Covert Lessons

by Mari Carr

  “Sí.”

  “Got any other family here at school? Brothers or sisters?” He tried to act casual, as if he was simply making conversation.

  “Naw,” José answered. “Only got one brother, but he’s outta school now. Too old for this shit, he says.” José glanced up to see if he would let the language slide and Mac struggled to decide the best way to play this. José could be a major connection for him to the older brother if he played it right.

  He decided to keep things cool. “So what about you? You think school is shit too?”

  José relaxed at his question, only to tense up again immediately. Mac realized why when he heard the angry voice behind him.

  “Excuse me, Mr. McNally, but we do not use foul language in my classroom.” Kelly—or should he say Ms. Finch—was back.

  He winked at a grinning José before turning around. “Sorry, Ms. Finch,” he replied casually. “Just a little guy talk.”

  “Then I suggest you save it for the locker room.” He knew he was in for it when he got to her house Thursday. If he got to her house Thursday.

  “I’m hungry, Miss.” Moris was practically salivating on the tray in his hands. “Can I have a sandwich now?”

  “Yes, Moris, I swear you have the appetite of a bear.” She smiled at the boy and took the tray from him to place on a table at the front of the room. Several other students wandered in, laughing and talking loudly. The afternoon routine seemed familiar to them all. Two girls were complaining to each other about their boyfriends. José and Moris claimed Kelly quickly to help them with some history homework. One boy sat in the back reading quietly while a few kids played Scrabble, arguing loudly over the spelling of a word until Kelly told them to go look it up.

  Mac wandered from group to group, getting to know the kids. A twinge of guilt assaulted him as he recalled calling her Pollyanna for thinking her afternoon sessions were saving the world. Fact was, she probably wasn’t saving the world, but she was definitely making a positive impact in the lives of the dozen or so who would rather stay here than return to who knew what kind of home life.

  After an hour or so, the kids started to clean up and leave. She bid them goodbye, then packed up her own belongings—stacks of papers, a tattered teacher’s text, her lunch bag and the empty sandwich tray. Taking her heavy, overstuffed satchel from her, Mac watched as she turned off the lights and locked her classroom door. The halls were practically deserted at this hour, most teachers having headed home long ago.

  “Thanks,” he said quietly.

  He sensed her surprise at his comment. “For what?”

  “Letting me come into your classroom. I think maybe I was a bit out of line yesterday. You’re a good teacher, Kelly.”

  She blushed at his words and he couldn’t help but grin.

  “I have a feeling you’re a good cop, Mac—and you’re still going to do your job, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

  “And if it means arresting one of those kids?”

  “If they’re breaking the law, Kelly, if they’re part of a gang, then yeah, I’ll arrest them.”

  “Because you’re a good cop.” She simply restated the fact and he noticed there was no question in her voice.

  “I try to be.”

  “They’re young.” He could see in her face she was trying to fight the good fight, but clearly she was too tired for an argument.

  “Let’s just say they’re old enough.”

  As they approached the parking lot, she took her bag from him and turned toward her beat-up station wagon. “Still coming Thursday?”

  He was surprised she wanted him to. He nodded as he continued on to his own car. “I’ll bring the beer.”

  “See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Four

  The doorbell to her townhouse rang promptly at six o’clock Thursday night and Kelly checked her hair one last time in the mirror. She’d chastised herself relentlessly since returning home about her excitement over Mac’s dinner invitation. As soon as she got home this afternoon, she’d torn through the place in a cleaning frenzy before finally stopping to take a shower. Hell, she’d even blow-dried her hair and reapplied her makeup. She’d been in such a tizzy her cat had taken refuge under her bed, where she was fairly certain he’d spend the rest of the night. The whole time she’d tried to keep her rampant thoughts contained.

  It’s only pizza, for Pete’s sake.

  All he wants is information on my kids.

  He’s too arrogant.

