Secret Delights (Lingerie Series) (2 page)

“You’re correct.” He moved his
pointer to the next column. “The way his scores leaped I would say this wasn’t
because the tutors did an outstanding job. It was most likely that Jason
already had the capability and was holding back.” His gaze met mine as he gave
me a reassuring smile.

I was locked on those lips. Deep
mauve colored lips that were almost a little too full for a white guy, like
Jensen Ackles. However, perfect for kissing and other—

Shaking my head I killed the path my
thoughts were leading.
What kind of mother am I to be at a meeting about my
child and mooning over his teacher?
Get it together, Gabrielle.

He shifted his gaze away from mine
and stared at the paper as he spoke. “However…the reason I called you in is
because of the spring testing results.” He shifted his hand to the third
column. “Two days after Jason was placed in my room, we administered the spring
assessments and you'll note here that Jason’s score dropped significantly. Even
below his fall numbers.”

My heart plummeted. Just when I
thought Jason was all right. I could feel my eyes starting to burn and I felt
the tremors within my belly. I took a deep breath, not wanting to cry. However,
I wanted my son to be all right.

Mr. Cale must have picked up on my
emotions, because he set his pencil down and covered one of my hands. “It’s not
as bad as it seems, Ms. Strayer. Jason is not at risk of being retained in
kindergarten.”

The heat of his hand calmed my
emotions in a way I couldn’t comprehend. As fortifying as his touch was I drew
away. I could not start depending on someone again. After my husband’s death, I
was a wreck. I didn’t know how to process the loss of my friend and confidant.
This man before me was a stranger, my son’s teacher and those were very strong
reasons not to accept his support. Even a touch.

Sitting back in the tiny seat that
barely came up to the center of my back, I folded my hands in my lap to
suppress the urge of desiring his touch. “That’s good to know, but what can be
done about the rollercoaster my son can’t seem to get off?”

He leaned away as well and placed
his hands on his knees, looking a little more comfortable than he did with his
large frame scrunched toward the table. “I think Jason’s scoring reflects his
internal emotions.”

When I started to speak, Mr. Cale
held a hand up.

“My class and Ms. Lowen’s class
interacted a lot and I noticed Jason coming more out of his shell during the
school year. Particularly around Ms. Lowen.”

“He connects to people very fast.”

“Adults. However, not the other
children. Mainly, I think that’s because kids play together in a mass of energy
and as long as you’re also wild and crazy, everyone is in and having fun together.
With Jason, it takes him a while to get comfortable so the other children have
gone on to play when he’s still getting warmed up. When Ms. Lowen had to take
the extended leave and Jason was placed in my class, he didn’t really know my
students and my style was new to him, so he shut down.”

“Jason lost his father a little over
two years ago, and six months before that his grandparents who he was close to
both passed away a day apart from each other. Then we moved down here months
later.”

I watched his eyes close and his
head bow. When he looked across the table at me, there was a genuine pain
reflected in his green gaze.

“That explains a lot. Jason bonds
with parental figures even while he is probably afraid that they will leave
him. In Ms. Lowen’s case, she did in a way.”

One tear rolled over a lid and slid
down my cheek. I swiped at it and sniffed. “What am I supposed to do? Put him
in therapy? People go and come all the time in our lives. I can’t afford to
leave my job and home school him to protect him from anyone else leaving.”

“That wouldn’t be healthy either.”

I threw my hands up at my side.
“Then what?”

His mouth twisted for a moment as he
seemed to think. “I’m one of the mentors in a Boys on the Move group. It is
offered at the community center and the goal is to bring young boys together
from all over the area and help them build lasting friendships with other kids
and teach them life skills.”

“Like Boy Scouts?”

“Yes, in a way. However, one of the
mentors is a child counselor so a lot of our team building and activities are
designed for emotional growth. Once a week there’s a crafting/skill building
meet and every other Saturday is an outdoor activity.”

“Do you think it would help Jason?”

“In and outside of school. So, that
way it’s not just you and his teachers he is connecting too.”

“And his uncle.”

He frowned.

“My older brother lives here. That’s
why we moved from Maryland after everything happened. He has Jason tonight.”

“Ah. Well, think about it.” Picking
up a sticky pad, he wrote a name, address and other information down on it.
Tearing the top sheet off, he passed it to me. “If you decide to try it, here’s
the information for you all to at least come by and check it out.”

I noticed right off that he had nice
penmanship as I reviewed the information. There was a website address as well.
I planned to look it up when I got home. “Is this the number to the facility?”

“No. Mine.”

When I looked up, his gaze was on
me.

“In case you have more questions or
you get lost if you decide to come.”

I smiled back. “I have a pretty
dependable GPS.”

He gave a sharp nod and smiled.
“Figures.”

Was my son’s teacher coming on to
me? The thought gave my heart a little flutter.

He returned the papers to the
folder. “Don’t worry about the assessment. Now that I understand what Jason has
been through a little more, I can work better with him. In a few weeks, I’ll do
another assessment and see if his results have risen again and send the report
home to you.”

“Thanks.” I stood and held my hand
out.

Getting up, he towered over me again
and took my hand. “So, where were you all from in Maryland?”

“Fredrick County.”

“That’s where I lived before my
father relocated our family to Charlotte.”

Pulling my hand away before my body
started to go crazy again, I said, “It’s a big county. I don’t miss the
winters. Thanks again.” I headed toward the door.

“Gabby Reston!”

Two steps away from the door, I
turned to him.
How did he know my name?
“Do I know you?”

