Chapter 7
7
All Jo could do was stare at the man currently frowning down at her. How could Hank be the same Truly Yours, Dr. Henry Law…
Oh, god.
Henry… Hank…
She’d hadn’t just had sex with Hank—a man she had to admit she’d gotten a little thrill from seeing again—but she’d also had sex with Dr. Henry Lawton. Her son’s teacher. The man she had nothing nice to say about.
How was any of this going to be good.
It wasn’t.
"Did I interrupt something?"
"No, baby. We were…" How was she going to get out of this? "Um, I was?—"
"She was joking around with me," Hank…Henry…Dr. Lawton…
Oh, hell. What do I call him?
"Oh, that’s good," Collin said, while Jo attempted to match her son’s beaming smile, before he turned that smile on his teacher and coach. "I’m glad you guys like each other now."
"We do. We…" Hank’s slight pause while he stared at her, followed by a slight head-tilt and nod, filled her with a sense of foreboding. Whatever he was about to say, she wasn’t going to like it. "In fact, we had just realized we’d already met a second before you walked up." Her breath caught. "Isn’t that right…" Was he daring her to dispute him? "Jo?"
Oh, god. What is he doing?
She cleared her throat. "That’s right. Imagine my surprise to find out you are Dr. Henry Lawton."
"Oh," Hank said, his eyes—that, yes, full of daring—never leaving hers. "I think we’re well past all that now, wouldn’t you say?"
"Yes," she said, forcing her lips to remain in some semblance of a smile.
"In fact," Hank went on without missing a beat, while she stood there dumbfounded over what she could possibly add to this conversation. Nothing had come to mind. At least nothing that wouldn’t make matters worse. "We definitely like each other." Inside, she squirmed at the memory of just how well they had liked each other. Talk about understatements.
Understatements .
More like a disaster of epic proportions.
"That’s great," Collin said, his speculative gaze bouncing between her and Hank.
Dear lord, don’t let him be getting any ideas.
"It really is," Hank said, turning his attention to Collin. "But that’s not important right now. Coach Bush is ready to get started."
"Yes, sir," her son said. "And thanks again for letting me make up the test this morning." Then he was off, leaving her with the man that if things had been different, she’d have found the nearest flat surface to take care of their unfinished business.
But she couldn’t do that. Not now. Not ever.
"What are you doing?" she said in a low, harsh rush, all while peering around to make sure no one was close enough to hear them. Wouldn’t this get the phone tree ringing off the hook.
"We need to talk," he said just as low, without any of the harshness. In fact, he sounded…
Not happening. Remember?
"We have nothing to?—"
He moved in closer, cutting her words off in a hard swallow.
"Yes, we do." That intense look she’d reveled in while in the back of his truck had returned, filling her with trepidation at how much she wanted to act on that look. "And you know it." He took a frowning glance around while grabbing hold of her upper arm. "Come on."
She’d had no intention of letting him drag her off. But intentions didn’t seem to matter to Hank as he led her across the length of the gym toward the open double doors —past players, coaches, the other parents, and, worse yet, a way too interested Carolyn whose narrowed eyes met hers. Hopefully, she appeared as nonchalant to their rapt audience as she’d attempted.
Seriously, what else was she supposed to do? Cause a scene?
And wouldn’t Carolyn just love that . With that woman at the helm of the phone tree, it wouldn’t take long for the you won’t believe what I saw at the school gym bad-mouthing to start.
Small town…
Gossip…
Questions would be asked.
And for those who didn’t ask, speculation would run rampant.
"Can you at least slow down?" she grumbled, doubling her steps, while trying to keep the bag holding the clothes she’d planned on changing into from falling off her shoulder. If she’d had on her sneakers...
"No, I can’t." She caught the scowl he threw over his shoulder at her, before he faced forward and kept going. "I’m not taking any chances you’ll bolt again."
"Fine." When she had him alone, he was going to get an earful about his highhandedness.
