“Bye, Theo.”
And then I drive off, heading home, heart hammering in my chest. Knowing tomorrow we will have to pretend this isn’t real, thatwedon’t exist. But we do, and it is. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
28
SOPHIE
I’m early to school again Monday morning. For the second week in a row. It’s quickly becoming my new routine. I crave this time with him each day, before anyone else arrives. Quiet and uninterrupted. No students. No teachers. Not even Sal. Just Theo and me, alone in his classroom, living on borrowed time.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” I say, smirking as I step through the door.
His eyes snap up to mine, that dangerous dimple carving deep as he grins from his seat. He’s sprawled out like he owns the place. Legs wide, one arm draped over the back of the chair, the perfect picture of lazy confidence.
My heart stutters in my chest. Every inch of him is magnetic, pulling me closer without even trying. I want to climb into his lap and kiss him with abandon.
Right here. Right now.
“Good morning, Trouble.” His voice dips low on the last word, warm and dangerous. His eyes flick to the door, hyper-aware of our surroundings.
“I didn’t see anyone,” I say, hoping to ease the tensioncrawling across his shoulders. I did look on my way in. I wouldn’t risk everything for a moment like this.
Still, my body doesn’t always wait for permission.
He nods slowly. His gaze shifts again, but this time, it lingers on me. The caution in his eyes fades, replaced by something deeper. He crooks a finger, calling me closer.
I take careful steps, slow and measured. My hip finds the edge of his desk. I lean against it, close enough to feel the heat between us, but not touching him. Not yet.
His gaze moves over me, slow and deliberate, like he’s memorizing every inch.
Black cotton tee, cropped just above my waist. High-waisted Levi’s hugging my hips before falling long and loose to the floor, brushing the tops of my black Converse.
Casual meets cute. My signature style.
When his eyes return to mine, the heat there is nearly my undoing.
His hand slides over, fingers grazing the curve of my thigh. The touch is barely there, but it sets something off inside me. Heat rises through my body, fast and hungry, even with the denim in the way.
I flick a glance toward the door, making sure we’re still alone, then reach for his hand and lace my fingers through his.
“You look beautiful today, Soph,” he says, voice rough around the edges.
I smirk, leaning in just enough to tease him. “And you, sir,” I say, letting the words linger between us, “look handsome as hell.”
He chuckles, low and deep, and it rumbles right through me. “You’re killing me,” he says, eyes dark with heat. “But damn, I like the way that sounds coming from those lips.”
That wink of his? Still my favorite sight in the world.
The way he’s stopped fighting this, fightingus,makes my heart race. What we have feels dangerous and alive, like we arestanding too close to the edge of a cliff. But it’s real, and knowing he feels it too? That’s everything.
I lean in, breath hitching, ready to steal a kiss. Just a brush of our lips to carry me through the school day?—
Then I hear it. Footsteps. Close, coming up the hall.
We fly apart like we’ve been caught red-handed and my pulse crashes in my ears. The look on his face twists my insides… part longing, part regret. I know it’s reflected in my own expression.
I retreat to my desk, sliding into the seat like nothing happened. I won’t be the reason anyone suspects him. Not for a second.
A teacher strolls past the open door. She glances in, offers a polite smile, and keeps walking. Theo shoots me a look, but I lift my shoulder in a small shrug. We heard her in time. That’s what matters.