  A million things crossed her mind, but none of them dampened her enthusiasm and none of her arguments stopped her from cleaning house, primping and feeling as giddy as a schoolgirl going on her first date.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, incredibly pleased to see he had reverted back to his casual look from Monday. He was clad in blue jeans, boots and a hiking jacket and she felt the familiar rush of longing that flooded her system whenever he appeared. When she took his jacket to hang up, she saw that underneath he was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with “Navy” emblazoned across the chest.

  “Were you in the Navy?” She felt strangely tongue-tied and was desperate to grab hold of any topic of conversation.

  “Nope, but my brother is, so this year we all got Navy attire for Christmas. I’m a Tech boy myself.”

  “Ah, a Hokie, eh? Well, you see before you a Radford girl.” She giggled. Virginia Tech and Radford University were neighboring colleges in southwest Virginia. “I spent many a weekend tailgating at your football games.”

  “Didn’t have much of a choice, did you? I mean, considering Radford doesn’t have a football team. Just think, we could have been hoisting back a few in the very same parking lot.” As he spoke, he held up the six-pack of Coronas he’d carried in.

  “Small world.” She took the beer from him and led the way to the kitchen. “Let me put these in the fridge.” She bent over and rummaged around in the crisper. “I’m afraid I don’t usually keep limes in the house.”

  “Truth be told, I like to drink Corona with lemon,” he admitted from behind her.

  “You’re joking?” She held up a lemon. “So do I.”

  Laughing, he popped the tops on the two beers she’d handed him while she sliced the lemon and slid the small wedges into the bottlenecks.

  Lifting his bottle, he led the toast with a quick, “Cheers.”

  She tapped his bottle and added her own. “Go Hokies.”

  * * * * *

  The rest of the evening passed in pleasant conversation as they discussed everything from their favorite stomping grounds in college to football games to the winter weather. It was nearly ten o’clock when Mac rose from the couch.

  “Well, I guess I shouldn’t keep the teacher up too late. It is a school night.”

  She groaned at his words. “I didn’t grade a single paper tonight. Do you know how behind I am now? I’ll have to spend all day Saturday catching up.”

  “I’ll come help you.”

  She was surprised at the suggestion. “You will?”

  “Isn’t that what student teachers do? Grade papers, plan lessons.”

  “Yes, but you aren’t really a teacher and you said you didn’t have time to waste planning lessons.”

  He sank down on the ottoman where her feet rested. Reaching over, he placed them on his lap and started gently massaging them. She squirmed a bit, although it felt heavenly. She wondered if she should protest his growing familiarity with her. He seemed to think it was his right to touch her whenever he felt like it. Several times during the week, he’d grabbed her hand when no one was around simply to toy with the rings on her fingers. Twice he’d finagled his way back into the book room with her, sneaking quick kisses, and now this foot massage. Damn man. She was coming to crave his stolen touches and he knew it.

  “That feels amazing.” She sighed heavily and reveled in the touch for a few quiet minutes. She was so relaxed she thought she may actually have drifted off for a secon
d—then Mac ruined everything.

  “Tell me about José Alvarado.”

  She stiffened at his question. They hadn’t discussed school or the students once tonight and she had forgotten that was his true purpose in coming over.

  “What do you want to know?” She was determined not to make things easy on him. He’d lulled her into a false sense of security and comfort, no doubt hoping to weasel more information out of her. Well, he’d soon learn who he was dealing with. She attempted to pull her foot out of his grasp but he held firm.

  “Mac.” She protested his tightened grip but he forged ahead, continuing the foot rub and ignoring her as usual.

  “What do you know about his home life?”

  “It sucks.” She continued her struggle to regain her foot. José was a personal favorite of hers. She knew teachers weren’t supposed to have favorites or teachers’ pets, but the fact was she adored José and she couldn’t believe of all the kids in her class, he was the one Mac had singled out.

  “Sucks how?” He grinned at her failed attempts to escape.

  “His father died a few years ago, his mother cleans houses, his brother Juan dropped out of school and José works a full-time second-shift job to help pay the bills.”

