Taking a drink of his scotch, he said, “There’s got to be something else going on here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I get that some people, especially in small towns like this, might be horrified at the idea of premarital sex. But that’s not grounds for dismissal. You’re not a priest for Christ’s sake.”
“I’m not following you,” I said. I glanced toward the door when it opened and Ford walked in, looking like he just got back from the game in his polo shirt with the high school mascot on the chest.
“We need to look into dear Mrs. Larkin’s background. Dig up some dirt on her.”
“Uh…I don’t know if you’ll find anything. She’s not the type of person to have dirt.”
“Everybody’s got dirt, man. You’ve just got to dig deep enough.”
I swiped a chip off the nacho plate.
“Who’s your replacement? Who’s filling in for you this week?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not exactly on the e-mail list right now.” I yelled over to the bar. “Hey, Ford!”
Ford sauntered over to our booth. “Hey, Adam. What’s up?”
“Ford, this is Graham. He’s representing me at the hearing on Monday.”
They shook hands, and I asked, “Do you know who the interim principal is while I’m on leave?” I figured Ford might know since he was an employee of the school district.
“Hmmm,” he murmured, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I saw an e-mail come through a few days ago, but I can’t remember…” He scrolled through his e-mails until he found the one he was looking for. “Here it is. Mr. Maxton. Says here he has over ten years of experience as a principal, went to Syracuse for college, blah, blah, blah.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure thing.” Ford returned to the bar and looped his arm around Poppy’s waist.
Graham was frowning at his iPad when the music stopped and Chet announced they were taking a short break. When I saw it was his band playing tonight, I had prepared myself for the inevitable run in. But surprisingly he just nodded at me from across the room and hadn’t even so much as glanced at Brooke since I’d been here.
Graham immediately flipped the cover closed and slid out of the booth.
“We’ll continue this tomorrow. Right now it’s business time.” He strode across the room, following the leather clad singer with long pink hair down the back hall.
“How’s it going?” Brooke asked, sliding in next to me.
I pulled her close and buried my face in her hair. “We’re taking a break while Graham tries to score with the singer.”
Brooke laughed and rested her head on my shoulder.
“What happens if the School Board rules against you?” she asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “I doubt I’ll be able to get another job around here. But I’m sure I could go back to the city. Some districts there are desperate to fill positions and aren’t nearly as picky about things like past terminations.”
I immediately sensed her unease in the way her shoulders tensed up. Then I realized what I had just said and wanted to bang my head on the table.
Talking quickly, I tried to rectify my mistake, “I would only go if you would come with me. If you want to stay here, then I’ll get a job doing something else. They’re going to be down a bartender here when Ford leaves.”
Brooke looked at me. “Really? You would want me to go with you?”
“Of course. You’re stuck with me now.”
She relaxed back into my embrace and we sat together in comfortable silence until Graham returned a few minutes later.
“That was quick, even for you. I guess it went well,” I commented as he dropped into the booth.
“Actually, no. She turned me down flat. She even threatened to jam her stiletto straight through my heart if I came any closer.”
Graham shook his head and smiled at something behind us. Both Brooke and I looked back. The lead singer was walking out of the back hallway, and the look she gave Graham was deadly. As in, it looked like she actually wanted him dead.
“I think I’m in love.”
“Uh…I’m not sure she shares the sentiment.”
“She’ll come around,” Graham said confidently.
Brooke and I shared a doubtful glance while she stifled a yawn.
“Tired?” I asked.
“Mmm hmm.”
“Are you about ready to go, Graham?”
“Hell, no. I’m sticking around in case that hot piece of ass changes her mind.”
I pulled my keys out of my pocket and tossed them across the table. “Here. Drive my car back, and you can sleep at my place tonight.”
He pocketed the keys. “Okay, you kids have fun.”
We left Graham and went to say goodbye to everyone else. Once we were outside, I pushed Brooke up against the brick wall just out of the light cast from the pub’s windows. She giggled and pushed lightly on my chest as I held on to her hips and buried my face in her neck.
“What are you doing?”
“If you have to ask, then I’m definitely doing it wrong,” I mumbled against her skin.
This time she pushed hard enough to dislodge me. “Let’s wait until we get home, okay?”
“But your grandmother is there. I feel weird enough about sleeping there tonight.”
Brooke rolled her eyes and took my hand as we walked down the street toward her car. “Gram’s pretty cool about that stuff. I think she’s just glad I haven’t gotten knocked up by now.”
“Yeah, but her room’s right down the hall from yours.”
Brooke winked at me and tossed me her keys so I could drive. “I guess we’ll just have to get creative then.”
I drove us home in record time, spurred on by all the “creative” thoughts running through my mind. There was a single light on in the kitchen when we went inside, but otherwise the house was dark.
“See? She’s already asleep,” Brooke whispered.
She walked through the first floor toward the stairs in the dark like she had night vision. I bumped my knee on the end table in the living room and ran into the doorway to the foyer. The quiet sound of Brooke’s laughter was my only signal I was going the right way.
