by Wendi Zwaduk
“Mr. Case. A moment?”
Graig swiveled in his seat. Fuck. The timeline wasn’t school business. Dammit. “Mr. Farnsworth.” Great. How did Dennis work stealth so well? “Nice to see you. What’s up?” What did she tell him? And how long until he lost his job? He needed to get his nerves in order before he said something stupid.
“I’d love to say I’m here because a parent said you were working wonders with their child.” Dennis shut the door, folded his arms then sighed. “Are you blind or just ignorant?”
Graig sat up straight in his chair. His blood ran hot and cold. What the hell was Dennis getting at? “Excuse me?”
“Look, this is and isn’t a school matter. You’re friends with Tessa and according to gossip, you’re seeing someone. Right?”
“That’s private—or it was. I’d like to keep things quiet.” Who else knew about his fucked-up life? “It’s definitely not a school matter.”
“I’m your superior and this deals with a member of my staff. Enlighten me.”
Fucking hell. Dennis was her brother-in-law. He’d know…everything. “I prefer to keep my private life private. Get the hint.” He held his head high despite the sinking feeling in his chest. Never go toe-to-toe with the guy who handed out the paychecks.
“I don’t play games and I don’t do pissing contests. She’s my sister-in-law and I will rip off your balls if you did something fucked-up. Spill it.”
Asshole. Graig folded his arms, matching Dennis’ pose. He wanted the truth. Fine. “Lila dumped me and I’m glad.”
“And Tessa?”
“I don’t know.” Not the answer he wanted to give, but it worked for the moment. “It’s complicated.”
“Don’t try to bullshit a professional bullshitter. Your timeline there tells me an awful lot. Want to come clean instead of me figuring it out for myself?”
Graig groaned. Baring his feelings sucked. Dammit. He glanced at Dennis, who glared. “I don’t know where I stand with her. She’s—I like her. A lot. But man, she’s my best girl friend. I don’t want to trash that because dating isn’t in our cards.”
“God, I hate drama.”
Great. Honesty got him nowhere with this jerk. Time to fight fire with fire. “You’re the vice principal of a high school and middle school. Everything you deal with is drama. Top that off, you got married. What isn’t drama for you?”
Dennis’ glare never wavered. Hell, as far as Graig could tell, it got icier. Dennis groaned. “Look, I need you to do something for me—for Tessa.”
For Tessa, Graig would give his very soul. “Name it.”
Dennis’ expression softened. “Now you’re talking.”
Chapter Four
Six songs into the concert and Tessa forgot her sister and brother-in-law stood beside her. Nothing compared to the raw sounds Crush produced. Audio lust, she called it. Orgasms for her ears. She closed her eyes and danced, caught up in the chorus of her favorite song.
“Come on. Time to visit the ladies’,” Peri shouted in Tessa’s ear and grabbed her arm. “I hate having to go to the bathroom during concerts. Too many people to push through.”
“After this song.” Tessa crooked her brow. Who thought about going to the restroom during a perfectly fantastic concert? When the last strains of Northing Glow ended, she trailed behind her sister, fully ready to lose her in the crowd. She glanced at the bar and a flash of black hair caught her eye.
“Who are you looking at?” Peri shoved in close, mashing against Tessa and conking their heads. “Dammit. This is why I hate crowds. Everyone pushes. Are you looking at someone in particular?”
“No.” Tess averted her gaze. The guy she wanted to see couldn’t possibly be at the concert. He liked jock jams and rap. Tessa rubbed the tender spot on the side of her head from the collision with her sister. “Let’s go.”
Peri stepped into the relative silence of the bathroom and rolled her shoulders. Tessa sidestepped Peri’s gymnastic display and headed to the mirror. Waves of embarrassment washed over her anew. I am not falling for a stupid crush on someone who doesn’t care about me that way. The straps of the tunic displayed more of her skin than she wished to show and the flow of the blouse accentuated her not-so-flat tummy. Bile rose in her throat. Next time she’d get dressed without her sister’s fashion advice.
