Shit. Now what? I tossed my chicken salad sandwich back into my bag and headed toward the office. A laugh I knew well filtered through the glass partition, and when I looked in, it was confirmed.
Dante sexily leaned against the counter, speaking to Marjorie, the receptionist. Naturally, whatever he said caused the woman to blush. A pale-blue T-shirt molded over his physique, and darker circles from the raindrops made the color as deep a blue as the jeans he wore. In addition, the damp sexy waves of his ebony hair meant the man was too cool for an umbrella.
I pulled open the door, his eyes landing on mine. A broad smile grew across his handsome face when he said, “Hello, Cassandra.” My heart thumped against the center of my ribcage at the way my name rolled off his tongue, and with it came reminders of all the filthy things he did to me.
“Dante.” When all the women in the office stared at me, I felt obligated to return a smile while pretending my thoughts were G-rated. Tugging Dante by the arm until we were in the vestibule, I leaned in and whispered, “What are you doing here?” Unfazed by my discomfort, he bent down and kissed my lips. “Dante, I’m at school.”
“Afraid you’re going to get detention?” His eyes focused on my mouth, and I instantly felt desire sparking to life in my lower half.
“No, fired.”
“For talking in the hall? It’s not like I dragged you into a storage closet to see what you have on under that short skirt. Speaking of, you look beautiful. I love when you wear skirts. It gives me easy access.” He wiggled his eyebrows, causing a deep blush to creep up from my breasts to my cheeks.
It took about five seconds for my brain to snap out of the fantasy his words conjured up in my mind. “Stop that,” I scolded, and the bastard chuckled. This man made me stupid whenever he spoke to me like that. “You still didn’t answer my question.”
“I brought you lunch. I remembered last week you told me this was your lunch hour.” With a grin, he lifted a wax-coated paper bag from a place called Pasquale’s. “Did I get the time wrong?”
“No, it’s perfect timing.” Suddenly, the name registered. “I love that place.” The moment I said that, the rest of the puzzle pieces fell into place. “Wait, that’s your uncle’s restaurant. I’ve been there with your brother. The food is amazing, and your uncle is adorable.”
“Yes, good looks run in our family.” A huge flash preceded the clap of thunder that rattled the windows. “I was hoping to eat at one of the picnic tables, but seeing the weather isn’t cooperating, is there a place we can have lunch inside?”
“My classroom. Let me get you signed in, and then we can head back.” The ogling commenced as Dante signed in and left his license with the office, and there was no doubt in my mind the ladies would be searching his name on social media as soon as we walked out.
“Miss Brooks,” Marjorie said, stopping us before we left. “You just received a call from Mr. Maurice, Lianna’s father. He apologizes, but due to the storm he needs to stay at the firehouse.”
“Ugh. Okay, thank you.”
Dante opened the door for me. “Who’s Maurice?”
“It’s Mr. Maurice, and he’s a student’s father who was going to talk to my class today about being a firefighter. It’s sort of a career show-and-tell that I like to have for them. But because the rain isn’t letting up, I’ll have twenty-one restless and disappointed five-year-olds who won’t even be able to go outside to fill the time.”
“What if I came back and spoke to the kids? I’ll bring a camera and let them take pictures. Then I’ll have them printed, and you can give them their shots as a keepsake.”
“Really? You would do that? Aren’t you busy?”
“No, I’ll make it work. Just let me know what time to be here.”
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Cassandra.”
Once we were sharing my desk as a table, Dante and I enjoyed our meal. “This was a very nice surprise. Thank you for bringing me lunch. Ravioli was much better than what I had planned on,” I said, tossing my empty container in the trash.
“My goal is to please you.”
Please me. The man could no doubt achieve that. “I’ll have to remember that,” I teased.
He reached for my hand under the desk and moved it to his thigh. “That goes both ways, Cassandra.”
