First to Fail: A Strictly Professional Romance (Unraveled Book 3)

by Marie Johnston

  And I did it all without my voice shaking and without staring at his lips. Good. It was time to shove the case file off to the counselor. Now that I had his number from Jaycee’s file, I could make sure I never answered if he tried to call.

  Chapter 3

  Chris

  It was hard to take my eyes off Ms. Shaw. “I’m sorry. Have we met before?”

  Her bright gaze pierced me like she had laser vision. The rest of her wasn’t any less severe. Did she get a headache from binding her hair so tightly? Did she ever smile?

  She was probably stunning when she smiled.

  She sure wasn’t smiling now. “I don’t believe so.”

  I cleared my mind of all things attractive about Ms. Shaw. Like how her skirt wrapped snuggly around her hips when she circled her desk, or how round her ass was. A guy could—

  Yeah, those things. That was what I needed to clear. I was in the principal’s office for my daughter.

  I wished it was the first time. No, I wished there was no first time, but I’d been on a first-name basis with all of Jaycee’s principals. This was my first time at Preston Academy, but only because it was her freshman year.

  What was Ms. Shaw’s first name? Was it sturdy like Gertrude? Or ethereal like…Natalia?

  I couldn’t think about her right now. Never had two women captured my attention so securely and done so fully clothed while speaking frankly.

  I couldn’t be pondering Ms. Shaw when I planned to call Natalia tomorrow night. I’d been patiently waiting for the three-day window to pass so I wouldn’t look too desperate before I called her. And since I counted Saturday as day one, that made today time to call. I didn’t want to be forgotten.

  I couldn’t forget Natalia after that kiss.

  Ms. Shaw’s firm voice cut through my thoughts, her eyes hard. They were the brown of Gambit’s trench coat, not too dark, not too light, but interspersed with green. I would’ve remembered her if we’d met before.

  She described Jaycee’s tardiness and the way she was acting out with one of her teachers. Again with the last name.

  If only Jaycee’s previous teachers had stayed firm, but too many of them had indulged her. The private school wouldn’t, but they might fear my ex’s parents’ wrath. Their pocketbooks had more say than I did.

  I processed everything she said about Jaycee and started with the most concerning. “Is there a limit to the amount of tardiness?”

  “No.” Ms. Shaw arranged a stack of papers that had already been in a tight pile. That was a good way to describe her office. Tight and tidy. Just like the woman.

  My mind wandered to how the cut of her jacket highlighted her shoulders before it tapered down to her waist and flared at her hips. She wasn’t a waif. Ms. Shaw hid her figure, but she couldn’t hide her strength. What did she do for a workout?

  I had to quit obsessing about a woman I’d just met…in favor of another woman I’d just met.

  Was I that desperate to date again? My personal life had been slow since I’d left my career behind to be more available for Jaycee. It was hard to strike up a conversation with an intelligent, professionally successful woman that started with “I work in a comic book shop.”

  I never admitted to owning it. Would that even help? Certainly not when they found out the co-owner was married to one of the wealthiest men in the Twin Cities. Mara’s husband didn’t lend a financial hand, but he had connections that had saved Mara and I a lot of green when we’d been planning the store.

  Arcadia was successful in its own right, but I wasn’t about to sit and defend my current profession to get laid. But I doubted I’d ever find a woman who’d stick around long enough to find out.

  “Let me rephrase my answer,” Ms. Shaw continued. “There is a policy, but it’s been sorely ignored and I’m updating it. Three times leads to detention, five leads to suspension, and more than five will result in expulsion.”

  My brows rose and my lust hid in a corner. Ms. Shaw wasn’t fucking around. How was I going to get Jaycee through four years of high school?

  Ms. Shaw snagged a pair of dark-rimmed glasses and shoved them on. Could she not see me or were they her form of armor? “Jaycee has earned two hours of detention, but combined with the other behavior, I was concerned enough to feel a visit with you was warranted. We’ll settle on detention for now, but due to the number of issues, one more infraction and it’ll be suspension.”