“I hear you’ve got yourself a pal at the school. Why didn’t you tell me?” Peri touched up her gloss, tapping the little brush against her bottom lip. “Afraid you’d introduce him to the family and he’d bolt?”
Tessa stared at her sister. Everything she’d yearned to be stared right back at her. Blonde hair, perfect size-C boobs, chocolate-brown eyes and an attention-grabbing hourglass figure.
“Tess?”
She closed her eyes and turned her back to the mirror. “Peri.”
Peri stepped in front of Tessa, hands on her hips. “You don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
“When you look at your reflection what do you see?”
Tessa rolled her eyes.
“You see everything you aren’t.” Peri grabbed her shoulders and turned Tessa back to the mirror. “You’re so beautiful just the way you are. Yeah, I’ve got blonde hair, but you’ve got such gorgeous, thick hair. Women would kill to have their hair so naturally dark. And your eyes. I’d love to have blue eyes. But no. I got Daddy’s brown eyes.”
“Okay. Whatever.”
“Wow, that sounded almost believable.” Peri rested her chin on Tessa’s shoulder. “If your crush is any kind of real man, then he’s an idiot if he passes you up. I doubt he will. But if he does, then there’s a whole room of hunky men out there. Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a very beautiful woman.”
“Are you getting paid for this?” She knew her sister way too well. Peri loved a challenge and getting Tessa a date always ranked high on her to-do list.
“Nope, just righting a wrong. I didn’t try to steal Dennis. Sometimes I wish you two would’ve worked out, but he makes me happy. You need to find your own happy.”
A couple of women strolled into the bathroom, preventing a retort. Tessa stared at herself a moment longer and ran her fingers through her straightened locks. The deep brown did catch the light well. Maybe the blouse wasn’t so bad. She bit her bottom lip to suppress the smile. If Graig wasn’t interested, fine. Plenty of other fine-looking men populated the crowd.
“That’s a smile any man would melt for.” Peri grabbed her arm. “Come on. The music’s starting.”
Chin held high and shoulders straight, Tessa marched through the crowd. The first strains of the next Crush song whirled around her and sent shivers down her spine. What was the saying, “dance like no one was watching”? So maybe four hundred people were watching…who cared? Tessa threw her hands in the air and bobbed her head to the beat.
“That’s the ticket,” Peri shouted over the band.
Tessa shook her hips and sang along with the song. Her troubles melted away as the throbbing bass took over. She closed her eyes and moved to the music.
Someone behind her bumped her and she jerked her eyes open. So much for getting into the feeling. When she turned around to see who’d touched her, the breath ripped from her chest. Graig. He stared down at her, his blue eyes gleaming from the lights on the stage. The shadows accentuated the dark scruff on his cheeks.
“Dance with me?” He offered his hand and grinned. The dimple on his cheek deepened.
Give in or give him a shove? What the hell…she’d only live once. Might as well give him a shot. She twined their fingers and swayed to the music. His touch, like lightning and silk all in one, rocked her to her core. Her pussy quivered and her skin tingled. The music. Had to be. Guys didn’t fall for girls like her. They pretended to then jumped ship.
The song segued into a ballad, rich with a throaty guitar solo. The crowd coupled off around them. Tessa offered him a wobbly smile then released his hand.
Instead of allowing her to slink away from
him, he snagged her in his arms and held her in front of him. His breath tickled on her skin. He sang the words of the song to her in perfect harmony with the vocalist.
Her brain screamed to put distance between them, but her heart begged to dive right in. She gripped his forearm and rested her head against his shoulder. The bulge in his jeans slid between her ass cheeks. His warmth radiated to her.
“I can’t go on feeling like this. Not telling you,” Graig sang. He stroked her forearm with the tips of his fingers. “I’m on fire for you.”
When the lead singer Joey Chase sang those words, she believed him. The same words coming from Graig? Hell, she wanted to jump on him right there in the crowd. Cream slickened her panties and she licked her lips. She’d spent too much time using her vibrator. Being in Graig’s embrace affected her to the core.
