surrendered herself to Tony.
Their first kiss was chaste and sweet, a mere touching of lips together. Aimee felt him smile before his lips were covering hers again. He put gentle pressure on her chin, moving it to the side to give him more room. He nipped and sucked, then finally she felt his tongue ease inside her mouth.
Meeting it with her own, she dueled with him, learning the taste and feel of his mouth. What had started out as a sweet get-to-know-you kiss, quickly spiraled into something more elemental and desperate.
The feel of his mustache and beard was heady and an interesting stimulant. Sort of a tickle, but not. She hadn’t lied, she hadn’t ever been kissed by someone with a beard like his…but she found that she liked it. Hell, she flat out liked him .
Tony pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “In case it’s not obvious, I want you. No, that’s not right. I need you, Aimee O’Brien. My first day of work at Gerry Linkous, you shook my hand and looked me right in the eye, welcoming me. You didn’t care that I was a man in a female-dominated field. You didn’t care that I was a bit scary looking with my long hair and beard. The more time I spent around you, the more I realized what a good person you are.” He pulled back to look her in the eyes.
“Then I noticed how you filled out your shirts and pants. The first time you bent over to grab a stray dodgeball, I lost my cool and had to leave so you, and the kids, didn’t see exactly how much you affected me. Over and over, you’ve proved yourself to not only be the kind of person I’d be honored to call my friend, but one I craved with every fiber of my being. Today was the icing on the cake.”
“I was scared,” Aimee protested, biting her lip.
“So was I. It’s a person’s actions when they’re scared that tell the most about them. Your first thoughts were for the kids. Then me. I chickened out so many times in asking you on a date. But no more. Life’s too short. I knew that but didn’t act on it, and I could’ve lost you today. I want you. Not for a quick fuck, but to date. To spend as much time with you as you’ll let me. Waking up with your hand on my face was something I’d only dreamed about in the past. Please tell me I have a shot.”
Aimee didn’t hesitate. “I want that too. You took my breath away that first day. You walked into the room as if you owned it, but not in a conceited way. I saw behind the beard was a good man, one who cared about the students in his class and who wouldn’t get bogged down by the politics in the school.”
She glanced down, embarrassed, but determined to be honest with him. “I may or may not have dropped things in your presence on purpose.”
Tony smiled, his teeth gleaming brightly in the dim light. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. I was too embarrassed to make the first move, so I thought maybe if you liked my…assets, you might ask me out. Stupid, huh?”
“No. Not at all. Your assets are definitely liked. In case it’s not clear, I’m asking you out now, Aimee. I want to make you breakfast in a few hours, then stick by your side over the next few days as we have to deal with everything that has happened.”
“What about at school?”
“What about it?” Tony questioned, sliding his hand under her shirt and resting it on the small of her back.
Aimee shivered at his touch. His hand was warm and when he started caressing her with his thumb, she was lost. She shifted her legs, pushing herself against him in the process. Lord. She forcibly brought her thoughts back to what she was saying. “Do you want to keep our dating a secret when we’re at work?”
“Absolutely not.” He mock shivered. “You’d let Marci keep hitting on me?”
“No.” Aimee’s voice was hard and flat. He smiled.
“Exactly. I don’t care who knows that we’re together. We’ll be careful around the kids, but I can tell you right now, several of my students have flat-out told me that
Their first kiss was chaste and sweet, a mere touching of lips together. Aimee felt him smile before his lips were covering hers again. He put gentle pressure on her chin, moving it to the side to give him more room. He nipped and sucked, then finally she felt his tongue ease inside her mouth.
Meeting it with her own, she dueled with him, learning the taste and feel of his mouth. What had started out as a sweet get-to-know-you kiss, quickly spiraled into something more elemental and desperate.
The feel of his mustache and beard was heady and an interesting stimulant. Sort of a tickle, but not. She hadn’t lied, she hadn’t ever been kissed by someone with a beard like his…but she found that she liked it. Hell, she flat out liked him .
Tony pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. “In case it’s not obvious, I want you. No, that’s not right. I need you, Aimee O’Brien. My first day of work at Gerry Linkous, you shook my hand and looked me right in the eye, welcoming me. You didn’t care that I was a man in a female-dominated field. You didn’t care that I was a bit scary looking with my long hair and beard. The more time I spent around you, the more I realized what a good person you are.” He pulled back to look her in the eyes.
“Then I noticed how you filled out your shirts and pants. The first time you bent over to grab a stray dodgeball, I lost my cool and had to leave so you, and the kids, didn’t see exactly how much you affected me. Over and over, you’ve proved yourself to not only be the kind of person I’d be honored to call my friend, but one I craved with every fiber of my being. Today was the icing on the cake.”
“I was scared,” Aimee protested, biting her lip.
“So was I. It’s a person’s actions when they’re scared that tell the most about them. Your first thoughts were for the kids. Then me. I chickened out so many times in asking you on a date. But no more. Life’s too short. I knew that but didn’t act on it, and I could’ve lost you today. I want you. Not for a quick fuck, but to date. To spend as much time with you as you’ll let me. Waking up with your hand on my face was something I’d only dreamed about in the past. Please tell me I have a shot.”
Aimee didn’t hesitate. “I want that too. You took my breath away that first day. You walked into the room as if you owned it, but not in a conceited way. I saw behind the beard was a good man, one who cared about the students in his class and who wouldn’t get bogged down by the politics in the school.”
She glanced down, embarrassed, but determined to be honest with him. “I may or may not have dropped things in your presence on purpose.”
Tony smiled, his teeth gleaming brightly in the dim light. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh. I was too embarrassed to make the first move, so I thought maybe if you liked my…assets, you might ask me out. Stupid, huh?”
“No. Not at all. Your assets are definitely liked. In case it’s not clear, I’m asking you out now, Aimee. I want to make you breakfast in a few hours, then stick by your side over the next few days as we have to deal with everything that has happened.”
“What about at school?”
“What about it?” Tony questioned, sliding his hand under her shirt and resting it on the small of her back.
Aimee shivered at his touch. His hand was warm and when he started caressing her with his thumb, she was lost. She shifted her legs, pushing herself against him in the process. Lord. She forcibly brought her thoughts back to what she was saying. “Do you want to keep our dating a secret when we’re at work?”
“Absolutely not.” He mock shivered. “You’d let Marci keep hitting on me?”
“No.” Aimee’s voice was hard and flat. He smiled.
“Exactly. I don’t care who knows that we’re together. We’ll be careful around the kids, but I can tell you right now, several of my students have flat-out told me that
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