his chair across the room, he took the spot beside her on the couch. So close she could smell him, a musky aroma that was completely male. It clouded her mind, and it bothered her how delighted her body was about his choice. It made it much more difficult to keep herself in control.
She endeavored to ignore him, occupying herself by picking up a nearby book, but her mind was so focused on him that she was unable to read even the title on the cover. He turned his body so he was facing her on the small piece of furniture, so close that she could sense him without looking.
He said, “I think we should talk about that kiss.”
Damn. He was direct. Why did he have quite so many admirable qualities? Couldn’t he be a little less perfect?
She moved so she was facing him, their knees touching slightly, something her entire being was very aware of. She tried to focus on anything else, but everything in front of her was him: his eyes, his delicious mouth with that nearly-constant hint of a smile, that chest…
She brought her attention back up to his face, focusing her attention on his right eyebrow. It was certainly safer than where her eyes had been drifting, though he did have very nice eyebrows, she noticed.
She shook her head. She really needed to pull this together.
“Alice?”
His voice woke her from her thoughts and she realized just how long she had been sitting there without responding. Stay in control. That was her top priority. In her most matter-of-fact attitude, she said, “Yes, sorry. The kiss. It was a terrible thing for me to do and will never happen again.”
She tried to be unemotional, but watching his expression fall, seeing how downcast he became, was too much. She softened a little. It would be best to tell the truth, or at least a portion of it. “It was wonderful, but I must keep my situation as a teacher here. There are rules that I need to follow: no dating, no marriage, no kissing. There is no other option if I want to keep my employment.”
“But you enjoyed it? If those rules were not in place, you would kiss me again?”
She sighed, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. She was not inclined to admit how much she had liked it and how much she wanted to lean forward once again and let herself go; her body was still reacting to the touch of his lips, leaving an empty, hungry ache, and she doubted she would be able to get the images it created out of her head in the near future. There was more holding her back than just those rules, of course, but it would be too much to explain. She nodded.
He shifted a little and suddenly he was right beside her, his leg pressing up against hers, his mouth bare centimeters from her lips, his fingers tracing her hairline beside her temple. “Well,” he breathed, “If you decide to change professions, ever, at any time, come here the moment you give notice.”
Before she could react, he was standing and walking to the dining room. He called out over his shoulder, “If I am not allowed to kiss you again, it will be safer at the dinner table. Something that heavy in the way will probably be able to keep me at bay, even if you continue to be this fascinating.”
Thomas sat down at the large wooden table still laden with dinner and looked at the food in front of him with something near disgust. His stomach was roiling not unpleasantly with all the emotions that had arisen in her presence, and trying to force food down his throat would be impossible.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do at that moment, and eating was most definitely not it. In fact, he had barely been able to control himself on the couch, his body so close to hers that he had needed to depart from the room in order to conceal his body’s reaction to her. He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down, and not for the first time that evening. Why had he tortured himself like that?
Because she was wonderful and he meant every word he had said. And he wanted her to know it, too.
He wanted
She endeavored to ignore him, occupying herself by picking up a nearby book, but her mind was so focused on him that she was unable to read even the title on the cover. He turned his body so he was facing her on the small piece of furniture, so close that she could sense him without looking.
He said, “I think we should talk about that kiss.”
Damn. He was direct. Why did he have quite so many admirable qualities? Couldn’t he be a little less perfect?
She moved so she was facing him, their knees touching slightly, something her entire being was very aware of. She tried to focus on anything else, but everything in front of her was him: his eyes, his delicious mouth with that nearly-constant hint of a smile, that chest…
She brought her attention back up to his face, focusing her attention on his right eyebrow. It was certainly safer than where her eyes had been drifting, though he did have very nice eyebrows, she noticed.
She shook her head. She really needed to pull this together.
“Alice?”
His voice woke her from her thoughts and she realized just how long she had been sitting there without responding. Stay in control. That was her top priority. In her most matter-of-fact attitude, she said, “Yes, sorry. The kiss. It was a terrible thing for me to do and will never happen again.”
She tried to be unemotional, but watching his expression fall, seeing how downcast he became, was too much. She softened a little. It would be best to tell the truth, or at least a portion of it. “It was wonderful, but I must keep my situation as a teacher here. There are rules that I need to follow: no dating, no marriage, no kissing. There is no other option if I want to keep my employment.”
“But you enjoyed it? If those rules were not in place, you would kiss me again?”
She sighed, trying to avoid his piercing gaze. She was not inclined to admit how much she had liked it and how much she wanted to lean forward once again and let herself go; her body was still reacting to the touch of his lips, leaving an empty, hungry ache, and she doubted she would be able to get the images it created out of her head in the near future. There was more holding her back than just those rules, of course, but it would be too much to explain. She nodded.
He shifted a little and suddenly he was right beside her, his leg pressing up against hers, his mouth bare centimeters from her lips, his fingers tracing her hairline beside her temple. “Well,” he breathed, “If you decide to change professions, ever, at any time, come here the moment you give notice.”
Before she could react, he was standing and walking to the dining room. He called out over his shoulder, “If I am not allowed to kiss you again, it will be safer at the dinner table. Something that heavy in the way will probably be able to keep me at bay, even if you continue to be this fascinating.”
Thomas sat down at the large wooden table still laden with dinner and looked at the food in front of him with something near disgust. His stomach was roiling not unpleasantly with all the emotions that had arisen in her presence, and trying to force food down his throat would be impossible.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do at that moment, and eating was most definitely not it. In fact, he had barely been able to control himself on the couch, his body so close to hers that he had needed to depart from the room in order to conceal his body’s reaction to her. He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down, and not for the first time that evening. Why had he tortured himself like that?
Because she was wonderful and he meant every word he had said. And he wanted her to know it, too.
He wanted
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