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

by Marie Johnston

  “Sounds familiar.” Jaycee stabbed a meatball. “Only instead of a nanny, I have Dad.”

  Chris chuckled. “I figured that was the reason you don’t hang with me at the store like you used to.”

  “Are you kidding?” Jaycee rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m the ugly duckling at that place. It’s like the rest of the students are the swans and I’m the duck.”

  Chris rubbed her back. “You out-swan them. And it’s only for high school. Nana and Papa don’t get a say on where you go to college.”

  “You’d better have my back.” She offered him her knuckles and he fist-bumped her.

  I had to look away. I would’ve traded in my private driver, my summers abroad, and my trust fund to have a relationship like these two had.

  Jaycee tipped forward to peer at me again. “So, Ms. Shaw? Roller derby?”

  “Even big girls like to do things that’d make their parents apoplectic. And it’s a great way to relieve stress in a way where the two worlds I exist in don’t normally collide.” I snuck a peek at Chris.

  “But Dad tracked you down?” Jaycee giggled. “Stalkerish much, Dad?”

  He nodded. “It occurred to me you’d say that.”

  Jaycee waved her fork toward us. “Now what? You guys going to keep seeing each other? Am I going to have to be all secret agent and pretend you’re not dating my dad?”

  I exchanged a glance with Chris. “I’d like to keep dating.” I’d like to actually date. “But if I did, we have to keep it out of the academy. And if you come to school with purple hair, I can’t look the other way, no matter how cute it is.”

  Jaycee’s eyes widened. “You liked the blue?”

  “If I didn’t have to adult on a daily basis, I would chop my hair and play with colors.” I may have sketched out a few headshots of the funky styles I’d love to try.

  “Dude, the principal thing is a total fun suck. Fine. I can play the game. It’s not like anyone talks to me anyway. Dresden’s moved on to cheerleader chasing.” Jaycee leaned in and whispered, “I don’t think they make it much of a chase.”

  I grinned. At least Jaycee seemed to have moved on and wasn’t nursing heartbreak. “As long as it’s not on school grounds, then I don’t have to deal with it.”

  Jaycee barked out a laugh. I turned my smile back to my plate. A girl could get used to this. Fun banter about a serious topic over a meal with people I enjoyed being around.

  As long as Chris was on board, I’d take it slow. We’d date, keep it on the down low, and when my work at Preston Academy was done, I’d have to move.

  Chapter 10

  Chris

  I closed the store and refrained from sprinting to my vehicle and not because the temp had dipped below zero. It was the first Saturday that my daughter was back at her grandparents’ since Jaycee had busted me and Natalia. While Natalia and I had continued seeing each other, it’d only included movies at my place while she and Jaycee ranked Marvel heroes.

  Natalia had practice, and between her job and my store, Friday-night dinners and Saturday movies were the only times we could get together.

  But I was done for the weekend and Natalia had invited me to her place.

  I followed her directions, which brought me to a tall, wrought-iron gate. Pulling up to a speaker box, I entered the code she’d given me. The gate buzzed and swung open.

  This wasn’t the ritziest gated community in the area, but I didn’t doubt she could afford to live where she chose. This place had townhouses and that was probably the reason there wasn’t an armed guard out front. Proper rich folk lived in proper mansions, and a townhouse failed in that measure. I tried to adjust my mindset. This could’ve been my world. I’d been on my way. My state senator pay on top of the private consulting job I’d been head-hunted for would’ve left me with an enviable salary, a nice pension, and enough to buy a three-story brick house with a pool house in the backyard that I could even use in the frigid Minnesota winters.

  I might’ve filled in the pool and had a basketball court constructed, much to Jaycee’s dismay. Not that I’d been planning it at all…

  Did I regret giving my old life up? Jaycee was well-adjusted. Her mom was happier. I liked my coworkers better. The kids we hired for the shorter shifts usually accepted my mentoring and I’d been in the job long enough to see them finish college and move on to careers of their own. I liked thinking that I’d helped build some of those skills they carried forward with.