Their long trek—more like a gauntlet with the number of eyes on them—ended with them leaving the gym completely. At least those few moments had given her time to shore up her resolve to nix any idea he might have of picking up where they’d left off.
"Hank," she finally said as he opened the first door they came to. "That was completely?—"
"Wait," he grumbled, while pulling her inside the dark room after him.
Oh, she’d wait, all right. But he wasn’t going to like it.
Light flooded around them as he shut the door then turned the lock. All her complaints were put on hold when she ended up turning in place and frowning at her surroundings, before once more glaring at him.
"The janitor’s closet?" Not what she’d expected. "Why?—"
Every argument dried up in her mouth at the look he leveled on her. That, along with the quick glance she’d managed at the front of the man’s sweats.
Oh, god, this is not good.
It was especially not good when he took hold of her limp arms, turned her, and pushed her back up against the closed door. Then it became even worse when he slowly blanketed her heaving self with his tense, muscled, hard—thank you gray sweatpants—body.
"This is why," he growled out. His mouth on hers finished blanking out her mind. Nothing mattered but Hank and her own need to mold herself to him.
His groan filled her mouth as she let her bag drop from her shoulder and slung her arms up around his neck, pulling on him to get as close as she could. He answered her unspoken demand by grabbing her ass and hoisting her higher until they were chest to chest.
His kiss was just as wonderful as she’d remembered. And his cock…
She let out a moan.
It pressed into her through their clothes. Just not close enough to where she needed it to be.
Damned skirt .
A low whimper of need escaped her as she struggled with the fabric keeping her legs from moving like she wanted. If she could only get them around his waist, she could grind against all that waiting hardness.
Sure, was dry humping her son’s teacher against a door within earshot of anyone who might pass by another bad idea? Absolutely. But she couldn’t give a damn.
"Jo," he murmured against her lips, while pushing her more firmly against the door. Seconds later, the brush of fabric rising whispered against her legs.
This was happening.
Again.
Thank god.
"Please tell me you have a condom," she panted between kisses.
Hank froze. Meaning, if she had to hazard a guess, a resounding, no.
Surely, they could take a chance. Maybe he could pull out, or…
The whole Mags and Renner not using a condom lecture she’d given her friend ran through her mind.
Now I understand .
She’d tell her friend, sorry, later.
"You could?—"
"I can’t," he groaned, pressing his forehead against hers, then shook it slowly back and forth. "I won’t risk you that way."
"So…" She couldn’t help placing a small kiss over his lips, and maybe even wiggling against him—something that elicited another groan from the man who epitomized the old saying, hard as a rock . "What can we do?"
" We can do nothing," he murmured, staring into her eyes with a need so great it actually caused her pain. " I need to go to the showers and try to do something about Charlie, here. And?—"
"Charlie?" A little snicker escaped before she could stop it, then she pulled her lips in tight to keep from laughing outright when his brow crinkled. "Um…" She coughed to cover up what would have come out as a chuckle. "So, you’ve named your dick, Charlie."
His face relaxed and a grin touched his lips, while a glint of humor spread through his gaze holding hers, finally obscuring the arousal that had been there before. That bit of humor also seemed to help deflate what had been prodding her belly. Not such a great way of putting it, but it was apt.
"Yes."
"Oh." She smiled up at him. "Well, please tell Charlie for me, I’m sorry he couldn’t come ."
She’d expected to make him laugh, but not the full, belly kind that had his whole body shaking. It lasted several seconds until he sobered and, unfortunately, let her slide down his body.
"Where do you come up with stuff like that?"
Staring up into his eyes, she shrugged, saying, "My friends tell me it’s a gift they wished I didn’t have."
His smile faltered, while she savored the last few moments of his body heat keeping the chill at bay. It had begun creeping up her spine, as where they were and what they’d almost done began to sink in. Was he also coming to terms with the implications of their actions? It wasn’t a feeling or realization she wanted to completely acknowledge, even while the temptation to run her arms around his waist and lay her head on his chest rode her hard. She wanted back in his arms.
