by Chelle Sloan
There is one other difference, and I’m smacked across the face with it as Paige opens her door.
She is nothing like the women in my past.
“Paige, you look stunning.”
And she does. She’s wearing a pale blue cotton dress that is the exact color of her eyes. Her hair is styled, but it also doesn’t look like she spent four hours on it, or had it professionally done. Her makeup is minimal, like always.
She’s beautiful. Classic.
She’s Paige.
“I hope this is dressy enough. Since now, for the second time, you aren’t telling me where we’re going.”
“You look perfect. Tonight is casual. No fancy steakhouse. No hundred-dollar bottle of wine. No food we have to ask a translation for. No frog testicles. Tonight is just us.”
“I like the sound of that.”
I smile, holding out my hand for her as she grabs her purse and jacket before she shuts her door. I lace my hand through hers as we take the short walk to my car, which I know is unnecessary, but now that I can touch her, it’s all I seem to want to do.
“Do you like seafood?” I ask.
“Do I have a choice right now?” she teases.
“You do. Where we’re going doesn’t have reservations. So if you don’t like it, we can find somewhere else.”
She doesn’t answer me, so I risk a glance over to her. She’s looking at me, almost as if she was shocked by my words.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Dr. Garrett Dixon. Renowned orthopedic surgeon. Benefactor to numerous charities in Virginia. The man who doesn’t own a piece of clothing from a discount store, is taking me on a date to a restaurant without a reservation?”
“You can say I’m trying something new.”
This earns me a bigger smile. “I like new. And I love seafood.”
“Wow. When you said you were taking me somewhere and it would be just the two of us, you weren’t lying.”
“This place may be small, but you’re about to have your socks knocked off. Make sure you get the lobster bisque.”
I lead Paige into Larry’s, a hole-in-the-wall seafood place that has the best lobster and crab cakes you can get in Virginia Beach. If you blink, you’ll miss it. It’s in a four-store plaza between a T-shirt shop and a discount cigarette store. It doesn’t even have a sign above the door.
It’s the best hidden gem in town.
“How did you find this place?” Paige asks, taking a seat in the booth we are directed to.
“Mark actually brought me here. Right when I moved to town. I was in a bad way because… well, I’m not going to bore you with all of that. He brought me here, stuffed me with lobster, and helped me formulate a game plan to get back on my feet. He even had the roommate he found for me meet us here so we could make sure we hit it off.”
“Roommate? I didn’t know you ever had a roommate,” Paige says as the waitress puts down our waters.
I order us an appetizer and ask for a few minutes before ordering. “Yeah. Erik. I lived with him for a few years. It helped to split expenses as I was getting my new practice off the ground.”
“Do you two still talk?” Paige asks before taking a sip of water.
“No. He shot himself after trying to kill Charlie and Mark.”
Water. Spit. In. My. Face.
I knew that comment would get a reaction from Paige. I just didn’t realize that the reaction would be her water all over me.
“Garrett! What the heck! You can’t drop a line like that when I’m mid-sip! That’s just plain ol’ not nice!”
I laugh, wiping away the last bit as I give her the brief explanation of what happened with my former roommate before we place our food orders.
“I love it when you get all Southern when you’re mad. Also, right now. You have to tell me. Why don’t you use cuss words? Because if anything earns me a ‘you son of a bitch’ it’s right now. Spill it, Angel.”
She takes another sip of water and swallows it before starting.
“It’s because of the kids.”
“Kids? As in your students?”
She nods. “I used to cuss, but I’d only do it when I was really mad, or like right now when someone does something not nice that takes me by surprise.”
She gives me a fake glare before continuing. God, she’s so cute.
“Anyway. I was doing my student teaching. I was in a first-grade class where every day the kids tested my patience. You know the saying ‘Jesus, take the wheel’? I said it about every day, and I gave up going to church when I was ten.
“One day, the kids were trying me, and the regular teacher was out sick. They had a substitute, but she was seventy-five years old and just a warm body to fill up space, so I was in charge of the class. I still to this day don’t know what happened. Before I knew what was happening, a mini mutiny was on my hands. Kids were pulling hair, someone dumped a bottle of glue onto someone’s head, and I’m pretty sure two kids were running around the room without their pants on. And I… I lost it. I swore. I used all the curse words. I said curse words I didn’t know you could string together. I completely lost it.”
Paige? Lost it on a class? No. I don’t believe it. Not the magical teacher who makes kids like Cullen Dixon bow to her demands with her sweet smile and magical ways.
“One, I can’t even imagine that. And two, what happened after?”
“Well, it can happen and it did. Don’t get me fired up. I may seem nice and sweet, but if someone pushes me too far, I will absolutely lose it. Two, I was fired from student teaching.”
“That can happen?”
She nods. “The school was actually very understanding about it. These kids… they were a bad class. And the administration knew that they did me wrong by putting in a barely alive substitute teacher to help. It was almost the end of the semester, so they told me I was done for the year, which would appease the parents. And they also signed off to Tech that I completed my training. I knew that was my one pass, that I couldn’t ever do something like that again. So I just gave it up.”
