A Month Later…
The pillow muffled her cries as he thrust in from behind, inching her along her bed toward the padded headboard with every stroke.
Her hands were behind her back, he held her wrists so she couldn’t play with herself. She had mixed emotions about that.
“Please,” she screamed into the feather pillow. “God, please. I’m so close. I need to come.”
Knock, knock.
Caitlyn jumped, flushed, and turned to find Ian standing in the doorway. She forced a smile on her face and beckoned him in the room.
Holy hell, I can’t believe I was dreaming of having sex with his father just now. Not because it’s his father, well okay, that’s part of it, but I truly thought I was having sex. Didn’t think it was a dream.
She briefly glanced down along her body, grateful he couldn’t see her pebbled nipples or anything else that might give her real thoughts away. “What can I do for you, Mr. Walls?”
“I have detention today and they said to come here.”
Shit. Was I on detention today too, and forgot?
“Come on in and grab a seat.” She made a few clicks on her computer to see and no, it wasn’t her but another teacher, Mrs. Inser who had the pleasure of this today. “Who told you to come down here?”
“Mrs. Inser.” He paused in the act of sitting. “Am I not supposed to be here?”
“You’re fine,” she assured him with a smile. “Although, we need to talk about why you’re getting detention so much. I know it’s not the fighting, that has been stopped for a while, so what’s going on?” She switched her playlist to some Fats Waller music she’d recently downloaded. Ain’t Misbehavin’ began streaming into the room.
He slouched in his seat, arms crossed, tossing out all the familiar signs of being on the defensive.
She remained at her desk, sending an email down to Mrs. Inser just making sure she knew he had made it to class, so they didn’t try to pin on him not being in detention.
She’d been aware he was having trouble and his relationship with his father wasn’t the best, but she wasn’t about to let a school who considered him a troublemaker to push him out when he was doing what was asked of him.
For the most part.
Five minutes passed before she looked up and found him sitting there with his head on the desk, sound asleep. She picked up a pencil and twirled it in her fingers as she watched him. For some reason, her heart went out to him.
Probably because I was like him in school. And I can’t stand it that most of his teachers have already or are in the process of giving up on him.
Problem was, she wasn’t his teacher. Not for any of his classes.
She’d only run into Rip a few times after their rendezvous in the mountains and each time she’s struggled to keep herself remaining professional.
Damn shame really, because all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and sink her fingers into his thick soft hair as she kissed him. Backed him against the wall and had her way with him.
He’d been how she remembered him from their first meeting. Cold and arrogant as he looked at her. However, when he did so, without his mirrored sunglasses on, she couldn’t ignore the heat in his gaze. Nor the tension in her gut when he leveled that stare in her direction.
She’d heard the other women as school mention him and how hot and sexy they thought he was. She couldn’t blame them and part of her laughed, as she knew what he was like in bed.
Or at least… in a sleeping bag.
That trip had been nothing short of amazing. He and Abel hung with her and she suspected the side of him she got to witness wasn’t the one most people saw. With her, he’d been quick to laugh and smile. Now when she saw him, he was closed off and guarded. She rubbed the back of her neck. Well, she had been cold the last few minutes with him on the mountain, telling him that them having sex was just a thing. Even now, she winced at the phrase.
“I could go for a massage,” she grumbled as she got back to work on figuring out which songs to have her students work on this next week.
She allowed him to sleep the entire time of detention. When her watch told her time was up, she made her way to his side and claimed a chair near him. “Mr. Walls.” No answer. “Mr. Walls?” she pitched her tone a bit louder.
That did it. He bolted up in the seat, blinking as he peered through the strands of black hair that had fallen forward over his eyes. “Ms. Schneider?”
“That’s me,” she chided gently. “Have a nice nap?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for. You got some rest, I got some work done. I’d say it was a win-win for both of us, except where you didn’t tell me what was going on with you to be needing detention.”
“Like it matters.” Thick anger laced his words.
“Why would you say that? Of course, it does.”
“You’re not going to believe me. You’ll take their side.”
“Wow,” she said, leaning back for a moment. “You’re pretty damn sure about me taking someone’s side when you’re right, I don’t know what is going on. But I’m hurt as never once have I not listened to your side. You’re a lot like your father in that way. Blanket statements and assumptions.” She got to her feet and wiped her palms off on her slacks. “If that’s how you feel, you are more than welcome to leave and wait for your father in the front.” She turned away and gathered her things. Feeling sorry for him or not, she didn’t like being lumped in like that.
“After you, Mr. Walls,” she announced when she had her things and waited by the door for him to leave the desk. She could see it in his expression, he had something further to say, but he kept it to himself and went out the door. Following him, she locked her classroom door and made her way to the teacher’s lounge.
An hour later after catching up with a few teachers she got along with, she made her way through the rain to her copper hued Kia Sportage. As she slid in behind the wheel, she tossed her bag to the passenger seat.