"So, um, do you still need that shower?"
"I think I’m good now," he said low, shaking his head.
"Okay…"
Jo, pull yourself togeth ? —
"Go out with me Saturday night."
First, almost sex, and now an invitation for a date.
"I can’t. We can’t."
"Why?"
"You’re Collin’s teacher for one thing. You’re also way too young for me."
"Jo, sweetness, I’m twenty-six. So, you’re hardly old enough to be my mother." Eleven years. Yep, a lot older. But Mags and Renner…
"And Collin?"
He backed away at her question, scrubbing a hand through his hair. And there went that chill again, but this one was ten times worse. Without his warmth, it raced over her and seeped deep inside until she shivered.
"I have to admit I’ve considered the issues that might come up."
Like what other parents and teachers would say. What Carolyn…
Carolyn .
Oh, no.
"We’ve been gone way too long," she jerked her arm up and checked her watch. "What time did we leave of the gym?"
"I don’t know. Maybe four?"
Almost fifteen minutes. Not a long time, not really. But for some, it would have been long enough to come to all kinds of conclusions. It didn’t matter those conclusions were pretty spot on, she didn’t want them out there.
"Oh, god," she said, panic setting in as she pushed away from the door and basically pounced on him. "You have got to get back to the gym." She grabbed his sleeve and twisted it in her fist, giving him her best I’m serious look. "Like now ."
"Jo, it’s not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?" She might have said that louder than she should have. What if someone was looking for them and heard her? "What was I thinking?" she muttered, letting him go, before stepping back and pulling her sweater over her head.
"Uh, Jo, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I’m doing? I’m changing clothes." She squatted, unzipped her bag, pulled out the sweatshirt from inside, then glowered up at Hank. "Why are you still here?"
"We’re not done talking."
"Oh," she said, pulling the sweatshirt on, before turning back to her bag and rummaging around for her socks and sneakers. "We are." She set them aside then grabbed her jeans. "This isn’t happening. It can’t," she groused, standing, then shaking her jeans out.
"Why?"
She held his confused and irritated gaze as she stepped out of her heels. Now was the time to completely bury this thing between them.
"Why?" A myriad of reasons swirled around in her head—her age, his age, Collin, Hank being Collin’s teacher, the gossip that she had no doubt had already started. They all had a part in why she had to let go of this attraction. An attraction stemming from one, undeniable fact she couldn’t ignore. An attraction currently wrapped up in a scowling package of everything she’d ever wanted in a man.
Hank.
Two encounters with him, and the certainty that no matter how carefully she stepped, she would continue falling into this trap of desire he so easily set for her just by being him . But she had to be honest with him. How could she not be, when she’d been an enthusiastic participant in the last five minutes?
"The truth is, I can’t think straight when you’re around. I see you and I want you. I touch you and my better judgment flies straight out the window." And just to make it perfectly clear she meant business, she tagged that with, " Dr. Lawton. We have to stay away from each other. For my own peace of mind."
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Perhaps some self-satisfaction that she was weak where he was concerned. It certainly wasn’t the light of challenge filling his gaze or the slight grin kicking up one side of his mouth.
"You’ve walked away from me once." She refused to react to the way his eyes ran over her. "And I bet you think you’re pushing me away now."
Well, yes, she did.
"And with anyone else you might be," Hank murmured, leaning into her space and almost— almost —making her lean away from him, which would have done nothing to show how formidable she was. Something that obviously had no impact on him at all. "But just so you know," he whispered closing in on her lips. And dammit if she didn’t lick hers, sparking something more than challenge in his eyes. "I lose all my better judgment around you , and I’m not anyone else." His gaze narrowed. "And this isn’t over."