At that moment, a bell dinged, indicating lunch was just about over… thank God. Having Dante in my classroom wasn’t good for my blood pressure. “On that note, I need to get my class.” I stood and asked, “Can you find your way to the office?”
“Yes,” he answered, coming to stand before me. “What time should I be back?”
“Can you be here a few minutes before two?”
“I sure can.”
“Oh, and can you leave out the part where you photograph naked supermodels?”
He pretended to ponder my request. “It could be a hit with the boys.” I shoved his chest and he grabbed my wrists. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he pulled me to him for a passionate kiss. Before I could protest, he broke the connection, winked, and walked away. “Bye, beautiful.”
“Guess what today is?” I stood at my desk, meeting each pair of widened eyes. Hands flew up, and I called on Jody to answer.
“Friday.”
My giggle was automatic, forgetting that five-year-olds took words literally. “Yes, it is Friday… but it’s also Career Champion Day.” Shouts and clapping erupted on cue. “Okay, everyone… settle down.” I couldn’t blame them for their excitement, which was the main reason I kept my news to myself until the last possible minute. I also always left strict instructions with the parents not to tell their children if they were scheduled to come to school. That lesson I learned the hard way. “In just a few minutes, we are going to have a photographer visiting us. Do you all know what a photographer does?”
Again, hands shot up and waved in the air, trying to catch my attention. “William.”
“They take pictures of babies.”
“That’s right, but they also take pictures of adults, and places to visit, and even of animals and other things.” The sound of a firm knock had all their heads flipping in that direction. “Okay, kids. Remember, best behavior,” I said, as butterflies took flight in my stomach. With my back to my class, I allowed my genuine smile to spread once I opened the door for Dante. “Hi.”
“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered. Giggling and chatter behind me forced my attention back to the class.
“Boys and girls, this is Mr. Benedetto. Can you all say hello?” A chorus of Hi, Mr. Benedetto had Dante grinning as we made our way to the front of the classroom.
“Hey, everyone. I’m so glad to be here.” His eyes landed on Andrew, who had his arm raised so high he needed his other hand to hold it up. “Yes, buddy?”
“Whose dad are you?” I rolled my lips over my teeth when Dante’s eyes cut in my direction. Rather than save him, I took my chair, crossed my legs, and waited for what he would say. “Well… no one’s. I’m here as a special visitor of Miss Brooks.”
Good answer.
A few more random questions were asked, ones that had absolutely nothing to do with photography, until I intervened. “Mr. Benedetto, can you tell the class what your job entails?” I asked, communicating with my eyes to keep it clean.
His full lips pulled to the side in a smirk. “Of course.” One by one, Dante pulled equipment out of his black bag, explaining each camera and its purpose. I watched with pride as he had the class captivated with stories of people and places he photographed. Every so often, he presented a large photo, maybe of a beautiful beach or a cute puppy playing in a park.
For the next hour, the feelings I held toward Dante somehow morphed into something different. Until then, most of my emotions were passionate. But this Dante, the funny, kind, charming man who had twenty-one five-year-olds riveted, managed to have my heart melting with a newfound appreciation.
The five-minute dismissal warning bell sounded, and my student
s grumbled. Never had that happened in my career.
“You guys need to go, but if it’s okay with Miss Brooks, I’ll come back again.”
Like I could say no after all the pleading and begging that his statement instigated. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Mr. Benedetto.” I stood and announced it was time to begin our end-of-day routine.
As the kids retrieved their backpacks and lunch boxes from their labeled cubicles, Dante came closer and asked, “I hope I didn’t overstep by offering that.”
“Not at all. I’m a bit surprised you want to come back.”
“Why? They loved me,” he touted with a proud smile.
“Yes, they did.” And that was an understatement. Just one hour in, they most definitely fell in love with him. Then there I was, a month after meeting him and going from dislike to what started to feel like love… if that was even possible.
At first falling in love with Dante seemed unlikely. Mainly because men like him didn’t fit into the fairy tale. But today, he took that theory and turned it upside down, negating everything I thought he wasn’t. Today, Mr. Benedetto saved the day, and he became my knight in shining armor.
