Chapter 13 Anna
Anna
I was left standing completely breathless.
When Cooper—I mean Liam—walked into my classroom, I almost bloody fainted. He’s all man. Dark hair, intense sapphire eyes, arms the size of thighs and an accent that makes my knees weak.
God, that accent.
The way he scanned me from top to toe left me feeling stripped bare. And, of course, he had to walk in the day I wasn’t wearing a single scrap of makeup. At least I managed to finally put my heat pack on.
“What did that steak do to offend you?” Max asks, smirking across the dining table as I stab at my dinner.
He unscrews the lid from a bottle of red and pours three generous glasses, sliding one to Gemma then me.
I take a long sip. I’ve come to their apartment in Kensington for a much-needed debrief.
I swallow an enormous bite before answering. “I’m fucking pissed.”
And I am. Or, at least, I should be. Liam’s explanation made sense.
Protecting himself, protecting Finn. But that doesn’t change the fact that I opened my heart and legs to him that night.
I told him about my divorce, about feeling broken, about being a teacher.
He knew exactly who I was while he gave me nothing.
Well, except two earth-shattering orgasms. But still. No fair.
And then there was that moment when he shook my hand goodbye. My body felt pinned and dislocated at the same time. The way he looked at me, like he was remembering what I looked like beneath him. Like he wanted to bend me over the desk and remind me just how good we felt together.
The one guy I’m left wanting since my divorce, and I can’t bloody have him. It’s infuriating.
Jezebel, Gemma’s cat, is curled on her lap, and Gemma covers its ears. “Anna, please. No foul language around the baby.”
“The cat?” I deadpan.
“She’s not just a cat. She’s precious and impressionable,” Gemma says.
“I’m sure she’s seen and heard far worse than the word fuck.”
Max glances at Gemma. “She has you there, sweetheart.” He turns back to me. “All right, so break it down for me one more time.”
I sigh. Being ghosted is becoming my least favorite story. “Fine. Anna meets Cooper at bar. Anna takes Cooper home. Anna fucks—”
“We can skip that part, Tarzan,” Max says dryly.
“Fine. Cooper leaves in the morning without a word. Then, today, he turns up at my work for a parent–teacher meeting after his son punched another kid in the face. And guess what his real name is?”
“I’m more interested in his kid punching someone in the face,” Gemma says, leaning in, totally invested. “But go ahead, tell me his real name.”
“Liam Murphy.”
Gemma gasps dramatically, her hand flying to her chest.
I stare at her, waiting.
“I’m just kidding,” she says. “I have no idea who that is.”
“The football player?” Max asks.
Gemma’s mouth falls open on a gasp. “No wonder he was so hot!”
I roll my eyes at Gemma before focusing on Max. “How do you know who Liam is?”
“I’m a man. We talk about sport,” he says.
“Ew,” Gemma and I say in unison.
“Preach,” I say to her. But I must admit, my interest has been piqued. “Tell me, oh wise one, what do you know about him?”
He shrugs. “Played for the Emerald Rovers in Dublin. Beat up one of his teammates who slept with his girlfriend. Was released from his contract. Moved to England to play for Chiswick Park United.”
“What the hell?” Gemma says. “How have I been totally unaware of how much you pay attention to football? Oh, right.” She clicks her fingers. “I’m more interested in your dick.”
Max smiles at her and she wiggles her brows at him.
“Ew! I’m sitting right here!” I snap, throwing a broccoli floret at Gemma.
“You didn’t know about Liam?” Max asks, changing the subject.
“I don’t google my students’ parents,” I say firmly.
“I respect that,” Max says.
“Well, I don’t,” Gemma says, grabbing her phone. “Hold on, hold on,” she says. I watch as she starts tapping away at the screen.
“What are you doing?”
She flips her phone around to show me an article confirming everything Max just said. My heart sinks for him and Finn. I can’t imagine having my dirty laundry hung out to air like this. It’s awful.