She had no response she could say aloud. And couldn’t have if she’d wanted to. Not with the way he quickly pulled himself back and exited the closet. But now that he was gone…
"Of course, you’re not anyone else," she whispered on a low, shuddering breath. How could he be? But it wasn’t just the physical. There was more to him, to them, than how their bodies fit together so perfectly. No one else had been like him. No one else had filled her with the need to know everything about them.
Only Hank had broken that barrier.
She could say those things to a closed, blurry door.
"What are you doing?" she muttered, dashing away a few tears she refused to acknowledge. This wasn’t making things any better, so she hurriedly finished dressing.
Five minutes later, she made her way to the gym and walked through the open doors like she hadn’t just had almost sex in the janitor’s closet. And did it bother her—at all—that a clapping Hank shouting instructions to the players, along with the other coaches, didn’t look her way once?
Of course, it didn’t.
Right .
At least practice was in full swing and she wouldn’t have to be concerned about unwanted attention. But just in case, she chose an empty set of bleachers and took a seat on the second row. Maybe no one would mention it.
"What’s up with you and the young Dr. Lawton?" Marcie Patterson plopped down beside her. And there was Jo’s first clue the other parents had definitely been paying attention to hers and Hank’s joint absence. Marcie was a notorious snoop, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise that she’d want to know all the details. What did surprise her was the fact the other woman thought there was any way in hell she’d confide in her.
"I’m not sure what you’re talking about." Opting for ignorance seemed like Jo’s best choice. That and keeping her eyes on the boys running up and down the court, something that should have deterred the other woman.
It didn’t.
"You know," Marcie said, nudging her shoulder with her own like they were best buds, or something. "You two were gone quite a while. Then he came back kind of mussed. Then you came back kind of mussed." Then the woman giggled— giggled —and nudged her again. "It didn’t take much to put two and two together."
"And everyone noticed," Carolyn added, with the slightest of sneers in her voice as she sat down on her other side.
Great, I’m surrounded .
"I’m sure they did," Jo said, still not bothering to look at either of them, while Collin dribbled the ball to half-court, where he passed it to another player. "Though there was nothing to notice. Dr. Lawton is Collin’s teacher and we had a…" A half-truth would work. "We had a little bit of a disagreement about a grade, and he wanted to speak privately with me."
"Looked a little bit more intense than a child’s grade to me," Marcie said.
"Me too," Carolyn chimed in. "And quite personal."
"Looks can be deceiving." She wanted to add, ya nosy bitches , but thought better of it. "I ended up apologizing, since I haven’t been very nice to him. We talked for another few minutes, then he came back to practice and I changed into my comfortable clothes."
"If you say so." Carolyn stood, the action prompting Jo to glance up at her, just in time to be graced with the other woman’s insincere smile. "You know," she continued, while casting her narrowed gaze toward the other side of the gym. "I guess we should believe you. Because, seriously, he’s much too good looking for…" Her focus went back to Jo, the insincere smile changing to a smirk. "Well, never mind. Come on, Marcie."
The lapdog followed after her mistress, giving Jo her own insincere smile. Jo made sure she returned it in kind, then turned her attention back to her son. She couldn’t stand conniving women. They’d stab you in the back, then walk all over you and be proud of the wounds they’d left behind.
And Carolyn? She was the type to have on spiked heels while she did all that walking.
Collin waved at her on his way down the court and she waved back. It gave her a good chance to take a quick glance at Hank. He had other things holding his attention. Mainly her.
And that wasn’t good.
But she was glad this had happened—everything from the time she’d discovered who Hank was to just now. Her little conversation with Carolyn and Marcie had put everything into perspective.
Whatever she might have started with Hank was over.
It had to be.
Now, how to make both of them believe it.
"Collin, we’ve got to get going."
Jo grabbed her purse and rushed out through the door from her kitchen leading to the garage, then got in her car and pushed the button that started the grinding racket of the door lifting behind her while she buckled up.
Friday.
