by Reana Malori
Text copyright ©2017 by the Author.
This work was made possible by a special license through the Kindle Worlds publishing program and has not necessarily been reviewed by Sable Hunter. All characters, scenes, events, plots and related elements appearing in the original Hell Yeah! remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Sable Hunter, or their affiliates or licensors.
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THE LONG SHOT
Hell Yeah! Kindle World
by Reana Malori
The Long Shot
When did she become so bold?
Regina Perkins played by the rules. She did what was expected of her and lived life between the lines. No one would ever accuse her of taking chances. Being a risk-taker was not in her DNA. But, the first time she saw Gavin Carpenter, all those things went out the window. Dating the father of a student wasn’t strictly forbidden and to Regina’s mind, that meant she had permission.
When did he decide to believe in love again?
Gavin Carpenter spent years shielding his heart from women who weren’t any good for him, or his son Riley. After a betrayal at the hands of his son’s mother, he swore off women, and relationships and was just fine with his life. Until she strolled into his life with her soft smile beguiling eyes. Regina Perkins was the one woman who made him willing to risk it all for one chance to hold her in his arms.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
About the Author
Hell Yeah! Kindle World Books
CHAPTER ONE
“Riley! Get down from there,” Regina Perkins yelled out to the small child climbing on the shelving in her classroom. For someone so little, he sure as hell knew how to cause a ruckus.
“Yes, Ms. Perkins,” he returned, just as he shot off in another direction toward his group of friends. No doubt to come up with more ways to stress her out before the day was over.
Taking a deep breath, Regina looked around her classroom and couldn’t help but smile. Her students might be a handful, but she wouldn’t trade them for anything. Days filled with laughter and hugs were par for the course. Groups of tiny bodies huddled together around the room. Some playing with blocks, others reading books—all of them precious in their own way.
Looking over at the clock, she briefly closed her eyes when she noted the time. Riley’s dad was due to arrive in the next thirty minutes for a parent/teacher conference. While those were usually pretty standard and not a cause for concern, with Riley’s dad, everything was different.
The first time she saw him, she was tongue-tied and flustered. If the smirk on his face was anything to go by, she’d probably sounded like a blathering idiot. Almost ten years spent molding young minds and being on the top of her game, and she’d been caught like a deer in the headlights when Gavin Carpenter walked into the room at the beginning of the school year.
No. Walked was too tame a word. More like strolled. Prowled. Yeah, he’d come in like a predator. His presence had filled the room and she’d stared at him for longer than necessary. From that day forward, every time he came to the school—and that was often—her stomach filled with butterflies and her throat closed, making every word come out in an almost-whisper.
This meeting today was to discuss Riley’s propensity for interrupting her to share that “his daddy said…” It was becoming disruptive to the other kids, so a meeting had to be called. While she needed to settle this with his father, she could admit that her own excitement for the meeting was because of a very different reason. Seeing Gavin again.
“Ms. Perkins…” A small voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Yes, Bella?” She smiled at the little girl with long, dark ponytails.
“Riley pulled my hair again.” Looking over her shoulder, she threw the other child a mean look and stuck her tongue out at him.
Holding back a smile at their antics, she schooled her face into a stern expression. “I will make sure to tell him to keep his hands to himself going forward. You go on and play with Lacey and Sabrina while I talk with Riley. Okay?”
“Yes, Ms. Perkins,” the young girl responded before skipping off in the other direction.
She took a deep breath and looked at the clock again. Fifteen minutes until school was released for the day. Gavin would be arriving within a few minutes after that. She could totally do this.
“Riley, sweetheart. Come here.” He’d been looking over at her as she called his name. He knew he was in trouble. She hid a smile behind her hand. It was always the brightest children that kept her on her toes.
“Yes, Ms. Perkins,” he said, out of breath from sprinting across the room.
“Did you pull on Bella’s ponytail?” Voice stern, she gave him her no-nonsense look.
His eyes widened at first and then he dropped his head. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“I just wanted to get her attention and she was talking to her friends.” Smiling again, she was thankful he was too young to think of lying about it.
Kids. If nothing else, they kept her on her toes. “Riley, look at me.” She waited while he lifted his big-eyed hazel gaze to hers. He must have gotten those eyes from his mother, because his father’s eyes were a deep, forest green. That she remembered quite well.
“It is never okay to pull on someone’s hair or do something to another person, just because they’re not giving you attention.”
“But, why not? I wanted to talk to her.” Riley was such a sweet child when he wanted to be, but goodness, he had his own thoughts about what was right and wrong. She wondered if that influence was because of his father.
“Because it’s not okay. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to you at that time. You can’t make someone pay attention to you.”
“Okay, Ms. Perkins,” he said with a sudden smile. “Can I go back and play now?”
