24. Theo
Theo
SOUTH brONX CLASSICAL
Miss Fares called Mia a bulldozer, and it made me smile.
It suited her.
I remembered the way she plowed through that fundraiser, confident and protective. How she felt about the band didn’t matter–Miss Fares needed Mia to do her job, and she did it well. It was easy to picture her bringing that same dedication to her students.
But my smile slipped the second she noticed me. Her wide, dark stare met mine over Miss Fares’s shoulder, and a flush spread across her cheekbones as her lips parted.
So fucking stunning.
Miss Fares turned and said, “Mr Hudson. You’re right on time.”
I let them lead me into the meeting room and tensed at the sight of Kira sitting across the table from Amber. Next to my daughter’s bully was her mother, and if I remembered right, she was the one who bitched about the workload Mia set for her students.
Dislike wasn’t a strong enough word–fuck it, hate wasn’t a strong enough word–for the way I felt about this woman.
Amber’s mother, a willowy brunette, paused mid-sentence as she stared at me. Amber nudged her, but she didn’t move until both Miss Fares and Mia took their seats at opposite ends of the table.
Then she held her hand out as I sat next to Kira. “Hi, I’m Ashley. It’s so nice to meet you.”
I eyed her hand and tilted my chin, then stared at Mia, waiting for her reaction. She fought an eye roll and gestured for me to take the woman’s hand. I didn’t. Kira nudged me, whispered, “Dad,” and I gave in.
I gripped her hand and gruffly ground out, “Mr Hudson.”
“Hudson. Is there a first name that goes with that?”
Her tone was playful, and I didn’t appreciate it. Didn’t she know what her daughter had done?
“Theo,” Miss Fares supplied. “Ashley, Amber, Kira, Miss Walker, and I are all here to discuss what’s been happening in class recently.”
Amber’s arms were already folded. She sank into her seat and pouted.
Mia cleared her throat. “I’ve heard Amber using some inappropriate language in the classroom.” She gave Ashley a pointed look. “And she’s made some accusations about Kira’s work that I’ve had to take seriously.”
Ashley perked up. “She’s been cheating then?”
I pushed out a breath, completely thrown. But then, the glare Mia gave the other woman made me feel a satisfaction so deep, it was almost unsettling.
Mia spoke through gritted teeth. “No. That wasn’t what we talked about.”
Miss Fares cleared her throat, a warning. “Amber said that Kira used another student to do her work. This isn’t true. And the way she’s been treating Kira has been… well, it’s just not okay.”
“And you know that, Amber,” Mia added. “You know better than this.”
The other girl hmphed and stared at the table.
“What you’re saying is that she–” Ashley pointed at my daughter, and I wanted to snap her finger off “–wasn’t cheating. You just don’t like the way my daughter reported that to you. I don’t understand how that qualifies as bullying.”
“It’s the things she said,” Mia bit out, then reached across the table to slide folded slips of paper toward her. “And the things she wrote.”
Ashley’s gaze darted across the small squares of paper. She put them down, then let out a laugh.
“You can’t be serious. You think this is bullying? They’re teenagers. They make jokes like this all the time.”
“This is not a joke,” I growled, and the women around me jumped. “And if you don’t take this seriously, I–”
Kira put her hand on my arm, and I struggled to clamp my jaw shut.
Miss Fares’s voice was calm. “It’s what we would call bullying, Ashley. And if it continues–”
“–Then she’s out of the program,” Mia interrupted. Her voice was edged, a little too loud, and I could tell from the way she stared at Ashley that her anger had reached its boiling point.
As Miss Fares shot Mia a look, Ashley rolled her eyes. “Oh, you’ll kick her out of the program? Please. You shouldn’t even be running it. Amber’s grades are slipping, and it’s because you–”
“Ashley–” Miss Fares warned, cutting her off.
“This isn’t about Amber’s grades.” Mia stood, looming over Ashley. From this angle, the way she looked down at her was almost intimidating. “And I don’t like the way you’re glossing over what she’s done.”
