think about her next tasks. She had to put together a curriculum in something like two days. Plenty to think about. Lots to do. No room for thoughts of sexy, one-night-stand, hot guy.
“Hey, uh Kieran,” a sickeningly familiar voice hit her ears. She whirled around and saw him, Terry O’Leary, the man featured in her most recent erotic fantasy loop, the man she’d met and dropped her panties for, whose bed she’d vacated not nine hours prior.
He was staring down at Cole, a puzzled look in his face. She stepped to one side, out of his line of sight, irrationally thinking she’d imagined him. What in the hell would he be doing here anyway?
“Hey, Terry,” Kieran said. “I’d like to introduce you to some people. This is Cole.”
“Hi, Cole,” Terry said. The sound of his voice saying her son’s name sent another irrational thrill of pleasure through her. “I’m Terry, the soccer coach.”
Oh fuck. Oh hell. Oh hell no.
He worked here too?
“And this…where’d you go, oh there you are,” Kieran said, motioning for her to move into the space next to him, facing the man she’d let come inside her a few hours after meeting him. Her brain seemed to squeeze shut, not accepting the fact of his presence now. “This is Mariah. Mariah Bailey. You might know her from that singing competition. We got lucky that she wanted to teach instead of be a recording star.”
Mariah blinked fast and stood next to Kieran, holding out her hand. Terry stared at it, then up at her, then at their mutual boss. A few painfully awkward seconds passed in silence. Even Cole stayed quiet as if sensing that would be the best move.
“Hi,” she said, finally lifting her hand higher. “Nice to—”
“We’ve met,” Terry blurted out. “Last night, at the pub.” He took her hand gently, which sent a shock wave through her and made her take a step backwards.
“Oh, right,” Kieran said. “You went back in after I left, then.” His voice rose at the end. Already sensing herself losing her grip on her future—since fraternization between two unmarried teachers or coaches or whatever was likely forbidden, especially since, in a deeply Southern-fried town like this one, if one of the fraternizers was white and the other one was most definitely not—Mariah cleared her throat and lifted her chin.
“Yes,” she said, looking brightly up at Kieran with what she prayed was an innocent expression. He was looking at Terry, one side of his lips raised in a bit of a smirk. “We had a beer together. So, I can keep Cole in here with me…” Her voice trailed off as she became desperate for the two men to get the hell out of her space so she could think—or draw a full breath.
“No, no, I was about to bring him out to you, Terry. Are my two spawn behaving themselves?”
“Yeah…um…sure, I mean. Okay.” Terry kept looking at her, his crystal blue eyes twinkling. “Listen, uh, Kieran, can I clarify something right up front?”
She shook her head, an involuntary movement but a violent one, whipping her hair around her burning hot face as she shot him a pleading look.
“Sure thing, Terry,” Kieran said, an amused lilt to his voice.
“It’s okay if teachers, uh, date one another here, right?”
“Yes,” he said, glancing at her. She’d managed to work herself all the way back to the desk and gripped it behind her as she watched the two men banter in what felt like a practiced way. “You’re both adults. Be sensible, though. It is a small town. Gossip is every resident’s middle name.” He smiled at her, then turned back to Terry. “I’d suggest that if you wish to impress my new music instructor any further, you take her son outside to play so she can get some work done.”
Mariah heard a squeaking sound come from her throat—a weak attempt at protest. Terry grinned at her which made her knees feel a little jelly-like. Then he crouched down and addressed Cole. “Do you like to kick soccer balls?”
“Yes!”
“Hey, uh Kieran,” a sickeningly familiar voice hit her ears. She whirled around and saw him, Terry O’Leary, the man featured in her most recent erotic fantasy loop, the man she’d met and dropped her panties for, whose bed she’d vacated not nine hours prior.
He was staring down at Cole, a puzzled look in his face. She stepped to one side, out of his line of sight, irrationally thinking she’d imagined him. What in the hell would he be doing here anyway?
“Hey, Terry,” Kieran said. “I’d like to introduce you to some people. This is Cole.”
“Hi, Cole,” Terry said. The sound of his voice saying her son’s name sent another irrational thrill of pleasure through her. “I’m Terry, the soccer coach.”
Oh fuck. Oh hell. Oh hell no.
He worked here too?
“And this…where’d you go, oh there you are,” Kieran said, motioning for her to move into the space next to him, facing the man she’d let come inside her a few hours after meeting him. Her brain seemed to squeeze shut, not accepting the fact of his presence now. “This is Mariah. Mariah Bailey. You might know her from that singing competition. We got lucky that she wanted to teach instead of be a recording star.”
Mariah blinked fast and stood next to Kieran, holding out her hand. Terry stared at it, then up at her, then at their mutual boss. A few painfully awkward seconds passed in silence. Even Cole stayed quiet as if sensing that would be the best move.
“Hi,” she said, finally lifting her hand higher. “Nice to—”
“We’ve met,” Terry blurted out. “Last night, at the pub.” He took her hand gently, which sent a shock wave through her and made her take a step backwards.
“Oh, right,” Kieran said. “You went back in after I left, then.” His voice rose at the end. Already sensing herself losing her grip on her future—since fraternization between two unmarried teachers or coaches or whatever was likely forbidden, especially since, in a deeply Southern-fried town like this one, if one of the fraternizers was white and the other one was most definitely not—Mariah cleared her throat and lifted her chin.
“Yes,” she said, looking brightly up at Kieran with what she prayed was an innocent expression. He was looking at Terry, one side of his lips raised in a bit of a smirk. “We had a beer together. So, I can keep Cole in here with me…” Her voice trailed off as she became desperate for the two men to get the hell out of her space so she could think—or draw a full breath.
“No, no, I was about to bring him out to you, Terry. Are my two spawn behaving themselves?”
“Yeah…um…sure, I mean. Okay.” Terry kept looking at her, his crystal blue eyes twinkling. “Listen, uh, Kieran, can I clarify something right up front?”
She shook her head, an involuntary movement but a violent one, whipping her hair around her burning hot face as she shot him a pleading look.
“Sure thing, Terry,” Kieran said, an amused lilt to his voice.
“It’s okay if teachers, uh, date one another here, right?”
“Yes,” he said, glancing at her. She’d managed to work herself all the way back to the desk and gripped it behind her as she watched the two men banter in what felt like a practiced way. “You’re both adults. Be sensible, though. It is a small town. Gossip is every resident’s middle name.” He smiled at her, then turned back to Terry. “I’d suggest that if you wish to impress my new music instructor any further, you take her son outside to play so she can get some work done.”
Mariah heard a squeaking sound come from her throat—a weak attempt at protest. Terry grinned at her which made her knees feel a little jelly-like. Then he crouched down and addressed Cole. “Do you like to kick soccer balls?”
“Yes!”
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