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She squints at me. “Fine. Thank you, Mr. Golden Ratio.”
“My pleasure, Ms. Reed,” I drawl with a crooked grin, and I’m pretty sure I hear a few squeals from a pack of girls stationed around the corner, including Ethan’s girlfriend. I bring the bag down and open it for her, then I hand her one of the peanut butter eggs.
She shoves the entire egg into her mouth, then groans even more loudly as she chews, forcing me to look away and bite my lip when her eyes roll back.
I can’t decide whether it’s better this way, with her still somewhat oblivious to the extent of her power over me, or if it’s even more tortuous because she won’t acknowledge the way she’s able to turn me into putty in her hands so easily, without even trying.
“Don’t do that,” she mumbles through a mouthful of peanut butter.
“Do what?”
“Make Reese’s sexy,” she says after she swallows. “Don’t ruin my favorite candy.”
“Ruin?” I cock an eyebrow.
“You can’t satisfy one of my cravings and trigger a different one at the same time,” she breathes, her eyes darkening. “It wouldn’t be fair, Blake.”
So, she’s notthatoblivious. Duly noted.
I run my tongue over my teeth as I attempt to collect myself. “I guess you’re right. It wouldn’t be very fair to either of us, would it?”
The bell rings loudly, somewhat breaking the spell, and JD rounds the corner, ushering Ethan and his friends back inside. He raises his brow in approval when he notices us talking and continues herding students toward the building. Ethan comes over to offer a silent fist bump, and his expression looks suspiciously like Mrs. T’s “I told you so” look. Then Caidence walks by and flashes us a knowing smile before she grabs Ethan’s hand and tugs him along.
“I’ve gotta get back to class,” Loren says shyly. “But thanks for the snack. I feel better already.”
I think for a second about how differently things might have gone if we’d have been a couple in high school. And I’m suddenly filled with regret for not listening to my mom when she advised me to go after Loren that day when we fought about prom.
“Anything for you,” I tell her. Then I notice a bit of chocolate on the corner of her lips and reach out to wipe it with my thumb, bringing it to my mouth instinctively. She watches carefully, her eyelashes fluttering.
I stretch my left hand over her belly one more time. I won’t embarrass her with another kiss, despite the fact that it takes everything I have not to plant one on her in front of everyone, but the way I’m tenderly caressing our babies through her tight T-shirt ought to convey the same sentiment.
“Ugh, get a room,” I hear my brother bark out over my shoulder. But when I turn to shoot him a glare, he’s grinning widely at me. “Need me to watch your class, Ms. Reed?” he offers, bouncing his eyebrows suggestively.
She licks her lips, and I drop my hand. “Uh, no, I’m on my way.” Then she gathers her treats in her arms and steps forward to follow JD inside.
“See you at home?” I call out after her. She nods before she disappears into the hallway, leaving me alone in front of the girls’ restrooms. I figure it’s not the most appropriate place for me to hang out, so I hustle into the building, stopping by the assistant principal’s office.
“What brings you here, Coach?” I hear JD asking from behind me when I raise my fist to knock.
I shrug. “Lo forgot her lunch,” I lie.
He huffs out a laugh as he moves past me to unlock the door. “Yeah, right. Like I haven’t seen her eating at least three times today.” Then he gestures for me to join him in his office.
“I don’t think I’ve been in here since you took over,” I remark, my eyes scanning the room and landing on the “Assistant Principal Bourgeois” plaque on his desk. “But it’s actually pretty cool. Proud of you, bro.”
“Wow, how much did that one cost you?” he asks in amusement.
I roll my eyes. Truth be told, Ihavebeen giving him a hard time since … well, since he was born. “Fine. Go ahead and tell me I’ve gone soft. This conversation’s been coming for a while, anyway,” I reply, leaning back in the chair across from him and propping my feet up on his desk.
“Nah, that would imply you weren’t a big softie to begin with,” he says without missing a beat. But then he leans forward and studies me carefully. “You can’t blame your sensitive side on Loren or the babies if it’s been there all along. But I have noticed something different about you lately.”
I press my lips together to avoid the cheesy grin that threatens to take over. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He shakes his head. “Nope, you’re lying to me. You always do that weird thing with your mouth when you’re not telling the truth.”
“What thing?” I ask in protest, realizing I’m rolling my lips in as I say it.
“Yep. I can see it right there. You’ve got ‘whipped’ and ‘simp’ written across your face. Well, that and the way you made me move all of Loren’s stuff into your house, not to mention the fact that you haven’t left her side for anything besides work in months.”