  He seemed to digest this information as he absentmindedly rubbed her foot. “What do you know about his brother?”

  “When he was in school, he was trouble with a capital T.”

  He nodded his agreement. “Juan Alvarado is a suspected leader of the BTs.”

  “Really?” She was somewhat surprised by this. José never mentioned gangs or his brother.

  “Hasn’t José ever told you anything about Juan?”

  “No,” she answered quickly. “He’s very closed-mouthed about him. I always assumed it was because he was embarrassed that his brother had been such a troublemaker in school who dropped out. José is a serious student and his discipline record is spotless. He did tell me once that he stands to be the first in his entire family to graduate from high school.”

  “So you’ve never seen him sporting gang colors or hanging out with a rough crowd?”

  She narrowed her eyes in anger. “Are you implying that just because José’s brother is a member of the BTs, he is too?”

  “It would be more unlikely if José were not involved in the gang.”

  “Didn’t you listen to a word I just said? José is a wonderful student. He never misses class. Why would he still be in school if he were a gang member? Why would he work nights at the grocery store?”

  Mac shrugged and seemed to consider her questions. His answers enraged her. “Schools are prime spots for recruiting future members. A grocery store would be an excellent place to distribute illegal narcotics.”

  “Not José. You’re insane.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m a cop and I have experience to read between the lines. I’ve done my job long enough that I’ve begun to have instincts about certain things.”

  “Give me back my foot,” she hissed.

  “No. Stop struggling—now.” His words were issued as a demand and she saw red.

  Deciding to turn the tables on him, she ceased trying to pull her foot away and instead stretched it even farther into his lap until it rested lightly on the front of his jeans. Perhaps it was time Jared McNally realized she could give as good as she got.

  At the sound of his quickly indrawn breath, she knew she’d scored a direct hit. “Cops aren’t the only people with instincts, Mac. I’ve been a teacher for several years and I’ve developed some instincts of my own. And mine say that José is innocent of everything you’re accusing him of.”

  “I wasn’t aware I was accusing him of anything. I was merely stating the fact that there’s a good chance José is aware of and perhaps even involved in the Broadstreet Thugs.”

  She flexed her toes forward and began her own version of a foot massage. Clearly her revenge scheme was working. Mac seemed unable to continue their conversation as she slowly rubbed her foot up and down the front placket of his jeans, pushing more firmly against the growing erection she found there.

  She inwardly grinned and decided to answer his questions without further prompting. “His brother dropped out last year. I never taught him, but I’ve heard from other teachers that he wasn’t a very nice boy. José is his polar opposite. I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t want to be judged based upon what your brother does and yet that’s exactly what you’re doing to José.” As she spoke, she teased the head of his cock with her toes, wishing the denim material wasn’t so thick so she could torment him properly.

  When he failed to respond, she stopped moving her foot and glanced up into his face to check his response to her teasing. What she’d expected to see, she couldn’t say, but it wasn’t the unchecked desire smoldering in his eyes. Suddenly she recalled his words in the book room a couple days earlier. “A cock-tease”, he’d called her.

  Realizing she’d stepped across the fine line between playfulness and pushing it too far, she slowly pulled her foot back, placing it on the floor.

  “Mac, I—” She had no chance to finish her thought.

  He swooped down on her. Gripping her legs tightly, he pulled her legs up onto the ottoman while pulling her upper body down to rest flat on the oversized cushioned chair. He was on top of her in an instant, but rather than kiss her, he merely covered her with his hard, large body, letting her feel every firm, aroused inch of him.

  Breathing heavily, she avoided his gaze for as long as she could before finally raising her eyes to find him studying her intently.

  “I warned you.” His words were a whisper and he didn’t move.

  She wanted to scream for him to release her, to fight against his overpowering hold on her, to demand that he leave, but those weren’t the words that flew from her lips. Instead all she could do was say “yes” and nod.