  When Jaycee had come home at the beginning of the month with news about a new principal and juicy gossip about the old one, I’d been nothing more than mildly interested. Then she’d come home after Ms. Shaw’s first day complaining about what an iron maiden she was. I’d asked Jaycee if she’d say the same thing about a male principal. An eye roll had been my only answer.

  The last principal hadn’t impressed me. During orientation, the guy had worked the parental crowd like a life-insurance salesman. He was everyone’s friend and the more you spent, the more privileges your kid got. I had hardly spoken to the guy.

  “Perhaps it’s time to bring Jaycee in.” Ms. Shaw rose, and I reclined in my chair, trying not to feel like I was relaxing for the show.

  That tight ass rounded the desk as she walked to the door to call in Jaycee. I jerked my gaze away. The short beige heels she wore were enough to make her butt wiggle and incite all kinds of fantasies. I hadn’t seen an ass that great since… Well, since Saturday.

  She returned to her desk and thankfully I was distracted by my daughter slumping into the seat next to me. We were a matching pair.

  I looked at her with what I hoped was fatherly disappointment, but Jaycee only jerked her gaze to Ms. Shaw like, am I right?

  And, yeah, I kinda wanted to fist-bump my daughter and say dude, spot on.

  I directed my gaze back to the principal. She was coolly studying Jaycee. Dammit. But if Jaycee insisted on a lack of tact, she’d have to pay the consequences.

  Which was why I was here.

  Ms. Shaw shuffled the same stack of papers. Was that their only function? Instead of a stress ball, she had papers? “With detention, we offer two choices. All at once after school—I’m here until then and can supervise. Or one hour on two consecutive days. It’d start tomorrow.”

  Jaycee only had her permit, and the private school couldn’t use a public school service bus. I usually left work to pick her up and she came to the store with me. She used to love it. Until this semester started.

  “She’ll do two hours tomorrow.” I absolutely didn’t make that decision to see Ms. Shaw again. I was confident lasting relationships didn’t start with picking a kid up from detention.

  Ms. Shaw lifted a brow at Jaycee. My daughter shrugged and avoided looking at me.

  “About the name-calling—”

  Jaycee cut Ms. Shaw off. “Oh my god. Mr. Budinsky’s an adult, and he’s getting snippy about a kid messing up his name?”

  “Jaycee…” I hadn’t intended to say more, but Ms. Shaw was gazing at me like she was waiting for me to finish. I scrambled to find an acceptable reproach. “It’s about respect.”

  “Then he can respect what I want to be called. Yet he refuses to use Richards.” She crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms. I knew that mutinous look, the one she wore when she refused to listen. A spear of dread went through me when she pinned Ms. Shaw with that look. “I mean what if people called you Mrs. Shaw and knew perfectly well you’re not married?” I cringed at the way she stressed not married. It wasn’t a death sentence to be single. “Or what if they called you Natalie instead of Natalia?”

  I jerked my head to face Ms. Shaw. Natalia Shaw. What were the odds her name was the same as—

  What were the odds her ass was as spectacular in a skirt as in a Valaria costume?

  What were the odds I’d feel like we’d met before?

  The odds were pretty damn good. She couldn’t hide that mouth, just like she couldn’t hide the poleaxed expression in her widened eyes. My daughter’s principal, the woman I co
uldn’t quit fantasizing about, was the same woman I’d held in my arms just days ago.

  Natalia

  Ah, hell. How had I thought I was going to get away with that? If my first name was more common, Chris might’ve still doubted whether we knew each other or not. But the moment recognition hit him was obvious, as his soft brown eyes and he sat back like he’d hit a force field. But invisible forces were for comic books, along with the thought that a mask or thick-rimmed glasses were an adequate disguise.

  I forced myself to focus on the topic at hand. “I understand why you’re upset, but the issue of your last name is between you and your father. It is Preston Academy’s policy to address each student by their legal name. We don’t use nicknames, nor will we accommodate a last name that is not your legal last name. If you wish to be addressed by a different name, it will need to be reflected on your birth certificate.” It was why I was Ms. Shaw and not Ms. Preston. I’d suffered enough through prep school with that last name.

