by Julie Morgan
She held her glass to me once more. “Here’s to new experiences.”
I tipped and clinked my glass to hers. “Absolutely,” I said before taking another sip.
“So, you said you wanted to talk?” She set her glass down.
“Yeah.” I took another sip of wine and refilled my glass. I met her gaze, took in a deep breath, and then let it go. “Cara, I like you. A lot. I can’t do this friends-with-benefits situation we’re in. I thought I could, but honestly, I can’t. You’re Marshall’s teacher. I’ll see you more than I thought I would. I don’t want your job to be in jeopardy, and hell, I need to focus when I’m on the clock.”
I felt a bit dizzy. I’d let all those words out without taking a breath. She didn’t speak. I looked to the floor and saw her bare feet, her toenails painted tangerine orange, stepping toward me. She reached for my hands, and my stomach flipped.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“I want more, Noah. I don’t like this arrangement any more than you do. But…”
I held my breath. When there’s a but, a negative always followed. I lifted my gaze to meet hers.
“I love my job. I can’t take a chance of losing what I’ve worked years to earn. I’ll make my tenure this year, but there are a few gunning for my position and a few who wouldn’t mind seeing me go.”
I frowned. “Some of the teachers want you gone?”
She nodded. “I have parents requesting me personally to teach their young ones. They call me the child whisperer.” She chuckled. “If word got out that you and I were an item, I’m concerned I could lose everyone I have in my corner. I’m not saying you’re not worth the risk, but I have to think about what’s best for me. I’m sure you understand. Would I be worth the risk if it was your job?”
With a sigh, I let go of her hands and crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t quite like where this conversation was going. I wanted to confess how I felt, and here she was, breaking things off with me.
“Well?” She laid her hands on my forearms. “Talk to me.”
“What can I say?”
“How about the truth? Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“The truth?”
She nodded.
“Well, the truth is, I came over tonight in hopes of taking us to the next level. I didn’t expect you to break things off.”
“Oh, shit.” She took a step back. “I’m sorry. Truly. I… I’m a dumbass.”
I felt my brows furrow as I frowned. “You’re not a dumbass, but why do you feel this way?”
She sighed, picked up her glass of wine, and swallowed the contents. She refilled it and drank it down just as fast.
I poured more of the red wine into my own glass and followed suit.
“Self-preservation,” she said.
“What? What the hell does that mean?”
“If I beat you to the punch, then you can’t break things off with me.”
“You thought… You thought I was breaking it off with you?”
She nodded and covered her face with her hands. “I’m a dumbass.”
I chuckled, took her wrists, and then pulled her hands from her face. “You’re not a dumbass. In fact, this vulnerability I see in you is exquisite.”
She met my gaze, and my God, she had tears in her eyes. Now I felt like the dick. I’d made her cry.
“Cara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Shut up,” she whispered.
I raised my brows. “What?”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
I had wanted to tell her about Marshall’s mother, about my feelings, about everything, but with her demand, I was putty in her hands. She was a force to be reckoned with.
I cupped her face, tilted it toward mine, and traced her cheekbones with my thumbs. Her caramel eyes held specs of chocolate, and her pupils widened as she stared into mine.
I leaned in and slanted my lips over hers. She sighed, and I tasted her wine. Our tongues danced through the darkness and light that was savored in our mouths. I wanted this…all of this. I wanted Cara in my life.
I’d had a hole in my heart for many years, and for the first time in a very long time, it started to feel whole again.
I moved my arms around her body and lifted her against me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I carried us through the darkness of the hallway to the most familiar room in her home to me. Her bedroom.
Collapsing our bodies onto her bed, I thrust my hips into her, pressing my erection against her pussy.
“I need you,” I whispered against her lips. The words hit some part of my inner self. I really did need her. I couldn’t let her go. Not now. This whirlwind romance we’d started had taken a drastic turn, and I couldn’t wait to see where we would end up.
Chapter Nine
Cara
Waking up alone sometimes felt lonely, whereas other days it was liberating. No one to report in to, no one to worry about, no concerns if they were cheating. Then, on the other hand, waking up in love felt as if one had fallen into the deepest pit of euphoria, scented with the person you loved and covering you in a blanket of hope, dreams, and trust.
When I woke this morning, I was alone, but the morning sun awakened me as if I were a flower drinking in the rays. I wanted to jump from my warm bed and dance naked in my room. I wanted to throw my arms in the air and spin until I felt dizzy and fell to my knees.
All of this would be in part because of how I was feeling about Noah. I hadn’t wanted Noah in my life. I didn’t need him. I wanted nothing to do with him. But the more time we spent together, the more sex we had, the more I saw him outside of my bedroom… I could no longer deny how I felt. I couldn’t continue to hold what Jeremy did to me over Noah’s head. It wasn’t fair to him, and it wasn’t fair to me.
With a meow, Luci jumped up onto my bed. I ran my hands through his black fur, the subtle horns on his head pointing skyward.
“Where were you last night when Noah came over? Hmm? You should meet him, you know? Stop being so shy.”