She grabbed tight to the steering wheel with both hands and let out a relieved sigh. It was the first truly easy breath she’d managed since her encounter with Hank. Between almost closet sex, having to deal with mean girls afterward, and worry about Collin quizzing her, she’d been on edge.
Thankfully, Hank hadn’t tried to contact her—not that he had her number. But he did have her email.
Why am I even thinking about this?
The whole not contacting her situation was a good thing. The other good thing was Collin hadn’t brought up the subject of calculus, or school—except for basketball, of course—and most importantly Dr. Lawton. So, maybe he hadn’t given it another thought.
If he had brought it up or asked questions, she would have had no idea how to answer without out and out lying to him. That wasn’t an option. She’d never lied to her son and had no plan on starting now.
No matter how tempting it might be.
The door she’d just gone through banged shut, bringing her attention to Collin rounding the hood of her car, then getting in and buckling up.
"You remembered your homework."
It wasn’t a question. Of course he would have. But she had to say it. It was a mom thing she felt compelled to do every morning. Even when he rolled his eyes hard enough she could hear it.
"Yes, Mom." He patted his backpack. "All tucked in and ready to give to my teachers."
"All right," she said, putting the car in reverse and looking over her shoulder as she backed out.
"So," Collin said, just as she’d cleared the garage. "You like Dr. Lawton."
"What?" She might have shrieked that as the car jerked to a hard stop, sending them both lurching forward, then back against their seats. Of course, slamming on the brake usually had that effect. At least it was nice to know the seatbelts worked.
"Was there an animal or something in the driveway?"
She jerked her head toward Collin twisted around in his seat, sending a little twinge zinging through her neck. Hopefully she hadn’t compounded the whiplash she’d probably already given herself.
Do I like Dr. Lawton…
All right. It was just a question. And, again, lying wasn’t an option. She supposed she’d just have to skate around the truth and hope he didn’t pursue this any farther. She took a deep breath, then slowly let it out.
"No, no, nothing was in the driveway." There, nice and calm.
"Then why’d you do that?" His confused hazel eyes met hers.
"It was just your question surprised me," she said, her gaze leaving his while unbuckling her seatbelt so she could search out her purse that had been beside her on the console. But now wasn’t.
"It’s in the floorboard," Collin provided. He followed that with a very innocent-sounding, "Why’d my question make you hit the brake like that?"
Oh, he wasn’t fooling her. She recognized that tone. She should. She’d heard it often enough coming out of her own mouth when calling her friends on their crap.
Hmm… Did they not like it as much as she wasn’t liking it right now?
That was something she’d have to consider later. For now, she’d use the time spent contorting her body under her steering wheel to grab her purse and shove the few things that had fallen out of it back inside to compose herself.
"Why…" she grunted, while reaching toward her foot for her lipstick. "Why would you ask if I liked Dr. Lawton?"
"Well…" She managed to glance up at Collin to find a touch of red had tinged her son’s cheeks. "We just kinda noticed?—"
"We?" she cut him off while pulling herself back up and settling in her seat. "Who’s we? And what did we notice?"
"Well, Willow was at practice and noticed he might, you know, be about to kiss you."
"Oh, god…"
"Was he?"
"No." She furiously shook her head while re-buckling her seatbelt. "No. Of course not." At least not at that exact moment. "It was just, just loud in the gym and he moved closer so he didn’t have to yell."
Kinda true.
"Oh. Okay." He didn’t believe her, and this was getting more and more awkward. "I guess since it was so loud, you had to leave with him."
"He wanted to speak privately." There, again, not a lie.
"Well, just so you know." Wonderful. He wasn’t finished. "If he did like you like that, I think it’d be great."
"You would?" That gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling rising up inside her, but she immediately beat that fluffy sucker back into submission. "But he doesn’t. So, um…" New subject… New subject… Got it. "Tell me about this Willow."
Her son’s face got even more red than it had been before as she continued to back out of the driveway. Good, let him be in the hot seat for a while.