The second bell sounded. “I need to get them to their rides.”
“Can I wait here?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.”
Like ducks in a row, my class waved to him as they filed out. We then all followed the green line painted on the floor that led to the front doors of the school. Once I made sure each of my students was with their designated transportation, I headed inside.
I walked a bit quicker than normal to get back to where I knew Dante was—and also to avoid any questions from the busybodies in the office. I could only imagine what ran through their heads.
When I walked into my room, Dante sat at my desk as if he belonged there. He flipped through the spelling sheets the kids turned in before they went to lunch. I didn’t say anything right away, amused as he picked up a red pen to do my job.
“Playing teacher, Mr. Benedetto?” I leaned my hip against the edge of my desk. That devilish up-to-no-good expression of his spread, but he didn’t look up. After a few more checkmarks, and a star drawn at the top of one of the papers, he finally acknowledged my presence.
“Bobby needs to work on his spelling.”
I shook my head. “Bobby is dyslexic.”
Dante’s face paled. “Oh, sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t correct your papers.”
“I’m kidding. He’s not a very good speller, but he’s also four. His birthday is next week.”
“Smart-ass.”
I laughed with a shrug. “So, did you have fun today?”
“I did. They’re great kids. You’re very good with them.” He got up and stood in front of me. “But now that we’re alone, all I can think of is bending you over this desk, hiking up that sexy skirt you’re wearing, and fucking you.”
A gasp flew from my mouth. “Dante.”
“What?”
“First off, that would never happen. Second, that’s now an image I won’t soon forget.”
“It wouldn’t happen here. I can get a nice wooden desk for my apartment, complete with dings and dents,” he said, closing the gap between us.
“Ahem.” I snapped my head up to find Thomas standing in my doorway. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Instinctively, I tried to put space between myself and Dante, who was now standing spine straight while glaring at Thomas.
“You’re not interrupting” came out of my mouth, high and pitchy.
“Yes, he is,” Dante grumbled before tossing his arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Just kidding.”
Thomas walked in and smiled before offering his hand to Dante. “I’m Thomas Carson, a friend of Cassie’s.” My heart jackhammered, not knowing what Dante would say to unsuspecting Thomas. He often lacked a filter when I needed him to practice discretion.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Dante’s voice sounded an octave deeper than normal. When Thomas’s smile widened, Dante added, “From your student, Mikey Callahan.”
“Oh… right. He’s a great kid.”
“Yes, he is. Mikey is my brother’s future stepson.”
“I’ve met your brother; he’s a nice guy.” Silence fell, and the two men both looked at me. Lost for anything to say, anything at all, Thomas saved the situation by adding, “Anyway, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No problem,” Dante offered. “Did you need something specific?”
What the hell was happening?
Thomas’s gaze cut to me before returning his attention to Dante. “Um… no. I was just going to tell Cass to have a great weekend.”
“Oh, she will.” Dante the caveman kept a possessive hold around my shoulders as he once again answered for me.
“Thank you, Thomas. I hope you do too.”
“I’ll see you on Monday.” Thomas gave Dante one more glance. “Good meeting you.”
“Yeah, you too.”
When it was just the two of us, I pushed Dante to the side, my hand meeting firm muscles beneath the soft cotton of his T-shirt. “What the hell?”
“He wants what’s mine.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? No, he doesn’t.”
“Cassandra, the man wants in your skirt. If I wasn’t here, he would’ve asked you out.”
“Pfft. How do you know that?”
“Because that’s what I would have done. Luckily, you’re coming home with me.”
“You’re very sure of yourself.”
“Yes, I am. Now grab your things and let’s get out of here. I have plans for us.”
His demands and the way he talked to Thomas should have annoyed me. Instead, they did the opposite. Every part of me was turned on to the point of it being painful. The one thing I was sure of, Dante would be more than happy to relieve my ache.
