Page 18 of Miguel

“What kind of a woman just dumps her kid off to someone else like trash?” My wet eyes met his. “It’s not right.”

His expression softened as he realized my tears were for Zeke. My poor boy. I loved all of my kids so much. I wanted the best for them. I wanted them to thrive in this cruel world. It was why I became a teacher in the first place. If I could go the extra mile to be what they needed me to be, to inspire them, love them, then I would. And Zeke deserved that so much.

“It’snotright,” he agreed. “His mom–if she can even be called that–was a shit woman. I appreciate you coming down here, and I can’t promise this shit won’t happen again, but I can promise that I will domybest by him.”

I sniffled, pulling away so he was forced to drop his hand. I needed space to think and breathe, two things I couldn’t do with him so close, with him touching me. He had ways of making me forget everything else. It was almost as magical as it was sinful.

“I think I know what Zeke needs.” Earlier, Abi had given me the numbers of several specialists that could help figure out what Zeke had and what he needed. I pulled the cards out of my pocket and handed them to Miguel. “I think Zeke is either Hard of Hearing or Deaf.”

Miguel jolted back in shock. “What?”

“I know that’s probably not something you want to hear, but I recognize the signs. He doesn’t respond when you talk to him directly, and when it seems like he can hear, he has trouble following the sounds. He stares off, doesn’t communicate, and sometimes acts out?”

Miguel nodded. “Screams like the damn llorona, too.”

I gave him a sad smile. “I have a hunch it could be that. If that’s the case, you need to get him an appointment and set him up with a specialist that can either get him a hearing aid or start teaching him sign language. I’m not sure if his mother ever took him–”

Miguel snorted. “That bitch took him toonedoctor’s appointment.One.I set up an appointment with a pediatrician, but it isn’t until next week.”

At least he’d done that. It was more than anyone else had done for the poor boy. “Good. You can bring your concerns to them then and see what they say. They’ll tell you the best course of action.”

“I will. You know, that makes a whole lot of fucking sense.”

“Yeah. Sometimes parents don’t know these things, and if you two just met then…” I trailed off, letting him fill in the blank. He hadn’t known Zeke long enough to put it together. Maybe he thought that was normal behavior for him. But I’d seen this kind of thing before in other teacher’s students, even if I’d never had my own. In the end, we had to do what was best for Zeke.

“Thanks, Lorena.”

I sighed. “Señorita Flores.”

He chuckled, pocketing the cards before he stepped forward. The closer he got, the more I edged away from him until I felt my back hit the hood of a parked SUV. He loomed over me, his arms caging me in on either side, pressing so close it felt like the oxygen was sucked into a void. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think straight with him so close. He leaned down until the tip of his nose was touching mine. I could feel his breath fanning across my lips and I held my own.

“Lorena,” he whispered darkly. “I want to get one thing straight with you right now.”

I swallowed past the thick lump in my throat, and my voice was small and breathless when I asked, “What?”

His answer was to press his lips against mine.

I sucked in a breath, the gasp parting my lips and making him growl as his tongue parted them further. For a moment, I was too surprised by the warmth, the wetness, as he dominated my mouth. He possessed me, his tongue stroking, coaxing mine into a movement that seemed natural, automatic, until I was kissing him back. Our lips and tongues danced, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever had a more perfect kiss. It jolted through my system and he wasn’t even touching me with any other part of his body.

But it felt like he was. It felt like he was running his hands up across my thighs, slipping them beneath the hem of my floral dress to tease between my legs. My clit hummed, begging to be touched. My body felt like it was on fire. Then he moved, sliding closer to me, pressing his jean-clad thigh in between my legs to give me a delicious bout of friction that I needed. All the while, his tongue pulled sounds from me. Sounds that didn’t belong here in the light of day.

Sounds that didn’t belong between the two of us at all.

My hands slid up his chest, curving against his leather vest. With all the strength I could muster, I shoved him away from me.

Miguel jolted back a step, blinking as if waking up from a daze. I felt the same, but forced a coldness to my posture that I was sure he could see through within moments.

“Señor Lopez.” I put enough emphasis on those words, both for his benefit and mine. “That was inappropriate.”

He smirked, his lips still wet and glistening. “Was it, though?”

“Yes,” I snapped. “You’re my student’s father. I never get involved with my kids’ parents, and you aren’t an exception. I’m sorry, but this can’t happen again. Goodbye.”

I could make out the dark chuckle as I whirled and marched away from him. I even swore I could hear his words as I made it to the gate and left the compound, following me like the shadow of a threat and a promise.

“Itwillhappen again.”

“It won’t,” I whispered, though I was already away. I didn’t want to think about the little voice that argued in my mind, so I shoved it away. Denying his words even when a deep, dark part of me wondered if I was weak enough for them to come true.

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