the chair behind her, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.
As he stepped inside the room, there was a deathly hush, which he obligingly filled with his deep baritone voice and soothingly southern American accent.
“Hi. My son asked me to come today. I wasn’t sure if I could make it.” He addressed the teacher, big-ass smile still in place. “But I managed. I hope I’m not intruding.” He ducked his head in apology with a perfectly manufactured shyness, which only someone who knew Mac well would realize was an act. Fourteen mothers melted on the spot, and the teacher reached out to lean her weight on her desk, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish’s.
Zoe snorted out an inelegant laugh and felt the overwhelming urge to clap as Mac turned his adoring gaze on their son.
“Ryan. Would you care to introduce me?”
* * * *
“Awesome, Dad. You slayed ’em.”
Mac’s heart filled and his chest expanded at the unexpected pride he felt as the kid called him Dad for the first time. Emotional at the best of times, he felt the embarrassing threat of tears as he grinned down at his little boy.
Zoe cast him a curious glance, and to avoid her closer inspection, he hauled Ryan over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift.
“Your teacher was thrilled.”
“She was.” Ryan laughed. “She had a brain fart.”
“I beg your pardon?” Zoe’s shocked voice made Mac smile. He was proud to have taught the boy that one.
“It means she couldn’t think straight, Mum. She couldn’t speak, either. It was an exploding brain fart.” Ryan roared as his body bounced on Mac’s shoulder.
As Zoe turned her attention to him with a raised eyebrow and an imminent lecture, Mac thought it wise to change the subject.
“Where do you want to go to celebrate?”
“Let’s get pizza,” Ryan yelled back, and Mac felt his stomach rebel at the thought of cholesterol-filled junk food. He had his own dietician and never touched that kind of crap. He suspected his face had turned a strange color as Zoe continued to watch him with narrowed eyes, so he smiled and shrugged, bouncing the kid on his shoulder.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
He saw Zoe’s hesitation, her uncertain smile. He knew damned well she was pleased with him; he’d seen her face in the classroom. If she could have kissed him then, he bet she would. Looked like she was suffering from a little delayed morning-after discomfort after all, and it didn’t displease him too much. Sometimes it was good to see Zoe unsure of herself. He grinned at her and took pleasure in her uncertain smile and wary eyes.
A thought formed in his mind that he might be able get his hands on her again. He let Ryan slide down to the floor, kept his eyes on her pretty green ones.
“It’s a school night, don’t be too late.” She placed her hand on the top of Coke’s head as he sat by her side, scratched his ear, and the dog groaned in satisfaction. Mac knew the feeling.
“Aw, Mum, come with us.”
“Yeah, come with us, Zoe. We won’t be late,” he cajoled.
“But my dad…”
“Call him; tell him we’ll bring him some pizza home when we’re done.”
She hesitated, bit her lip, and had his eyes center on her mouth.
“C’mon, Mum, chill!”
Her face broke into a wide smile, her eyes twinkled, and Mac felt his heart rate escalate unexpectedly as he realized he didn’t just want to put his hands on her; he wanted the whole deal. Hands, lips, teeth, flesh. He almost choked as he battened down his surging desire for her.
“I have the animals.” Her argument was weak, and he knew she was being swayed.
“We’ll eat outside, the dogs can sit with us. You can leave the windows down on the Jeep for the other animals.” He didn’t think he’d left her anywhere else to go as her eyes flickered to his and away again.
“Okay.”
“Cool!” Ryan punched the air and ran to the cars with Coke and Ice on his heels.
Mac turned to Zoe, gazed into her upturned face, raised a hand, unable
As he stepped inside the room, there was a deathly hush, which he obligingly filled with his deep baritone voice and soothingly southern American accent.
“Hi. My son asked me to come today. I wasn’t sure if I could make it.” He addressed the teacher, big-ass smile still in place. “But I managed. I hope I’m not intruding.” He ducked his head in apology with a perfectly manufactured shyness, which only someone who knew Mac well would realize was an act. Fourteen mothers melted on the spot, and the teacher reached out to lean her weight on her desk, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish’s.
Zoe snorted out an inelegant laugh and felt the overwhelming urge to clap as Mac turned his adoring gaze on their son.
“Ryan. Would you care to introduce me?”
* * * *
“Awesome, Dad. You slayed ’em.”
Mac’s heart filled and his chest expanded at the unexpected pride he felt as the kid called him Dad for the first time. Emotional at the best of times, he felt the embarrassing threat of tears as he grinned down at his little boy.
Zoe cast him a curious glance, and to avoid her closer inspection, he hauled Ryan over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift.
“Your teacher was thrilled.”
“She was.” Ryan laughed. “She had a brain fart.”
“I beg your pardon?” Zoe’s shocked voice made Mac smile. He was proud to have taught the boy that one.
“It means she couldn’t think straight, Mum. She couldn’t speak, either. It was an exploding brain fart.” Ryan roared as his body bounced on Mac’s shoulder.
As Zoe turned her attention to him with a raised eyebrow and an imminent lecture, Mac thought it wise to change the subject.
“Where do you want to go to celebrate?”
“Let’s get pizza,” Ryan yelled back, and Mac felt his stomach rebel at the thought of cholesterol-filled junk food. He had his own dietician and never touched that kind of crap. He suspected his face had turned a strange color as Zoe continued to watch him with narrowed eyes, so he smiled and shrugged, bouncing the kid on his shoulder.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
He saw Zoe’s hesitation, her uncertain smile. He knew damned well she was pleased with him; he’d seen her face in the classroom. If she could have kissed him then, he bet she would. Looked like she was suffering from a little delayed morning-after discomfort after all, and it didn’t displease him too much. Sometimes it was good to see Zoe unsure of herself. He grinned at her and took pleasure in her uncertain smile and wary eyes.
A thought formed in his mind that he might be able get his hands on her again. He let Ryan slide down to the floor, kept his eyes on her pretty green ones.
“It’s a school night, don’t be too late.” She placed her hand on the top of Coke’s head as he sat by her side, scratched his ear, and the dog groaned in satisfaction. Mac knew the feeling.
“Aw, Mum, come with us.”
“Yeah, come with us, Zoe. We won’t be late,” he cajoled.
“But my dad…”
“Call him; tell him we’ll bring him some pizza home when we’re done.”
She hesitated, bit her lip, and had his eyes center on her mouth.
“C’mon, Mum, chill!”
Her face broke into a wide smile, her eyes twinkled, and Mac felt his heart rate escalate unexpectedly as he realized he didn’t just want to put his hands on her; he wanted the whole deal. Hands, lips, teeth, flesh. He almost choked as he battened down his surging desire for her.
“I have the animals.” Her argument was weak, and he knew she was being swayed.
“We’ll eat outside, the dogs can sit with us. You can leave the windows down on the Jeep for the other animals.” He didn’t think he’d left her anywhere else to go as her eyes flickered to his and away again.
“Okay.”
“Cool!” Ryan punched the air and ran to the cars with Coke and Ice on his heels.
Mac turned to Zoe, gazed into her upturned face, raised a hand, unable
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