Chapter Two

Cohen

Locking eyes with Vienna Anderson was the last thing I expected to do when I got ready to teach that evening.

But it damn sure made my eyes open, my heart clench, and every ounce of blood within my body boil with a wanting I hadn’t known since the last time I’d seen her.

Ten fucking years. Not a word, not a glance. Nothing. She’d just up and taken off within days of graduation, and never given me a chance to explain, or a chance to apologize.

Shit, I couldn’t blame her. Finding me in the backseat of my car with Jenny Arnett must have ripped her heart out. Hell, it had ripped my heart out.

Especially since I had no recollection of it.

Just the thought of it made my skin crawl. Jenny Arnett, of all people. No one was worth losing Vienna over, but her? I still couldn’t forgive myself for it.

It just didn’t make sense. Granted, I’d rarely drank alcohol. I was Garrison’s Golden Boy—the captain of the hockey team, voted most likely to succeed.

And the only thing I’d succeeded in was losing the only woman who’d ever mattered to me.

I never thought I’d see her again. Everyone knew she’d taken off to New York. I was so proud of her for doing that—living out her dream, exactly the way she said she would.

Except, the difference was that she’d done it without me.

So, what the hell was she doing back in a Podunk town like Garrison?

Better yet, why was she taking my digital photography and design course when she was worth more money in the field of journalism than Garrison had within its town limits?

Right now, I didn’t care. Because Vienna Anderson was standing in front of me, and that was something I never thought would happen again.

This was my second chance.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t nearly as enthused about seeing me. Again, that was okay.

I’d waited ten years for this moment. I wasn’t going to ruin it by being impatient now.

***

I’d never cared what anyone thought of me.

No one except Vienna.

Now, knowing she would be in the back row of my classroom again this evening, I couldn’t stop myself from wondering what she thought of me. Of what I’d become.

I was far from the famous photographer we’d once dreamed I’d be, and teaching evening classes at a community college was far from the prestigious life I’d believed I was destined for. Hell, I still lived in the same town I’d been hell-bent to leave.

I wasn’t the same man she’d left behind. Whether that was good or bad, I wasn’t sure.

There was so much I needed to tell her, so much I wanted her to hear from me.

And as I drove into Prendiville for class, I just hoped that she’d give me the chance. I didn’t deserve it, but I wanted it, just the same.

To my surprise, Vienna was already there—in the same seat at the back of the room—with her notebook out and a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses on her nose.

Every muscle in my stomach clenched. Damn, she was sexy as hell with glasses.

She’d never been much for makeup, or elaborate outfits—she’d never needed those things. And as I took in her stonewash jeans and white tank top with a fitted plaid shirt over it, with her sandy hair tossed up in a messy bun, I had to let out a steadying breath.

This was going to be a long six weeks.

I’d have been lying to say I didn’t want her. My desire for Vienna Anderson had never died, despite the distance between us, or the destruction of our relationship. She was beautiful. Even more beautiful now than she’d been in high school, if that was possible.

And, fuck, I wanted her in the worst way.

“Pack your stuff up, folks,” I said, trying to clear my head and take my focus off her. “You’re not going to learn anything by sitting here every day and listening to me drone on about how to use design programs. I’m a hands-on kind of teacher,” I said, stealing a glance at the back of the room, where I swore I saw Vienna’s eyes narrow. “You’ll learn more by doing, and less by me telling you how. Let’s hit up the computer lab.”

A series of murmurs met my ears as the students shuffled their belongings back into their bags and began to rise.

“Oh, and everyone needs to choose a partner. Anybody. Today’s assignment is going to involve a little teamwork. Then, go ahead and make your way down the hall to the lab. Second door on the right.”

Again, a mixture of muttering erupted. With fifteen students in the room, I knew there’d be one student left without a partner, but I never expected it to be…

Vienna.

Well, shit, that was easy.

Her eyes were wide and cautious as she stood there, watching each paired team disappear out the door.

“I’ll be your partner,” I smirked. I knew my obvious amusement wouldn’t bode well with her, but I couldn’t help it.

“You did that on purpose,” she bit out.

“No, actually, but it couldn’t have worked out better, if I do say so myself.”

“Make someone switch partners. You’re the dang teacher, Cohen.”

It was the first time I’d heard my name fall from her lips in a decade, and it did something to me. There was no way in hell I was giving up my chance to have her again.

“Dang,” I chuckled. “Still don’t swear, huh?” Such a good girl, I thought. She always had been.

“Cohen…” she replied, a warning in her tone.

I held my hands up in mock surrender. “All right, all right. I’m not making fun of you. You’re just so damn cute when you—”

Vienna rolled her eyes and walked out of the room without even a glance back at me.

Anyone else, and I’d probably have given up. She wasn’t interested, and I’d have to deal.

But this was Vienna fucking Anderson. And I was Cohen.

Her Cohen. Even after all these years.

She just didn’t know it yet.

I pressed my lips together, ran both hands through my chestnut hair, and followed after her.

In the computer lab, the students had spread out across the room, there being way more computers in the room than needed for our small class.

“Boot it up, open the software I outlined in yesterday’s class, and take a look around. We’re all here for different reasons, but all need to learn the same techniques. That doesn’t mean we’ll use those techniques identically, though. I want you and your partner to start with the same photograph, and use some of the overlays and filters we discussed yesterday to alter it in a way that you deem professional. Just to get a feel of the basic ones that are available.”

I wandered around the room as I instructed the class, answering questions and repeating the assignment I’d said we’d be working on last evening. With only one night to prepare, I was surprised by the photos and fonts and genuine interest I was seeing on each screen. Interest was good. It was the difference between six weeks of boredom and doing just enough to get by, and actually learning something.

Once again, Vienna had chosen one of the computers at the back of the room, away from everyone. Maybe it helped her to learn, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she kept herself separated from everyone else for a reason.

To my surprise, her hand came up apprehensively, and I closed the gap between us, one eyebrow raised. “How’s it going?”

“My computer froze, I think,” she said. Then, more softly, “I thought you were supposed to be my partner…”

She mumbled it so quietly I could’ve mistaken what I actually heard. That was, if I hadn’t seen her eyes flit over me, only for a second, and harbor what I could only interpret as an innate possessiveness.

There you are, Vi.

I came up behind her chair, leaning down and letting my hand cover hers on the mouse. My lips were so close to her cheek I could feel the heat radiating from her, and the sweet scent of her shampoo invaded my senses. “I can be whatever you want me to be,” I whispered against her ear. Then, immediately, I pulled away from her, removing my hand from hers and tapping a few keys on the keyboard to force the computer to restart.

“There. That should do it,” I said in as normal a voice as I could manage.

Yeah, that should definitely do it.