  When I’d been groomed to take over for my father and fix his good ol’ boy oversights, I’d legally changed my name.

  “I wasn’t exactly asked an opinion about my birth certificate,” Jaycee said snidely.

  “As I said, that is between you and your parents. Due to your current level of detention, further disuse of Mr. Budinsky’s name will result in suspension and possibly expulsion.” Usually, I looked the parents in the eye when I stated that consequence, but I couldn’t right now.

  Jaycee’s eyes flew wide. “For saying Mr. Butt-in-ski once in a while? You can’t be serious.”

  “Jaycee—” Chris’s voice was more exasperated than a warning. I wanted to tell him that he was in charge, not Jaycee, but like the last name thing, that was between him and Jaycee. My concern was the girl’s behavior at school.

  “Dad!”

  I cut in before the focus was taken off the more severe problem. “I’m taking into account the tardiness. Perhaps you need to think long and hard about how much you want a boy to affect your prep school time.” Jaycee blinked at me. Nope. The girl hadn’t thought of it like that before and she was attempting to control her environment left and right. From the way Chris’s jaw clenched, he hadn’t thought of it like that either. “It’s a lot of power to give a boy when you’ll be facing the repercussions.”

  “Jaycee, wait outside while I talk to Ms. Shaw.”

  I squirmed under his commanding tone. I’d only known him as easygoing. Today, he’d been almost defeated and sheepish, but now… At the moment, not even Jaycee argued with him.

  Jaycee huffed out of her chair and stepped outside. Thanks to the easy-close hinges, the door didn’t slam. How many students would’ve gotten detention just for that otherwise?

  Chris lifted his gaze to mine. My heart hammered. “So. Turns out we’ve met.”

  “You can understand why I didn’t confirm your suspicions.”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw. I’d almost nibbled that muscle the other day. I would’ve nibbled a lot more than that.

  He glared out the window. “She’s upset.”

  I blinked. I’d been prepared for him to pounce on my deceit, stay upset with me, but he’d moved on to the issues with Jaycee. Understandable, but… Well, I’d thought I’d made a bigger impression. Not that this was the time to dwell on it.

  “Understandable.” I wanted so badly to know what had happened between Jaycee’s mother and him. Usually, I preferred not to know. Getting the general impression of what was going on at home was enough to understand the motivation behind the delinquent behavior. Beyond that, my priority was the school.

  But I was insatiably curious about Chris.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face, leaving his hair ruffled in the front. He didn’t style his hair and it hung longer than the professionals I usually ran across. My teachers were clean-cut and adhered to a dress code. The guys I dated were suit men, with the uptight personalities to match their cinched ties.

  Chris was…loose. Not sloppy, but relaxed. Nothing like the guys who’d caught my eye before. But the fire flashing in his gaze when that couple had been haranguing him had caught my attention faster than a speeding bullet. Put all of it together and he was the last guy I expected to be one of my students’ parents.

  “She’s… She can’t get kicked out of school.” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His jeans hugged his thighs, and damn. I’d felt his body plastered up against me Saturday. His Suicide Squad shirt hugged an impressive chest. And now I was envious of the polyester cotton blend.

  He was watching me. Quit lusting, Ms. Shaw. Valaria wouldn’t back down if she was busted. “Yes, well, I laid out what she has to do.”

  “I suppose you can’t tell me the name of the boy.”

  Grateful he wasn’t trying to force the issue, I shook my head. “I can assure you that I will also be having a discussion with him and his parents.” And the teacher who hadn’t reported Dresden Wentworth. “I can recommend not making him forbidden. That tends to make the other party more appealing.”

  Chris nodded. “Her grandparents would— If she got kicked out, they’d never forgive me. And they’d use it to…” He gave a helpless shrug and shot her a small smile. “She’s third generation at Preston Academy.”

  Was it bad that it showed? In my experience, the kids whose families had a history with the school had what I’d come to call “entitlement syndrome.” They should’ve tried growing up the kid of the school’s founders. That sense of entitlement would’ve been knocked right out of them by the other students.