“Tessa?” Graig turned her around in his arms. Fire flickered in his eyes and his lips parted. He threaded one hand behind her head and held her tight then nipped her bottom lip.
She moaned and gripped the front of his shirt. All the times she’d fantasized about his kiss, all the times she wondered what he’d taste like…nothing compared to the real deal. His whiskers abraded her cheeks. His tongue slid across her mouth, prompting her to open to him. When she did, he tugged her closer. The heat from his cock matched the fever spreading across her skin. She slid her hands down his sides to his hips then around to his ass. The man’s ass had been made for grabbing. Enough for a handful, but not too much.
She lost herself in his taste—cola, mint and sin. He’d be the death of her. Hello, death.
Graig broke the connection, but held her tight in his arms. His puffed breath feathered over her cheeks. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”
“You have?” she blurted.
“Ever since I visited VCH the first time.”
“Oh.” What a nugget of information to drop on a girl. Her knees buckled and she swayed on her feet.
Graig tucked her into the curve of his arm and rested his cheek on the top of her head. The music continued to play, but she heard none of it. She continued turning his words over in her mind. If he liked her, then he’d want to date. If they dated, he deserved to know about her fetish—well, the whole truth about it anyway. If he hung around, then wonderful. If not…she’d live.
When the house lights came up and filled the room with color, Tessa disengaged from Graig. “I came with Peri and Dennis.” Go figure, her sister and brother-in-law had disappeared, no doubt long before the concert ended. “And they left me here.” She massaged her forehead with the tips of her fingers. “Dammit.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it was a sign. We’ve danced around each other for so long.” He grasped her wrist. “I’m glad. I’ve wanted to see the sexy woman underneath those long sleeves and skirts. To see if she is the same carefree woman who made my nights unforgettable.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks burned. She’d only danced for one man—one man she knew about. Him. “I hoped you saw me.” The words tumbled out faster than she could keep them at bay. She knew damn well he’d watched her.
“You’re hard to ignore.” He touched her cheek, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Live a little. With me. Show me more of that sexy woman you keep buttoned up all day. Dance for me and let me watch you.”
Ah, he liked the fetish. “Lila is out of the picture?”’
“For me she is.” He kissed her again. “I won’t lie. She dumped me, but hasn’t let go. Doesn’t matter. I’m not interested in her. I want you.”
Instead of contemplating what she wanted to do, she nodded once. “Okay.”
“Okay?” He dipped his head to look her in the eye. “Okay what?”
“Take me home.”
Chapter Five
Graig breathed a sigh of relief. First objective met. He’d kissed her and blown his mind at the same time. Holy hell. Her tiny whimpers cut through to his heart and melted his defenses. Not that he’d give her much resistance. The moment he’d walked into the school imprinted on his mind. She stood in the office amidst the controlled chaos of office workers, students and other staff. She smiled at him and asked his name. Her eyes sparkled and he wanted to get to know the sweet woman welcoming him to his new job.
Now she wanted to go home with him. He curled his fingers under her chin then kissed her again. Just like the first time, she managed to turn his senses inside out. His cock pushed against the seam in his boxers and his balls ached. She slid her hands into his back pockets and squeezed. He loved when she grabbed his butt. Not a timid girl, afraid to touch him. No, she went for what she wanted.
He’d never get enough of her.
Graig broke the kiss first. “You blow my mind.”
“I try.” She shrugged. “Take me home?”
“Yes.” He kept one arm around her and led her through the building to the parking lot. When they reached his dented, hunter-green Nissan, she giggled.
“Are we going to screw around in the backseat of your car first?”
“Nope.” He escorted her to the passenger side of the car then opened the door for her. “Sex in a car has its merits, but I don’t want to.”
“Oh.” She sank down onto the seat.
“I’d rather make love to you on my bed. Or yours.” He waited for her to tuck her legs into the passenger compartment then closed the door. He hurried around the trunk then slid onto the driver’s seat. “More room to play and explore.”