“Yes, go ahead. But no more pulling hair, pushing, punching, jumping, running, or…well, just don’t do anything you shouldn’t.”
The child stopped in his tracks and looked at her with a quirk of his eyebrow. Oh yeah, that was definitely from his father. “Do I have to just stand here in one spot?”
Holding back a smile, she waved her hand, “Just be good, Riley.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he strolled away slowly.
A test from God.
That was Riley in a nutshell. It was okay, though, because she could handle it. Premature gray hair wouldn’t look good on her, but that’s what hair dye was for.
Startled by the warning bell that school would be released in the next five minutes, she looked over at her teacher’s assistant. The young woman had begun herding the children to their spots to get ready for departure. Class papers were gathered up, backpacks were put on, and students lined up at the door. All except Riley. He knew his father was coming today. He didn’t have to pack-up right away, and so he continued doodling on a piece of paper at his desk.
Regina stood up and walked over to the kids, telling each of them goodbye just as the final bell rung and the TA walked the kids to the buses and the after-school pickup spot. Now all she had to do was wait for Riley’s father to show up. Hopefully she’d be able to keep it together today, and not stand there like a bump on a log like she did last time.
*****
Gavin Carpenter na
vigated the hallways of his son’s school the same way he went through life. With a purpose. At six feet four inches, he towered over everyone in the school, even the teachers and administrators. Black cowboy hat in hand, he strolled down the hallway toward his son’s classroom.
His booted feet hit the linoleum floor with a boom every time he took a step. It wasn’t that he did it on purpose, but after serving eight years in the Marines, it was ingrained in him. He didn’t just walk into a room, he conquered it. Although, even he could admit, his steps were a little faster, a bit more determined, because he knew he would be seeing her again.
Glancing down at all the children staring up at him in shock and awe as he passed them by, he smiled. Growing up in Kerrville, Texas, a town about sixty miles up the road from San Antonio, he could remember looking up to the men in his town the exact same way. They were bigger than life to a small child who dreamed of being just like them one day.
At eighteen, he’d decided to forego college. He also didn’t want to work as a ranch hand. He’d decided to take a different route and do something just as good, picking a career that would also allow him to escape his small town. His mom had been brokenhearted when he’d told her that he’d decided to leave and join the military, but she’d understood his need to forge his own way in the world.
Because of his size and strength, he’d had an opportunity to go work at any ranch in town. His mother had her sights set on Tebow Ranch, one of the largest spreads in Texas Hill Country. She felt it was a good place for him to learn what was required to start his own spread, and to gain knowledge about how to raise Beefmaster cattle.
But that was her dream. Not his. So, he’d politely declined and signed on the dotted line to leave for Camp Pendleton to attend Marine Corps boot camp. After he’d graduated high school, there was thirty days of carefree fun before he’d headed off to an adventure that would change his life.
Coming back to the present, he strode up to his son’s classroom and paused before going in. Peeking in the door window, he saw his son standing next to his teacher while she showed him something on a paper. His son was smiling and there was a light in his eyes that only came out when he talked about his teacher, Ms. Perkins.
That woman boggled his mind. From all accounts, she was an amazing teacher and all the kids loved her, his son included. But when he was around her, he wanted her to remove the prim and proper façade. Gavin wanted to know who she was when no one was watching. Did she have a glass of wine with her dinner each night? Did she treat herself to bubble baths on the weekend? How would she look if she were beneath him in his bed?
Those were the things about Ms. Perkins that kept him up at night.
At their first meeting a few months ago, his mouth had gone dry when she’d walked into the room. Something about her called out to him. The curve of her hips enticed him and begged for his touch. Her soft lips seemed ready to be kissed. His hands itched to wrap themselves around her waist and pull her closer.
But he couldn’t. She was his son’s teacher and he tried to remember that she was off-limits. Funny thing was, his dick wasn’t paying attention to the lecture.
Ms. Regina Perkins was damn beautiful. There was no way she realized how much he wanted to get to know her better. Whenever they had these little meetings about Riley’s behavior, he was filled with both anticipation and dread.
Anticipation at the prospect of seeing her again and being in her presence, even if for a little while.
Dread at the possibility that he would say or do something inappropriate. That’s the last thing he needed, especially since he’d recently opened his bar and become a small business owner. San Antonio was a big city compared to his hometown of Kerrville, but it was still small enough that even the hint of something shady in his past would bite him in the ass.
Man up, Gavin, and quit stalling. The internal lecture got him moving and he opened the door to the classroom and walked inside.
“Daddy,” his son called out, and ran up to him.
“Hey buddy,” he responded, wrapping his long arms around the miniature version of him. “What are you up to?”
“I’m going over some math stuff with Ms. Perkins.”
“Yeah, are you learning something good?” he asked, pulling back to look at his son’s face.
