Page 2 of My Bad Boy Valentine

I straightened my cardigan, suddenly very aware of how my curves filled out the soft blue fabric.

"I'm concerned about his presence on school grounds, given his history. The board has expressed reservations."

The words slipped out before I could stop them. "People change, Susan."

Her eyebrows rose at my tone. I was usually the peacekeeper, never the one to rock the boat. Always reliableCaroline, the teacher’s pet who never caused trouble. But something about the principal’s automatic dismissal of Knox rubbed me wrong.

"Just...be careful," she said finally. "Document everything with Linzie. We don't need trouble."

The morning passed in a blur of literature discussions and trying not to glance at the parking lot where Knox's black motorcycle gleamed in the sun. During lunch, I escaped to The Velvet Book, desperate for caffeine and my best friend's advice.

Tessa took one look at my face and started making my usual vanilla latte. The smell of coffee and books wrapped around me like a hug as she added an extra shot of espresso from the maker without asking. "Spill."

"Knox Slater is back in town."

"Oh honey, I know." She glanced out the window at the mountains. "Ryder saw him moving into the old Peterson garage last week. He's opening a motorcycle shop."

"He's Linzie's guardian now," I said, accepting the coffee. "She's in my class."

"Mhmm." Tessa's knowing look made me blush. "And how's that working out for your old crush?"

"I did not have a crush!"

"Caroline." She leaned across the counter, brown eyes sparkling. "You spent all of sophomore year staring at him in study hall. I was there, remember?"

I groaned, remembering my mousy teenage self mooning over the bad boy who never gave me a second glance. I'd been so different from my older sister—while Mira was dating the football captain, I was dreaming about a boy I was too scared to even smile at.

After Tessa and I finished catching up, I returned to my classroom where I ate the ham and cheddar sandwich I’d brought from home and prepared for the last two class periods of the day. Finally, the final bell rang, and I was gathering my things when a deep voice from my doorway made me freeze.

"Ms. Belle?"

I turned slowly. Knox filled the doorframe, somehow larger and more imposing up close. His tattoos were more visible now, since he had his jacket slung over one shoulder, and I spotted religious symbols mixed with faded images of seething dragons and knives. But it was his eyes that caught me off guard—dark and intense, yes, but with a depth that wasn’t there in high school.

"Mr. Slater." I was proud that my voice stayed steady despite my racing heart. "What can I do for you?"

"Knox," he corrected. "I wanted to talk about my sister Linzie."

"Of course." I gestured to my desk. "I've noticed she's struggling with the reading assignments."

He ran a hand through his tousled dark hair. "Yeah, she's... school's never been easy for her."

"Like it wasn't for you?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me in a way that made my skin tingle.

"You remember that?"

Heat flooded my cheeks. "Small town. Everyone knows everyone."

"Right." A hint of a smile played at his lips. "Except I don't remember you being this..."

He trailed off, gaze sliding over me in a way that made me forget all about being shy and quiet.

"Being what?"

"I don’t know," he said finally. “You just look…different…that’s all. In a good way.”

The air between us felt charged, and electricity zinged through my veins. I should have been professional, focused on Linzie. Instead, I was wondering if his goatee would scratch if he kissed me, if those strong hands would be gentle like they were with his sister.

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