I stare at her for a second, because I still can’t believe that this sweet, amazing person even has the power to say words like “fuck” and “shit,” let alone scream it to seven-year-olds.
“What?” she says, taking a piece of bread from the basket the waitress left us.
“I can’t believe you would do that. I mean, I know you wouldn’t lie about it, I’m just having a hard time picturing this.”
She doesn’t answer right away, and a hint of sadness takes over her face.
“I’m not all unicorns and rainbows you know.”
Now it’s my turn to be confused.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You… a lot of people only see Paige the kindergarten teacher. The volunteer. The person who quotes Disney to her class and never breaks a rule. But I’m not that person, Garrett. Not completely. I’ve… there’ve been some things in my past that I’m not proud of. And I’m not just talking about swearing at a bunch of first graders.”
I take her hands in mine, lacing our fingers together. “You know you can tell me. Hell, after all the free therapy I’ve got from you, you know you can tell me anything, right? I won’t judge, promise.”
She nods. “I know. Just not tonight. Tonight is a happy night. Soon. I promise.”
Luckily, the waitress brings our food and the conversation turns to much lighter topics. Despite the quick trek into gloomy territory, the night is perfect. We ate our dinner, went down to the boardwalk for ice cream, and walked back and forth for miles, even though the February weather hadn’t quite turned to spring yet. We held hands and talked like we’ve known each other forever, but also learning things about each other at the same time. We talked about the spring carnival coming up in a few weeks and Makenna’s birthday party at the end of the month.
I know I only had two to compare to, but I couldn’t have asked for a better first date.
Even after I dropped her off, and left her with a kiss that I hoped she would feel until I saw her again, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Paige that would make those beautiful blue eyes look so haunted.
And I vowed right then and there, whatever she needs, I’ll do for her. She’s done so much for me, the least I can do is take that look from her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Paige
I never want to stop kissing Garrett.
I didn’t want to stop the day he came into my classroom and swept me off my feet.
I didn’t want to stop when he dropped me off after our first date.
I haven’t wanted to stop for the last two weeks. I don’t know if I ever will.
I know I don’t have a ton of experience with men or dating, and I’m sure this is all part of the honeymoon phase of a budding relationship, but the way he makes me feel, both inside and out, is like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
And we haven’t even had sex yet. He respected my wishes after that first kiss to wait and take this slow. But as the days go on, I’m finding it harder and harder to resist him.
“You’re going to make us late,” I say, though I’m not trying very hard to get away from his skillful mouth. “Garrett, we have to go.”
He reluctantly lets go of me, even though I sneak in one more kiss before I gather up my things from my desk. “When we are late for the carnival, I’m telling everyone that it’s your fault.”
He gives me that cocky smile I love so much and leans against my desk, his arms crossed, which shows off his defined arms.
Look away, Paige. Don’t be distracted by his arms. Arms that could pin you against the wall while he has his way with you…
“We can’t be late,” he says nonchalantly. “You are in charge. I’m the one announcing the food drive winners, which is in the envelope you are holding. Let’s face it, they can’t start without us. We can go in whenever we want.”
It’s like this man doesn’t even know me.
I stomp in front of him and poke him in the chest, which doesn’t do a lot of good considering he towers over me. That, and his chest is like stone.
No. Don’t think about his chest. Snap out of it!
“Listen here, mister. We are fixin’ to show all those Helicopters that I can put on a gosh darn amazing spring carnival and food drive that is worthy of their ridiculous standards. I have busted my butt on this. I put a time schedule together for a reason. My volunteers are following it. We will follow it. Do I make myself clear, or do I need to explain that to you again?”
If I used that language with my class, they would be stunned into silence and be doing anything I asked. But with Garrett? I swear my rant just makes him horny.
The smile he gives me confirms it.
And now I’m horny… Again.
“I love it when you go all Alabama on my ass,” he says, leaning in so I can feel his breath on my ear. “I’m sorry, Miss Blackstone. I was a bad boy. Do I get a spanking?”
This earns him an eye roll and a smack across the chest. “You’re going to be in time out if you keep this up.”
“Does time out involve spanking? I’m so down for it if it involves spanking, Miss Blackstone.”
This man. I want to be mad at him. He’s making us late. I’ve worked my butt off on this carnival and food drive and I’m determined to see it go off without a hitch. Especially after I heard Amalie telling everyone who would listen yesterday during setup that people were just showing up out of pity and to see if their kid’s class won the food drive.
Screw that.
But if Garrett keeps looking at me like that, like he wants to do very naughty things to me in my classroom, then I won’t need to play one of the games to be the lucky winner. I have a feeling Garrett would more than make sure I won.
Many times.
So I do the only thing I can think of doing. It’s something I have never done before. Something I have never even thought to do before in any of my past, short-lived relationships. I play dirty.