When we reached her room, she pulled me inside and shut the door. The bedside lamp she turned on cast a soft glow over the room.
“First things first,” I said, crossing the room to close the blinds. “Graham will be back soon, and he’s not above catching a free show.”
Brooke sashayed over to the bathroom and leaned provocatively against the door. “I was thinking the shower might block out any inadvertent…sounds.”
Oh, hell yes. I was across the room in three long strides, shedding my clothes as I went. Brooke turned on the water while I shut and locked the door - just in case - and flipped on the fan. When I hit the light switch, the bright light was blinding.
“Whoa!” I turned the light back off.
“How about this one?” Brooke asked, flipping the middle switch. The heat lamp over the shower glowed dimly, providing just the right amount of mood lighting.
“Perfect,” I said, reaching for Brooke.
“Huh uh, not yet,” she said, shaking a finger at me.
She stepped back out of my reach and grasped the hem of her sweater in both hands. Slowly she pulled it up, revealing her flat stomach and then the pale pink lace bra she wore underneath. Pulling it off over her head, she shook out her hair and tossed the sweater on the floor. Next, her fingers worked on undoing her pants. With an impressive hip shimmy she slowly slid her pants down her legs. Her panties were also pale pink lace with ribbons tying the front and back together over her hips.
Turning around, Brooke looked at me over her shoulder as she unclasped her bra, letting it fall down her arms. When she turned back around I had to remind myself to breathe. She reached for the ribbons on her panties.
“Wait,” I said, my voice hoarse. I cleared my throat. “Let me do
that.”
I stifled a moan when I stepped close to Brooke and my erection brushed her lower stomach. I wanted to rock my hips against her, but I also wanted to watch her panties fall to the floor. What a dilemma.
Brooke obviously thought I was moving a bit too slowly, because she took matters into her own hands. Literally. When she wrapped both hands around me and began to stroke, I yanked open both ribbons and dragged her panties off.
She laughed and released me, rising on her tiptoes to throw her arms around my neck. The action brought her body flush with mine, and this time I couldn’t stop the groan that rose from deep in my throat.
With our bodies and mouths pressed together, I walked her backward toward the shower. Reaching a hand out, I tested the water. It was perfect. I pulled us inside and shut the glass door. We were surrounded by steam, the hot water raining down on us. I cupped Brooke’s ass and pulled her tighter against me.
“Oh, God,” I moaned, my senses on high alert and completely overwhelmed by her slick wet skin moving over mine.
I could have stayed like that all night, but Brooke pulled back and reached for the body wash with a sexy little smile. She went first, squirting the pink soap into her hands and smoothing it over my shoulders and down my arms. Her fingers teased across my stomach, causing my abs to clench in anticipation. But she retreated, walking around to run her hands over my back. My head fell back when her hands snaked around my waist and I felt her breasts against my back.
I had to reach out and brace my hands on the shower wall to keep myself upright when she slid her hands up the length of my erection. Her hands were hot and slick from the soap, and the rhythm she set was excruciatingly slow. My body shuddered with each stroke.
With herculean strength, I covered her hand with mine, stilling her movements. As incredibly wonderful as it felt, I didn’t want to come without her. Reaching behind me, I dragged Brooke in front of me and pinned her against the shower wall. Nearly out of my mind turned on, I captured her mouth with mine and brought both hands to her breasts, pinning her to the wall with my hips against hers.
She moaned as I not so gently rolled her nipples between my thumbs and forefingers, all the while rubbing my erection against her core. Moving my attention downward, I slid one hand between her legs, finding her drenched, and not from the shower. Smoothing her slick arousal over her sensitive flesh, I took a play from her book and rubbed my fingers over her slowly. I chuckled against her ear when she let out a frustrated groan and wiggled her hips to get me to speed up.
Our height difference was a distinct disadvantage for shower sex, but thank God there was a built in bench opposite the shower spray. Backing up, I pulled Brooke with me until I was sitting and guided her onto my lap. With her knees on the bench on either side of my hips, she positioned herself and slid down until I was buried deeply inside her.
I had to grip her waist tightly, holding her still for a moment, to savor the feeling of her body totally encompassing me. It was exquisite. When I loosened my grip, she held onto my shoulders and started to move. Rising up and sinking back down. Rocking her hips back and forth. Brooke found the rhythm that worked for her, because, let’s be honest, anything worked for me when I was inside of her.
When she dropped her head onto my shoulder and moaned, I knew she was close. And thank God for that, because I wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer. As her body began to shake with the force of her orgasm, she clamped her teeth onto my shoulder to keep from crying out. That bite sent me over the edge as well.
Brooke continued to ride me until we were both too sensitive to continue, and then we stayed put for another few minutes. Just letting our heartbeats slow to normal. When we were able to stand again, I turned off the water and wrapped Brooke in a towel before grabbing one for myself.
Tucked into her bed a while later, we lay facing each other. Smoothing her damp hair back from her face, I said softly, “No matter what happens on Monday, we’re going to be together.” The vulnerability she hid so well from everyone else was clear to me, and I wanted to reassure her that I wasn’t going anywhere without her.
