Chapter Three
Wednesday afternoon Ann sat at her desk, still laughing about the day’s events.
Bonnie, a fellow teacher from the neighboring room, popped her head in. “Still here?”
“Almost done.” She couldn’t help it. She had to tell someone. “Did you hear what Garrett did at recess?”
Bonnie’s wide grin turned into a full-on belly laugh. “You mean when he dropped his pants?”
“And introduced everyone to his little butt, the Grand Canyon, and his front, the Eiffel Tower? How do they come up with this stuff?” Ann started laughing all over again, so hard she cried.
Which was how Jack found her moments later, trying to catch her breath.
“Is this good laughter, or hysterical find-me-a-straightjacket laughter? You deal with a lot of kids, so I’m not sure.”
Bonnie coughed and wiped her eyes. “Oh, the good kind. Sorry. Can I help you?”
“I’m here for her.” His self-satisfied smile turned on—annoyed—Ann to no end.
“I teach his nephew,” Ann clarified lest Bonnie tell half the school she had a boyfriend. Ann had her eye on the new fourth grade math teacher down the hall. And Bonnie liked to talk.
“Uh huh. Well, I’m off. See you tomorrow.” Bonnie winked at Ann before leaving.
Ann groaned. “Why did you have to say it like that?” She glared at Jack. “Now everyone’s going to think I’m dating one of my kids’ parents.”
“Uncle. You’re in the clear.”
She fumed. “Is there something you want?” His slow onceover made her blush. Damn him. She looked around. Seeing no one nearby, she decided the time had come to tell him off, to get the closure she’d needed for twelve long friggin’ years. She stood up and rounded her desk to face him. “I think it’s time we had this out.”
“I agree.” His suddenly serious expression took her aback. No more innuendo or jokey attitude.
“Yes. You had no right—”
“But not here.” With that said, he grabbed her by the arm and glanced around.
“What are you doing?”
He pulled her into the small office that connected her class and Bonnie’s. He checked the doorknob of Bonnie’s room. Finding it locked, he moved back to her.
“Jack? Let go of me.”
He released her. “Just ensuring us some privacy.” He leaned by her to close the door they’d just come through.
The office wasn’t that big to begin with, but with both doors closed, she felt as if they stood on top of each other. The lack of windows and dim lighting didn’t help diminish the feeling of intimacy between them either.
She planted her hands on her hips, focused on being irritated instead of nervous at being so close to him. “I got your note that Josh went home with Brian today.”
“Good.” He took a step closer.
“So you didn’t need to come by.” She backed up and hated herself for it. When he took another step toward her, she forced herself to remain firm. “I think you should go.”
“I thought we needed to talk.” He had the temerity to raise his hand and stroke her hair, the same way he used to back in high school, when they’d been young and in love.
“Get off me.” Her voice shook, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “You were terrible to me in high school, and I—”
“Let’s agree to leave the past in its place. What’s done is done. If I can forgive and forget, why can’t you?”
She sputtered. “Forgive and forget? Are you—” Before she could add “kidding me,” he kissed her. No soft press of the lips, but a hungry, hot devouring of senses as his mouth stole over hers.
Shocked at the wealth of feeling from a simple kiss, she couldn’t stop trembling. Her knees threatened to buckle, so she gripped his open jacket to keep her balance. He pulled her in closer, forcing contact between his chest and hers. The man radiated heat, as well as a carnal attraction she was helpless to refuse.
He groaned and put his arms around her. His hands spanned her waist, and when he pulled her closer to his impressive erection, she realized the passion between them hadn’t dimmed one iota.
His tongue penetrated, stroking and seeking as he if had a right. Too bad her body hadn’t gotten the memo that he was persona non grata. Her breasts tingled. Her panties had grown wet. And her mouth refused to close while she welcomed his invasion.
Jack ended the kiss and traced a path to her ear. His hand crept down to her ass and squeezed. “God you taste good.” He kissed her neck, finding the sweet spot that only he had ever mastered.
“Jack…” Where the hell was her self-esteem? Her discipline? Her inner mean girl? Lying down spread-eagle on an imaginary mattress, that’s where. Calling on every ounce of feminine outrage she could muster, she put a hand on his chest and tried to move back.
Pitiful. Her hand had turned traitor too. Instead of pushing him away, she clutched his shirt and tugged him closer. He seemed far more muscular than he’d been back in high school. So incredibly overwhelming.
“Kiss me, angel.”
She froze. She hadn’t been called “angel” in twelve long years. Part of her mourned being pulled back to reality, because she really wanted another toe-curling kiss. But that pet name had been too much. She splayed her fingers on his chest and shoved.
He let go of her ass and moved a token distance. Not far, but far enough to allow her to think again.
“Nope. Not gonna happen.” Which would have sounded much more convincing if she didn’t sound as if she’d just left a wind tunnel.
