She kissed his mouth with a possessive fervor that coaxed him until she heard his guttural response. She kept up the frenzy, demonstrating that she had the stamina, power and redemption during a time when so much lay at risk.
She craved the strength of his mouth, firm, masculine, sexy and sensual. She planted kisses against his full lips, intermittently tasting him with the peppered touch of her tongue.
His restraint broke like a dam against a single-minded tide of her attention. He pushed her back against the wall, pinning her hands over her head. He leaned back, staring at her mouth as if he saw something there only for him.
While he kissed her, he pushed his thigh between hers. Athena pushed against his chest, but his hands still pinned hers. She groaned with frustration at not being able to set her hands all over his body.
They warred with each other, their lips and tongues performing guerrilla warfare along each other’s cheeks, chin and throat. But when he licked the indentation under her throat, she gasped and pushed off with surprising strength. Warm sizzling feelings spiraling out of control blossomed between her legs, eliciting a moist reaction.
He unbuttoned her shirt, flinging back each side. Without undue effort, he scooped her toward him by the small of her back. The movement raised her chest toward his face. Her breasts anticipated his touch. She wanted to be free of the lace contraption shielding her nipples from his mouth.
He unsnapped the bra behind her back and she slipped it off, not wanting to be bothered with any restriction. He cupped her breasts in his palms, rubbing his thumb against her sensitive nipples. Each swipe made the ache between her legs that much stronger.
“You drive me insane, woman.”
Athena heard the agonized wail like a distant call. She’d fallen into a swoon from the hypermadness that had her senses in a whirl.
“I can’t do this.” This time Collin’s declaration sounded urgent, breaking the thin surface.
The crack allowed enough reality to cool the edges of her ardor.
“We can’t keep doing this.” Collin pulled her shirt closed before turning away for her to redress. “I don’t do this. I don’t act this way.” He held his head in his hands as if his head hurt.
Athena dressed quickly. “I don’t have a habit of this, either.” Maybe he thought she was a floozy. But far from it, she hadn’t dated much after college. Her focus on her finance career and then the switch to teaching took all of her time. Yet she didn’t attribute her reaction to Collin as a binge.
“I don’t think that I should stick around.”
His constant denial for what had transpired irritated her. What happened wasn’t ugly and to be ashamed of. She buttoned her blouse and shoved it in her pants.
“I don’t think that we should be alone together. We’ll try to act like responsible adults. I will observe you at your job, make recommendations. You will help Cicely along and get her back on her feet. If you need anything just let Lorraine know. She’s the one responsible for training.”
Athena listened and tried not to roll her eyes. How could she be attracted to this man who lived by rules? How hard would he fight his body’s response, its needs? The next time, and there would be a next time, he would have to beg her for attention.
She saluted him when he finally stopped talking. He adjusted his clothing, shook his head once more and retreated to his car.
Collin didn’t go home right away. To sit in his living room would invite his memory to recall the sweet temptation he delved into with Athena. The woman would be his downfall.
He needed something to take out his aggression. Making a tire-squealing U-turn, he headed into the downtown area. Traffic was fairly light considering it was Sunday afternoon when families would be sitting down for an early dinner, as the island culture was prone to do.
His father now resided in the States and many members of his extended family were divided among Canada and England. Distant cousins, aunts and uncles from dubious branches of the family lived on the island and the Dominican Republic. All in all, Collin had gotten used to relying on himself.
During his chaotic childhood, his mother had danced between the decision to leave his father or not. He’d dealt with the financial mess of a single parent who knew only how to be a dutiful housewife, and his father, whose aim was to get out of the country and seek a better life, no matter what. Collin had learned to protect himself and insulate his emotions from the cruelties that faced him as a child. Finally his parents had reconciled and he had a chance to experience a tranquil period until his mother’s death. But he’d never trusted that his life condition would be constant. The insecurity propelled him to make certain decisions, like considering college a necessity.
Nothing came easy to him. He’d worked hard through college. His distinctions had come with long hours of studying and participating in internships all over the world. His networking abilities had landed him with the right connections so that when this project was newly created, he stepped up to lead. Many people had had to be convinced that he had the leadership skills, but he had had powerful backers who trusted in him. He’d made a promise to himself that he’d not let them down.
He headed for the police commissioner’s home instead of where he’d love to go. But making dangerous deals with Kitchner’s crew for retribution against Cicely’s attacker was asking for trouble, no matter how tempting.
“Collin, good to see you. This is a surprise.”
Collin greeted the commissioner after being led into the spacious living room by the maid. A fan whirred overhead, making the temperature comfortable. He sank into the couch as the commissioner took his seat. His cigar was poised on a nearby ashtray with a string of wispy smoke curling into the air.
“Sorry to interrupt your family time.”
“I know you wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. You’ve been keeping yourself pretty scarce from my view.” He picked up the cigar and drew upon it, filling his lungs. His piercing gaze honed in on Collin through the haze. “I know you don’t always like my way of doing things.”
