by Brenda Novak
Swiveling to face his computer, he logged onto the Internet. He’d sent home a syllabus, showing what he’d be covering with his students, but he wanted to post the same information on the school’s Web site for those parents who might never receive the hard copy. Before typing in the URL, however, he checked his mailbox, sorted through a few messages from old students and professional acquaintances, and found Reenie’s thank-you still waiting there, unreturned. He guessed that was what had upset her. No doubt she could sense the attraction and tension between them, and it frustrated her as much as it did him to leave the situation unresolved.
But he couldn’t do anything about it. There was Liz, of course, but also something more. Last Friday, standing in the prayer circle at Bailey’s funeral, along with Reenie, her daughters, her mother and her half sister, had made a profound impact on him. He’d felt so…protective of the whole family. He’d actually been able to see himself living at the farm, painting the barn, riding horses with the girls, going to Thanksgiving dinner at the Holbrooks. He’d never had the desire to make any relationship permanent before—and that scared the hell out of him. Especially because he’d been thinking of hanging up his field clothes in order to write the book he wanted to write, the one he’d always planned to tackle later, when he retired.
Which was why he chose to dwell on last week’s kiss. Physical desire he could understand. He’d experienced it often; he’d experience it again. It never interfered too much with his work or changed his life. But that odd sense of wanting to connect with Reenie in other ways, as well, even when her nose was running and her eyes were red and swollen was disconcerting. If he wasn’t careful, he could wind up going from bachelor to stepfather of three almost overnight. Then he’d have to say goodbye to Africa and Chicago. He’d have to deal with Keith on a much more personal level, because Keith had partial custody of the girls. And it’d be very awkward for Liz. For all of them, really.
No matter how he looked at it, pursuing a relationship with Reenie, any kind of relationship, was not a good idea.
So why couldn’t he get her off his mind?
With a sigh, he dropped his head in his hands. He should’ve stayed at the feed store. He’d tried, at first, to refuse the offer to teach. But at the time, getting closer to Reenie hadn’t sounded half-bad. He’d never dreamed she’d respond positively enough to become a true temptation.
The bell rang and Reenie’s class erupted in a loud babble as the students gathered their books and backpacks and filed outside.
Seven minutes later, the bell rang again, signaling the start of the final period of the day. When everything remained quiet next door, Isaac went to stand in the doorway.
He had a feeling Reenie could sense his presence, but she wouldn’t turn. She sat at her own computer, where she was busy entering test scores or something.
“You don’t have a class this period?” he asked.
“It’s my prep hour.”
He glanced at the clock on the wall. “That’s why you’re able to pick the girls up from school every day.”
No answer. But then, he didn’t need one. He’d been stating the obvious. “When do you have to leave?” he asked.
She kept working. “In about fifteen minutes.”
Folding his arms across his chest, he stayed where he was, admiring the silky sheen of her hair, her profile.
“What do you want?” she finally asked, her voice brisk, impatient.
“How honestly do you want me to answer that question?”
Pulling away from the computer, she whirled to face him. “Stop, okay? Just stop with all the…the flirting, and the games.”
“What games?” he said.
“You want to be with me. You don’t want to be with me. You want to be with me. You don’t want to be with me. It’s confusing. I don’t understand what you’re after, but if it’s revenge for your sister’s sake—”
“Revenge?” He scowled. “Come on, Reenie. You know better than that.”
She marched closer, close enough that he could reach out and touch her, and propped her hands on her hips. “Then what? Why did you buy that puppy?”
“You know why.”
“Explain it to me.”
“I wanted to make you feel better,” he said with a shrug. “There’s nothing complicated about that.”
“So you were being my friend? We’re friends?”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “More or less.”
“I think the lack of definition in our relationship is what I’m struggling with. It doesn’t feel like we’re friends, Isaac.”
As she stepped even closer, his body tensed with sudden arousal. Certainly he’d never had another friend who affected him the same way. “What does it feel like?” he asked, his attention falling to her lips.
“Hot and cold, all at the same time,” she murmured, her voice growing husky. “As though I’m free-falling through space. Maybe I’m in trouble, but I don’t mind the descent. I can’t breathe when I look at you, yet I can’t see anyone else when I close my eyes.”
“Reenie.” His own voice came out a hoarse whisper, and his hands moved almost of their own volition, circling her waist, drawing her up against him. He knew there was a whole list of reasons to head straight back to his own room, but he couldn’t—he craved her too badly.
“Tell me you don’t feel it, too,” she whispered, covering his pounding heart with her palm.
Closing his eyes, he kissed her forehead, drinking in the scent and feel of her. “I’m trying to imagine what it’ll be like in a month or two,” he explained, struggling to keep his thoughts clear.
“How can you do that?” she whispered, her lips moving against his neck as she spoke. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
“I’m going to leave Dundee.”
“I know.”
“And that’s okay?”
“Later will take care of itself.” She pulled back to look at him. “Anyway, you didn’t seem so hesitant a week ago. You said I’d better be damned sure what I was asking for if I ever invited you back.”