“At least it will be clean from my last outing.” The dirt and dried mud on it was hiding the burnished color it was supposed to be. However, this rain was increasing and it would be better than spending money for a car wash. Or heaven forbid, doing it herself.
Before leaving the lot, she called in a pickup order at a local restaurant she enjoyed and headed over to grab that. The thought of cooking dinner right now wasn’t at all what she had in mind. A long hot bath with some hot memories of Rip were on her list.
Even just the thought had her pussy clenching with wanton desire. She made a dash through the rain in and out to grab her food and allowed the heated seat to partially warm her as the interior filled with the scent of her meal.
Driving down one of the side streets her attention picked up on a solitary figure walking along. When he passed beneath one of the street lights and the illumination of his backpack was highlighted, she knew right away it was Ian.
What the hell?
She pulled up beside him and lowered the window. “Get in.”
He didn’t look at her, just kept walking.
She took offense until she noticed the wire connected to his ears. He had his earbuds in. Moving ahead of him a bit, she put her hazards on and jumped out, soaked in seconds. Again, even though it was spring, didn’t mean the rain was all that warm. Her teeth were chattering by the time she made it around the hood.
Ian pulled up short when he spied her, his gaze darting around like a ping pong ball in tournament. “Ms. Schnieder. What are you doing here?”
“I think the better question is what are you doing out here? Get in my car. I won’t have you walking around here in this cold like this.”
Ian shook his head.
She crossed her arms. “No? Fine then, we’ll wait out here for your father to arrive.”
More anger flashed. “He’s too busy working to give a damn.”
“Is that what you think? How you really feel about him working all the hours he does?”
“Not like he’s given me anything else to believe.”
“Get in, let’s go.”
He opened his mouth to speak.
Caitlyn waved him off. “No arguing. I’m cold and my dinner in there is getting that way. We’re not getting drier out here. So get in.”
Sullen, he obeyed and she hurried to her side.
Water ran down her face and clothes. His too, but she didn’t comment on that. Her vehicle would survive having wet people in it. Her concern now was getting them warm and dry. Turning up the heat, she drove off, making sure to shut off her hazards as well.
“Where are you taking me?”
“My house. Then we’re getting dry. You’ll help me eat some of my dinner and we’ll wait for your father to show up. During which, we are going to have a chat you and I.”
She noticed he didn’t argue with that and she cut her gaze to find him shivering and she’d bet her not-all-that-impressive paycheck, he was trying not to cry.
Within the hour, she had his clothes in the dryer while he showered. She picked up her phone to call the police department and asked for Rip Walls. He wasn’t in, so she left a message.
Soon, she ate with Ian and he finished up the larger part of the pasta she’d brought home. As she finished up the final bit of her breadstick, she waited for him to meet her gaze. “I want your explanation now, if you please.”
αβ
Rip shuffled from foot to foot, as he waited for the door to open. Beside him, Abel was doing something similar as he picked up on his partner’s unease. Given he was still in uniform and they’d just gotten off a high adrenaline bust, an edge lingered in them both.
But it was more than that. This was about his son.
Shit, it had been four hours since that call had come into the station. He’d been in the middle of that bust so the message hadn’t gotten to him until after.
The door opened and Caitlyn stood there in an oversized sweatshirt and a dark pair of pants. Her hair had been gathered on top of her head, allowing him to see that amazing rainbow blend he’d been fantasizing about since he’d learned about it.
“Where is he?” he demanded.
“I’m fine thanks for asking. He’s in the living room.”
Rip moved forward, nearly pushing by her but she adjusted and remained in front of him.
“What?”
“He’s asleep.” She put a hand on his chest, causing his heart to slow then speed up. “Come in and eat something. Let him rest a bit.”
He didn’t want Ian to sleep, he wanted to shake him awake and demand to know what the crap was going on with him.
“Hey Abel,” she said ruffling him along the head.
Damn if his dog didn’t lean into her touch. Not that he blamed him but they were supposed to be working. He gave her a nod and she moved out of the way, and he took several long strides to see for himself that his boy was truly safe. Removing Abel’s leash, the dog lay down near the couch by Ian. Rip shrugged out of his wet jacket and hung it over the back of a chair.
As he turned back to her, he caught her staring at Ian.
A calm, nearly wistful expression covered her features until she realized he watched. Then she schooled them into something he couldn’t read.
“What happened?”
Caitlyn led the way into the kitchen and grabbed him a plate of food from her fridge that she put into the microwave. “That’s what I’d like to know. I was in my room, working and he showed up for detention. Don’t give me that look. I don’t know what he did. Let’s not forget I don’t have him in any of my classes. Hell, I wasn’t even the detention teacher but she sent him to my room. So he was there for whatever reason.”
“And he acted up in there as well?” Would he ever get through to his son? Would he ever have a day at work where he wasn’t concerned that his son wouldn’t be getting into trouble?