“I see.”
“You do?” He engaged the engine then zipped out of the lot. The faster they got to the apartment building, the faster he’d be able to taste her all over.
“I need to feed Mr. Black. He gets cranky if he’s left alone without food,” Tessa said once they reached the apartments.
“If I didn’t know you so well, I’d think you named your pussy.” He pulled into the apartment parking lot then stopped in his assigned spot. “I apologize. Some girls name their parts.” Goddamn it, he needed to shut his mouth before he said something else completely asinine.
“Mr. Black is protective of me.” She climbed out of his car faster than he could round the hood to open the door for her. Tessa put her hand on his chest. “For the record, I’ve never named my girl parts.” She stepped away from him, putting distance between them.
Shit, shit, shit. Graig groaned, pressed the fob to lock his car then jogged after her. “Tessa. I’m sorry. I owe you both an apology and you a night of hot sex to make up for my lack of tact.”
Tessa ignored him as they rode up to her floor of the apartment building. When they reached her apartment door, she stuffed her keys in the lock. Before she opened the door, she faced him. “Here’s the deal.” She folded her arms. “I like you. You’re funny. Sweet. You make me laugh and brighten my day when things get rough. I’m not sure us having sex will be a good thing. We’re great friends. More might be too much.”
“You and I making love will be a very good thing.” He smoothed the lock of hair behind her ear again. “Promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“But we work in the same building. I can live down what I’ve done, dancing nude in my window. That’s all on me. If you and I have a relationship, then things at the school will get tough. I’m not sure I want to go down that road.”
Great. Good enough for a flirt, for sex, but not for anything else. He suppressed a groan. What the hell? He hadn’t been looking for long-term either. But he wanted her. He opened her door, tugged the keys from the lock then walked her backward into the apartment. Before she could protest, he nudged the door shut with his foot then pinned her between his body and the wall. “Tessa, I dream about you. Imagine you dancing in my room, for me. I very much want to go down this road. I don’t want the fantasy. I want you.”
He caged her face in his hands and kissed her, tasting her sweetness and craving her even more. He nipped her lips, her cheeks and chin, loving the feel of her silky skin under his mouth. Based on her words, he ex
pected her to fight him, to push him away. Tessa slid her hands up his chest and gripped his shirt. She moaned into his mouth and ground her pussy on the bulge in his jeans. Hell yes. They fit together in so many ways.
Graig kept her in his arms, turned her around and urged her backward toward the couch. Tessa tumbled longways onto the sofa and grinned. Her lips parted and a beautiful blush spread across her cheeks. She reached for him, pulling him atop her. He braced his knees on either side of her legs then leaned over her. The more he kissed her, the more he wanted to explore her. He slid his hands under her tunic, gliding his fingers over her belly. Tessa gasped, sucking her belly in.
“Don’t hide from me, babe.” He moved her shirt out of the way, exposing her stomach and the lower swell of her breasts within her lacy bra. Tessa gripped his shirt and met him kiss for kiss.
“So pretty.” Graig nuzzled his way from her neck to her stomach. He guided one hand under her waistband and popped the button. He inched off the couch then tugged her jeans down her legs. The sight made his mouth water. The scent of her arousal, musky and flowery, wafted around him. Her cream-soaked panties pressed to her pussy. He breathed her in, suppressing the groan.
Graig whipped his shirt up over his head then tossed the garment out of sight. He eased her legs apart and licked his way up her leg to her inner thigh. He stopped short of her pussy then switched to her other leg.
Beneath him, Tessa writhed. She threaded her fingers through his hair. “Make love to me.”
“You bet,” he replied then eased her panties to the side, exposing her glittering labia. “Nice and wet for me. So sexy.” He spread her cunt with one hand, giving himself better access to her sweetness. She arched her back and rocked into his mouth. He’d never get enough of her. Her groans turned his senses inside out. He moved her shirt up out of the way and palmed her breast.
