by Jaci Burton
“Three players on probation, Josie. You put three of my players on probation.”
She leaned back in her chair and studied him, noticing how sharp he looked in his dark jeans and black-and-white-striped button-down shirt with the paisley tie.
So. Hot.
“First, I did not put your players on academic probation, Zach. They did that to themselves by either failing tests or not turning in assignments. And second, you already know that, so I don’t know why you’ve barged in here being all accusatory with me.”
His face scrunched up with bottled rage. She sat back calmly while he worked through his anger, because she knew he wasn’t pissed at her, but rather at his players. So she let him walk it off by pacing back and forth in her classroom for a few minutes.
“What was it this time? They had to write some freakin’ play? Or was it that damn poetry shit again? I mean, that’s torture, Josie, you know that.”
“Let me see the student names.”
He walked by and dropped the partially crumpled report on her desk. She picked it up and scanned the list.
“Abe’s in my eleventh-grade language arts class. He didn’t turn in two papers last week on theme and archetypes.”
“What? He didn’t do the work at all?”
“No. He didn’t do the work. And Paul was supposed to write an analysis on the second half of the book we were reading in class, describing the narrator’s point of view. It was worth three hundred points. He failed to turn it in.”
“Like he didn’t turn it in on time?”
“No, Zach. He didn’t turn it in at all.”
“Shit.”
“And Warren didn’t turn in a single one of his homework assignments last week.”
She heard his heavy sigh, knew how much this must weigh on him. The football team relied on him, but all the players had to be on the same page. And when two or three fell, they crumpled the entire team.
She pushed back from her chair and looked up at him. “I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. They either do the work or they fail and they’re off the team. I’m getting tired of kicking their asses every damn day.”
She grasped his arm. “They’re worth it, you know. Every one of them is worth the effort you put into them. They know you care, Zach. You have no idea what that means to them. If the two of us talk to these boys, maybe we can convince them to put in some extra effort.”
“I’m not sure I even care anymore.”
“Of course you do. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be standing in my classroom yelling at me about them.”
He looked down at her. “I’m sorry. I just—I’m running out of ideas on how to help them.”
“Then let me help you help them. I’ll give you some assignments that’ll equal the credit they’ve lost. But you have to make them responsible for doing the assignments. And don’t help them. Then they sink or swim on their own.”
He seemed to consider it. “All right.”
“I’ll get something together and have it for you before the end of school today.”
“Thanks.” He started toward the door, then stopped and turned to her. “We’re still on for tonight?”
She smiled at him, happy that he could separate school from their personal lives. “I can’t wait for tonight.”
For the first time since he’d stormed into her classroom, his lips curved into a smile. “Me, too.”
There was something about that man’s smile that made her heart flutter. Which was utterly ridiculous, but there it was. She felt it, so she wouldn’t discount it.
After he left, it was time to get back to work. Since she had a little extra time before her next class started, she put together those assignments for Zach’s players. She was bound and determined they were going to get back to passing her class.
She made the assignments doable, but not simple. When her next class started, she had one of her students run the envelope to Zach’s classroom so he’d be sure to have it to distribute it to the boys after school today.
Then it would be up to them to do the work. There was nothing else either she or Zach could do.
After school ended, she went home and did her grading for the day, then fed and played with Tumbles and Arthur, the blind bunny she’d adopted the other day.
Arthur was settling in surprisingly well. She was happy about that. Tumbles seemed to have taken to him, too. He followed Arthur all over the house as the bunny learned his way around. Tumbles seemed to be aware that Arthur had special needs, so he took extra care to make sure the bunny didn’t run into walls or anything that could hurt him.
Animals were such special creatures. Her heart swelled with love for her two babies. As she sat cross-legged on the floor and watched Tumbles redirect Arthur away from the wall so he could hop toward his food bowl, she could envision a house filled with children and animals someday. The kids would crawl all over the floor, laughing as dogs and cats and bunnies played with them.
And, of course, there’d be a man who loved them all.
It was a nice dream. Maybe someday it would come true.
In the meantime, she needed to get ready for tonight’s date. She decided on a long, flowered skirt with a white top, then added a pair of ballet flats and her favorite silver chain necklace and hoop earrings. She did her makeup and fixed her hair, then got dressed. She put Arthur in his crated area and poured herself a glass of wine while she waited for Zach.
When he rang the doorbell, she checked her phone.
He was right on time. She opened the door, surprised to see him holding a bouquet of stunning wildflowers.
“You don’t seem the roses type,” he said.
“I’m not. Those are gorgeous. Come in.”
He walked in and handed the flowers to her.
“Let me put these in some water.”
Zach looked around—mostly for the cat—and didn’t see him.
“You need a dog.”
She was at the sink and turned to gape at him as he made his way into the kitchen. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“Wilson barks—loud—when someone rings the doorbell. I don’t suppose devil cat even meows to alert you.”
She snickered. “Hardly. But it’s good you have a guard dog.”
Zach leaned against the counter. “Not sure he’d do anything other than run and hide if someone broke in, but he’s loud, and that might give someone a second thought.”