She smiled and closed her eyes. “I love you.”
Kissing the top of her head, I snuggled her close. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty Seven
Brooke
“What did Ford say that guy’s name was?” Graham asked. He was sitting on the floor of Adam’s apartment with his back against the bed. There were papers spread across the floor and his iPad was on his lap.
“What guy? You need to be a little more specific,” Adam replied from his seat at the table. He was working on his laptop, searching for similar cases on some website that Graham had directed him to.
I was in the kitchenette, unwrapping sandwiches I had picked up from the deli and pouring sodas into glasses. That was about as useful as I could be while the guys spent the day preparing for Adam’s hearing.
Graham scratched his head and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “The interim principal.” He was dressed in jeans and a button down, which was probably casual weekend wear for him. Yet he still had an air about him that was formal and commanding. He and Adam were about as opposite as Adam and I were, but after spending the morning with both of them I could see the strong bond of friendship they shared.
“Uh…Martin? Maxwell? Something like that.”
“Was it Maxton?” Graham asked without taking his eyes off the screen of his iPad.
“Yeah, that’s it,” Adam said.
Graham clapped his hands together so loudly that I jumped. “Yes! We found it.”
“Found what?”
“Mrs. Larkin’s dirt.” He pointed at the screen. “Do you want to take a guess as to what Mrs. Larkin’s maiden name is?”
When neither Adam nor I responded, Graham shot us an impatient glare. “It’s Maxton. Mrs. Larkin used to be Miss Maxton. It seems that the interim principal who was available to take your place on such short notice is none other than Mrs. Larkin’s brother.”
“Okay, so how does that help us?” Adam asked.
“Jesus, you just get dumber with age. It means that we have a motive. We can argue that Mrs. Larkin started up this witch hunt for you because she wanted to get her brother into your job.”
Adam looked skeptical. “I don’t know. These guys are really hung up on the shit that went down with Principal Edwards. I think they’ll latch onto anything remotely ‘immoral’ at this point. I’m not sure this thing with Maxton being her brother is enough.”
Graham dropped his head back against the bed and ran his hands over his face. “It’s all we’ve got to go on at this point. That and the fact that it’s a free country and you’re allowed to fuck whoever you want…within reason.”
When Adam shot Graham a glare for his crude choice of words, I decided to intervene. “Why don’t we take a break for lunch,” I suggested, sensing that both of them were getting tense.
Adam closed his laptop and set it aside. “Sounds good. I’m starving.”
Graham joined us at the small table, and we were all silent for a few minutes as we ate.
Suddenly Graham sat up in his seat and snapped his fingers. He looked like he had something he was dying to say, but his mouth was full. Adam and I watched him, waiting for him to chew.
“I’ve got it! The answer to this whole thing,” Graham declared with confidence.
He had a way of making you believe everything he said. I leaned forward, eager to hear his answer to everything. Adam, however, calmly wiped his mouth and set his napkin down.
“Oh, really? What’s that?” he asked in a bored tone.
“You guys should get married!”
Okay, that wasn’t what I was expecting him to say. And I certainly wasn’t expecting Adam’s hostile reaction to the absurd suggestion.
“Graham,” Adam growled in warning.
“No, I’m serious. If you were married, this whole thing would be a non-issue.”
�
��Shut the fuck up,” Adam said in a low voice.
“I would do it,” I said quietly. “If it helps you, I would do anything.”
Graham motioned in my direction. “See? Brooke’s on board.”
Adam pushed back from the table and began pacing the small area of floor that wasn’t covered by Graham’s papers.
“No. I’m not forcing Brooke into marriage just to save my ass.” He stopped pacing to look at me, his gaze intense. “If I’m lucky enough to have you as my wife someday, it won’t be because it was a strategic move.” I nodded my head in agreement, although I wouldn’t have considered it a hardship to tie myself to him forever.
Graham opened his mouth to protest but Adam cut him off. “Find another way, Graham.”
“Fine. I think we have a strong case with the brother angle and the fact that this is fucking ridiculous in the first place, but I’ve got to be honest, Adam. It’s all going to come down to what the Board wants to do. This case is wholly subjective.”
Adam nodded. “I know.”
The next evening the three of us sat around my kitchen table, polishing off the last of the meatloaf Gram had made for dinner. She had left before we were done for her Sunday poker night.
Graham pushed his plate away and moaned as he savored the last bite. “I think I’m in love.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. In fact just two nights ago you were in love with the lead singer of Chet’s band.”
Graham’s eyes lit up and he licked his lips. I imagined it wasn’t from the taste of the meatloaf but from the image of the pink haired girl he had shamelessly chased after.
“It’s too bad I won’t get another shot at her. I was this close,” he said, holding his thumb and forefinger a mere centimeter apart.
“Yeah, sure you were. This close to an early grave, maybe.”
Adam helped me clear the dishes and load the dishwasher. My eye caught the trash can, and I remembered tomorrow was trash day. I started to pull the bag out of the can, but Adam gently nudged me out of the way.
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