Luci simply purred and rubbed his head against my fingers. I sat up, and my cat jumped to the floor, then ran toward the kitchen. It was breakfast time. How dare I keep my king waiting?
I thought back to last night as I padded into the kitchen. Noah confessing his feelings and me putting up my invisible wall of fortitude. I seldom let anyone in and was a master at keeping everyone out.
But Noah… I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but he’d managed to slip past my wall and had barely gained a glimpse of the darkness that was my soul. What would happen when he got to know the real me? Would he run and hide? Or would he stay and fight by my side? My past was like a dragon waiting to be slain, and Noah was the knight to bring the misery to an end.
I pulled a can of cat food from the cabinet, opened it, and placed it on Luci’s plate and then took a seat on the barstool in my kitchen. Running my hand through my hair, I felt my stomach flip in pleasant leaps with butterflies reminding me of the giddies Noah brought to my life.
And there was Marshall, his son. Who took care of him when he wasn’t at school? Where was he when Noah fought fires or was with me?
I looked to my hands and felt a stab of guilt. I was taking father-and-son time away from Marshall and Noah. Where was his mother? Was Noah divorced? Separated?
Other than the fact that Noah was a firefighter, I didn’t really know much else about him. If we were going to do this and take that next step, there were questions I needed answers to. Did Marshall have custody of his son? How involved was his mother? What about grandparents? Information about his mother wasn’t in his file at school, so I didn’t have much to go on.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. This was too much to think about on a Saturday morning. I needed coffee. I picked up my phone and pulled up the calendar. There was a date for tonight with Erin and my other girlfriends. We were going to the new bar in town. There was a show tonight, something live with magic or il
lusions. I couldn’t quite remember, but whatever it was, it was perfect timing.
I needed to cool my own personal jets of all things Noah and figure out what I wanted… no, what I needed in my life. I had my tenure at the school in the palm of my hands. I was up for a possible promotion and a pay raise. And my parents profited from some stock they sold and wanted to take me on a vacation to Scotland when summer arrived.
I’d always wanted to visit Scotland and see a few men in kilts. Consider it homework for my teaching.
With a smile, I slid off the stool and poured myself a cup of coffee. Then I made my way toward my room. I walked up to my dresser and reached for my drawer, then paused. Noah’s T-shirt from our first night together still sat on top of it. I reached for it instead and pulled it to my face. I closed my eyes and inhaled. His familiar scent filled my head. I set the shirt back on the dresser. At some point, I would give the shirt back, but not today, or tomorrow, or anytime soon. For now, it was mine.
The day had settled into the evening, a crisp breeze blew through the Manhattan streets, and the sounds of the city grew louder with every minute that passed. My driver stepped around to my side of the car and opened my door. I thanked him with a tip, then stepped onto the sidewalk. No one drove in Manhattan if they could help it, but it didn’t mean one couldn’t call for a ride.
I pulled my phone from my purse and texted Erin.
Hey, I’m here outside the Starbucks.
Where are you?
I looked up at the coffee shop in front of me, the line to get in stretching out the door. I shook my head and glanced at my phone when it buzzed.
I’m one block away. Be there in a sec.
I tugged my calf-length cashmere coat around my body and shivered. I checked my phone once more when I heard Erin.
“Hey, I’m here!”
I looked over and found her walking toward me. I smiled and waved to her. “Are you ready to go in?”
She nodded. “It looks like it’s just us tonight. The others bailed.”
I shrugged. “That’s fine.” I took a step back and looked at her attire. She wore a long black coat, similar to mine, and underneath it, she had on a one-piece jumpsuit with no sleeves or shoulders. It was still fall, but it felt more like winter tonight. She would freeze.
“And where’s the rest of your wardrobe?” I asked.
She laughed. “Funny. I happen to look hot in this.”
“Yeah, maybe so, but it’s cold tonight.”
Without another word on her wardrobe choice, we walked toward our destination. The new club was two blocks down from the Starbucks, and I was looking forward to something different, something new, something that wasn’t Noah.
“So,” Erin started and slipped her hand through my arm. “Who’s the guy?”
I frowned and looked over to her. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t play like that. You’re glowing like the cat who ate the fucking canary. Now come on. Who is it? Spill. I need details.”
I didn’t want to tell her anything about Noah. Wait, she’d said I was glowing. “You think I’m glowing, like I’m in love or something?”
“Totally. Now tell me, please. I have zero life right now except for my TV remote and my BOB.”
I snickered. I could relate to being single and having a BOB. BOB never talked back or told you where to go or who to go with. He only turned on and off and occasionally needed a change of batteries. Best boyfriend ever.
“There is no one, Erin.” The conversation I had with her about Noah came to mind. I couldn’t tell her I was seeing him. At least not yet. I doubt she’d understand or agree with it. It wasn’t exactly professional to date your student’s parent.
But then again, were we dating? After last night’s conversation, I suppose that would be a yes.
“Hello? Earth to Cara. Where did you go just now?”