  If Jaycee weren’t at her grandparents’ mercy for schooling, she would probably work at the store, too. I rubbed my eyes.

  Cierra’s parents. They’d started asking Jaycee about what she planned for college. Against my advice, or because I’d advised her not to, she planned to present them with the art program data she’d compiled for Natalia, which included colleges with fine arts programs and the different tracks available.

  I fully expected their disapproving frowns on my doorstep when they dropped her off tomorrow.

  Just one more reason to spend the night in Natalia’s arms.

  I pulled into the drive. The garage door opened and wow, what an empty space. She didn’t even have a shovel. Definitely no snowblower; this wasn’t the neighborhood for it. They all hired lawn services and Natalia liked to blend.

  My forehead crinkled. I understood the way she’d grown up didn’t inspire deviation from the norm, or what her parents considered above the norm. Despite being a woman in her thirties, she didn’t seem comfortable living life on her own terms.

  The garage door shut me in, and Natalia appeared at the door. Her leggings and oversized Captain America shirt were as sexy as they were adorable.

  “Hey.” Her grin widened when I pulled my overnight bag out of the back. “I ordered in supper. I hope you don’t mind. I don’t cook.”

  Had she worried I’d expect something fancy? I slung the bag over my shoulder and strode toward her. “We could’ve gone out.”

  Panic flashed in her eyes. “No. I like eating in.” She smiled. “With you.”

  Yeah, but eating out with me? I brushed off my worries. We were dating, as much as we could be, but she continued seeing me despite her regimented ideals. For now, I’d be happy with what time I got with her.

  She was about to spin to go inside, but I twirled her back to me to land a kiss on her plump mouth. She melted into me, and I didn’t care if the savory smells of fine dining wafted out of her place, I needed to feel her.

  We hadn’t done more than kiss in weeks, both of us too timid with Jaycee under the roof.

  She moaned and wrapped her arms around my neck. Our tongues twined and memories of our night together surfaced. Her straining against me, her pleas, and the tight fist of her sex.

  I was hard and throbbing in an instant. But really, the buildup had been a month in the making.

  I broke away enough to pant, “I don’t want to wait until after dinner.” Then I lifted her.

  Her legs circled my waist and I twisted to press her against the wall by the door. Could she be feeling the same urgency?

  “Then don’t.”

  I paused. Had I heard her right?

  “Dinner will wait,” she said in husky tones that went straight to my erection.

  “Just a quickie to take the edge off?” I rocked against her. So close, but so much between us.

  She released me to work at the clasp of my pants. “I’ve been dying to be with you again.”

  I anchored her with my hips and dug in my back pocket. “I even grabbed fresh condoms.” That box of expired condoms had almost prevented the best sex of my life.

  “Me, too.” She inhaled when she freed me, circling her hot hand around my shaft.

  I groaned and tipped my forehead against hers. “How are we going to get it on? I don’t want to let you go.” There was no thinking straight while she fisted me.

  Snatching the packet from me with her free hand, she ripped it open with her teeth. I eased back enough for her to work between us and ro
ll it on.

  Now. Her leggings. Together, we maneuvered her enough to free a leg without me letting her go.

  I wanted to impale her, but as ready as I was, I had to make sure it wouldn’t be painful for her. Stroking her center, I didn’t have to worry. Her slickness coated my fingers. We both needed this.

  I dragged myself through her delicious heat and thrust inside.

  Her arms came back around me and without missing a beat, she rocked herself on me. The hold of her legs was so tight, I could barely thrust, which was for the best. A few full strokes and I’d be done. This moment reinforced how truly good it’d been the last time. It wasn’t because of my hiatus from serious dating, or because she was a forbidden woman. It was us. We were good together.

  She bounced on me, her breasts rubbing against my chest. “Chris.” Her hands twisted in my shirt and she bucked, and I claimed her mouth as I pumped into her. She went liquid, giving over control to me. Her sex tightened and released. She was close.