Collin shrugged. “I had an incident with one of my teachers. One of the women.”
The clarification had the necessary effect to make the commissioner set down his cigar and lean forward. He beckoned for Collin to continue.
Collin retold the story not leaving out any helpful details because he couldn’t tell the important information about the identity of the man.
“That should be easy to solve. I’ll check with the taxi cabs and find out where she was picked up. If the person was at the embassy party, that is another clue. These foreign types think they can manhandle women and get away with it through their immunity.”
“But the guy technically didn’t attack.”
“Clarification isn’t necessary. He’ll come to understand that he acted like a punk and is an accessory. How’s the young woman doing? She’s the lively one, right?”
“She’s shaken up. I’m on the verge of sending her back home to Vermont.”
“I’d like a chance to rectify the situation. I don’t want the bad press that would come from something like that. What you’re doing, we all appreciate. Keeps a lot of young children off the street. Gives the parents hope.” He settled back in his chair and picked up his cigar.
“Nothing crazy,” Collin warned. There might be a debt to be repaid. “Let me know what you find out.” Collin rose to leave.
“Will do, young man. Come back again and stay a while for dinner. We can really chat and get caught up.”
Collin nodded. As long as he’d been on the island since his return, he barely visited anyone. His life was consumed with the school.
Now that he had taken care of Cicely’s situation, he headed home. His stomach growling had him make a detour to a fast-food restaurant. His BBQ dinner plans had failed. And his final declaration to Athena closed the door to dinner at the school.
On most days he wouldn’t have minded going back to his house and relaxing to soft
music. However, his world had been shaken like a snow globe. The dizzying effects inhibited his thinking. As he drove into his driveway and parked, he wondered if Lynette was still there. Maybe she’d share his dinner and they could chat about safe subjects.
Chapter 6
The first day of work shouldn’t start with thunder and lightning. The wind blew through, bending the large palm and West Indian cedar trees. Despite the hectic behavior going on outdoors and within the teachers’ home, everyone bustled with their early morning routine.
“Hey, don’t get nervous.” Lorraine patted Athena on her back as she passed her empty coffee mug for a refill. “I’m the designated mom around here. I keep everyone in line, but I also make sure everyone has what they need to be a success.”
“It’s not that.” Athena looked out the window at the angry gray clouds that rolled in and tightly interweaved itself into a thick blanket. “Do you think the weather is a bad sign?”
“No way. I like the rain. It washes away everything, leaving the place sparkling and green when it’s over.”
Athena appreciated Lorraine’s upbeat viewpoint and the effort to reassure her. Maybe she would’ve felt better if Cicely had gotten out of bed. Instead the young woman had grown cranky and refused to budge from the bed. But lying there didn’t stop Cicely from telling her how to do her job. The young woman had even extracted promises from Athena to do everything as told to her. Cicely wanted to only think about the students and their confusion over her absence.
“Ready?” Thelma lightly touched Athena on the shoulder.
Athena jumped. She shared a laugh about her nerves with the women. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out and stood on the porch, ready to take the walk. Once at the classroom building, several students had already arrived.
“They must be really eager,” Athena observed.
The children came in quietly greeting every teacher they encountered, even her with a “Good morning, miss.”
Lorraine looked at her watch. “In the beginning, we reiterated to their parents that the school didn’t start until eight-fifteen. But every morning there would be a handful of kids who looked like they rolled out of bed and came here. We told the parents that if they got them cleaned up, wearing their uniforms, we’d be happy to serve breakfast. This is the result.”
“Lorraine is tough with us, but she’s a marshmallow with the children.” Thelma nudged Athena when a little girl came over to Lorraine to share her jelly sandwich.
Lorraine shook her head, patted the child on the head and said a few comforting words. The little girl’s face lit up before she skipped back to join her friends.
Athena couldn’t wait for the time when she would be comfortable and know the routine. With so much happening in the short period, she felt bonded to the small group of women.
Collin’s truck entered the school yard. He exited the vehicle, wearing dark shades. No matter what he wore, he looked fantastic. Her eyes happily sent its critical review to the rest of her body. A quick pulse was the first side effect.
She tried not to crave the heady excitement from being close to him. But her emotions were too strong in favor of the temptation. Without looking at her, he continued his long strides into the building.
“Well, the boss man is here. Let’s take our places,” Thelma quipped.
Athena looked at Lorraine for an explanation. She followed her to the entrance of the school. Each teacher stood in an unmarked spot. Rows of children lined up with a teacher at the head.
The children filled in Cicely’s lane but were unsettled by her absence at the front of the line. Athena stepped into the spot, displayed what she hoped would be considered a genuine smile. A few girls stopped chatting among themselves to check her out. Others ignored her, getting louder as they mutually shared their stories.
“Young ladies and gentlemen,” Collin began, his voice crisp and no-nonsense over the loudspeaker. “There is a change in schedule for Miss Cicely. She is recuperating from an unfortunate mishap, but will be back in no time. We are happy to get Athena who will take Miss Cicely’s classes, as well as be our home economics teacher.”