“What?” I asked her. “I didn’t go anywhere. I’m right here, and look, here’s the club. Let’s go in and talk about our love lives later, okay?”
“Sure. But you can’t fool me. I know something’s up.”
I was relieved she let it go, but her last words had me wondering just how much she really knew. Either way, I bet she would continue to hound me until I gave every last detail about who Mr. Right Now was.
The club was dark, lit only by the thin tall letters atop of the entrance. There was a line of people waiting to get in. I took note of the bouncer and security guard at the door.
“Stay by my side, okay?” I told Erin.
“You got it.” She held on to my arm a little tighter as we made our approach.
My mother told me long ago that to get anywhere in the world, you needed a good purse, great shoes, and at least a hundred dollars in your hand at any given moment.
Well, right now was that moment, and taking no was not an option.
We approached the two men, and I felt like a midget next to their stature. One looked over his sunglasses, which was odd since it was night. The other glared at me, Erin, then back to me.
“Name?” he growled.
“Cara Murphy,” I told him. I held a piece of white paper in my hand that was wrapped around a Ben Franklin.
He snatched the paper from my hand and opened it. He looked at me once more, then marked something on his clipboard. He motioned for us to go inside with a move of his head.
“Thank you,” I told him.
“Thank you,” Erin repeated.
“You’re welcome. Anything you ladies need, just call Tony.”
“Are you Tony?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Enjoy your night.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Tony. Don’t work too hard.”
He chuckled, and we stepped inside. The cold of the breeze was replaced by a chilled room. The walls were lit by blue lights that shined against newly tiled walls. Steps led us down toward a bar on the right and couches on the left, with a hardwood dance floor between them. Above us hung a large orb of white lights with a red hue shining from the inside. At the other end of the room was a stage with props and equipment for the show tonight.
Jazz music played, and I pointed to a flight of stairs that led to balcony seats. She nodded, and we headed up. Moments after we took a seat, a waitress took our drink order.
We removed our jackets, and a man in a tuxedo stopped by our table.
“May I hang your jackets, ladies?”
Next to our tables were coat hangers. I nodded and handed my coat over to him. Our waitress returned with our drinks, and the music grew louder. More people came in, and on the stage, the entertainment began to set up.
“Any idea what we’re in for tonight?” Erin asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t really know, but by the looks of it, they almost seem to be circus performers.” I pointed to a set of long sticks that had round ends, almost like giant matches.
“Is that a torch?” Erin asked.
I followed her finger to where she pointed, and sure enough, there was a torch with the equipment. “Great, they’re playing with fire.”
“Maybe the fire department will pay another visit,” Erin teased.
I looked at Erin and raised my brow. “Oh yeah, maybe.”
Soon, the club filled with people, and the entertainment for the evening was ready to kick off.
The man on stage picked up the microphone. “So… I asked the club tonight to turn off the fire sprinklers.”
He didn’t get a response, and I glanced to Erin. I leaned over to her. “I hope he’s kidding.”
“Right, okay, so we’re getting started now. Enjoy! We’re Pyros at Night!”
I sighed and shook my head. “A fire show in a new club. What could go wrong?” I took a sip of my drink and heard Erin laughing. I turned to her and found her talking to a random man who took a seat next to her. Erin was beautiful, and the outfit she wore would attract a lot of attention.
Point made. Well played, Erin.
I picke
d up my drink to take another sip when the man on the stage lit one of the sticks. He began tossing it about and actually dropped one of them. I raised my brow and watched him bend over to grab it then leap up.
“I meant to do that,” he yelled into the microphone.
I glanced over to the entrance and found people were leaving as quickly as they were trying to get in.
New club.
Bad first night show.
Not a good sign for the establishment.
I sure hoped they had insurance.
“Listen,” I said and leaned over to Erin. “I’m going to finish my drink and go. This show tonight isn’t my scene.”
When she didn’t say anything, I tapped her shoulder.
She turned with a frown. “What?”
I raised my brows. “Well, okay, then. Enjoy your night.” I stood and finished my drink.
“Don’t go,” she said and reached for my hand.
“No, it’s all right. Enjoy your night and have fun”—I motioned to the guy she was talking to—“I’m bored with Pyro and his fire.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” she asked.
I shook my head and reached for my jacket. As I pulled it from the hook, I heard a few screams. I immediately looked to the stage and saw the pyro guy had caught one of the curtains behind him on fire and then his pants as well.
“Fucking perfect,” I groaned.
A second later, a loud alarm sounded, and the emergency storm lights automatically switched on all over the club. Then the fire sprinklers kicked in.
I growled and headed toward the door. I’d just had my jacket returned from the cleaners. Thankfully, a little water wouldn’t ruin it. The people attempting to head down the stairs came to a stop. Those trying to flee were jamming the entrance door. I sighed and leaned against the stair rail. No one was getting in or out, and soon the fire department would be here.
Holy hell, would Noah be part of the crew?
With a sigh, I lowered my eyes to my phone in my hand. I was tempted to text him to come and get me. But it was Manhattan. Only way he would get through would be on a fire engine.