23. Theo
Theo
Iclose the door behind Eleanor with great reluctance.
I do now have a parent meeting tonight, but it’s not for an hour, and I could have shelved everything else and kept Eleanor around for a little longer.
Could have peeled that blue dress off her like I’ve imagined doing since I saw her at the faculty meeting this morning.
But I had to send her home. I knew if she stayed, I’d let her do a hell of a lot more than massage me. I shouldn’t have let her do that, shouldn’t have even kissed her, for Christ’s sake. Not in my office. Not on campus.
But the moment I realized she’d spent all day thinking I’d ghosted her—or whatever the kids call it now—I couldn’t stop myself.
Juliana’s right. I really am an idiot.
I should never have let her wake up alone. If that had been me—if I’d woken up after the night we’d shared to find her gone, with no explanation—I would’ve been devastated. She looked so hurt and uncertain standing here this afternoon, and I won’t be the reason she feels that way.
So I kissed her. And told her I was all in.
I hadn’t planned that either, but it was a relief when she admitted that’s what she wants too. That we’re really doing this. The thought makes me want to skip down the halls and sing.
What is she doing to me?
Hell, I’m lucky the only thing I let her do was massage me. It felt so damn good to have her hands on me as I took that call. Yes, she worked out some of the knots from my shoulders—knots I didn’t even know were there—but it was more than that.
A thrill zipped through me as she peeled my suit jacket off, as she instructed me to remove my vest. And when she massaged my shoulders while I dealt with that agitated parent, fingers hot as they stroked across me…
I shouldn’t like her touching me like that while I’m on a professional call, but fuck me, it was hot.
Illicit. If not crossing a line, definitely getting pretty fucking close.
Part of me hoped she’d do more, maybe get on her knees in front of me, under my desk. That thought makes my dick twitch, imagining her down there with my cock in her mouth. Anyone could walk into the room and they wouldn’t know.
Jesus Christ.
This is exactly why I sent her home. My career, her career, this school is on the line, and I can’t take the risk.
It was difficult enough to keep my hands off her before we started this, but now?
If we’re together, which is bad enough in itself, I need to keep it off school property.
I need to draw a line, somehow, between our personal and professional lives. To retain some semblance of control.
I blow out a breath, surveying the work on my desk. Nothing appeals to me after seeing Eleanor. The sweet scent of roses clings to the air, and I lie back in my chair, closing my eyes as I breathe it in, wishing I wasn’t so rule-abiding.
Wishing I’d asked her to stay and lock the door.
A knock has me sitting up hopefully, despite myself, but it’s only Danny.
“Hey, man,” he says, sauntering into the room. “I’ve just had a call from a parent about Tim Stiles in AP Bio. Do you know about that?”
I give an exasperated chuckle. “They called you, too? I just got off the phone. We’re meeting in an hour.”
I’m still tingling from that phone call, Eleanor’s dexterous fingers working into the knot above my shoulder blade, the way my skin erupted in goosebumps as she raked her fingers over my scalp.
“Cool.” He leans against my bookshelves, crossing his feet at the ankles and regarding me curiously. “Are you okay?”
My gaze swings to him. “Sure. Why?”
“I don’t know.” His eyes sparkle with amusement. “You seem different. More chill.”
A laugh escapes me. “Chill? Come on, Danny. Even you’re too old for that one.”
He laughs too, shaking his head. “I mean it, Theo. Usually you’d be pacing back and forth, muttering about parent complaints and board expectations, but you’re smiling. Actually smiling.”
I smooth a hand over my chin, trying to wipe away the smile, but it’s no use. Tomorrow night I have a date with the prettiest, sweetest woman, so yeah, I’m smiling. I’m fucking smiling.
But I can’t tell Danny this.
He chuckles to himself, turning to go, then pauses in the doorway.
“Don’t forget we’ve got the Educational Leadership Summit this weekend.”
My smile vanishes. “Shit, that’s this weekend?” I’d forgotten all about it. Two days in Stamford, Connecticut, focused on “the future of private education in the digital age,” or whatever buzzwords they’ve chosen this year.
Goddammit. Of all the weekends I want free in my year, this is the one. The first weekend I have with Eleanor.
“Yep. You’re driving, right?”
I frown, wondering if there’s some way I could get out of it, then catch myself.
This is exactly what I don’t want to happen.
My professionalism slipping because I’m distracted by her.
I should go for that reason alone. Besides, it’s paid for, and that took a pretty chunk out of the professional development budget.
