Whenever she thought about it, those coals in her chest roared to life once more.
How could she keep trying to hate a man who worked that hard? Who cared that much?
She couldn’t. She’d given up the fight.
And at this moment, she had to admit it: She liked him. Which made sense, because he was a very likeable person. Thoughtful. Smart. Funny. A great dad. Committed to his students.
Devoid of a wedding ring. Hmmm.
“I’ve been thinking about ways to keep your AP U.S. History enrollment high.” A notebook appeared in his hand, and if anything, those lines scoring his forehead had deepened. “My main thought is that we need to familiarize my Honors World History kids with you and your class before they have to choose their schedule for the next year.”
She propped her butt against the counter and rested one slouchy boot-clad ankle over the other. “In the hopes they’ll be irresistibly enticed by my teaching prowess, I take it.”
His sober mien cracked, and the cologne model reappeared with a smile. “Helpless against your pedagogical wiles.”
“How do you want that to work?” She crossed her arms and drummed her fingers against her biceps. “Do you want me to guest-teach your honors classes a day or two? Because we’d need to ask Keisha for permission. You’d have to fill in for my classes, too, and I don’t know how comfortable you are with U.S. History.”
He dismissed that concern with a flick of his hand. “I taught U.S. history at my old school for a long time, so don’t worry about that.”
“I could put together a world history lesson that would approximate what they’d experience in my AP class. Primary sources. Critical thinking exercises. Assigned reading and note taking.” She squinted in thought. “Maybe something about mummies. Kids love desiccated human remains.”
He straightened, blue eyes going bright. “The ancient Egypt unit is my favorite.”
“When it comes to world history, mine too.” She let herself smile at him without reserve. “So that’s the plan?”
“That’s the beginning of the plan,” he corrected. “During the year, we’ll do other crossover lessons and brainstorm some different strategies.”
“In case my classroom allure proves insufficient?” The click of her tongue chided him. “Ye of little faith.”
“I have great faith in your allure.” His smile faltered, and his cheeks turned ruddy. “When it comes to teaching, I mean.”
Adorable. Simply adorable. So sweet she might as well call him dessert.
She considered him for a long moment.
His hair might boast a conservative cut and remain an unremarkable gray-templed brown, but it was thick and shiny, and when pieces fell onto his forehead, they somehow emphasized the startling blue of his eyes. He might possess the world’s most boring wardrobe and wear a button-down and tie even on teacher workdays, but those clothes covered a lean, capable frame replete with surprising strength. He might wear reading glasses when grading or working on his laptop, but they lent him a sexy professor vibe she didn’t mind in the slightest.
And when he smiled, that lean, ascetic face transformed in a way where no one in her right mind could doubt it: The man was sexy. Not to mention educated, intelligent, funny, perceptive, hardworking, and kind.
But none of that would have swayed her, not on its own. She’d turned aside handsome men before, smart ones, even pleasant ones that made her laugh. But Martin did something for her none of those men ever had or could.
With him, she felt...safe.
The man he’d shown himself to be, she couldn’t picture trying to make her feel small. Pitying her, rather than sympathizing with her. Hurting her with derision or snide judgment. Talking down to her.
And she could swear he was into her, at least a little bit. He watched her when he thought she didn’t notice, and it wasn’t always the casual glance of a friendly but professional colleague. He’d blushed when talking about her allure just now. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t visited anyone else’s classroom for casual chats, not even on that first day.
No one needed to know if they became more than coworkers and casual friends. Not a single soul. Martin seemed more than capable of discretion, and maintaining strict, protective boundaries around her privacy required absolutely no effort on her part. Not after all these years.
So she was doing this, even though her entire history cautioned against it. But the defenses that had kept her inviolate for so long also kept him out, so she was willing to breach them, at least a little bit. At least enough to ask one simple question.
“Martin?” She met his eyes, beat back her incipient panic, and offered a ladder to her tower. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”
* * *
Martin’s muscleslost all ability to move, including his tongue.
Which was fine for the moment, because every conceivable answer to her inconceivable question was ricocheting around his overtaxed mind.