He stared at her mouth. “You sure about that?”
“Like you said, the past is the past.”
He frowned. “Ann… We were kids. Kids make mistakes. Why can’t we start fresh?”
How was he not getting the message? And why the hell couldn’t he do the right thing and just apologize? Was “I’m sorry” too hard to handle?
At that moment it became imperative that he feel what she had. The loss, the confusion, the panic when she’d realized she’d been pregnant and lost it before she could come to terms with having been pregnant at all.
“So you want to start fresh?” she asked.
“Yeah. You and me. Let’s try it again, the right way.”
You planning to dump me in public again? This time I’ll be the one calling the shots, buddy. “Okay. But no more kissing in school.”
His large grin both charmed and irked her. He was like a duck. Everything rolled off his back. “How about kissing in cars? Or bedrooms? That allowed?”
“I don’t get paid by the hour, Bloom. If you want a quick fuck, there are people and places for that. I’m not one of them.”
He stared, as if intrigued. “You never used to talk like that.”
“Like what?” She frowned.
“It’s just… You’re so beautiful. Like a fairy queen. But then you dropped that f-bomb. Who are you, Ann Weaver?”
The woman who plans to finally put Jackson Bloom in his place, that’s who. “I’m all grown up now, Jack. Accept it.”
“Oh, I do.” He tapped his heart and looked her over. “I love this new you, all right.”
She felt her cheeks heat. Turning from those bright blue eyes, she escaped into her room, never so glad to be in school as she was now.
“So if we’re going to do this right, how about a date?” he proposed, hands in his pockets.
She refused to see if his erection had gone down. Looking there would only bring more dirty thoughts that had no place around the story time mat.
“A real date? Not some excuse to justify a night in the great Jack Bloom’s bed?” she asked, waiting.
He tried to look wounded. She wasn’t buying it.
With a chuckle, he agreed. “You’re a real hard-ass, Ms. Weaver. A true redhead with that temper.” He studied her from the top her head to her toes and back up again. “How about I take you to dinner tomorrow night? My treat. Josh can stay with my parents.”
“Okay.” She liked a number of the restaurants in town. And being out and about with him would temper her desire to mount the man like a horse and ride. Talk about having a hard time—bad choice of words—not imagining herself on top of him in bed.
“I’ll pick you up at six. That work?”
“Sure.”
He approached her, invading her personal space once again, and she scowled.
“You are too cute.”
Annoyed, she opened her mouth to protest when the devil kissed her. Again. Leaving her breathless and aroused.
“Okay, angel. Tomorrow at six. Wear something sexy. Panties optional.” He darted out the door before she could smack him.
“Panties optional,” she muttered, trying hard not to smile and failing. “What an ass.” Thoughts of his fine body had her sighing. “Oh boy, what an ass.”
…
Ann knew she’d gotten in over her head, so she called an emergency meeting with Maya and Riley at her place. Armed with popcorn and lemonade, she told her pathetic story to her girlfriends and waited for their opinions.
Maya didn’t disappoint. “I saw him on Monday at the store. And, girlfriend, he might be a dick, but I get the attraction. That man is four alarm hot. Danger, danger, Ann Weaver.”
“Sounds like,” said Riley, currently engrossed in her addiction to popcorn. “So he’s still a good kisser, huh?”
“Unfortunately, yeah. Even better than high school.” Ann stared at her bowl, not hungry. “I mean, if he’d just say he was sorry, that would probably help a lot. But he acts like what happened was no big deal.”
“It did happen. Twelve years ago.” Riley shrugged. “Hey, don’t glare at me. I’m playing devil’s advocate.”
“More like demon adversary,” Maya muttered.
“I’m saying—” Riley glared at Maya before turning back to Ann “—you have to consider that while you had a lot of angst over what happened, he has no idea. Granted, if he’d wanted to break it off with you, he should have done it in private. Involving Selena was cruel.”
“That bitch hated us from day one,” Maya agreed. “Rich, blonde, always dating the flavor of the week. I’m still not sure what the hell Riley and I did to earn her spite. I mean, you, Ann, I get. You were prettier than she was, not rich—so all the cool kids weren’t wanting you for your money—and everyone liked you. Jealousy makes sense. But no one liked me.”
“We still don’t,” Riley said.
Maya flipped her off. “They tolerated Riley, because even back then she baked the best brownies. Not that I see any here. Thanks for bringing some.”
“Your ass is welcome. It doesn’t need to get any bigger.”
“Suck it, Hewitt.”
“Please.” Riley looked Maya over. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Maya glared, then broke into laughter. “You’re good. Snark is such a fine art, and you’re way better than our nice little Ms. Weaver.” In falsetto, she mocked, “Oh, Jack, kiss me, please. You broke my heart once, I’m dying for you to do it again.”
