Page 49 of Toxic

I make my way down the stairs, but my problems with Dante fade. Reality hits me when I get to the bottom.

Sean and Fiona step out the door, and I follow.

"Good morning," I try when we're in the car.

Fiona stares out the window, ignoring me. Sean pins his angry scowl on me and crosses his arms. "Are you not going to ask us how Killian or Arianna are?"

My gut flips, and my voice cracks. "How are they?"

"Jesus. You're pathetic," Sean seethes.

"Donotspeak to me like that," I warn.

"Whatever." He puts on his headphones and turns toward the window.

The moment the car stops outside of their school, they jump out and bolt through the campus. Their bodyguards, who were in a car behind us, follow them. John keeps the door open. I force myself to get out since the last place I want to be is at school, dealing with the other moms today. I don't look at John, embarrassed he knows where I was last night. I can only imagine his and my father's conversation last night.

I spend the morning going through the motions, sneaking glances at my kids when I see them in the hallway. Just like every day lately, I wonder how they're ever going to forgive me or still stay safe.

I curse my father again for what he's done. When eleven o'clock hits, I leave the school and freeze.

I had forgotten about Dante. His matte black Porsche, which I used to tease him reminds me of the Batmobile, is behind my driver's car. He's talking to John. As if he can sense me, he turns in my direction, and my heart stammers.

Years have only added to Dante's sexiness. His black hair has little pieces of silver streaking through it. It's the same as his short-trimmed beard, which only seems to accentuate his defined cheekbones even more than when we were in high school. But his dark, brooding stare, that I thought I had gotten out of my system years ago, now liquifies my insides.

That's before I assess him in his designer suit, which stretches over his perfectly sculpted body, reminding me just how good his flesh felt against mine. Looking at him should be a sin. It turns me into a quivering mess, which makes me loathe myself more.

His lips twitch like he knows the effect he's having on me.

Maybe he is Batman.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I square my shoulders, forcing my legs to move, giving my knees an imaginary point for not buckling. For a moment, I wonder how I could've been so attracted to Sean, who was as Irish as they come, and still so utterly dazed by Dante, who is the epitome of tall, dark, and Italian. Besides the rock-hard bodies they developed from boxing, there's nothing else similar about their appearance.

"Bridget and I have a charity committee meeting to go to in the city. Make sure the kids go directly home," Dante instructs John. He opens the passenger door of his car then cocks an eyebrow, challenging me.

"I assume you're armed?" John asks.

"Of course," Dante assures him, not taking his orbs off mine.

I grit my teeth and force myself to smile at John. "The kids are out an hour earlier today."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm aware."

I nod and get into Dante's car, refraining from smacking the dirty expression off his face as his eyes linger a little too long on my chest.

He shuts the door, and I inhale his sandalwood and amber scent, wishing my insides would stop throbbing. I cross my legs as he slides in the seat next to me, ambushing me further with his delicious scent. He says nothing, shifts into gear, and floors it out of the parking lot.

"Easy! We're in a school zone."

He shifts again and increases his speed. "It's a high school in the middle of the day. Chill out, Bridge."

"Chill out? I'm a mom with children at that school," I say, trying to ignore the adrenaline soaring through my veins. Once upon a time, I wouldn't have said anything. I would have squealed in delight and wanted him to go as fast as possible. But I'm not that carefree woman anymore.

He cockily glances at me. "Your children are in class. Sit back and relax."

"You're irritating."

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