“That was sexual frustration and testosterone.”
“In other words, all talk?”
When he hesitated, she dipped her head again. Her tongue, warm and wet, slid against his neck. His groin tightened instantly, and he knew in that moment what he’d said was far more than talk. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do when he saw Liz. “Not by a long shot,” he said, and pulled her into the supply closet.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THERE WERE no windows. With both doors shut, it was quiet and almost pitch-black. Reenie couldn’t see Isaac, but she could hear him breathing. And she could feel him. His mouth was hot and wet on hers as his hands sought places only Keith had touched.
“We’re at school. We can’t go too far,” she murmured.
“Everyone’s in class.”
“It’s still not right,” she said, but the strength of her desire threatened to overcome all resistance.
“We won’t go too far,” he promised. “Anyway, I locked the doors.”
Good thing they had to guard against the theft of their science supplies or they probably wouldn’t have had the locks to begin with. “We can’t lose any more petrie dishes.”
“Thank God.”
They chuckled together as he released her bra. Reenie moved to stop him, but his mouth covered hers again, coaxing her without words to give him a little leeway. Then his hand moved around front, and pleasure shot through every nerve as his palm covered her breast.
“Oh boy,” she whispered. “We’re in trouble.”
“No, we’re great,” he answered. “Everything’s great.”
“But I want to make love. Here. Now.”
“See what I mean?” His lips were running over her neck. “Everything’s great. Perfect. Heaven…”
“No, Isaac. Not here.”
“Right. I know. Just…” He lowered his head to suckle her, and she thought he
r legs might give out on her.
“Just what?” she managed to ask.
“Trust me for one second.”
Feeling the strength of the arms that held her, she let her eyes drift closed. Five minutes in a dark supply closet with Isaac wasn’t going to hurt anyone. He wouldn’t take it too far. He’d just said she could trust him….
* * *
“ISAAC? ISAAC, are you in there?”
Isaac froze, his mouth still on Reenie’s breast, his hands under her skirt, cupping her behind. His shirt was starting to stick to him as a thin sheen of sweat rose on his body from the restraint it had required not to take what they were doing to the next level. “Oh, that’s why we can’t do it in a supply closet,” he whispered in her ear.
Reenie gave a weak laugh. “What do you think Deborah wants?” she asked, her voice barely audible as she drew away.
He grimaced even though she couldn’t see him. “Is that who it is?”
She chuckled. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Your new admirer.”
“Do you think I could tell her to come back in a little bit? That I’m not finished in here yet?”
She slugged him in the arm as she scrambled to right her clothes, and he began to miss, already, the taste of her. It was more than a little jarring to have her panting against him one minute, then torn away the next. “I’ll see what she wants. You wait here, okay?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve got to go. It’s time to pick up the girls.”
“We could have Liz do that.”
“Yeah, right.”
“It was worth a shot,” he said sheepishly.
The doorknob clicked as someone tried to open it. “Isaac?” Deborah sounded frustrated. “What’re you doing in there?”
Waiting for his erection to go away. “Just organizing a few things.”
“Do you know where Reenie is?”
He leaned forward long enough to pull Reenie’s earlobe into his mouth while she finished buttoning her blouse. “Haven’t seen her,” he said when he lifted his head.
“Stop it,” Reenie whispered, muffling a laugh. “You’re going to get us caught.”
“Her car’s still in the lot,” Deborah mused.
“Check the ladies’ room.”
“I did.”
“Bummer,” he muttered to Reenie, and slipped his hand under her skirt again. “I’m sure she’ll turn up,” he said in a louder voice.
Reenie shoved his hands away, fixed her skirt and cracked open the other door. Then Isaac caught her arm so he could peek out to make sure it was safe. He didn’t want to see her suffer any backlash from what had just happened.
The room was empty. But when she tried to slip out, he pulled her back yet again. “What about goodbye?”
She combed her fingers through her long hair. “You’re crazy. Go see what Deborah wants.”
“We’re not finished,” he said. “Not by a long shot.”
Her eyes met his. “I know.”
“I-saac?” Deborah again.
“Go talk to her.” Reenie pushed at him but grabbed his shirt when he turned away. “Wait.”
“What?”
“I—I don’t want my kids to know about you. There isn’t any reason for them to get attached.”
He agreed but, inexplicably, felt his euphoria dim. “What about everyone else?”
“It’s our little secret. You’re leaving, remember?”
“I remember.”
“Considering that, it’s best to…to keep this to ourselves.”
“Got it.” He started to go, then hesitated again. “That means we’ll have to sneak. And we can’t go anywhere together. I hate that.”
“There you are!” Deborah said, marching into Reenie’s room. Evidently, she’d given up on him and decided to go around. “I thought you said you didn’t know where she was!”
Isaac jammed a hand through his own hair, knowing it had to be mussed after his and Reenie’s whirlwind encounter. “I didn’t. I just heard her come in and—”
“Where was she?”
“Did you need something?” Reenie countered.