Noisy chatter buzzed. The rest of the assembly consisted of announcements. Less than fifteen minutes later, Collin warned against fighting and announced the next date for parents’ night.
Like Act One in a play, the curtain rose to reveal her life. She felt her calling on this island was about to be put to a test. Athena stood in front of her classroom as the children filed in quietly. There wasn’t any of the madness of kids talking loudly, jostling each other or making inappropriate comments that she’d encountered back home. Instead the children moved silently down the hall. When they passed, the curiosity lit their eyes, but they said nothing.
When the last child of her class entered, Athena took a deep breath. In a few minutes, she’d have to talk. Lorraine gave her a thumbs-up from across the hall. One by one, each teacher closed the room to their class. Athena closed hers, while looking forward to meeting the girls.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m Miss Athena. Miss Cicely is not feeling well at the moment, and will be out of school for several days.” Athena paused to see the effect of the news. Still there was no comment or raising of hands. Their eyes followed her from one corner of the room as she paced back and forth.
“Let’s take a few minutes to get to know each other. Please tell me your names and a little bit about yourself.”
Each child followed her instruction. They were hesitant initially and the first few barely shared any personal information. Then one girl seized the opportunity. Her face grew animated and a broad smile emerged. She looked at Athena with an air of expectancy.
“Go ahead,” Athena urged.
The girl stood, looking over at her peers who looked quite surprised. She cleared her throat. “Miss, I’m Marigold Fuentes. Everyone calls me Mary.” Her voice dropped from its exuberance to a final note of resignation.
“But what would you like to be called?”
“Oh, miss, I’m used to Mary.”
Athena saw the matter-of-factness in the small shoulders. In that young face she saw a strong spirit who intrigued her. She walked over to her more for the benefit of the class and touched her shoulder. “What would you prefer?”
“Marigold.”
“Then Marigold it is. Class, from this time forward, we will address Marigold by her given name.”
Silence reigned.
“Is there an objection?” This time Athena looked at each girl for a full second.
“No, miss,” the class replied in unison.
Athena looked at Marigold and nodded. The girl beamed.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add to your introduction, Marigold?”
“I am new to the school. I’ve been here one month.” The young girl lowered her head and then her body wilted and she took her seat.
“Looks like you’re no longer new, Marigold. Now I’m the new one. In America, my nickname would be ‘newbie.’”
The girls giggled. And Marigold looked relieved. With her thick braids and big, brown eyes, she reminded Athena of herself.
Athena didn’t have to dig deep in the memory banks to know how difficult fitting in could be. As an adult, she didn’t think the process was much different. She could at least be thankful that she gained inner strength to deal with people’s cruelty. The disadvantage to being a twin came with the curiosity and attention people gave her. Adolescent jealousy and envy served up lots of nastiness in high school.
At that moment, she looked up from the textbook in her hand. Collin stood in the hallway staring at her. His expression was difficult to discern, although happiness at seeing her didn’t come to mind.
If he meant to intimidate, she wasn’t biting. This was her classroom. Temporary or not, she had to lead and push away her fears about what he thought and wrote in his folder.
“Please open your books to page one hundred. Each student will read a paragraph until I t
ell you to stop. I will ask questions that come directly from the essay. There might be a grade or there might not. You will have to pay attention.”
The collective groan hovered over the room before dying abruptly.
Collin stepped fully into the classroom.
Athena paused to see if he had something important to say. His presence almost obstructed her ability to teach, Athena stepped into the line of his scrutiny. Keeping her back to him, she clapped her hands to return the children’s attention to her.
“Please begin.” She nodded to the first girl in the far left corner. The girl twirled her hair, staring down at the page.
Athena waited, understanding her nervous state. The girl scooted forward in the chair, opened her book and began to read.
One at a time, each girl read a paragraph. When Marigold had to read, she stared at the page, looked up at Athena and then burst into tears.
A giggle erupted from the back of the classroom. Athena’s sharp gaze sliced through the room to the spot where she suspected the student to be seated. Her students had to learn fast that she had zero tolerance for such behavior.
With Marigold sobbing, Athena hesitated with focusing her attention on Marigold or taking the impolite student to task. Before she could decide, Collin headed to the suspect heckler. Now the students were not only silent, but eerily still. Like wax dolls, they stared ahead, posture rigid. Only their luminous eyes expressed the wariness of dreaded anticipation.
Students scared at one end, Collin barged in at the other end. And she stood in the middle, losing her influence and authority in a matter of seconds. Collin trampled over any inroads she’d made.
“Abigail, please come forward.” Collin moved farther down the aisle until he was at the desk. Not until the girl answered did he return to the front of the room.
Slowly the girl walked.
“Stella Maris has strict rules of conduct, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Would you please repeat the three central values?”
Only in Paradise Page 7
