian’s eyes dropped to it, then flicked back to mine.“I need you to listen,” I said. “And not interrupt.”He didn’t nod. He didn’t blink. Just folded his arms and waited.I clicked play.Tori’s voice filled the air, tinny and soft, laced with the cold calculation that had made my skin crawl when I first heard it. I made sure to twitch Summer’s voice to make it unrecognizable.The recorder played: “That necklace—the one everyone was looking for. It wasn't in Tessa’s room. On her dresser. You made me knock that night. You gave me a line. And then the necklace was supposed to show up in her room?” Tori’s voice sounded. “And if I did?”Summer faltered, and for a moment, I thought she might crumble. But then she said—quietly, clearly—“I’m“ going to tell Lucian.”“You want the truth?” she asked.Summer didn’t answer.“Fine,” Tori said. “Yes
Last Updated: 2025-05-19
Chapter: Chapter Thirty OneTessa's POV:The recorder burned in my pocket like a hot packet of freshly made toffee. All night, it had stayed there, tucked away beneath layers of fabric, humming softly against my skin like a live wire connecting the dots. Every time I moved, I swore I could feel it pulse — a tiny reminder of what I had. Of what, I still didn’t know.Tori’s confession.Summer’s bravery.The threat that still loomed.And yet… it wasn’t enough.I’d listened to the recording four times. Each time, the truth had unraveled clearer and uglier. Yes, Tori had stolen the necklace. Yes, she’d tried to frame me. Yes, she’d used Summer like a pawn and threatened to burn her life to the ground if she said a word.But still — the necklace was gone. Vanished. Removed from my room before anyone could find it. And that… that changed everything.Because Tori didn’t have it now.Which meant someone else had taken it.I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes as I sat curled on the edge of the old boiler room cot
Last Updated: 2025-05-19
Chapter: Chapter ThirtyTessa's POV:From the moment the door clicked shut, I knew things were going to spiral. For goodness' sake.Summer’s breath came out in hitches in the silence, too loud in the large room. I pressed my body tighter to the cold floor, every muscle locked and straining. The recorder blinked once, then vanished into shadow again—silent, but ever listening.“Hey,” Summer said again, her voice fraying at the end. “I just… I need to know. About that night.”“What night?” Tori’s voice was soft. Friendly. Too friendly.“The night you told me to knock on her door. Tessa’s door.”Silence.From beneath the bed, I could hear the rustle of sheets—Tori had moved. Sat up, maybe.“Summer, you must be confused.” She said, and this time the friendliness was gone. “What are you talking about?”Summer took a deep breath. I could hear her shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the scrape of her boot against the floor. “Don’t do that. Please don’t pretend like you don’t know. You told me to say tha
Last Updated: 2025-05-16
Chapter: Chapter Twenty NineTessa's POV:I didn’t sleep after Summer left.Even after I locked the window, even after I lay back down, I stared at the ceiling for hours, wide awake, the conversation still echoing through my mind.She had knocked. She had followed orders. But she hadn’t taken the necklace.And the one who had?Tori.I shouldn’t have been surprised. The moment Summer spoke her name, something inside me clicked into place. I’d known, hadn’t I? Deep down. We all had. The way she hovered at the edges of the drama, calm but never too calm. Curious but never too involved. Always watching. Always listening.Always one step ahead.And now?She was about to be caught.I had to appreciate the genius behind it, though. The level of manipulation and skill it took to execute a plan of such magnitude. Get someone else to do your dirty work and leave no trace behind. Well, almost no trace. I don't think Tori would appreciate knowing that Summer was a loose end she did not tie up. But it was entirely up to fat
Last Updated: 2025-05-16
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