Ninja School Mum

by Lizzie Chantree

  She had found Zack sitting staring morosely at his computer and had swung herself into his lap, giving him a fright, before he locked his arms around her in case she decided to escape. He had barely seen her since their kiss at the school and he was getting more and more agitated, observing Reece around the place so much.

  ‘How is it out there?’ he asked, nuzzling her neck and she squirmed in his lap, hoping she was making his muscles go hard and his insides begin to boil with lust.

  ‘Zack!’ she chided playfully. ‘Anyone could come into your office.’

  ‘I don’t care!’ he growled, doubtless enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. He’d been remarkably patient, but she could see it was wearing thin.

  ‘What about Leo and Emmie?’ she gasped between kisses, enjoying the way he kept his arms locked around her.

  ‘They both spoke to me last night,’ he said into her neck while trailing kisses down to the soft neckline of her corporate T-shirt.

  ‘What?’

  ‘They said they realised that Reece was here, but Leo said you seemed sad without me.’ Skye’s mouth hung open in shock, as Zack ran his hands around her backside and then up and into her hair before capturing her mouth in a searing kiss.

  Skye revelled in the heat of it before gently breaking away. ‘I don’t know how we are going to work this out.’

  ‘Me neither,’ he agreed, ‘but what I do know is that Reece may have come back for you, but you’re my girlfriend now.’ Skye looked at Zack in admiration for this open declaration from such a private man. ‘I think he’s realised that he came back too late, whatever the circumstances. He might think there’s a chance for you, or he might move on or back to Thea, I don’t really care. What I do care about is you, and me, and the kids. We make a good team, not just here at work, but as a family.’ Skye sat there in shock, not knowing what to say. It had been just her and Leo for so long and Zack had only ever spoken to her like this once before, on the fateful night of the party. This time she was ready to listen.

  ‘I don’t expect you to have all the answers right now, I sure as hell don’t have them, but I do know that it’s you and me now. I’ve fallen for you and I don’t fall easily. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.’

  Leo and Emmie poked their heads round the door then turned away in disgust at seeing the adults cuddling in a chair. ‘You really are gross,’ they called after them, ‘especially when there’s a party and mountains of gooey cake outside.’ Skye smiled into Zack’s neck and he hugged her tighter. Poor Leo never did know what was going to happen next with his mum. She knew he thought she was a bit eccentric. He’d told her he felt kind of okay about his dad going back home soon, too. He would see him when he wasn’t away working. Leo’s lip had wobbled a little and she’d pulled him into a fast hug and rested her chin on his head like she had when he was a baby. Skye peeked out of the door just as Emmie poked Leo in the shoulder and pointed out that they needed to get a plate of the cakes before everyone else ate them all. She raced off suddenly and he grinned and ran after her, probably hoping that the strawberry doughnut he’d pointed out earlier was still hiding under a pile of cupcakes.

  Seeing Skye and Zack come out of the staff room holding hands, Reece’s step faltered, before he straightened his shoulders and carried on walking. Skye glanced his way and a bit of her earlier happiness dimmed. Reece had promised he would here to support her and she was glad to see him, but she had spoken with him earlier that day and he had just heard from his boss that he was urgently needed back at work. Reece had been alerted that there was another connection who had links to those that killed their team, meaning he would be away for some months. He’d thought they had solved this problem, but it now seemed that it was a bigger sting operation than had first appeared, and other teams had been targeted. For now, he said he would have to accept that Skye and Zack were together and walk away, which ripped his insides to shreds. Skye had flinched when he’d said this, as she knew how it felt to be apart from everything you’d ever loved. It did mean that Skye would finally be able to stop running and their son would be safe, as there was officially no trace of them, with a little technical magic from Thea.

  Skye got the impression that Reece had made an uneasy truce with Thea too, but accepted they still had a long way to go. He knew he’d hurt both women badly, but his connection to Skye was too great for him to ignore, now that he’d found her again. He’d told her she’d done an amazing job raising their son and, although he couldn’t be around all the time, Reece fully intended to return and make his family his own again soon. Where Thea and Flo fitted into this she was unsure, but he had a few months away to work on a plan and she understood he intended to get his wife back. Not a chance in hell.

  Skye noticed Reece was now standing to one side of the course and saw some of the school mums glance his way and start gossiping. They were looking between her, Zack, and Reece, waiting to see how this would all play out. Skye grinned to herself about what they would do if they knew Reece was an elite spy, as was she. Zack smiled at Skye’s happy face and asked to be let in on the joke.

  ‘I was just thinking about all the gossip circulating about us,’ she giggled. ‘If only they knew what Reece and I really did for a living, and that little old Thea is a technical whiz who could destroy their lives at the click of a mouse! Not only that, but Emmie’s runaway mum is a supermodel and you come from one of the most aristocratic and eccentric families in the UK.’ She bent over laughing, as all the tension of the last few months expelled itself and drifted away. Zack grabbed Skye’s hand and pulled her towards their guests, grinning widely and looking like he was finally enjoying himself. ‘Let’s go and introduce you to them as a ninja school mum,’ he laughed. ‘Shall we place bets on how fast they can run?’

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