“No, he slept.”
He furrowed his brow. “What?”
“Like he crashed hard.” She took the plate from the microwave and put it on the table with a clean set of silverware. “Here. I don’t know I let him sleep the entire time. The one thing I know is this. I get you’re busy with work but you need to talk to him. Correction, you need to listen to him and let him do the talking.”
He sat down and took a bit of the piping hot pasta. Lord, he was hungry. “Telling me how to parent now, Caitlyn?” There wasn’t any way to hide the venom in his timbre.
“In this case, yes. And before you ask why, let me tell you.” She claimed the chair across the table from him and took his hand. “Because your son thinks you blame him for his mother’s death. He thinks you being mad is the only way for you to pay attention to him. Personally, I don’t give a damn if you do blame him for it. You can’t let him shoulder that guilt. He’s a boy needing to be protected and loved by his one parent left. You.”
Her words echoed through him like a steel drum. Ian felt that way? How had he not known this? Why had it taken a woman who only dealt with his boy once in a while to put it out there for him to see?
Because she’s right and I haven’t been listening to him.
“I don’t blame him. I’m grateful that he didn’t want to go with her that night because then I would have lost them both.”
Caitlyn released his hand and the loss of her touch was painful like the memory he was about to share.
“I had to go into work. It was supposed to have been my night off. I was scheduled for down time but the other squad got tied up with something and we were called in. I couldn’t make dinner for us anymore and she was pissed. So, she was going to get dinner in town. Ian didn’t want to go and she said he could stay, she wouldn’t be gone long.” He took a deep breath as he paused.
Caitlyn didn’t rush him, just watched with that straight forward gaze.
“She stormed out. I let her go. I should have stopped her. I should have put my family first. If I had been driving…”
“All of you could be dead.”
He took another bite of the food and thought about that very blatant true statement.
“The problem is,” she continued. “You’re acting as if you are. For whatever reason that rift between you is there and it’s only growing. He blames you. You make him feel like you blame him. Work it out. This distance, it’s not worth it. I would give anything to have more time with my father. I miss him like hell every single day.” She got to her feet and began to walk away.
It’s not like he had intended for any of this to happen. “I’m sorry we don’t have the perfect family life. Like apparently, you did.”
Her back snapped like someone just inserted a shaft of rebar in place of her spine.
He knew he was being an asshole but he didn’t care. She needed to know what this felt like. Rip focused on the rainbow shades in her hair, even as she turned to him.
Gone was the friendly woman and in her place was an incensed one.
Again, he didn’t blame her. He’d pushed her and had definitely gone over a line.
“You seem to think that you’re the only person in the world who’s ever lost anyone special.”
“I just want to know what right you have to tell me about parenting? I know you don’t have children of your own. Is that why you’re a teacher?”
Her eyes narrowed further. “Be careful.”
He got to his feet and stalked over to her, suddenly spoiling for a fight. Rip crossed his arms and met her glare with one of his own. “Of what? I’m only pointing out facts.”
“Like the fact I was an idiot to sleep with you? Shall we point out that fact as well?”
“We both know you enjoyed it.”
“Pot. Kettle.”
He smirked. “I never said I didn’t enjoy it. In fact, I enjoyed the fuck out of it. I’ve enjoyed every inch of your body, the way you ripped up my back, screamed my name, all of it.”
“God Dad, you slept with Ms. Schneider?”
He and Caitlyn whirled to the couch where Ian peeked over the top of the sofa, eyes wide and expression ashen.
Rip flicked his gaze to the woman beside him, she cut her eyes over to him, and he read it in her expression. He was on his own here.
“How long have I been sleeping?” Ian clamored off the sofa and tugged on his tee shirt.
Abel rose and butted his head beneath Ian’s hand and his son obligingly patted him all the while, but his glare remained between the two of them.
In his periphery, Rip could see Caitlyn doing her best to move out of the line of his son’s focus.
He understood her desire, but he wasn’t finished with her yet, so he reached for her arm, halting her motion.
“I slept with your father a long time ago, Ian. Not tonight,” she mentioned it as if doing so tonight would have been heinous and despicable. Or heinous.
Rip scowled at her. “It wasn’t that long ago.”
“It was a month,” she said. “Long enough to forget about it.” She removed his fingers from her upper arm.
“We’re not done, Caitlyn.”
“Sure we are. Talk to your son, not at him.” With those final words, she walked away from them both, leaving them alone in the room.
Beckoning to Ian and Abel, he gestured to the door. “Let’s go home.”
“What about you and Ms. Schneider?”
“I’ll be back to talk to her, right now, you and I need to talk.”
As Ian shouldered his pack and walked by him, Rip placed a hand on his shoulder. Eyes the color of his mother’s met his, only full of suspicion and mistrust.
Christ, I’ve been a horrible father.
As they walked out together, he was determined to make this up to his son. After that was done, he would come back and get Caitlyn.