“Hey, the burglars don’t know that. And he obviously thinks he’s fierce. Would you like a beer or a glass of wine?”
“Beer would be good, thanks.”
She pulled one from the fridge and handed it to him.
“How’s he been getting along?” she asked as she followed Zach into the living room.
“Like he’s been living in my house his whole life. He loves all his toys, which are littering my entire house now. Along with his favorite blanket. And his chew bone.”
Josie curled a smile across her beautiful lips. “I’m really happy that he’s doing so well.” She looked over at him. “Are you happy?”
“Surprisingly, yeah. I never knew how quiet my house was until Wilson came to live with me.”
“Dogs are good at letting you know you were once lonely.”
“Didn’t say I was lonely, just that it was quiet.”
“I stand corrected, then. Big tough guy isn’t lonely.” She repositioned herself so she leaned her body against his. He didn’t mind that at all.
“Yeah, that’s me. Never lonely. Kind of like you, right? Minus the big-tough-guy part.”
“Hey, I freely admit I like the company. Tumbles is great company. So is the bunny.”
He arched a brow. “You got a bunny?”
She nodded. “His name is Arthur. He’s black and white with floppy ears, and he’s so soft and totally adorable. The rescue organization called me two days ago and said they were having trouble placing him because he’s blind
and his radar isn’t all that great, so he needs some assistance maneuvering around his designated areas.”
He gaped at her. “You adopted a blind bunny?”
“Of course I did. He’s so sweet, Zach. He’s over here. Come meet him.”
They got up, and Zach followed Josie into the corner of the living room. He hadn’t noticed the fenced-off area earlier. Sure enough, a long-eared black-and-white rabbit was sound asleep in there.
“He’s really cute. Will he take a bite out of my ankle like the Prince of Darkness?”
She straightened and rolled her eyes. “You’re such a baby.”
No one had ever called him a baby. “I am not. I’ve been tackled by a two-hundred-seventy-pound lineman. I think I can handle a little pain.”
“Uh-huh. Except from a ten-pound cat.”
“Cat scratches sting.”
“Don’t I know it. He scratched me while we were playing today. But you don’t hear me whining about it, do you?”
“He scratched you?” He visually searched the exposed parts of her body. “Where?”
She shook her head and led him back to the sofa. “That’s how cats play, Zach. Sometimes play gets rough. You’re going to have to toughen up.”
The last thing he wanted to do with Josie tonight was discuss her cat. He decided it was time to shift the conversation. “Oh, so you’re tough, huh?”
He reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. Her head nestled in the crook of his arm, the soft curves of her body pressed against the hard planes of his.
This was better than talking about cats. Looking down at her made him forget about everything other than wanting to kiss her. Her lips were partially open, painted pink, and she was breathing fast. So was he, the blood rushing through his veins in anticipation of what was to come.
“Got me right where you want me now?” she asked.
“Mostly.” He lifted her slightly so her face was closer, and then he brushed his lips across hers, taking a tentative taste. He didn’t want to push her into anything she wasn’t ready for. Her nails dug into his chest, and she moaned, flicking her tongue out. He opened her mouth with his, and her tongue slid into his mouth. He resisted the urge to groan as his dick hardened instantly. Something about her taste, the sweet scent of her, did a number on him. She was the sweetest candy, a temptation he couldn’t resist. He’d wanted her for months now, and to be kissing her now, to feel her body moving so willingly against his, was everything he’d been dreaming about.
He lifted his head. “It’s movie night.”
She splayed her palms against his chest, her eyes laden with desire. “What movie?”
He sucked in a breath and dove in for another kiss, lost in the wicked taste of her, the promise of more, the need to delve into the secrets he could uncover in the soft curve of her neck as he made his way down there to breathe in her scent, then lick his way to her collarbone. He was impeded by clothes, and that was a damn shame, because he wanted to taste every inch of her skin.
She pulled back and stared up at him. “Zach. I don’t know about you, but I’m okay with foregoing movie night.”
He was about to bust the seam of his jeans, and all he could think about was getting Josie’s clothes off. “Like you said … what movie?”
“Okay, good. Are you sure about this?”
She’d asked him for consent. That was different. “Damn sure. How about you?”
“I’m so sure that I might die if you don’t get me naked.”
That was about as definite a yes as she could give him. He stood and pulled her up, then swooped Josie up into his arms and headed down the hall.
“Are you crazy? You don’t have to carry me to the bedroom,” she said.
He glanced down at her but didn’t stop. “Don’t ruin my romantic moment here, woman.”
“Sorry. In that case, I’m swooning with desire. Take me, caveman.”
He rolled his eyes at her. When he got to the bedroom, he nudged the door with his shoulder and set her on her feet in front of the bed. He swept his hand along the side of her neck and kissed her again. She moaned against his lips, and he soaked in the taste of her, the sound of her, the way her body molded against his.
And then he heard a meow. He pulled away from Josie and looked down to see that Tumbles had made himself at home in the center of Josie’s bed.