Ann growled. “Hey. I’m trying to get some help. It’s not my fault he’s a good kisser.”
“You two have chemistry,” Riley agreed. “Hard to deny that.”
“True. He’s handsome, despite the fact he’s an ass. You want your revenge, use it to your advantage, girl.” Maya nodded. “Make him pay for what he did. Use him and lose him. Play with him. No one’s arguing that he’s a ton of eye candy.”
Riley sighed. “You got that right. I saw him on the street yesterday. And, girl, he is just…wow. Like melted butter on a peach muffin.”
“Great. Now I’m hungry for something sweet.” Maya looked around for snacks on the table and spotted nothing but popcorn and peanuts.
“So I should use him for sex then dump him?” Ann felt a moment’s guilt. “Doesn’t that make me no better than him?”
“Pretty much.” Maya took a handful of peanuts, chewed some, then put the rest back. “Ugh. No salt.”
Riley shook her head. “Really, Maya.”
“Oh please. I washed my hands. Look, Ann, the guy did you wrong. Stop wussing out and take control of your life. Remember our talk a few days ago? You were all about being powerful and taking charge. What happened to that Ann?”
“Looks like Bloom kissed the fight out of her.” Riley looked sad.
“Oh stop.”
“Brought down by her own vagina. What a sad, sad story.” Maya wiped an imaginary tear.
Ann laughed. “My vagina, my enemy. God, you two are killing me. Okay, I’m still in this. I’ll bump him and dump him. Can’t say the thought of using him isn’t a thrill.”
Maya gave her a thumbs up. “There you go.”
“Just remember the dumping part,” Riley warned. “He’s a charmer. I remember that all too well. Just like those asshole Black cousins.”
Maya frowned. “Nothing charming about that lowdown, blackmailer Dex. I’ll enjoy destroying him.”
Riley poked Ann in the shoulder. “See? That’s the attitude you should have. Quit playing nice. He’s not one of your second graders. Big bad Jack Bloom broke your heart into tiny pieces.”
Now Ann was confused. “You just told me he had no idea of the drama I was dealing with way back when.”
“Yeah, yeah. I was talking out of my ass.”
“She does that,” Maya piped in.
“I’m saying the guy will pull out all the stops to get what he wants. And he wants you.”
“He did call me ‘angel’.”
“Oh, low blow, digging up old pet names.” Maya glared.
“He’s smart. Manipulative.” Riley shook her head. “Sorry, I’m in an anti-man mood. Maybe it’s not the best time for me to chime in.”
“Why? What happened?” Now that she’d mentioned it, Riley did look a bit stressed.
“Anson popped into my shop today to say hi. That dickhead.”
“Oh, dueling oven mitts.” Maya laughed. Anson Black had a reputation as a successful restaurateur. “Did you hit him with a wooden spoon or what?”
“He bought the place next to mine.” A pause. “He’s opening up a ‘fine dining establishment’,” she added in air quotes.
Ann gaped. “Your arch enemy is moving right next to you?” Ann felt for her. “At least mine is only connected to me through Josh. If he lived or worked right next door, I’d lose my mind.”
Maya, the witch, laughed harder.
Riley swore. “Sure. Laugh it up. But I’m not the only one dealing with a Black. Dex is back in town and setting up shop too. At least Ann and I aren’t afraid to mix it up with our enemies.”
“Enemies?” Ann wondered at that. Jack was an opponent, sure. But an enemy? A bad guy? He’d done a bad thing, back when he’d been all of seventeen. Shut it, nice gal. For once in your life, be strong and stand up for yourself. Her stupid conscience kept trying to ruin her attempts at being bad.
“Yeah, enemies,” Maya emphasized. “As in, plural. We need to stick together, ladies. The Blacks are back, and Bloom is making a play. Let’s teach these guys that we are no one to mess with. Ann, he hurt you. He pays, end of story. Riley, Anson is an ass who’s moving in on your turf. Shut him down.”
Riley nodded, her lips tight.
“And I have an old score to settle with Dex, that little blackmailing jerk.” Maya stiffened. “That boy’s ass is mine. Ann, gotta go. I got an idea or two.”
“Me too.” Riley smiled, a dark grin that gave Ann shivers. “Time to welcome my new neighbor the proper way.”
Poor Anson. And poor Dexter. When the Terrible Trio revved up, heads rolled. Determined not to be less than her friends, Ann knew she had to do the wrong thing for all the right reasons. Teaching Jack a lesson would not only help her get the closure she needed, it would help Jack’s future relationships. Wouldn’t he be a much nicer guy to be around if he understood that hurtful actions had consequences?
Rationalizing her decisions well into the night, she fell asleep and dreamed about Jack and his kiss, and the heartache from over a decade past. She woke feeling groggy.
Better if she’d only broken a bone back then. Because hurt feelings took forever to heal.