Page 31 of The Teacher

“Oh, actually I can.”

“You can? Says who?”

“Says Mr. Brown and Miss Tweed. Your bosses.”

Of course, Miss Tweed would love him disrupting my classes.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I have to. I need to see if it’s worth my time and my family’s money whether or not to invest in this school.”

“Really?”

“And,” he says, taking a slow step towards me. He’s very close. He’s so tall and broad-shouldered. My mind instantly turns to thoughts about him naked, despite my better judgment. “I did want to see you in action. You were pretty good today.”

I roll my eyes, faking a grunt. “I don’t need you to assess my teaching abilities.”

“Yeah, I know. I just want to say that you seem like a good teacher to me.”

“You think?”

“I do. You’ve turned out great, Miss Finn. It’s nice to see you doing what you always wanted to do. It’s nice to see you doing what you love.”

My heart flutters hearing that, but outside my expression remains stoic. He can’t just come in and say some pretty words and expect me to fall into his arms. That’s not how this is going to work, no matter how much he wants it to.

“Those are nice words, Skipper.”

“I mean those words, Miss Finn,” he takes another step towards me until we’re just an inch away from touching. He reaches out and undoes my crossed arms with his soft hands. I let him. I’m breathing heavily. I’m intoxicated with how close he is. Memories flood back into my body. Memories of kissing him. Touching him. Memories of doing some very bad things in this very room. “How about I get you that drink?”

“A drink,” I stutter back. I’m reminded of all those times he used to hold me in his arms. The way he used to use me during sex. The way I loved it. “A drink, like a date?”

He smiles his cheeky smile. “You can call it that if you want.”

“So, it’s not work-related?”

“No. The last time I checked I wasn’t your student if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I’m not.”

“This isn’t some weird student-teacher thing, although I’m up for playing with that in the bedroom.”

“Shut up.”

“So, is that a yes to the drink?”

I blush. He’s so incredibly close to me. If I move forward even a tiny bit, we’d be kissing.

“Will this get you off my back? Out of my classes?” I ask.

“Sure.”

“You promise.”

He laughs. “Yes, I promise, only if you go out with me.”

“One time?”

“Yes.”