  He bent his head at her assent and took her lips in a kiss reminiscent of the first one in the book room. His lips had a way of devouring hers in an all-powerful, awe-inducing way. When he kissed her, she couldn’t think beyond the feeling of his mouth on hers, his tongue touching hers, his hands running through her hair. No man had ever kissed her like Mac did and for a brief moment, that fact depressed her. When his undercover assignment was over and he was out of her classroom, how the hell was she supposed to go back to the monotonous dates she seemed condemned to suffer for the rest of her life?

  Mac must have sensed her sudden distracted melancholy as he pulled back and looked down at her face.

  “Kelly?” His voice was tinged with a trace of concern and she was touched by it. She wasn’t used to a man being so in tune with her thoughts and emotions.

  “We should stop,” she whispered, despite the fact her heart and body were both screaming for more.

  He studied her face closely for several seconds before nodding.

  “You’re right,” he agreed and she instantly regretted speaking the words, regardless of the wisdom of them. “It would be completely unprofessional for us to continue down this path.”

  She tried to smile, tried to return to their earlier casual camaraderie, but she was finding it difficult to do with him lying prostrate over her, his rock-hard erection tantalizing her oh-so-lonely pussy.

  “Mac,” she said, lightly pushing at his shoulders, a bit surprised when he refused to move. In fact, she thought she detected the slightest thrusting movement of his hips against hers.

  He stopped her from saying anything else as he lightly brushed his lips against hers once more. “However, Ms. Finch, this case will not last forever and when it’s finished, you’re going to spend a great deal of time finding out what happens to women who misbehave in my class.”

  “Your class?” she mumbled.

  “My bed, Kelly. You’ve been a very naughty girl. Don’t worry, though. I’m keeping track of your rule breaking and our day of reckoning will come. Very, very soon.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She forced a
stern tone to her words, despite the fact her wits were literally whirling around her.

  Mac shot her a sexy grin and she groaned as he pressed his erection even more firmly against the vee of her thighs.

  “I’m talking about you, me, a bed and a sleepless night. Maybe two sleepless nights. Hell, maybe a week’s worth.”

  She stared at him, stunned. He wanted her. She could certainly feel that fact, as it was hard and firmly pressing against her. So they would wait until his case was over and then embark on an affair?

  She tried to be appalled at the thought of him using her for sex, but the only feeling she could produce at that idea was a mental eye roll. Hell, if anybody would be doing the using, it would be her. No doubt women threw themselves into his bed on a regular basis. She, on the other hand, had been striking out with alarming regularity in that regard.

  Oh yeah. They’d have their day of reckoning all right—and she couldn’t wait.

  “Fine,” she whispered, thrusting her hips against his cock and grinning at the pained, lust-filled look her move produced. “You’ll finish up your undercover work at the school and then we’ll take care of this unfinished business.”

  He chuckled as he kissed her lightly again. “In the meantime, Ms. Finch, why don’t we relive a little of our own high school days? When was the last time you made out?”

  She giggled at his invitation. “Actually, you and I seem to be doing quite a bit of that lately.”

  “Heightens the anticipation,” he joked.

  “Mmmm. Well, I wouldn’t mind necking but I’m warning you right now, if you give me a hickey, I’ll hurt you.”

  He merely laughed at her threat and proceeded to kiss her silly.

  In the end, he did leave her with a hickey low on her neck, but by then she was much too happy to kick up a fuss. Besides, it was winter and she had an abundance of turtlenecks.

  * * * * *

  Mac noticed it had taken Kelly until lunchtime the day after their dinner date to stop blushing every time she’d looked at him. Now, nearly a week later, he fought to stifle a grin at the memory. The two of them had panted and petted, with their clothing on, like a couple of teenagers on their first date and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a night more. Of course, that was despite the fact he was now sporting a nonstop hard-on, twenty-four/seven. He was suffering from a chronic case of blue balls and he wasn’t sure he’d make it through this case without doing serious injury to himself.