Page 46 of The Heartbreaker
“No.”
I looked up. “No?”
“Your credentials are incredible, Addy. You’re more than qualified to teach my little girl.” His legs widened, and he pulled up one of his pant legs, showing his ankle and sock. “I want to believe that regardless of what happened or what happens between us, you’ll always put Daisy first. That I can count on you to give her the best education possible.”
“Oh my God,” I whispered, the words coming out like a sigh. “Absolutely. Always. That goes without saying.”
“Then, there’s no reason to tell the principal or to switch her out of your classroom—something I had to consider, but I wanted to hear your take on things first.”
I took my first sip. “I promise I’ll give everything to your daughter—in the fairest, most equal manner.”
“Good.”
“But, Ridge …” My throat was burning. My hands and body were still shaking. My emotions were raging against each other, and I didn’t know why. What I had to say should be so easy. It should come with no hesitation whatsoever. That just wasn’t the case. “I think that what went down between us the other night”—I swallowed, waiting for the tightness to leave my throat, but it didn’t—“it shouldn’t happen again.”
“Because my daughter is your student?”
I went to nod, but my head felt so heavy, so I had to say, “Yes.”
He extended his legs over the ottoman, one of his arms going behind his head. Slowly, a smile crept across his face, like a facial hard-on—it was that hot. “All right, Addison.”
There was my name again.
I took another drink, hoping the feeling in my chest would subside, and it still didn’t.
It didn’t matter what I wanted. What I could see potentially happening between us. What I felt.
I couldn’t date a man while I was stripping. That would be wrong of me on every single level.
And I couldn’t date a student’s father.
What would Daisy’s mom think? She’d probably have me reported to the school board and have Daisy yanked from my class, and the entire school would be talking about me.
I couldn’t risk that.
My job meant far too much to me.
“I want to focus on Daisy,” I told him. “I want both of us focused on her.”
His head was moving, but it was more of a bop than a nod. “She’s my daughter. I’m always focused on her.”
I drained a little more of my wine. “Then, you understand where I’m coming from?”
For the second time today, I felt like I was naked.
But this time, there was no spotlight above me or song playing through the speakers. I was just sitting here, nude, and dripping from his stare.
“I appreciate that you’re concerned about her,” he said. “That’s something I want in a teacher.”
He hadn’t really answered my question. But I wasn’t going to push for more.
I wasn’t sure I could even handle his answer.
“Thank you.” I finished the rest of the wine. “I think I’d better get going.”
He slowly stood and held out his hand, which I stared at, unsure what it was for, but part of me wanted to grab it and hold it and use it to pull me closer to him.
What the hell am I even thinking?