  I clamped my hands on her hips and took over, thrusting so hard she moved up the wall a few inches. I retreated and thrust again. She stiffened and cried out, but I didn’t stop. I stroked her core as she shook through her orgasm. Her sexy moans prompted my own climax. I would’ve yelled loud enough to draw the neighbors’ attention, but she swallowed the sound.

  We both tumbled down from our peak. My legs were braced and that was the only reason I didn’t collapse. I gave her one last lingering kiss before pulling away.

  Doubts about what we’d done a minute after I’d arrived assailed me. “I didn’t mean to attack you.”

  Her sultry tone eased my fear. “I’m glad you did. Hungry?”

  “Oh, I’m still starving.” I helped her regain her feet and I tucked myself back in until I could take care of the condom.

  She pointed me to a small bathroom that was the size of the largest one in my place. I dropped my duffel outside the door and ducked in to clean up. The house was nicely decorated but lacked personality. Perhaps I was used to Jaycee’s touch all over my home, but Natalia’s landscapes and abstract art weren’t what I’d pictured in her home.

  With her love of sci-fi assassins, I’d expected framed Starfleet ships done in silvers and black. Instead of a dorm-room-geek feel, they would’ve been in keeping with her sophisticated, contemporary loft aesthetic. We’d gotten a set into the store last year and they’d been purchased within a week. Mara hadn’t wanted to restock with identical artwork, preferring to give the customers a unique experience so they felt like they were buying exclusive pieces. So, she and I had searched for similar art. It was out there, and it was quality, and it was definitely not on Natalia’s walls.

  I stepped out and followed the scent of seasoning and grilled meat. My stomach rumbled. The weekends by myself were usually the time to make what Jaycee didn’t like, but when just cooking for one, it often seemed like too much trouble.

  “Smells delicious,” I called as I looked around.

  Tall ceilings, earth-tone walls, and subdued material on the chairs and sofa. The decor came together for a relaxing feel—for a shrink’s office. Candles of various heights dotted the shelves with seashells and a dome filled with succulents.

  “Thanks.” She puttered around a dining room table larger than my entire dining room. “I went for the lemon pepper chicken and orzo. Then I wasn’t sure if you were a chicken guy, so I got the sirloin tenderloins and sweet potato. Whatever we don’t eat, I can save for leftovers.” Standing back, she eyed her work. “I don’t cook.”

  “You mentioned that.” I scanned the table. A vase of real orchids was perched in the middle and a table runner done in sunset colors that accented the flowers ran down the length. Natalia had dished the food into real serving bowls and arranged them on one end of the table. Plates—not paper ones, and not chipped—rested in the two spots at the corner so at least I wouldn’t have to holler across the table at her like in Michael Keaton’s Batman. Gleaming silverware and wineglasses topped off the look.

  Were those… Yep, cloth napkins.

  “Is it over the top?” She worried her pouty lower lip between her teeth.

  I shook my head. To go through all that work, even after ordering in, and still worry about what I thought? “I’m thinking that maybe I’ve been a little under the top.”

  Her hands flared out like she wanted me to stop that train of thought. “No. No, not at all. I… This is my norm. But nothing’s wrong with your norm.”

  “You don’t have to go through this effort for me. What do you do when you order in on your own?”

  The excitement in her eyes dimmed and her flush from their tryst was all but gone. “I put it on a plate and sit here.” She waved to one of the settings.

  All by herself and she still sat at the table? But I was making her nervous and didn’t know why. I also didn’t know why she didn’t just eat from the to-go container while watching Netflix, but that was supposedly a bad habit, albeit what I did when Jaycee was gone. “This one’s my spot then?”

  Crossing to the chair she usually sat in, I pulled it out for her.

  She shot me a quick smile and let me seat her.

  We each picked a little of everything. She asked about my work. I asked about her work. It was…awkward.

  “This place came furnished,” she blurted, then tucked her head down and stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork.

  “That makes sense. This didn’t seem to be your style.”

  She cocked her head, her fork poised in midair. “What’s my style?”

