Page 10 of Bad Teacher

Had she? What had she done to her ex to carry that veneer of guilt? The tips of his fingers itched to touch her, to hold her, and when his brain caught up with the idea, he willed it away. What a bad, bad move it would be. She was a wounded soul, a broken spirit.

And honest. She’d been straightforward from the beginning—even too much at first, when they first met.

“Theo?” she called him, yanking him from dreamland. “How’s Marcelle?”

“She’s good. I want you to keep tutoring her.” And I’m ready to beg, he added inwardly. “Please,” he said in a softer tone. He flashed her a look he hoped translated his desperation.

She took a glass to her lips and spoke over the brim. “Only if you don’t micromanage me.”

His gaze dropped to her pink lips. They were bow shaped, and full. What would they taste like? He erased the distance between them, scooting closer. He hadn’t meant to, but a powerful energy pulled him to her. “I’ll try my hardest.”

“Trying isn’t doing. Doing is doing,” she said, enunciating every word.

Challenge lit in the depths of her eyes, and he wondered if she believed his promise. Hell, a part of him didn’t believe it himself. Old habits died hard—but he had to go against Brodeur blood and give up control to her. His daughter’s future was on the line.

He raised his eyes to hers. “I won’t micromanage you.”

She took a swig of wine. “Was that so hard?”

He chuckled. “Yes, actually. If you meet my vendors and employees, they’ll tell you I don’t agree with things quickly.” God, if she spent one minute with his father, she’d come to the same conclusion.

She smiled. “I would have guessed that, yes. I thought people from a kingdom were, hhmmm, mild mannered? Possessing some old-world charm, maybe?”

“Most of them are,” he said, thinking of his sister Anna. His family had stayed behind in his home country, where he visited a couple times a year. His mom and his sister now had a much better life thanks to him. When he immigrated to the United States, he didn’t have much money in his pocket but enough ambitions to fill his mind—and a need to prove his father wrong. “I broke the mold.”

A touch of mischief sparked in her eyes.

“What?” he asked.

She waved him off. “Nothing. It’s just… it’s been a long time since I had alcohol with a man. I know this is work related stuff, but, at least it’s not awkward.”

When was the last time he’d shared a glass of wine with a woman? Too long—but didn’t seem like it until today. His pulse kicked up a notch. Until now. “It’s not awkward. You know how to compliment a man.”

“I’m sure you get all kinds of compliments when you put your mind to it.”

He did, but why admit to it? Most times, female clients gave him long stares or hinted at sexual innuendos, some of them involving food. But he usually took it in stride and didn’t encourage their advances. Truth to be told, until Violet, he hadn’t missed being with a woman. Fantasizing about what she’d be like in bed. In the shower. On the kitchen island. “It’s been a while for me too.”

She squared her shoulders. “That’s right.”

He lifted his hand to keep her from apologizing. “It’s okay, I like you. You don’t mince words, but you have a classy delivery.”

She tilted her head to the side, amusement flaring in her eyes like they shared a secret. “I have a knack for diplomacy. Both a curse and a blessing.”

He pinched his nose. Her words hit the very wall he tried to build, because they opened his mind to a series of images he most likely shouldn’t entertain. What would she be like in bed? Would she be coy and mysterious, or passionate and rough? He didn’t need to close his eyes to see her straddling him, naked, while he pumped into her until both of them came together. A shiver of excitement traveled down his spine, and he cleared his throat, startled by his own lust.

She leaned closer, so close he smelled her scent—a delightful mix of peonies and roses. “What? Tell me.”

“I was just thinking you’re the type of decent woman who men like me want to do indecent things with,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. He should have suppressed the words before they parted his lips, but for a moment, he didn’t feel like thinking about what he should have done right. His heart drummed in his ears, blood thrumming in his temples. He had done a lot of strenuous physical activities in his life, but none of them stole his breath like now—waiting for her reaction.

She chewed her bottom lip. Her eyes spoke of an emotion he couldn’t read, but strong enough to increase his internal temperature. “Is that a promise or a threat?”

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