Ninja School Mum

by Lizzie Chantree

  Everything they had worked for was coming together. Skye-Safe was set up and ready to show to the public. Zack had finally managed to incorporate his app designs into the main tree climbing area and walking trails in the woods. Marlo and Thea seemed to have been welcomed as part of the main team and were expected to look glamorous, but be on duty to wine and dine their new clients tonight. It had been exhausting but exhilarating over the last few months.

  He had developed such strong feelings for Skye recently, but she was still a bit nervy around him, especially if he tried for an open display of affection. It frustrated the hell out of him, but he was trying with all his might to take things slowly and not to scare her off. It was so difficult, when every time he saw her he wanted to back her into the nearest room and touch every inch of her skin. Seeing her standing there looking like a vision of the night, he gulped in some air, as Thea turned and noticed him. She went over, kissed him on the cheek, winked at Skye and left them together.

  ‘Stunning!’ was all he could say, taking her hands and starting to kiss her neck and trail his fingers down her naked back, making her pulse race. She kissed him on the lips and then placed her hands on his solid chest before they got carried away again.

  ‘You like the dress?’ she asked flirtatiously, moving away to put a little distance between them. He knew the children were around and she still had mixed feelings about open declarations of affection in front of Leo.

  ‘I love the dress.’ Zack didn’t let her have the space she craved and pulled her back into his arms, passionately kissing away her lipstick until she was breathless and pliant in his arms. ‘I love the woman inside the dress more,’ he whispered into her ear, so that no one else would be able to hear, and felt her stiffen in his arms for a fraction of a second before she realised what she was doing and noticeably forced herself to soften again. It was too late, though, and he had felt her resistance.

  Zack needed Skye to want this relationship as much as he did. He couldn’t lay himself out to be crucified again in the way Emmie’s mum had done. It had taken him so long to unfurl and become human again. Letting a woman know he cared about her, let alone how intoxicated he was with Skye, was almost intolerable to him, but he felt compelled to try. The feeling he had when he was with her, and he managed to coax a genuine smile or helped her relax and enjoy life a little after the trauma of losing her son’s father, was worth every minute of self-doubt he had about opening himself up to the pain of rejection again. He couldn’t get enough of her. The problem was, the more she backed away, the more panicky he became. He knew it was a bad idea to push her so soon, but he hadn’t been able to control himself and, from the alarm he had seen in her eyes a moment ago, he might have gone too far.

  They had spent so much time together lately and she was coming round to the idea of Leo and Emmie being happy with the idea. He had drawn her into his house with many excuses to try and make her comfortable here. He didn’t want her in the stupid cottage; he wanted her in his bed! If he had to evict her to get her there, he would play dirty and tell her he had a long-term tenant who wanted the cottage and she would have to move into the estate. Then he remembered that she had her own money and realised that was a bad idea, as she would just buy a house further away from the estate. She was maddeningly independent and she infuriated him. He didn’t even know when he had fallen in love with her, but he thought it had probably been the first day he had seen her, holding Emmie’s hand across the field, when he had been so angry he’d behaved like a complete jerk. He was lucky she had spoken to him at all after that, he thought.

  ‘Come on,’ Zack said, trying to stop his stomach from turning over with the sick feeling he now had. ‘We need to get to the marquee and greet our guests or we’ll never hear the end of it from Marlo. I think she’d shoot us both.’

  Before he could leave, Skye reached up and gave him the sweetest kiss, which silently told him she had heard him and they would talk about it later. He tried to rein himself in and not kiss her back but he couldn’t do it, so she held his hand and they walked towards the sparkling entrance to the party which was adorned with fairy lights that lit up the pitch-black sky.

  Lights hung from several branches of each tree of CloudClimb, and tiny glowing white stars had been hung from the Skye-Safe assault course. Candles in lanterns lit the pathways and the app screens glowed in the trees with pictures of the marquee’s interior.

  Tables adorned with silver plates and goblets were arranged around a dance floor, and beautiful displays of branches and leaves sprang from the centre of every table. The ceiling had been blacked out and stars twinkled in the night.

  To one side of the dance floor was a huge screen where guests could see, for the first time, how the games, interactive walking trails and tree apps would work. There was a buzz of excitement in the air from the staff who were all dressed in their finest clothes, with discreet CloudClimb badges on their lapels, ready to direct people to gaze in wonder at the spectacle before them. Marlo really had worked her magic and the setting was a complete triumph.

  More staff were stationed by the estate entrance to guide guests along the candlelit pathway, winding amongst the trees, where they could see the interactive screens, then into the marquee, where a delicious cocktail awaited them and an evening of decadence and mystery would unfold.

  It was the conclusion of months of planning and Zack couldn’t afford to be distracted, but he was aware of every move Skye made across the room, and he felt himself become more and more tense with every man she smiled at and greeted, while they took in how sensational she looked in that dress and salivated all over her. He could feel his fists bunching up and his shoulders pushing back, before Mike came over and slapped him quite hard on the back when he saw how feral he was looking, staring at Skye and the group of school parents who were currently surrounding her.