  “It’s clear she’s working through stuff. I don’t want to expel her.”

  “I know.” He rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Did you buy that at Arcadia?”

  A burst of alarm went through me when he pointed to her prism. “Yes, actually. Wasn’t that the booth you were working at?” My cheeks flooded with heat at the reminder of our kiss.

  “Yes. I work at Arcadia.”

  I cocked my head. How did a guy who worked at a comic book shop afford private school tuition? Preston Academy didn’t do scholarships for students who couldn’t propel them toward sports championships—and wouldn’t as long as my father had a say.

  He gave me a wry grin. “How does a single dad who isn’t a lawyer, bank president, or international something or other send his daughter to school here?”

  I chuckled. “Yes, I was wondering that.”

  “Her grandparents foot the bill. It was a concession they made when her mother gave up on raising her. I agree to send her here and they cover tuition and won’t fight me for custody.”

  “But you’re her father.”

  “Yep. But they’re loaded and I was too naïve when I was younger. Look, I know I’m not winning Dad of the Year, but Jaycee would have free rein at their place. She’d have the same personality as her mother and lack the character to follow through with challenges when the going gets tough.”

  And if she got kicked out, they’d fight him and he wouldn’t be able to keep Jaycee. Wouldn’t that mess with her head more? To feel like her dad had given up on her, too?

  “I’m sorry, Chris. I really am. We’ve been going through some growing pains. The schools have been successful, and they don’t always attract the people with the best morals to run them. I’m the one they bring in to clean the place up. Part of that is assuring our standards are maintained. That includes discipline.”

  He watched me for a heartbeat. I shifted in my seat. His intense scrutiny created another flush under my collar that went south. How could I be getting turned on just from him looking at me—in my office!

  “Natalia—Ms. Shaw.” He said my first name like a caress. Did I look as panicked as I felt? “Can you let me know immediately if Jaycee even seems like she’s going to have more problems? I really need to avoid a legal battle with her grandparents until she’s graduated.”

  No favoritism. But instead of a rejection, I said, “Sure.”

  Was he my kryptonite? Sev
en years of strict ethics and I was caving to one plea from a guy who’d made my toes curl with a kiss.

  Not that it could ever happen again. Some days, I hated my job.

  Most days.

  I glanced at the prism. “Um, Chris. People here don’t know about my hobby.”

  “Cosplay?”

  I adjusted my shoulders and my gaze darted to the door. “I’d like to keep it private. It’s hard to be the boss when they think—”

  “—you’re a geek?”

  Geez, that felt so wrong to admit. But I wasn’t known to dress up for Halloween anymore. I did, Halloween or not. But no one knew about it.

  “Yeah, I get that. You notice Jaycee wasn’t at the convention helping me work the booth?”

  “I’m surprised. With all the blockbusters, it’s not as if being a fangirl or boy is the kiss of social death it used to be.”

  “My guess is that the boy making her late for class isn’t into it.”

  Ah yes. At least he wasn’t totally ignorant about the factors affecting her behavior.

  He straightened, a mix of defeat and determination on his face. “I’d better get back. Mara’s covering for me and we start getting busy once school lets out.” His wry smile reminded me of Saturday when we’d chatted over gyros. “Not all kids are ashamed of their interests.”

  I squashed my dismay down and stood up. I was an adult who kept more secrets than an undercover agent, but he wasn’t the type to slip a subtle dig in when I’d asked him to keep my secret. But then, how would I know? Talking to him for an hour and making out with him for two minutes weren’t enough to determine his personality. All the other guys I’d dated had no issues dissing me.

  I did a quick mental check that my hands weren’t sweaty and then stuck one out. He clasped it, his grip strong but not harsh and his hand warm. The contact didn’t last long. He didn’t drop my hand like a lead paperweight; he let his own slip off so gently I almost lunged to grab it back.

  I was the principal. My brain was screaming that a student’s dad was off-limits. But my body wasn’t getting the message.