Coming around the desk, his smile
wide, he walked to me. “Yes. Well, in a way. I kept trying to figure out what
about you seemed familiar. Your hair is a lot shorter now and you’ve matured in
a…” He allowed his gaze to travel my body again. “Beautifully.”

“You still have me at a loss.” I
shook my head slowly, trying to understand where he was coming from. I did cut
my hair six months before Jason and I moved because I wanted a fresh new start
on life.

“You probably don’t remember me,
it’s been so long. But, we went to Madison Middle and Madison High School
together. Well up until my sophomore year when we moved away. We had Health and
PE together. I was on the football team.”

“Well, that explains why I don’t
remember you. I hated anything that had to do with physical education back
then. I was a little overweight.”

“That’s not how I remember you.” His
voice took on a low timbre.

“How’s that? Dorky, I bet.”
Gracious,
now I’m fishing for compliments with this man. Yup, I’m desperate.
I didn’t
retract my question, it had been almost three years now since my husband passed
away, and longer if I included his illness and me caring for him, since a man
spoke to me like I was a
woman
.

I watched as one corner of his lips
went up in a slow sexy half smile, just enough to tilt his mouth and made it
appear more kissable. I exhaled.

“No, smart. You wore these pretty
brown framed glasses that just made your dark brown eyes look like brown silk.
Your hair was thick, so black it looked like the drapes at a concert. It hid
your face a lot of times and I just wanted to pull it back to see more of you.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets. “I like that you cut it.”

The tension between us grew and I
had to take several more breaths to get myself under control. I stepped back.
“I didn’t think anyone really remembered me. Well, outside of being Aaren’s little
sister. Most people still didn’t put those two links together.”

He shrugged. “Because he’s white and
you’re black. Trust me, I got it. Loud and clear.”

I frowned, there sounded like a
story in his statement.

Lifting a hand, he ran it over coal
black hair and then gripped the back of his neck as he glanced down at the thin
carpeted floor. “We were having a sports meeting one day. Even though I played
football and your brother played basketball, all the teams were there in the
gym.” He lifted his gaze to mine. “You came in and walked over to the opposite
bleacher, to wait for your brother most likely.” He cleared his throat. “I made
a comment about how nice your ass…sets were to one of my friends.”

I became flushed all over, to know
this tall, gorgeous hunk had even known I was alive back then.

“I didn’t realize Aaren was behind
me.”

“Oh, no.” I placed a hand over my
mouth. I knew how protective my big brother was of me. An upperclassman had
knocked my books out of my hand the first week of my freshman year. When Aaren
heard about it, he beat the guy up and got himself suspended for three days.

Holding both palms out toward me, he
said, “He didn’t hit me or anything, which is a blessing since I didn’t peak in
size and height until the summer we moved away. But, he leaned down to my ear
and gave me some words and a very clear warning if I even considered
approaching any of your
assets
. Message was received.”

Lowering my hand, I shook my head.
“I don’t think I want to know what he said.”

“I wouldn’t share it with you if you
did. It wasn’t fit for the gentle ears of a lady.”

I laughed. “I’m sure. Aaren is like
a mastiff when it comes to people that he loves. He’ll be married soon so all
his energy I hope will be directed toward Kalan and any kids they produce.”

“Well, give him my congratulations
when you see him.”

Moving backwards toward the door, I
said, “I’ll do that.” Pausing, I looked at him one last time. “It is a small
world.”

“I’ve never been so glad.”

With a parting smile, I left before
I got myself in any trouble. This man, an old school mate, was too tempting.

I moved along the sterile corridors
and through the school until I pushed out the front glass doors. The musical
must have already begun because Lonnet was no longer standing at the entrance, which
I was grateful for.

Walking into the fresh air I took a
few deep breaths and tried not to smile as I thought about Mr. Sloane Cale.

“Ms. Reston-Strayer!”

Halfway across the parking lot to my
car, I turned and saw Mr. Cale holding his briefcase and jogging. Well, with
his long legs, it was more like making wide strides toward me.

“Did I forget something?” I checked
for my purse and the sticky he gave me, found I had them both.

“No. Nothing like that.” He wasn’t
even winded.

I waited.

“I know I probably shouldn’t, but…”
He glanced around the packed parking lot then returned his sea green gaze to
me. “How about dinner tonight? Or even a coffee to catch up on old times. If
you’re free.”

Talking about shouldn’t. I shouldn’t
be overjoyed that he had followed me out. I surely shouldn’t feel my nipples
tightening against the cups of my bra. And I wasn’t even going to allow my
clit's response to his velvet voice to find a space in my awareness.

Licking my lips, I thought for a
moment. I had wanted a good meal and a hot, relaxing bath all day. I could
imagine having a good meal with this man and a bath later. Or with him.

I swallowed and parted my lips just
enough to let out a silent sigh. “I really didn’t want to go out, but if you
don’t mind having that meal at my house…”

His handsome face broke into a large
smile. “I have a better idea.”

“That is?”

“If you have a grill, I’ll make you
one of my famous tender steaks.”

“Famous?” I gave him a side look.
“Says who?”

“Everyone that has ever put my meat
into their mouth.”

I choked on my own saliva like an
idiot. Probably because my silly imagination was still trying to conjure up
visions of all the things I’d love to do with him in a bathtub.

He stepped forward and rubbed my
back. “Wow, that didn’t come out as I intended.”

The heat of his hand was causing
desire to zig and zag through my body, just adding to my arousal level.