Miss Fares stood too. “Miss Walker, can I see you outside for a minute?”
Mia pointed at me. “I don’t think leaving this group alone would be a good idea. Because if I’m upset about this, you’d better believe he is.”
She was fucking right about that.
Miss Fares looked around the table, tightened her lips, and nodded. Her hand floated over her stomach, and something about it made Mia’s face drop. In an instant, all the fight left her as she slumped back into her chair.
“Maybe we should handle this in the classroom,” Mia said. “I don’t want to lose Amber. I think she has potential, and I want that spot for her.”
“You want that spot for her?”
Mia’s gaze snapped to Ashley’s.
“Yes. I do. Believe it or not, I care about your daughter’s future, and I care about Kira’s. But this obviously isn’t helping.”
Miss Fares, still standing, cleared her throat and said, “I agree.” She slid another paper toward Ashley, and the woman held it up like it was used toilet paper.
“What’s this?”
“An official warning,” Miss Fares said. “Miss Walker and I wouldn’t accept this behavior in any classroom, but especially not in the Advanced Placement Program. There are a lot of students competing for these positions, and we can’t allow anything to jeopardize our students’ results.”
“Oh, come on, really? It was just a joke.”
“No, Ashley, it is not acceptable.” Mia’s tone was regal. “I won’t tolerate bullying in my classroom.”
The meeting ended. Amber ran out with tears streaming down her cheeks, and I almost felt bad for the kid. It couldn’t have been an easy situation to be in, especially at her age.
Ashley gave Mia one last glare before she went after her daughter, and Kira squeezed my hand before she went back to class.
Miss Fares let out a breath like she’d been holding it in for hours. “Thank you for coming, Mr Hudson. I’m sorry that wasn’t… that there wasn’t a resolution we could come to.”
I stood and shook her hand. “I’m confident that Miss Walker can handle it from here.”
After seeing what I saw today? My daughter was safe with her.
Her glance slid toward Mia, and mine followed. Mia rose from her chair, inhaled, and stared down at her hands. They were shaking.
Miss Fares probably wanted to be left alone so they could talk, but I couldn’t leave after seeing Mia like this.
“Could I have a minute with Miss Walker?”
Her brow creased. She let go of my hand and stepped toward Mia. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s… I’ve been asked not to leave the two of you alone.”
“I won’t upset her.”
Behind her, Mia snorted. Well, that sounded familiar.
I tried again. “I just want to thank her.”
Miss Fares didn’t look convinced. Her lips thinned as she put her hands on her hips. I thought she might ask me to leave, but she surprised me with a tight nod.
“Five minutes, then.”
And with that, she brushed by me, touching Mia’s shoulder on the way out.
As the door shut behind her, I crossed the room, asking, “Are all your meetings this intense?”
Mia let out a strained laugh. “Not exactly. I don’t usually hold myself back like that.”
I smiled. “I didn’t know you could.”
Her laugh was genuine this time. She smoothed her skirt as she turned to face me. “I’ll handle this for Kira. She’ll be okay.”
“I know. I trust you.”
Her brow arched. “That’s new.”
“What is?”
“You just said you trust me,” she said, meeting my eye. “It’s almost like you’re being nice.”
I leaned against the table, watching her. Mia was still infuriating. Sometimes. But there was more to her than that. And I was more than just fascinated by her.
After that meeting, I should’ve been drained, but instead, I was relieved. Mia wanted to protect Kira, and for the first time since Tash, it felt good to know that someone was on my side.
“I can be nice.”
She scoffed, and it made me smile.
“I don’t think you know what ‘nice’ means,” she drawled.
Her tone was sarcastic, but I caught the way her hands fisted her skirt, the way her thighs pressed together. I thought of the last time she did that. It was in my office. After she’d noticed how fucking hard she’d made me.
We agreed to stay away from each other then, but being here with her now, after what she just did for my daughter, I couldn’t remember why we had to.
“I’m nice enough to know I should thank you for–” I waved a hand at the table “–that.”