  I waved my arm around. “This is Ms. Shaw’s style. I expected your home to have more color. Like maroon.”

  A blush tinted her cheeks. “It’s one of my favorites, obviously.”

  “Or even a flag from your derby team.”

  She didn’t look at me. “Maybe after I play a full season.”

  Meekness was a side of Natalia I hadn’t anticipated. Certainly not in her own home. At the con, she’d dished out parenting advice. In her office, she’d punished my daughter with professional disregard of who I was to her and what we’d done together. And on the rink, she’d been unstoppable even after she’d crashed.

  “Is this a temporary situation?” My heart constricted when I recalled her mentioning that she was a fixer of sorts for Preston Academies.

  She sighed and pushed her plate away, the last piece of chicken still impaled on the fork that rested on her plate. “Yes and no. I have an image to maintain.”

  “But it’s your home.”

  She smiled sadly. “And if my parents ever visit, I don’t care to explain all my hobbies. They wouldn’t understand. Renting a townhouse gets enough inquiries.”

  “What the hell are you supposed to live in?”

  She hadn’t mentioned her parents often, and I was getting a sense why. They were loaded, with the attitude of old money. Minneapolis wasn’t an area afflicted with affluent social circles adhering to strict Old-World mores. Rich people yes, but of the modern variety. But having attended Preston myself, I knew they were there. Lower in numbers but represented with all their snooty comments and judgment-filled looks.

  “Why rent when you can buy?” Natalia said. She stood, but I leaned over and put a hand on her arm.

  “I just hate to see you not be yourself in your own home.”

  Her expression grew serious. “This is myself, don’t doubt that. I had nannies and drivers, and my parents’ role was to mentor in the ways of our status. My destiny has always been the academy. It’s my family’s responsibility, and I’m an only child like my father was.”

  Her words sunk in. “A teacher and principal were never what you wanted to be.”

  “I’ve never…” She licked her lips, and it should’ve been a distractingly sexy move, but this conversation was too heavy. I thought I knew her, but she had an identity for every facet of her life. “I’ve never taught.”

  “Then how—”

  “How’d I become a principal, right?�
�� She heaved out a breath. “Yes, we try to keep that part under wraps. I have the necessary education; the rest is at the mercy of the private school. I couldn’t waste time teaching when there were schools in need of a leader.”

  “So, you wanted to teach?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “I think it would’ve been fun, but it was never in my career plan.”

  One, her grand plan wasn’t hers. Two, she probably didn’t let herself think of it much because she couldn’t teach. She had a destiny.

  And I was sending my daughter to this oppressive environment?

  Right. I didn’t have the money to fight Nana and Papa.

  I thought about the career I’d left behind, one I’d worked my ass off for and now barely thought about. “I guess sometimes we have to move with the needs of our family.” I almost said, maybe it works out for the better, but that didn’t seem comparable in her case.

  “Yes. And my parents weren’t tolerant of outside pursuits based on fictional worlds and characters. But acceptance into extracurricular activities wasn’t easy when I was the granddaughter of the founder and the daughter of the owner. I didn’t have the skill or the charisma to win over the other kids.”

  Thus, the mask she put on for everyone else, including Valaria and Shaw Shank.

  I stacked my plate on hers. We’d hardly dented the food, but I wasn’t ready to ditch our talk to clean up. “When I transferred to the school, I had the people skills and it didn’t matter. I hated leaving my friends, but it was nice to just play and have a little more one-on-one attention in the classroom.”

  She stared at me, her mind whirring in those solid brown eyes. “Do you think your scholarship was necessary?”

  “I was a better player than the rest of the team, so yeah, since they wanted to improve, they needed me. But my parents couldn’t have afforded a private school, so the scholarship was necessary. Did it help prep me for college? I have no doubt. But that didn’t mean I could afford the Ivy League education my classmates got. And I might’ve been good at high school ball, but I wasn’t good enough to score a full ride to one of those schools.” I waved it off. “I was a proud Gopher, but I was relegated to rec ball if I wanted to play. I got a good education, so it all worked out.”