  Snapping his attention back to his friend and trying to loosen the grip he had on his beer before he snapped the glass in two, Zack grimaced at his own stupidity. ‘Uh-oh,’ joked Mike good-naturedly. ‘Man, you have it so bad it hurts.’

  Zack turned away from Skye and looked sulkily at the floor. ‘This is your big launch night,’ said Mike in a no-nonsense tone. ‘We’ve all worked so hard to get us here and my wife, in particular, has slogged her guts out to make it perfect. You have a beautiful woman of your own who clearly adores you. Don’t screw it up.’

  Zack sighed and decided to chill out, looking his friend straight in the eye. ‘You’re right. I’m being an idiot. Marlo has excelled herself, as I have told her a million times already. You and the staff have been great and, you’re right, Skye looks like a million dollars.’ He glanced across the room at her and smiled as she laughed at something one of the school mums said. She still held her body in check and didn’t throw her head back and immerse herself in it but maybe, with time, she would become more comfortable with them all and let them see the real woman he saw.

  ‘Glad we finally agree on something,’ joked Mike, grabbing his arm and steering him over to join Skye and start mingling with his guests.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Later in the evening, after speeches that made everyone laugh, and dancing, Zack was feeling more relaxed, as Skye had pretty much stayed by his side all night and, when she didn’t, he realised it was ridiculous to smother her to get her attention. The evening was still in full swing and so many people had congratulated them on their interactive app idea and the new assault course. He was extremely proud of what they had achieved in such a short space of time and it felt strange to remember a time before Skye had barrelled in and taken his world by storm. Zack felt more alive since he met her than he had in years before that. He could understand that soppy grin Mike had when he looked at Marlo now and even why he would drop anything if she said she needed him. It had been such a brilliant evening. The children had all gone inside the house to watch a movie with the childcare they had booked, then a bit later, they would all go to sleep in one of t
he rooms they had set up for a giant sleepover. Mike and Marlo, as well as he and Skye, and even Thea and Flo, were all staying tonight. It was like a giant slumber party and a great way for them all to have been able to join in without stress.

  Most of the talking to potential customers had been done by his staff, as he hated that part of the job, but he had reluctantly given a speech and it had been well received, judging by the number of people who had patted him on the back afterwards. He was finally enjoying himself and he had had a few glasses of wine, and a beer or two, and wanted to drag Skye onto the dance floor as a slow number had just come on and he was desperate to mould her body, in that dress, to his.

  He walked over and whispered into her ear, not caring if he was interrupting her conversation with Felicity, the arty school mum that everyone was raving about. The woman giggled tipsily and moved away as he pulled Skye into his arms and they swayed gently to the music.

  ‘Are you having a good evening?’ he asked seductively, nibbling on her ear and making her press her body into his. He gasped as the warmth of her skin came into contact with his, as she slid her hand down his back and under the hem of his tuxedo jacket. She brushed her fingers along the waistband of his trousers, just beneath his shirt, and touched the sensitive expanse of skin at the top of his toned bottom. He nipped her earlobe to tell her to stop and she laughed and slid her hand to the safety of his waist, over his clothes and not anywhere it could cause major damage to his already stretched control.

  Although Skye’s dress was floor length and the colour of the night sky, the top layer was almost translucent in certain lights and, every so often, her movements gave a glimpse of endless leg and slight cleavage from the side slits and scooped neckline underneath. It had been torturing Zack all night.

  ‘I’m having an amazing time,’ she smiled into his neck, plainly enjoying the playfulness after his words earlier. He understood that it had probably been on her mind and, although he knew she had begun to feel love for him too, his open declaration, so soon, evidently reminded her of Reece and had her backing away the moment he said how he felt. He could have kicked himself for not having more finesse. Surely she realised she must have hurt him by not responding in kind? She must know how he felt about her by now? Did he really need her to say the words back, he wondered? Undeniably, he did.

  ‘Your app design has totally blown their minds tonight,’ she said proudly, recapturing his attention. ‘You will have so much business we won’t have time to see each other,’ she teased, snuggling in to the warmth of his arms around her.

  Zack frowned at her tone and felt a slight undercurrent to her words. He knew she was proud of him. She had told him over and over, which made him want to succeed more, but the thought of loads more people around, and not being able to see her so much, made the blood freeze in his veins. What happened if he was too busy to spend time with her? Would she get bored and run off with someone else, like Kay had? He tightened his hold on her and drew her to the side of the room where they could sit down with some privacy.

  She was still smiling, but it faded as she noticed his serious expression. ‘What is it?’ she asked with a frown, placing her hands in her lap and waiting, not moving a muscle. ‘I knew this feeling of happiness was too good to last,’ she said quietly, breaking his heart in two.

  ‘I want a commitment from you, Skye,’ he said gently, taking her hands in his and trailing his fingers over hers. ‘I don’t want confusion from the school mums, from our children, or from us. I love you and I want us to be together publicly.’

  He looked into her eyes and implored her to want the same thing. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said, her bottom lip quivering slightly. He could see she was trying not to upset him, but she looked panicked, as if she was about to pack up and run. ‘We are together a lot of the time and most people must know about it by now, unless they’re a bit thick or have been visiting Mars for the last couple of months.’

