sexy lips pronounced my name. “I need your help. Are you free for about twenty minutes?”
I squelched a dirty thought and grabbed my bag and coat. “Sure, what’s up?”
“Can you come talk to my class about nutrition?”
Okay, not what I was expecting. A flare of panic pushed away the simmer of attraction. “You want me to teach?”
He took a step toward me; I fisted my hands at my sides to restrain myself from reaching out to touch him. His shrug was casual. I tried to not stare at the definition of those broad shoulders. Oh man, this was getting so much harder to fight. “It’s for the children,” he said in a mock solemn tone as he pressed a hand to his chest. “Don’t you want to be a part of their bright futures?”
“You lay it on pretty thick when you want to, Mr. Metcalf,” I said.
“Is that a yes?” His eyes drilled into mine.
My nod was quick. “Sure. I’d be happy to.” I had no idea what the hell I was going to say, but I could wing it. They were just kindergarteners after all. Hell, they barely knew what a carrot was.
I closed up the kitchen, following him into the hallway and toward his classroom. I ripped the hairnet off and crammed it into my purse. It was super hard to not watch his tight ass as he walked in front of me. The man could rock a pair of Dockers like no one I’d ever seen.
Steven, Steven, Steven, I chanted to myself as I fixed my gaze on the ground. I still had a boyfriend. One I’d been kinda sorta avoiding for the last three days. And I knew exactly why—because every day, I found myself pulling away from him more and more.
I shoved aside those conflicted thoughts as we stepped into Gavin’s colorful kindergarten classroom.
“Class,” he said in a quiet but authoritative tone.
I had to admit, something about that cool confidence almost made my panties get wet. Somehow I knew he’d be like that in bed—smooth, dominant, his hands sliding across my—
“—Miss Parker,” he was saying, and then he turned to look expectantly at me.
Shit. The entire class was now seated on the rug, their beady little eyes drilling into mine.
“Miss Parker, would you like to have a seat over there?” he said with one brow raised. He waved at the seat in front of the rug then dropped his voice. “It might be more comfortable than standing here awkwardly.”
I gave a nervous chuckle as my stomach flipped. “Oh, yes. Of course. Sure.” My feet were wooden as I dropped into the seat, and I clenched my hands in my lap. I peered up at him in desperation, hoping he’d take the hint and give me a little guidance on what he wanted from me.
“Miss Parker is one of our cafeteria workers,” he said smoothly to the class. “She was super nice to agree to talk to you guys today about nutrition, such as what makes for a healthy meal.”
I sat up. Okay, yeah. I could do this. “Yes,” I said in what I hoped was a confident tone. “Um, so it’s important to eat three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
“We call it supper in my house,” one black-haired boy with a thick country accent said.
I nodded. “That’s the same as dinner. Let’s start with breakfast. Who likes cereal?”
Pretty much every hand shot up in the air.
“Oh, oh, Miss Parker!” one girl said from the back.
“Yes…”
“Emily,” Gavin supplied.
“Emily,” I continued. “Do you have a question?”
“Uh-huh.” She paused. “I really love Corn Pops.” She nibbled on her thumbnail.
The kids around her nodded.
Okay? Not a question, but whatever. I gave her an encouraging smile. “That’s nice. What other breakfast food do you guys like?”
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do, because for the next several seconds I was bombarded with chaos. Kids were screaming over top of each other to make sure I heard how much they loved bacon and eggs, French toast and pancakes.
Gavin clapped his hands twice, and the furor died down. “Miss Parker,” he said gently. “Sometimes
I squelched a dirty thought and grabbed my bag and coat. “Sure, what’s up?”
“Can you come talk to my class about nutrition?”
Okay, not what I was expecting. A flare of panic pushed away the simmer of attraction. “You want me to teach?”
He took a step toward me; I fisted my hands at my sides to restrain myself from reaching out to touch him. His shrug was casual. I tried to not stare at the definition of those broad shoulders. Oh man, this was getting so much harder to fight. “It’s for the children,” he said in a mock solemn tone as he pressed a hand to his chest. “Don’t you want to be a part of their bright futures?”
“You lay it on pretty thick when you want to, Mr. Metcalf,” I said.
“Is that a yes?” His eyes drilled into mine.
My nod was quick. “Sure. I’d be happy to.” I had no idea what the hell I was going to say, but I could wing it. They were just kindergarteners after all. Hell, they barely knew what a carrot was.
I closed up the kitchen, following him into the hallway and toward his classroom. I ripped the hairnet off and crammed it into my purse. It was super hard to not watch his tight ass as he walked in front of me. The man could rock a pair of Dockers like no one I’d ever seen.
Steven, Steven, Steven, I chanted to myself as I fixed my gaze on the ground. I still had a boyfriend. One I’d been kinda sorta avoiding for the last three days. And I knew exactly why—because every day, I found myself pulling away from him more and more.
I shoved aside those conflicted thoughts as we stepped into Gavin’s colorful kindergarten classroom.
“Class,” he said in a quiet but authoritative tone.
I had to admit, something about that cool confidence almost made my panties get wet. Somehow I knew he’d be like that in bed—smooth, dominant, his hands sliding across my—
“—Miss Parker,” he was saying, and then he turned to look expectantly at me.
Shit. The entire class was now seated on the rug, their beady little eyes drilling into mine.
“Miss Parker, would you like to have a seat over there?” he said with one brow raised. He waved at the seat in front of the rug then dropped his voice. “It might be more comfortable than standing here awkwardly.”
I gave a nervous chuckle as my stomach flipped. “Oh, yes. Of course. Sure.” My feet were wooden as I dropped into the seat, and I clenched my hands in my lap. I peered up at him in desperation, hoping he’d take the hint and give me a little guidance on what he wanted from me.
“Miss Parker is one of our cafeteria workers,” he said smoothly to the class. “She was super nice to agree to talk to you guys today about nutrition, such as what makes for a healthy meal.”
I sat up. Okay, yeah. I could do this. “Yes,” I said in what I hoped was a confident tone. “Um, so it’s important to eat three meals a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
“We call it supper in my house,” one black-haired boy with a thick country accent said.
I nodded. “That’s the same as dinner. Let’s start with breakfast. Who likes cereal?”
Pretty much every hand shot up in the air.
“Oh, oh, Miss Parker!” one girl said from the back.
“Yes…”
“Emily,” Gavin supplied.
“Emily,” I continued. “Do you have a question?”
“Uh-huh.” She paused. “I really love Corn Pops.” She nibbled on her thumbnail.
The kids around her nodded.
Okay? Not a question, but whatever. I gave her an encouraging smile. “That’s nice. What other breakfast food do you guys like?”
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do, because for the next several seconds I was bombarded with chaos. Kids were screaming over top of each other to make sure I heard how much they loved bacon and eggs, French toast and pancakes.
Gavin clapped his hands twice, and the furor died down. “Miss Parker,” he said gently. “Sometimes
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