She gave me a look as I closed in. “And what exactly are you going to do?”
“I have a few ideas.”
“Please don’t give me a mug with ‘Miss Walker’ printed on it. I–what are you…?”
She cut herself off as I tugged on her skirt.
“Are you wearing anything under this?” I asked.
Her cheeks flushed. She had to tilt her chin to meet my eye, and something about the way she looked up at me made me feel… out of my mind.
She shook her head, and I groaned. That one small response destroyed whatever self-control I had left.
“Fuck… you’re incredible.”
Her eyes darted to my mouth, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve been fighting this thing between us for months. I needed something. Anything.
Fuck it.
If I didn’t do this now, I’d regret it.
“Theo,” she started, her tone firm as I walked her backward. Two steps and she was against the wall, staring up at me. “We said this wasn’t a good idea.”
“We did.”
“Then… what are you doing?”
I braced my elbow on the wall above her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. My knuckles grazed her cheek as my thumb brushed her bottom lip–so soft and full. Beautiful.
Her shaky breath warmed my skin, and as I lowered my mouth to hers, her hands flew to my chest. She pushed just as my nose grazed her cheek, and whispered, “This is a bad idea, Theo.”
“I know.” She was right. I should stop. But my eyes dipped back to her mouth, and she was just so fucking beautiful. “But I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“I…”
I smiled. Mia Walker was speechless.
“I want to know what you taste like. And it’s driving me crazy that I don’t.”
“I’m… We can’t.”
“No one has to know.”
She hesitated, but I could feel her give in as I lifted her chin. Her pulse was pounding in her throat. She wanted this as much as I did.
“This stays between you and me,” I whispered, brushing my mouth against hers. Touching her like this felt like fucking torture.
Her breath hitched, her eyes fluttered closed, and her nod was so slight that if I didn’t feel it in my hand, I might’ve missed it. I moved slowly, giving her a chance to push me away. She didn’t. The moment my lips met hers, all I could taste, all I could feel, was her.
She was soft, warm, and so goddamn sweet. Her tongue slid against mine, teasing and tasting. Fuck. I took more of her, as much as she was willing to give, as she moaned into my mouth.
Her fists buried into my shirt as I gripped her hips and pulled her body against mine, running my touch over her tight curves. She was a fantasy. Soft and sharp, like nothing I’d ever felt before.
My hands slid down her waist and gripped her thighs, lifting her. Her squeal was a sexy little sound that I wanted to swallow. Her skirt gave and shifted as she wrapped her legs around me, her softness sliding against my erection, and I smiled at her sharp intake of breath.
“More,” she whispered against my lips. “I want more.”
My fingers sank into the soft curve of her ass as I pulled her along my length. She squeezed her thighs around me, arched her back, and let out another moan as I pushed into her. I could fuck her into this wall, and no one would ever know.
“Oh god, yes,” she hissed as her hips rolled into me, wild and fast.
I brought her face to mine. I couldn’t go another second without tasting her again.
“That’s it,” I whispered against her mouth. “I’ll make you feel so fucking good.”
She made a desperate sound, deep and low in her throat, and it almost covered the sharp sound of someone knocking.
She froze, inhaled, then pulled away, panicked as she pushed at my chest.
As I set her down and let her go, she quickly smoothed her hair, straightened her skirt, and moved away from me. Her face was flushed, lips swollen, and seeing her like this made me want to take her home.
But it was too late for that. Miss Fares opened the door, eyeing us like she expected to find me covered in bruises.
Mia tried to smile brightly at her friend, but her voice wobbled as she said, “I’ve been properly thanked. Should we talk about the meeting?”
Her boss was suspicious. “What happened?”
I shrugged. “Miss Walker and I smoothed things over. You won’t get any more complaints from me.”
I was hoarse, even to my own ears. I had to admit, it sounded as if I’d spent the last five minutes yelling at Mia. But as her attention ping-ponged between us, Miss Fares seemed to let it go.
She nodded, turned, and left the room. Mia bit her lip, gave me one last look, and went after her.