  ‘I want you and Leo living here,’ he gestured towards his home, ‘with Emmie and me. I hate you going to a different house each night, and I’ll evict you if I have to,’ he tried to joke. Seeing anger flare in her eyes as she sprung apart from him and stood up, he realised his mistake and tried to take her hand again. She turned to him and brushed his hand away.

  ‘I won’t be manipulated into doing what you want, Zack. I know you’ve been hurt before, but I’m not her. I won’t drop you the moment you think I’m bored and I won’t desert you and Emmie. I need my own space and time to get used to being with someone again.’

  Zack tried to control his fear and anger, but he was so fed up with tiptoeing around her in case he scared her away. He was a strong man and he wanted his woman with him. He hated hiding the fact he was visiting her and abhorred sleeping alone. He’d done it for years and enough was enough.

  ‘Leo and Emmie love spending time together and he’s here so much he might as well move in anyway,’ he ground out, a bit more forcefully than he would have liked.

  ‘Why do you have to rush me all the time? It’s not up to you where Leo sleeps and I’m not about to drag him out of his home because I like spending time with a man.’ Zack saw red at this comment and clearly Skye realised she might have pushed him too far, but seemed so angry with him too that she didn’t back down as he’d hoped.

  ‘It’s not his home, though, is it? It’s mine,’ said Zack bitterly. Skye swung round at that comment and, eyes blazing, she moved in closer to him.

  ‘I’ve just checked on Leo. He’s asleep and I won’t move him tonight, but I am going back to the cottage. If it pains you so much to have us there, I’ll start packing tomorrow.’

  ‘Skye,’ he pleaded to her retreating back. ‘You know that’s not what I meant. I want you both here with me!’ He slumped down on the bench seat and held his head in his hands. He had managed to mess up his big display of affection completely.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Skye angrily brushed tears from her eyes and grabbed a pair of trainers from behind her desk at the CloudClimb office. The door was still ajar after she’d grabbed some more promotional leaflets earlier. She had been so happy a mere few hours before; now she was ready to throttle someone! Why couldn’t Zack let them enjoy each other’s company for now? She’d told him something of her past, omitting her old job and details of her real marriage to keep Zack safe, but he now knew she’d lost her own parents at a young age and had married soon afterwards. He’d said he understood that she had been alone for a long time and had been grieving for many years. He knew loss from his own marriage breakdown, and Skye had lost her husband in the most horrific way, an accident at work, so Zack should realise that it would take time for her to let love back into her life. He could see how much she cared for him, surely?

  She’d spent most of the evening wining and dining clients and it had reminded her of her old life, not in a good way. She used to dress in such finery and pretend to be someone she wasn’t for her work. She would engage the target and elicit valuable information from them without arousing suspicion. Tonight, she’d done the same with their new customers, although she’d been finding out how they could improve their service and what the clients were looking for in an activity centre. It had actually been a fun way to utilise her skills in some small way, at first, and she’d begun to feel like she could change and become the woman Zack wanted her to be, the woman she wanted to be.

  Then her hands began shaking and tears threatened to flow, so she clamped her eyes tightly shut for a second. She felt like she’d been winded, as those memories of Zack’s declarations of love intertwined with images of her past and pushed her over the edge of reason. It hurt like hell to be reminded of Reece and how she was letting him down by finally beginning to move on. She could picture Zack’s dark eyes, too, and hated herself for hurting him, but he shouldn’t have said what he did about owning her house. It made her want to throw her few meagre belongings into a bag and run again.

  She swung her hoodie down
from behind the door and pulled it on over her dress. It was so dark now no one would see her, and most people were either wandering the grounds in the moonlight or dancing in the marquee. Slamming the office door shut and hearing the lock click securely, she didn’t hang around to see if Zack was looking for her, but grabbed handfuls of the skirt of her dress and ran around the edge of the estate to her little cottage door. She was properly crying by now, which was something she rarely let herself indulge in, but she felt thoroughly misunderstood and miserable. Stepping through the dark front door, she reached for the light switch, as an arm shot out and grabbed her, pulling her into the house. She was so shocked she fleetingly thought about Leo, who was safely sleeping at the estate, before her instincts kicked in and she swung her arm up to connect with her attacker’s face.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Zack was striding across the grass towards the entrance of the marquee and Thea was surprised to see his face creased with worry. ‘What’s up?’ she asked, reaching out to touch his arm to grab his attention, as he was about to walk straight past her.

  ‘I can’t find Skye. Have you seen her?’ he asked. Thea hid a giggle behind her hand about the fact that he was worried if Skye was out of his sight for more than a second. She could pretty much beat the crap out of most men, so Thea wasn’t concerned by the fact that he couldn’t find her right now.

  ‘She’s probably dancing with Marlo somewhere. Do you want me to help you look for her? It’s been an amazing night,’ she gazed up at him before realising that something actually was wrong.

  ‘We had a row. I asked her to move in and she stormed off. Now I can’t find her,’ he said, craning his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of her midnight blue dress.