“Yup. Ms. Perkins is really smart and she said I’m real smart, too. Didn’t you, Ms. Perkins?” he asked eagerly.
It pulled at Gavin’s heart just how much his son probably craved the attention from a good woman. His mother was back home, still living in the house his father had built for her all those years ago. As an only child, he didn’t have any sisters that could take up the slack from Riley’s absent mother.
Finally looking up at the woman that kept him up at night, he took in the sight of Regina standing in front of her desk, a soft smile on her face as she looked at him and his son. His gaze roamed up and down her body. He had to force himself not to lick his lips at the sight of her.
With his height, it was difficult to find a woman who could handle him in the bedroom. At maybe five feet eight or five nine, with a body thick like molasses on a cool day, she was exactly the type of woman that could take all he had to give, and then some.
“Ms. Perkins,” he said, nodding his head in her direction.
“Mr. Carpenter,” she returned. “And yes, Riley is correct. He’s a very intelligent young man. I’m proud of his progress this year.” Smiling as she said the words, she glanced down at his son, her eyes alight with happiness
“All right, son, let me talk to Ms. Perkins for a few minutes. Can you go draw a picture for your grandma?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make something really nice.” Grabbing a few pieces of construction paper from the art table, he settled into his desk and began concentrating on his project.
“Would you like to take a seat over here?” she asked him, motioning to a round table with chairs in mismatched colors. Looking around, he saw there was different classroom assignments and art on the wall. He could practically measure the progress of the schoolyear based on what was hanging on the walls.
“Sure.” Once his body was settled in the seat, he laughed a little at how ridiculous he must look sitting in one of the small chairs.
“Something funny, Mr. Carpenter?”
“Call me Gavin.” Not sure why he said that, but once the words were out, he knew he wouldn’t take them back. He wanted her to call him by his first name. He’d prefer hearing it come out as a moan while he plowed into her on top of his king-sized bed, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
“I’m not sure that’s appropriate,” she said, her eyes widening.
“Sure, it is. We’re adults. We can call each other whatever we want.”
Watching her closely, he noticed that she glanced at his mouth as he spoke. Her pink tongue came out to wet her lips, and he wanted to lean in and kiss the wetness away. He could feel his cock thickening behind his jeans and adjusted his position so that she wouldn’t notice.
“I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“Now why would I do that?” he teased.
“I’m your son’s teacher,” she responded with a slight frown.
“And?”
Her mouth opened and closed as she thought of what to say.
“Don’t you think, after all the meetings we’ve had and the time we’ve spent with each other, that it’s about time we started calling each other by our first names?” Gavin wasn’t letting her off the hook. They’d been playing this cat and mouse game for too damn long. It was time to push the envelope a little. He wanted more and he’d bet his Stetson she seemed to want the same.
“Well, I… Um, okay. Gavin.”
“See, darlin’, now that wasn’t so hard. Was it?”
She flashed him a beautiful, but shy smile. “No, it wasn’t.”
“So, does this mean I get to call you Regina?”
“Well, I guess it only seems right,” she responded, her slim
finger tracing a pattern on the table.
“Dad, I can’t wait to show Grandma my picture,” his son called out, breaking the spell.
Regina jumped out of her seat and walked to her desk. Grabbing some papers, she walked back to the table and sat down again. Back to her normal prim and proper self, he sighed in frustration. This woman was going to be the death of him. But now that he’d seen a break in her shell, he was even more determined to make her his.
“Mr...” she began, but he shot her a look and began shaking his head.
“Come now, Regina. Let’s not go backward,” he taunted.
“Right,” she said with a nod. Smiling at him, she started again. “Gavin—”
“Much better. Yes, Regina?” he smirked.
Laughing out loud at their banter, she gave him a side glance. “Are you going to be serious?”
“I’m always serious. Hell, I’m too serious, if you ask anyone else. We’re just two people, having a nice conversation about how my son’s doing in school. Why not have a little fun? Plus, if anyone’s too serious, it’s you.”
She sputtered and reared back a little. “Me? Too serious?”
“Yup. Whenever I come talk to you, you always hold yourself so stiff. As if you don’t want to engage with me too much. Even when I try to make you smile.” He laughed a little, adjusting his frame in the too-small chair. “Do you know, today is the only day I’ve been able to see behind the curtain? The only day I’ve even gotten a hint of the woman behind the desk.”
“Mr…I mean, Gavin. You shouldn’t say those things.”
“What things? I’m just telling you the truth. I like seeing you smile. I enjoy our meetings, even if you only see them as work.”
She stared at him for a few seconds before releasing a breath. “I enjoy our meetings as well.”
His gaze bored into hers. “I knew it. That’s all I needed to know. We’ll talk about what we’re going to do about the mutual enjoyment later. Right now, let’s get back to Riley and how he’s doing in your class.”
