When I turned, Ken was standing out in the hallway, watching us, his expression soft with understanding. He opened his arms, and I went to him willingly, burying my face in the crook of his neck as he held me close.
“She’s an amazing little girl,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my temple.
“She is,” I agreed, my voice muffled against his skin. “And she adores you.”
Ken pulled back, his hands coming up to cradle my face. “I adore her too,” he said, his gaze holding mine. “And I adore her father.”
My breath caught, my heart thundering in my chest. “Ken…” His hand came to rest at the small of my back, the heat of his touch searing through my thin t-shirt. “Kenny,” I whispered.
I wasn’t sure what the future held, but one thing was certain: I wasn’t going to leave Blanco Springs. Not now, not when I’d found something—someone—worth staying for.
Our eyes held each other’s gaze for a moment longer, the connection between us magnetic. Then, slowly, Ken leaned in toward me, and our lips met in a tender kiss, gentle at first, thenwith increasing passion. I melted into his embrace, my hands sliding up his arms to tangle in his hair.
We stumbled down the hallway, our lips still locked together, hands roaming and pulses racing as I led Ken to my bedroom, desire burning through my veins.
The soft click of the door closing behind us seemed so loud in the sudden stillness of the room. For a heartbeat, we stood there, the air between us electric with unspoken desire. Then, like two magnets finally released, we came together. I pressed Ken against the door, my body molding to his as if we were two pieces of a long-lost puzzle.
Our lips met, tentative at first, then with growing urgency. Each kiss was a conversation—an apology, a promise, a declaration. Ken’s hands, those hands that had so gently helped Mia onto the carousel earlier, now slid under my shirt. His fingers traced the planes of my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I shivered, not from cold, but from the intensity of it all—the touch, the taste, the sheer rightness of this moment. As our kisses deepened, tongues tangling and teeth grazing sensitive lips, something inside me unfurled, a knot of tension loosening.
Here, in Ken’s arms, I wasn’t Magic Marco or even Mia’s dad. I was just Marc—flawed, scarred, but fiercely loved. And right now, that was more than enough.
I kissed a trail down his neck, savoring the salt of his skin, the rapid pulse beneath my lips. Each soft gasp and moan like music, spurring me on. Ken’s fingers tangled in my hair, gripping tightly, pulling me impossibly closer, as if he couldn’t bear even an inch of space between us.
Nothing else existed beyond the four walls of my bedroom. The rest of the world fell away, and all that mattered was the man in my arms and the love burning bright all around us. “Ken,” I gasped, arching into his touch as his hands slid lower. “Please…”
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, his fingers deftly unbuttoning my jeans. “Let me love you.”
And as Ken proceeded to do just that, worshiping my body with his hands and mouth, I surrendered myself to the pleasure, to the overwhelming love and affection I felt for this incredible man.
Chapter Nineteen
Ken
As I guided my students through our morning alphabet song, singing the familiar tune, my eyes drifted across the hallway. Through the open door of Stella’s classroom, Natalie walked in with Mia Mendez.
A smile tugged at my lips as Mia’s pink backpack bounced with each skip in her step. Mia’s curly brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, showing off her dimpled cheeks as she glanced over at Angie and me and gave us a little wave, her eyes twinkling, before she entered Stella’s room.
Watching her go, a bittersweet mixture of emotions filled me. I was really going to miss having Mia’s bright, bubbly presence in our classroom every day. Her endless curiosity and enthusiasm for learning new things had brought so much joy and energy to our days. She was like a ray of sunshine, always lighting up any room she entered.
I also felt a deep sense of gratitude that Marc had decided to re-enroll Mia in school after everything they had been through recently. She deserved the stability of being back with her friends and teachers, getting to laugh and play and learn each day for the last few weeks of school. After the upheaval in theirlives, I knew how important it was for sweet Mia to regain that sense of belonging.
She was resilient, but still just a child. She needed this.
But selfishly—with Mia now enrolled in Stella’s class, Marc and I could pursue our relationship openly without having to sneak around or worry about crossing professional boundaries.
As the students finished their song, I clapped and signaled to Angie that it was time to transition to our math class. Right now, I had to focus on my students, but a part of my heart would always be with Marc and Mia.
***
Later that evening, I stood at the sink at Marc’s house, my hands submerged in warm, soapy water as I washed the dinner dishes. Marc stood close, drying each plate with a dishtowel and stacking them neatly in the cupboard. Our occasional shoulder brushes sparked tiny jolts through me.
“Stella told me Mia had a great day,” I said, glancing over at him with a smile. “She already knew a few kids in the class, so she had some friends to sit with at circle time and during free play.”
Marc’s face lit up, eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s fantastic. I was worried she’d struggle to adjust this late in the school year, but it sounds like she’s finding her place.”
“Stella said she’s a natural leader, always eager to help and make sure everyone’s included.” I handed him a dripping pot, our fingers grazing. “You’ve raised an amazing little girl, Marc.”
He ducked his head, a pleased flush coloring his cheeks. “I can’t take all the credit. She’s got a heart of gold, that one.”
