Page 32 of Defending her Heart

After my last student is picked up, I finish organizing the stations for tomorrow’s class. Now that Beth and Joe Humphries are feeling better, Nash has no more need for me. His absence in my life is needed. If he showed up in the middle of the day again begging for my forgiveness and followed it up with a plea to watch Paisley, I’d knee him in the nuts.

Sack that, asshole.

No, I’d take off my shoe and stab his dick with my heel.

The man infuriates me to no end, and I hate myself for still being attracted to him. It’s like those helpless heroines in romance novels who fall for the bad guy. Only, they turn out to be semi-decent. Maybe morally gray, but they live and breathe for the heroine.

Nash lives and breathes to piss me off. I spray the white board with cleaner and rub the dry erase marker off with more aggression than necessary, pretending it’s Nash’s beautiful face.

Tossing the rag aside, I jump when I see a figure in the doorway in my classroom. Not any figure, but one that is tooperfectly sculpted. One that I’d just been imagining chopping at with the heel of my shoe.

“I’m busy tonight and can’t watch Paisley. Call a nanny service.” I turn my back on him and reorganize the already organized bookshelf.

“Kendall. Can we talk?”

“It’s Miss Wentworth, and I’m about to leave. If you need to schedule a parent teacher conference, you can talk to Sharon in the office. I’ll be requesting to have an administrator present.”

“I’m not here for Paisley.”

“Good thing since your parents already picked her up. Way to keep track of your daughter.”

“I know. I asked them to so I could have a chance to talk to you.”

“Yeah?” I turn and fold my arms across my chest. “You told them that you’re a chauvinistic douchebag with as much class as Kanye West?”

Kanye’s music may be amazing, but his character leaves much to be desired. Tell me I’m wrong.

“I’ll wait for you outside.”

“No thank you. I have nothing to say to you.”

“I know. But I have some things I need to say to you.”

“Spit it out here. I’m not going anywhere with you.” I don’t trust myself to fall for his trap again. To fall into the spell of the right words coming out of his delectable mouth only to spew diarrhea and vomit a day later.

Nash slowly enters my classroom and lowers himself to one of the student chairs. He dwarfs the chair, and his knees come up to his chest, but he doesn’t show any discomfort. I remain standing, arms crossed, scowl deep and permanent.

“I was under the impression you and Miles Buckingham were in a...relationship. An open one, but together in your own way.”

“Why does it matter if I am or if I’m not?”

“I haven’t been...” He sighs and runs his hand through his hair. “Raising Paisley alone has been hard.”

“Your parents have helped you.”

He nods. “And I’m truly thankful, if not too dependent on them.”

“If you’re going to use the over-tired single father bit as an excuse for your behavior, you can get up now and let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.”

“No. That’s not what I came here to say.” He huffs out another sigh. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out with a woman.”

“And in thatwhileyou forgot how not to be a dickhead and insult her at every chance you get?”

“Apparently so.”

“Wow. Thanks for the not quite an apology. I don’t forgive you. You can leave now.”

“I’m not using that as an excuse, Kendall.” He stands, and his height and size fill my classroom, making me feel claustrophobic even though he’s not crowding my personal space.

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