And what would Danny say if I canceled at the last minute?
“Yeah,” I say, suppressing a sigh. “I’ll drive.”
“I figure we can leave Friday night, grab some dinner?”
Dinner. Friday. Shit.
My heart deflates. I’ve just invited Eleanor to dinner tomorrow night—Friday—and there’s no way I’m canceling that. Not when she looked quietly thrilled by my invitation. Not when I’m already thinking about the ways I can spoil her.
No. Danny and I can leave early Saturday morning.
It will have to be super early to get to Stamford on time, which means Eleanor can’t stay.
I rub the back of my neck, pushing down the disappointment.
An evening with her is better than nothing, and maybe it’s for the best. I’ll focus on making it romantic, rather than ripping her clothes off, like I did last night.
Even if that’s all I can think about.
“We’ll leave first thing Saturday morning,” I say, letting my gaze slide away. “I have plans Friday.”
Danny leans against my door frame, grinning. “Is that why you’re in such a good mood suddenly?”
I could tell him. Not about Eleanor, of course, but that I’ve met someone. Danny’s a nice guy, more than simply a colleague, and he’d be supportive and enthusiastic. But that would only invite questions I won’t be able to answer.
Instead, I cross the room and begin to close the door on him, feigning impatience. “Get back to work, Fells.”
He laughs, raising his hands in surrender as he steps out of the way. “Whatever you say, boss.”
I wake early the following morning, body humming with anticipation at knowing I’m seeing Eleanor tonight.
After last night’s parent meeting, I should be exhausted, but all I can think about is Eleanor.
I feel like a teenager again as I dress for work, grinning to myself, literally counting the hours until she’ll be on my doorstep.
Ah, it’s too fucking long.
By the time the first bell rings, I’m already restless.
Too impatient to wait until tonight, especially as we only have a few hours before I have to leave for this damn conference.
I pace my office, wondering if I could get away with dropping by her classroom.
Something comes back to me from yesterday, something she mentioned about carving pumpkins with her class, and I stop.
Giving sharp tools to third graders is a recipe for disaster.
If anything, I need to be there to ensure everyone is safe. Yes. Health and safety.
But even as I throw on my jacket and take the marble steps two at a time, I know I’m kidding myself. Eleanor would never do anything dangerous with her kids. This might be my flimsiest excuse yet for showing up at her classroom, but it’s still not enough to stop me. Not when I’m aching to see her.
Besides, I reason as I approach her door, it’s not like anything could happen between us. We’ll be surrounded by eight-year-olds, for Christ’s sake.
I peer through the narrow windowpane of her door, spotting Eleanor at a table with the kids, scooping out a pumpkin with a spoon.
She’s put newspaper down, but there are pumpkin guts everywhere, kids throwing pumpkin seeds at one another.
This kind of mess—this chaos—would normally be enough to give me an aneurysm, and I tense instinctively.
But as I watch Eleanor enthusiastically praise Andy’s lop-sided pumpkin, making him smile like it’s Christmas morning, any tension melts away. All I can think about is getting closer to her.
Eleanor’s gaze lifts to find me watching her through the door. She gives me a slow, wide grin as our eyes lock, one that makes my chest tight and hot. One that makes me desperately wish we were alone.
But we’re not. And when she waves me into her classroom, I’m powerless to do anything other than enter. The room still has that welcoming aroma of apple and cinnamon, mingling with the fresh, slightly sweet scent of pumpkin.
“Headmaster Wright,” she says, eyes shimmering, and all the kids turn to look my way. “What a lovely surprise. We’re carving pumpkins for the haunted hallway on Monday.”
I cast my gaze over the sea of expectant faces, feeling the need to justify my presence. “I thought I should… stop by,” I say gruffly. “Make sure no one gets hurt.”
Eleanor glances down to hide her amused smile. She knows as well as I do how thin that excuse is.
“You don’t need to worry,” she says, wiping her hands and rising to her feet. “We’ve got child-friendly carving tools.”
Of course, she found a way to make this fun yet safe. That’s who she is.
“The good news,” she continues, handing me a fresh pumpkin with a sly smile, “is you’re just in time to join us.”
“Are you going to carve one too, Headmaster Wright?” Jessica Chu asks, eyes wide with disbelief.
I glance from the pumpkin in my hands to Eleanor, hesitating. I had no intention of joining them. I only wanted to see her.
But she grins, nodding. “Of course he is.” Her eyes glitter as they meet mine. “That’s the real reason you’re visiting, isn’t it, sir?”