Gemma leans forward. “So he told a couple of white lies. He did it to protect himself and his kid. You can’t blame him for that.”
“Protect himself from what? Me? I’m a primary school teacher, not a bloody tabloid journalist,” I say.
“Anna, have you thought that perhaps the reason he lied about his identity was because he’s had his trust broken too?” Max asks. “How was he supposed to know that you wouldn’t go to the tabloids with a kiss-and-tell story after you… you know . . .” he says, waving his hand.
“Fucked?” Gemma supplies helpfully.
“So eloquent,” Max says. Gemma grins and rests her head on his shoulder.
“Whatever,” I say, crossing one leg over the other. “It’s not like it matters anyway.”
Max studies me over the rim of his glass as he takes a sip.
“Hold on. Are you pissed at Liam for not telling you his real name, or are you really upset because he’s a student’s parent and you can’t bang him again?” Gemma says.
Max chokes on his wine.
Shit. I feel heat crawling up my neck.
Gemma points at me. “I knew it! You want to bang him again. You dirty dog.”
Of course I want to bang him again. That’s part of the bloody problem, isn’t it?
We shared an incredible night together when he imprinted my vaginal walls with his monster cock, blew my mind, and then vanished.
I’ve been replaying that night for four weeks, wishing he’d stayed, wishing he’d taken my number, wishing I knew how to find him.
And now here he is—real name and all. No matter how attracted I am to the man, it’s forbidden.
Unless I report it to the school board early.
Which I don’t see the point in doing, considering we haven’t done anything since.
Besides, I wasn’t Finn’s teacher when we slept together.
I keep telling myself it’s a bad idea. I can’t go there with a student’s parent. But I can’t stop replaying the feel of his skin against mine. Or the way he said he’d regretted leaving without saying goodbye.
Crap. Gemma’s right, isn’t she? I want to see him again and repeat that night. And I can’t.
“I do not want to bang him again. Unlike you two sinners”—I glare at them—“I’m professional.”
Gemma rolls her lips to stop from laughing.
“What?” I ask, more defensive than I mean to sound.
“You like him.”
“I do not like him,” I say far too quickly.
I look to Max for help, which was always going to be pointless. Of course he’s on his fiancée’s side. He just considers me with an amused grin.
“Screw you guys,” I say, reaching over for the bottle of wine and filling my glass right to the brim.
Max takes another sip, eyeing me cautiously. “You want my advice, Weasel?”
“Not really.”
He lowers his glass, fixing me with an incredulous look.
I roll my eyes and wave my hand. “Fine. Proceed.”
“I’m saying this because you’re my baby sister.” Uh-oh, he’s got his serious face on. “Be careful, Anna.”
“I haven’t bloody done anything!”
“Yet,” Gemma coughs into her hand. I narrow my eyes at her.
Max holds both hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t be doing my duty as a brother if I weren’t honest with you. I think you need to tread carefully. He’s a professional footballer, Anna. Sometimes athletes can be . . .” He trails off, searching for the right word.
“Man whores?” Gemma supplies.
“Nice,” I say.
“Anna, do you have any idea what his world is like?” Max asks. “I don’t want you to get hurt. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like this Liam guy has been through the wringer in the last few months. Don’t get me wrong, he had his reasons for keeping his life private, and I respect those reasons.”
He pauses, letting that sink in. “But I’m asking you to nip this in the bud before it can go any further.
After everything that happened with Mason .
. .” Max looks away, clenching his jaw before turning back to me with a serious look in his eyes.
“Put your career first. This is your livelihood. Everything I watched you work so hard for. Richmond Private is a fantastic school and it would be a mistake to screw that up.”
I give him a you cannot be serious look. “Max—”
“I won’t stand by and watch you share your happiness with someone who might not be deserving of it. Not again.” His gaze bores into mine. “So, I’m asking you—begging you—to remember to put yourself first this time.”