Page 11 of Deadly Hacker

“Oh, I mean no offense. I just meant that you look awfully young to have a student in my class old enough to stay on their own,” she answered. “But I shouldn’t assume.”

“Well, you’re partly right. I’m old enough, but I don’t have any kids,” Rad said. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. The yoga teacher was so beautiful, even as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

“So, you were just looking in on my class… for fun?” she questioned, folding her arms over her chest. It took all of Rad’s willpower not to glance down.

“You’re very good at what you do,” Rad redirected. “I just had to admire your form.”

The yoga teacher frowned, but that blush tinged her cheeks darker.

“Um, thank you. But the parents might not like you hanging around. It’s kind of rude to stare, you know,” she murmured.

Rad was bemused and captivated by this woman. She was clearly non-confrontational, but still did her best to stand up for her students. Her protective instinct was enough to override her shyness. And still, Rad could sense the heat radiating from her body. He was watching her so closely, he caught the flicker of her eyes darting down his body and back up again.

A split-second glance, but enough to prove to him that she was interested. Physically, at least. She was annoyed with him, but there was no denying her attraction to him. Rad was very familiar with the sensation of being wanted. He could detect her desire from a mile away.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can promise that I only had eyes for you,” Rad replied smoothly.

The yoga teacher averted her eyes, her lips fumbling over a response. She was getting flustered now, and that only annoyed her further. She was still working up the courage to tell him off when Grace appeared and threw her arms around Rad in a brief hug.

“Uncle Rad!” she exclaimed. “Does this mean I get to ride in your fancy car?”

“Damn right,” Rad replied, giving her a high-five.

Grace looked up at the yoga teacher, read her frustrated expression, and sighed, “Is he in trouble, Miss Emma Jean?”

“Good question.AmI in trouble?” he echoed, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Emma Jean. So that was her name. Beautiful, but unassuming. Just like her.

She smiled nervously at Grace and shook her head. “No, sweetie. Your uncle and I were just having a little chat,” she assured her.

Grace giggled. “He’s not myrealuncle. But Daddy says he’s pretty much like a brother.Idon’thavea brother. I asked my mom for a baby brother for Christmas and she said Santa doesn’t make that kind of delivery.”

Emma Jean’s face glowed with amusement at Grace’s matter-of-fact statement. Rad couldn’t look away.

Every single thing she did or said made him like her more. The wave of intense affection he felt for the young woman was overwhelming. He knew, without a doubt, that she was the epitome of what he wanted and hadn’t even realized until now that he was looking for all along. Every other girl he’d spent a conversation or a night with faded into the background.

There was no comparison. As sudden as the realization was, he couldn’t push it away.

Emma Jean was the one.

But he forced his attention back to Grace for the moment.

“Ask your dad next time. You know how he’s always on the phone?” Rad asked her.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Like, all the time.”

“Well, that’s because he has Santa on speed dial. He’s got a direct line to the North Pole,” Rad informed her.

Grace gasped, her face lighting up at first, only to melt into a suspicious frown. “Are you telling a lie, Uncle Rad?” she accused.

“Me? Lie? Never,” he said, smiling at Emma Jean.

She bit her lip, her eyes darting down his body once again. He had to pounce.

“I think it could be a good idea for me to have your phone number,” he said to her, taking out his cell phone.

“Oh, ah, what?” she replied, those ocean-colored eyes round with surprise.

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