Curiosity and a touch of suspicion entered Deborah’s eyes as she glanced from him to Reenie. “Guy’s looking for you.”
“Why?”
“He wants to know if you’ll feel better about things if Isaac takes over the computer class you’re teaching for Janet Wolfe.”
Reenie turned to Isaac. “Do you know anything about this?”
“Of course he does. He volunteered,” Deborah piped up before he could answer. “I wanted to confirm with him, since it means he’ll be as busy as the rest of us, but I couldn’t get him to come out of the dumb closet.”
“It’s an incredible mess in there,” Isaac said.
He could tell that Reenie was having a difficult time not smiling at his answer, and couldn’t help grinning himself. He could still smell Reenie, taste her, feel her. He wanted more…a lot more.
“You must like to clean,” Deborah grumbled.
Isaac let his eyes linger briefly on Reenie. “I do. As a matter of fact, I’m anxious to get back to it as soon as possible.”
* * *
MICA AND CHRISTOPHER WERE riding bikes out front when Isaac got home. Liz was making dinner.
“How was your first day?” she asked, as he joined her in the kitchen.
He thought of Reenie and the supply closet and felt like whistling. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
“So you think you’re going to like it at Dundee High?”
“Definitely.” He stuck his head into the refrigerator and pulled out a can of beer while she put the meat loaf she’d made into a pan. He could already smell her homemade rolls. They were cooling beneath a towel on the counter.
“What was so great about it?” she asked.
The can hissed as he popped the top. “It’s just good to be teaching again.”
“Did you see Reenie?”
He remembered the smooth texture of Reenie’s breast. “A couple of times. Her room is right next door to mine.”
His sister put the meat loaf into the oven and gave him a funny look. “That’s not good news.”
“Why?”
“Because you have an odd expression on your face, and it’s giving me the impression that you’ve broken our little agreement. Again,” she added pointedly.
He stretched his neck, uncomfortable beneath her close regard. “Yeah, well, I need to talk to you about the agreement.”
She propped a hand on her hip. “Okay…”
“Have you called Dave lately?”
“Just the one time since we last talked.”
No help there. “Too bad.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to call him.”
“I don’t.” He blew out a long sigh. “But I hate being the weak link here.”
She chuckled, which surprised him. “Does that mean our deal is off?”
He took a long, bolstering pull on his beer. “I guess it does.”
She blinked in surprise. “You’re serious? You’re giving up that easily?”
“I know when I’m whipped.”
Sinking into a chair, she stared up at him. “Whipped is an ominous word, Isaac.”
“You don’t have to worry about anything, Liz. I’m leaving, remember? And Reenie and I have decided to keep our relationship private.”
“Your relationship?”
“Yeah.”
“How private?”
“You’re the only one who will know about it. But…”
She’d reached over to reorganize the napkin holder in the middle of the table, but hesitated when his words fell off. “But what?”
“I might owe you some restitution.”
“Might?” She shoved the napkin holder away, knocking the salt-and-pepper shakers over in the process, but didn’t bother to pick anything up. “How much restitution are we talking?”
He winced. “Anything you ask for.”
She covered her mou
th. “You’re getting serious with her,” she said between her fingers.
“Serious isn’t permanent.”
“It’s still serious.”
“I’m sorry.” He moved closer and squeezed her shoulder. “I know you’re not happy about it, but please tell me I can make it up to you.” Because there wasn’t anything that was going to stop him from seeing Reenie tonight.
“You mentioned restitution.”
“I did. Anything.”
She tapped her fingers on the table. Her cuticles were now fully healed, he noticed. She was even wearing those acrylic tips she’d worn before her world fell apart. “I haven’t been able to pay the entire phone bill,” she admitted.
“How much do you need?”
“Nearly five hundred.”
“Five hundred dollars!”
She grinned devilishly. “Those minutes rack up.”
“You must’ve been calling Dave every night!”
“I couldn’t let the phone ring here or you might pick it up.”
He dragged a thumb and finger alongside his mouth. “Are you going to continue the relationship, Liz?”
“No,” she said, but seemed to struggle with herself. Finally she added, “I’m a big girl. I know women are a dime a dozen to him. I know what’s best.”
“That’s encouraging.”
“Besides, I have kids to think about. You don’t.”
“Okay, I’ll pay the bill. No problem,” he said gratefully, and walked away.
* * *
ISAAC’S CALL CAME at eleven o’clock that night. Reenie told herself she was crazy to answer the phone, to get any more involved with him. But she hadn’t stopped thinking of the experience in the closet and knew she couldn’t turn him away. She was already in over her head. Now all she could do was ride the rapids and hope that every once in a while she’d be able to bob up for air long enough to survive the experience.
“Hello?” she murmured.
“Are the girls asleep?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I come over?”
He sounded every bit as eager as she felt. Biting her lip, she paced the length of her bedroom. Say no. Say no and go to bed. But that wasn’t what came out of her mouth. “I’ll put the house key under the geraniums on my front porch. My room’s the last one down the hall on your left. Make sure you park well away from the house so no one will see your car out front. I’d come get you, but—”
