I can be a grown-ass professional woman who doesn’t fall apart at the sight of a hot man.
Feeling somewhat calmer, I close the folder and take a sip of tea. Joel looks up from his book. His hair is damp, and it looks darker, making him even sexier, if that’s possible.
I let out a long, steadying breath, wondering if it’s too soon to escape to my bed and away from the temptation in sweatpants sitting next to me.
“It seemed to go alright today.”
I swallow hard and bring my mind back to the students. The reason I’m here. The students who I’m responsible for.
“Justin only broke one camp rule, so that’s not too bad.”
“What did he do?”
“I found him by the Wolf area filming the fallen tree and the damage to the cabin. His theme is living with nature, so it does make sense. I just wish he had asked so he could do it under supervision.”
I’m relieved I’m able to make normal conversation, and that Joel has no idea of the turmoil raging inside me.
Joel frowns. “I’ll keep a closer eye on him tomorrow.”
“He’s a good kid.” I feel like I have to defend my students. They’re all good kids, just some are wired differently than others. “He just think rules don’t apply to him.”
Joel chuckles. “I’ve met a few guys like that. Almost every man who was on my SEAL team. It can be a good life skill, if he can make it through high school.”
I take a sip of tea and peer at him over the rim of my mug. “That’s a nice perspective. Most teachers write Justin off as a troublemaker.”
“The way they write my daughter off as a slacker.” There’s pain in his voice, and on instinct I reach my hand out and put it over his forearm.
“Dana is anything but a slacker. She just needs to be interested.”
Joel leans forward in his chair, and suddenly our faces are inches apart. I’m aware of his warm skin under my hand and the amber swirls in his brown eyes.
“Thank you for seeing her.”
He holds my gaze, and I’m rooted to the spot, unable to look away from him. His muscles twitch under my fingers. My breath hitches, and it’s suddenly too hot in here. My body slants toward his, drawn to him by an invisible magnet, a force greater than both of us pulling us together. My lips part and his pupils dilate. His warm breath dances over my lips.
Then I remember where we are and the students in the cabins next to us. I remember that he’s the father of one of those students, and if we’re caught making out on the school camping trip, I’ll lose my job.
My heart pounds against my rib cage as I push my chair back. I take my empty mug to the sink, needing to put some space between us. I grip the edges of the sink, trying to bring my racing heart and mind under control.
“I’d better go check on the students.” My voice shakes, and I can’t look around in case I find him behind me. I won’t be able to pull away a second time.
“It’s still raining. I’ll go.”
I hear Joel get up from his seat. I turn around as he takes his wet coat from the hook by the door. His voice is steady; his movements swift. There’s no sense of the turmoil that I’m feeling in him. Perhaps I imagined the moment. Perhaps I imagined the look of desire in his eyes and the way his lips parted to meet mine. Whether I imagined it or not, there’s no place for it here. I have students to look after and a reputation to protect. I rely on the reference from one job to get me the next. I can’t throw that all away for a kiss with the parent helper on a school camping trip.
I shake my head, clearing it of thoughts of Joel’s warm breath on my lips and focus on the present moment.
“I’ll do the girls’ cabins if you do the boys.” I slip on my coat and put the rain hood up. And a moment later we head into the night.
The cool night air and the heavy rain drops banish the last of the heat from body. But my gaze tracks Joel as he jogs to the far cabins, drawn to him by an unseen force that is bigger than the both of us.
12
JOEL
I’m awake before Brooke and I lie silently listening to her breathing. I could have kissed her last night. I would have, if she hadn’t pulled away. My eyes trace the beams in the ceiling as I listen to her breathe, remembering the feel of her hand on my arm, the heat of her, and how the scent of chamomile and citrus on her breath made my head spin. How her emerald eyes widened with surprise and desire, telling me she feels this thing between us too.
It’s been so long since I was last attracted to a woman that I’ve forgotten what it’s like, but I am absolutely sure it’s never felt like this. The heady feeling of wanting to fall into her, to taste her lips, feel her softness, and press her body against mine.