She smiled at Zach. “Give me just a minute.”
She turned and scooped up the cat, petting and murmuring to him as she left the bedroom. She came back a few seconds later and shut the bedroom door, then came over to him and splayed her hands on his chest.
“I gave him a treat. He’s happy now.”
“Does that mean I get a treat?”
She lifted her shirt over her head and let it drop to the floor. She was wearing a satiny, bronze-colored bra that barely covered her breasts. “What did you have in mind?”
“What you’re doing right now is perfect.”
“Then let’s continue.” She kicked off her shoes, pushed her skirt to the floor, and stepped out of it.
Panties matched the bra, and he liked the ensemble very much. She had a hell of a body. Slender but curved in all the right places, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands—and his mouth—on all those places.
She toyed with the long silver chain that dipped between her breasts. “Your turn.”
He gave her a half smile, then pulled off his shirt and threw it on the pile on the floor, enjoying the way her gaze roamed over his chest. He toed off his tennis shoes, then undid the button on his jeans and drew the zipper down. He shoved the jeans to the floor and kicked those onto the pile. Left only in his boxer briefs, he waited while she walked over to him.
She sighed as she raked a nail across his naked chest. “This is much better than I imagined.”
He liked that she’d imagined the two of them like this. “I’m happy to hear that, but we haven’t even started yet.”
“So it gets better than just you, mostly naked, standing in my bedroom.”
He reached around and unhooked her bra. “Oh, yeah.”
And then she pulled the straps of the bra down her arm and flung the bra onto the growing pile on the floor, leaving her beautifully, perfectly naked.
“Damn.” The word came out in a whisper. And when she shimmied out of her panties, he was afraid he might not be able to form coherent words.
The last thing to go was that sexy silver chain, which she laid on the nearby dresser. Then she moved closer until their bodies touched, her hand cupping his erection.
“You’re still wearing clothes.”
He managed to swallow past the golf-ball-sized lump in his throat to answer her. “Not for long.”
In an instant, he’d shucked his boxer briefs, his erection a testament to his desire for Josie.
“Well now,” she said, rubbing up against him. “It’s about damn time we did this, isn’t it?”
Typically, he was the one in control, the one doing the seducing. But with Josie, he felt off kilter, and totally seduced. “Yeah.”
She took him by the hand and led him to her bed, where she pulled the blanket back to the end of the bed, then crawled onto the mattress, resting her head against the headboard and pillows.
He followed but sat at her feet.
“You can get on the bed, too,” she said.
“I will. I want to start here.” He picked up her foot and massaged the balls of her feet.
She let out a soft moan. “I’ll give you an hour to stop doing that.”
Since she seemed to enjoy the foot rub, he lingered there for a while, especially since she lightly teased his thighs and erection with her other foot.
Everything about her body was pretty, including her pretty pink-painted toenails. He was in no hurry, and she’d relaxed back on the pillows, her heavy-lidded gaze watching his every movement. When he moved his fingers up over her ankles, then her calves, she shifted up on her elbows.
“You have expert ha
nds,” she said.
His lips curved. “That was just a foot rub. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
She sighed. “I think I’m going to enjoy tonight.”
He shifted so he sat beside her hip. “So you’re not sorry we missed the movie?”
As he massaged her thighs, then her hips, she cast him a wickedly sensual smile. “No, I’m right where I want to be. Naked, with your hands on me.”
He liked hearing that. “You’re beautiful, Josie. Your skin feels like melted butter under my hand. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”
She rolled over on her side. “Have you?”
“Yeah.”
“So have I. I’m sorry we waited so long.” She reached up to run her hand over his face.
He took her hand and kissed her palm. “You know we aren’t on a timetable, right?”
She shrugged. “Most men wouldn’t have waited around so long.”
“I’m not most men.”
She inched closer so their bodies touched. “Mmm. So I’ve noticed.”
He’d resisted as long as he could, but now he wrapped his arm around her and tugged her against him, then brought his lips to hers. She met his lips in a kiss that seared him from the inside out.
He wanted to tell her over and over how beautiful she was, how soft her body felt against the hardness of his, how he felt lost in a sea of blue whenever he met her eyes. Instead, all he could do was touch her, kiss her, and fall into the passion of their kiss.
He’d never been the kind of guy to get wrapped up in sex. It had never been an emotional thing for him. It was fun, and that was it. But with Josie, he had all these … feelings that he’d held in check for so long, and he didn’t know what the hell to do with them other than express them in the only way he’d ever known—physically. So when he kissed her neck and collarbone, and she reacted by arching upward, he took that as a sign of pleasure.
And damn if that was what he wanted for her tonight. He wanted her to feel good, to relax, to release. He moved lower, taking one nipple in his mouth to suck, and she let out a long, low moan.
Josie’s sounds undid him. He was hard and aching to be inside of her, to rock this pleasure along with her. But first he wanted her to unwind, to let go. He moved down her body, and as he breathed her in as he kissed her skin, he felt her tense.