Rio's Fire by Lynn Hagen Page A

his throat. “Don’t forget our meeting, Mr. Veneto.”
    How could he forget? It was all that was on his mind. Fire did not want to be trapped in the man’s office after school, but knew he had no choice. “I’ll be there with bells on,” he said in a singsong voice.
    Mr. Fishman didn’t look amused but a few of Fire’s students snickered. Fire turned and winked at Suzy who seemed to have the giggles. Her tiny face beamed as Fire walked back to his desk. “Is there something else you wanted, Mr. Fishman?” Fire wanted the man out of his class.
    He didn’t like the guy around his students. If he was the demon, Fire was going to protect the kids with his life.
    “No, nothing.” The principal exited the room.
    “I don’t like him,” Suzy whispered in a conspiratorial voice.
    “That’s because he is secretly a troll,” Fire whispered back. “He hides his big club in his office.”
    Suzy’s bottom lip began to tremble. Oh crap. Fire hadn’t meant to scare her. Now he was the one that felt like a monster. “But you don’t have to be afraid of him,” Fire quickly added. “He’s only mean to magical people.”
    “Like the princesses in the books my mommy reads to me?”
    Fire was afraid to answer her. If he said yes, would the little girl be afraid of bedtime stories now? God, Fire had no idea that teaching a class entailed more than just grabbing some glue and glitter. This crap was tough. He wasn’t about to tell the little girl that her princess got beat up by a troll. “No, he’s just mean to—” Fire scratched his head. “Just make a necklace.”
    He was starting to confuse himself.
    After rescuing a bead from Lisa two more times, Fire was thankful as hell when the bell rang for lunch. He took the kids to the Rio’s Fire
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    cafeteria, grateful he wasn’t going to see Suzy again until Wednesday morning. His next class of the day would be in after lunch.
    Fire headed back toward his classroom, purposely avoiding the office and Mr. Fishman. He didn’t want the man to corner him and have their after-school meeting during lunch. That time was reserved for Rio.
    As soon as he walked through the door, Rio snagged him. His mate turned so they couldn’t be seen, and planted a hot and passionate kiss on Fire’s lips. He was melting in the man’s arms. Fire ran his hands up the back of Rio’s head, gripping the man’s hair as he pulled his mate closer.
    He wanted to get fucked all over again. Rio was stoking the fire inside of him, making Fire burn. “I missed you,” Rio said as he pushed Fire’s back into the wall, his hands going around Fire’s wrists, locking them at Fire’s side.
    “But we’ve only been away from each other for a few hours.” Fire tilted his head as his mate’s lips worked their way up his neck.
    “Feels like forever.” Rio bit Fire’s shoulder where the man had claimed him just a few nights ago. It wasn’t hard enough to break skin, but enough to drive Fire close to the edge.
    Fire moved his head until he had his lips pressed by Rio’s ear. “I want to suck your cock.” Oh yeah, he was playing dirty and he knew it. If Rio was going to get him wound up and leave him wanting, Fire was definitely going to return the favor.
    Rio made a rough noise in the back of his throat as his hands tightened on Fire’s wrists. “Keep talking like that and we’re going to the janitor’s closet.”
    “They still have those?”
    Rio chuckled as he took a step back, releasing Fire and running a hand through his hair. Fire could tell the man was trying to compose himself. “Yeah, they do.”

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    Hagen
    No sooner had Rio moved away from Fire than Mr. Fishman showed up in his classroom. “Is there a reason you two are huddled so close together?”
    Fire’s insides froze. Rio had told Fire about his suspicions that the principal was a homophobic. Maverick had shoved this job on him, but Rio had chosen this as a career. There was no way he could let the man get fired.