Chapter 18
Dante
Waking up with Cassie’s leg wrapped around mine like a vine clinging to a tree was the best way to greet the day. Rather than move, I took the opportunity afforded to me and studied her for a moment. Her pale ivory skin, her slender neck that beckoned me to kiss it, and her pink lips that even in her slumber curved up at the corners made my heart race. There wasn’t one thing that didn’t attract me to Cassie and make me want to keep her here. That notion should have created nervousness or fear, but it had the reverse effect.
Unable to withstand the torture of not touching her, I gently tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, trailing my middle finger down her jawline. The morning sun seeped through the sides of my curtains, creating the perfect light and shadows on her. The only thing stopping me from grabbing my camera was not wanting to leave her warmth.
Cassie shifted her legs and arched her back. Perfect, high, perky breasts that could seduce any man were mere inches away from me. My resolve began to fade, and as soon as her eyes fluttered open, I wanted to give her an encore performance of last night.
A shrill buzzing sound coming from my front door stole my attention. Who the hell was here on a Saturday morning? Shit. Hailey. I completely forgot that I had rescheduled yesterday’s shoot for today.
Cassie’s eyes opened and her smile widened. “Mmm… good morning. Was that your doorbell?”
I slid out of bed and hastily threw on a pair of boxers, jeans, and a T-shirt. “Yes, sorry, I completely forgot. I had to reschedule the shoot for Taunt magazine that I had on the calendar yesterday afternoon. Let me call downstairs and have my doorman send her up in ten minutes.”
As if a cold glass of water was dumped on her naked body, Cassie popped out of bed, eyes wild with panic. “There’s a model here?” She grabbed a pillow and held it against her body as if it were a shield. “Did you say Taunt magazine? Like the men’s magazine full of naked women?”
“And articles.” I winked, but Cassie frowned. “What?”
“Why is the shoot here? Why not at the magazine?”
Her snark was obv
ious. “Hailey is leaving for Europe tomorrow, which is why I’m working on a Saturday. The magazine contacted me to get it done.” My explanation softened the lines in her forehead. “Anything else you want to know?” She shook her head petulantly. After I called down to the front desk, I turned back to Cassie. “Get dressed and meet me in my studio.”
“What? Why?”
“Please, Cassandra. I want to show you that what I do is just a job. Humor me.” Even though she was affronted by my request, she dropped the pillow and picked up what was left of her panties and skirt.
“You really had to rip this last night?”
I shrugged. “Sorry, you’re too tempting, and I had no idea the zipper was on the side. Help yourself to my clothes.” After a quick peck, and leaving her with a doe-eyed expression, I hustled to the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Fifteen minutes later, Hailey and I were going over what Taunt expected of her. Yes, the majority of today’s shots would be nude, but it didn’t faze me. There was only one woman who had an effect on me, and she just walked in looking gorgeous.
Cassie’s hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, leaving a few loose strands to frame her face. Rather than a T-shirt, she put on one of my dress shirts, tied in a knot above the rolled waistband of a pair of my shorts, leaving a hint of her smooth tight skin peeking through.
Breaking my conversation, I walked to Cassie and kissed her on the lips. “You look beautiful.” Turning to Hailey, I said, “Cassandra, this is Hailey. Hailey, this is my girlfriend, Cassandra.” Upon hearing the word girlfriend, Hailey’s eyes narrowed. “Is it okay if she sits in on today’s shoot?”
“The more the merrier,” Hailey quipped.
“It’s nice to meet you, Hailey.” Giving me her attention, Cassie asked, “Where do you want me?”
Peering at her intently, I couldn’t voice that I wanted her tied to the bed so I could fuck her the way I wanted to start our day. Instead, I pointed to the chair in the corner. “There will be fine.” She wordlessly nodded and sat on the plush armchair, the lack of emotion on her face worrying me a bit.
The Mr. Wrong Series Page 94