“Come here,” I say, and he does. I reach up and place a gentle kiss on his jaw before leaning close to whisper in his ear. “Do you remember that dress that I wore at the champagne lunch? The one Kelly let me keep after I modeled it?”
He nods and I can hear him swallow, which I don’t know why it turns me on, but it absolutely does. “If you’re a good boy, and listen to everything I say, then maybe there will be spanking later that involves a pair of high heels and that dress.”
All I hear is a groan as I walk out of my classroom.
It’s time to put on a carnival.
Garrett
Paige was on time for the carnival. I needed a few minutes to calm down.
Why? Because my sweet-as-pie kindergarten teacher girlfriend apparently knows how to talk dirty and now I’m sitting in her classroom with a hard cock and the vision of Paige as a naughty school teacher spanking me with a ruler wearing the fuck-me heels from the charity event.
Maybe she’d wear her glasses when she did it…
It’s funny, I went months without sex and barely missed it, which was weird, because I used to love it. I honestly think Annika sucked the joy out of my life so much that she even took that away from me.
With Paige I’m using every ounce of self-control I have. I know we need to take it slow. I know she needs time. I needed time too. But when she says stuff like she just did, it drives me fucking crazy.
We’ve kissed. A lot. Light touching. Nothing under the clothes. And I’m OK with that. She’s comfortable and that’s what’s most important.
And when she’s in stern teacher mode like she was before she left? Forget about it. I’m hard as fucking stone. I want to bend her over that desk and fuck her until she can’t walk the next day.
“And there’s my desk!”
My head snaps to the door, only to find Cullen racing in, Mark not too far behind. Nothing like the sound of your nephew’s voice to instantly get rid of your hard-on.
“I know, buddy. You’ve shown me. Every time I come to the school.”
Cullen stops when he realizes I’m there. “Uncle Garrett? What are you doing here? Did you come to see my desk? Or the new picture I drew? Miss Blackstone hung it right by her desk so she could look at it all the time.”
I look up at Mark who just shrugs as I bend down to talk to Cullen. Paige and I haven’t told him that we are dating yet. Not that we are hiding it. When I told Mark and Charlie, I thought they were going to cry they were so happy. Apparently the dire warnings Charlie gave me about staying away from Paige at the beginning of the year are far from her memory. And I’m not about to remind her of them.
When it came to Cullen, we didn’t know how he would take it. He loves Paige. He’s refusing to acknowledge that in a few months she won’t be his teacher anymore. So, on that hand, we think he’d be all for it. On the other, I don’t want him thinking I’m moving in on his teacher.
Us Dixon men can be pretty territorial like that.
“I was just getting something for Miss Blackstone. I have it now. Let’s go down to the gym!” I say, rounding them up and heading out of her room.
“But you don’t have anything. What did she forget?”
“Yeah, Garrett. What did Miss Blackstone forget?”
I shoot my brother a glare. “I couldn’t find it.”
“That’s what she said.”
I slap Mark upside the head as we make our way down to the gymnasium where all the games and activities are set up for the kids. I am amazed at what I see when we walk in.
There is a never-ending amount of games. There is a popcorn stand and an ice cream bar. There are superheroes and princesses walking around in costume. And since the day was good weather, there is a bounce house and a dunking booth outside the gymnasium doors.
“Holy shit, this rocks!” Cullen yells before he sprints off to get into whatever trouble he can. He isn’t wrong, though, this shit does rock.
&
nbsp; “How did you get stuck with him tonight?” I ask.
“I volunteered. Plus, I knew your whipped ass would be here. I figured we could have some brother bonding time.”
“You know we live together. Do we need to bond more?”
“I just want to make sure you’re OK. You’ve been through a lot with your health scare… and Annika and Trevor. I know Paige is nothing like your gems of ex-wives, but you aren’t even officially divorced yet. I just want to make sure that you’re OK. That you aren’t rushing into anything.”
We take a walk through the games, making sure to keep an eye out on Cullen. God knows what he will get into if he’s left unsupervised.
“I appreciate your concern, and I know it’s coming from a good place. This is different. This is nothing like before.”
“Good. I’m just glad you’re seeing someone with real boobs for a change. How much is it different? Does she—”
I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, which gives me the perfect reason to cut Mark off and this line of questioning. I’m not talking about my exes, or Paige’s boobs with my brother.
As I look at my phone, I’m taken aback to see that it’s Trevor.
Yes, I kept my word that nothing would happen to the practice during the divorce. So far it’s been OK. He’s kept his distance and I’ve kept mine. So the fact that he’s calling me now means something is up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, where are you?”
I take a step outside the gymnasium into an empty hallway. “Cullen’s school. What’s up?”
“Someone tried to break into the clinic.”
“What? How?”
“I don’t know. By the time I made it over to the clinic from my office, they must have gotten scared and took off. The cops were already on their way because of the automatic call when the alarm was triggered. I just thought you would want to know.”
Holy shit. Who would try and break into the clinic?
“Did the cameras pick up anyone walking in? And wait. It’s Saturday. What are you doing in the office on a Saturday?”