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“Absolutely not,” she replied. Her heart slammed against her chest. The band practiced right outside her window; she wasn’t sure if the blaring trumpets would cover her screams. School was over and her girls were off getting ready for the STEM-Off this evening. “And when I win, I want you to stay here and watch my girls take over the lab four days out of the week. Now, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll let me go.”
Cam sneered so hard she saw a piece of parsley wedged between his left bicuspid. “What are you going to do, hit me again?”
“No,” boomed a deep voice. A beefy brown hand clamped down on Cam’s shirt collar and pulled him back from her. “I am.”
British’s heart swelled at the sight of Donovan coming to the rescue.
Donovan jerked Cam’s hands behind his back and slammed his head down on British’s desk.
“Now, before you begin to cry out from the pain,” Donovan said, “you’re going to apologize for your behavior.”
The way Donovan’s hand pressed against Cam’s cheek, there was no way for the man to speak. His dreads flopped in his face while a thousand veins popped in his forehead.
British folded her arms across her chest, pissed off. This man, who’d attempted to threaten her, had the nerve to look so pitiful right now.
“I can’t hear you,” Donovan growled. The silver cuff links on his suit jacket pressed into Cam’s face.
“Don’t kill him,” British said.
“Who is this guy?”
“This is the director of the science department. The girls are going up against his boys in a couple of hours.”
Donovan stepped back and let Cam up but not before spinning him around and grabbing him the same way Cam had grabbed British a few minutes ago. Donovan lifted Cam off his feet and brought his face near. “I’m only letting you live so you can see those girls beat your team. After that I never want to hear about you coming near my lady again. Do I make myself clear?”
My lady?
Had this been a cartoon scenario, the path Cam took to run out of the classroom would have been on fire right now. Donovan crossed his arms over his chest, looking satisfied with himself, and turned to face her. Then his eyes roamed hers. There wasn’t a lot of distance between them but Donovan closed it immediately. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said, pushing his hands away as they roamed over her body.
“He didn’t try to...”
When she realized what he implied, British shook her head. She pulled a stray curl behind her ear. “Good God, no. He was just trying to scare me.” She left out the part that he’d done a good job.
“I don’t think he’s going to try anything like that again.”
“Well I should say not,” British scoffed. “Thanks to man-save-woman.” To reiterate she grunted like a caveman.
Still dressed in the dark suit he wore to interview hot girls today, Donovan loosened the red paisley tie around his neck. “Are you calling me a caveman?”
“Neanderthal is the more correct term.” She practically spouted the fact.
“Are you seriously going to be politically correct with me about what to call a caveman?” Donovan pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. “Come here, woman.”
Though Donovan tugged at the middle button of her lab coat, British gave a little bit of resistance. “I can’t believe you barged in here like that.”
“What do you mean?” Donovan paid her pout no mind and nuzzled his chin against the crook of her neck. “You mean when I walked in here as you were getting mauled by some jerk?” He nibbled her jugular and her eyes fluttered. “I apologize if I got a little crazy. But I didn’t appreciate the woman I love being assaulted.”
Knees weak, British pushed against Donovan’s chest. “Wait. What?”
“Love, British.” Donovan tipped British by the chin with his thumb, getting her to see the seriousness in his eyes. Her breath fluttered. “I’ve never said it and meant it, British. I love you.”
Love. The word seemed so simple. Is that what she had been feeling? “Donovan.”
The final afternoon bell rang. Donovan dipped his head and kissed her lips, wiping any frayed nerves left over from her altercation with Cam. He pulled his mouth away. Eyes lingered on hers. “I don’t need to hear you say it back. Not yet. Let’s go watch the girls win.”
* * *
