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“Wow. You guys are good.” Dakota pretended to use the boy to get to standing, throwing a few old man groans in there for effect. Hearing Leah laugh at his antics made him feel all squishy inside.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Leah said, putting her hand up as if to tell only Dakota a secret, “but this might be the best class I ever taught.”
Dakota winked at Luke whose face beamed with pride. “Oh, I won’t say anything, but are you sure? Even with this kid in your class?”
“Hey!” Luke folded his arms across his chest. “And I didn’t even tell her that you dance like a clumsy giraffe.”
“Why you…” Dakota shot to his feet and chased Luke around the picnic site.
Soon everyone was involved in the impromptu tag game. Even Leah ran about, laughing and tagging kids. When Luke used Leah as a human shield, hiding behind her and yelling, “Save me, Miss Greenstead! Save me!” Dakota stopped an arm’s length away from her.
“Are you going to stand between me and my prey?” he asked.
“I’m afraid it’s my duty to protect these innocent trolls.” She braced her legs shoulder-width apart and put up her fists.
“We didn’t know there’d be ogres in these woods!” Luke shouted from behind her.
“Ogres!” Dakota pursed his lips. “C’mon, the kid called me an ogre, Miss Greenstead. He needs to pay for that.”
“Name calling is not nice, Luke,” Leah said over her shoulder and Dakota stuck his tongue out when the boy peeked around Leah. Then she grinned and said, “Even ogres have feelings.”
Luke barked out a laugh and ran off to join his classmates, but Dakota and Leah stayed right where they were.
“So now I’m an ogre?” He took a step closer, his height compared to Leah’s was definite evidence that maybe he was a beast.
She tipped her head up to look into his eyes. “Maybe I’m into ogres.”
Chapter Five
Perhaps these woods did have magic. Leah couldn’t believe she’d told Dakota she was into ogres. She hadn’t flirted like that since… since… well, it’d been quite some time. The words, however, had slipped out when he was standing in front of her, looking all big and badass and sexier than any ogre had a right to be. The way he joked around with the students—Luke in particular—made her think he actuallywasas nice as he seemed. The children certainly were enjoying his company, and kids could sniff out bad people like dogs, couldn’t they?
The afternoon had been active yet relaxed in tone, none of the stress of a normal classroom day afflicting anyone. The whole troll-unicorn thing was brilliant on Dakota’s part which made her wonder whose idea it had been.
“Did you think of the troll storyline for today?” she asked as she helped one of the students get her balance on the slackline that was part of the massive obstacle course Dakota had led them to after lunch. The students had been climbing, balancing, swinging, crawling over, under, atop, and through it for at least an hour now. Not one of them had complained about being bored or tired yet.
Dakota gave her a sly smile that had her stomach doing things it shouldn’t. “Do you think such fantastical notions are beyond my grasp, Miss Greenstead?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. I didn’t mean to insult you.” Or put a big old pile of hiking boot in her mouth.Jeez.
Dakota shook his head. “No insult taken. I’m just messing with you.” He grinned and Leah looked around to see who had set the woods on fire because she was burning up.
But no flames surrounded her. Just Dakota… and her students who she was supposed to be chaperoning more attentively than this. Any one of them could fall on this obstacle course and get seriously hurt if she wasn’t on the alert. She did a quick sweep of the area, but all the children were still safely having a blast.
“Most of these kids have grown up traipsing through the woods. It’s a way of life in Maplehaven, so I thought I’d add in something different to make things interesting,” Dakota said with a little shrug that made him all the more charming.
“Well, it was a great idea.”A greater idea would be if you took your shirt off.Leah squeezed her eyes shut and shook that thought out of her head.
“Thanks, and speaking of trolls and unicorns, I’d better hint at where the unicorn is.” He checked his wristwatch and Leah’s gaze settled on the tattoo peeking from his sleeve. “It’s almost time to head back to school so they don’t miss dismissal time.”
What?Leah pulled out her phone and checked the time, shocked to find it was almost 2:00. “Wow! That went by fast.”
“Must be having fun, Miss Greenstead.” He set his pack down and stood in front of her. Again she was struck by his height and build. So perfect for leading adventures… and unicorn hunts. “Are you?”
She stared at his forearm, wondering what that tattoo was and how much of his gorgeous body it covered. “Am I what?” Silly daydreaming made her miss what this conversation was about.
He leaned down so his forehead nearly touched hers. “Are you having fun?”
