“Hiding you. You deserve to be able to go on dates…in public. Without the worry of me freaking out because I see someone I know?—”
“I already decided that it’s not a deal breaker for me.” He shoves more of the cupcake in his mouth and, geez, this man cannotnot be sexy for one moment. “I’m not going to let some stupid rule for a few months take away what I could have with you.”
I blow out a silent and unsteady exhale through my lips.
His decision makes my chest tighten, and small butterflies knock into each other because why did he have to be one of my kids’ parents?
“I love my job,” I tell him. “And my kids…”
I can’t continue because, while all those things are true, I feel like I’m making him inferior. I’m explaining that, current day, he’s second place to all those things because I have to think of myself outside of a relationship with him.
“I get it,” he finally says. “I can wait.”
“Please don’t,” I say a little too quickly, which gets his expression to twist a bit. “You might find someone?—”
“I haven’t liked someone like this in a really long time, Sienna. I’m not going to drop you to go find someone better. I’m not built like that. I can wait.”
“Micah…”
“You can break up with me temporarily, but I can hold out until the end of the school year.”
“I don’t even know ifthat’sallowed.”
He scoffs then. “Principal Simpson isn’t my biggest fan, and if we’re going to start getting more petty about it, I’ll drag her around town.”
“You can’t.”
“That’s the power of being in a small town, sweetheart. Reputation is everything around here. If you’re not teaching my kid anymore, what could you possibly do to jeopardize his education and whatever other excuses she gave. I knew yousigned up to be a teacher, but I don’t think you took the job to become a nun for the rest of your life.”
“I didn’t, but?—”
“I like you, Sienna. I’ll wait.”
Studying his solemn expression, I can’t help but mutter, “You can’t be serious.”
His lips quirk upward into a self-assured smirk. “Why don’t you come over here and find out how serious I am about that?”
Micah doesn’t wait for me to move, leaning over and reaching for my t-shirt to drag me closer to him.
My breath catches as the sound of rock music fills my ears, the hyped-up buzz of the air intensifying the crazy need that pulsates through my veins.
His lips hover over mine, taunting the possibilities of everything he could do to me right now. Everything he may want to do.
“Tell me you want me, Sienna,” he mutters, loud enough to where I can hear him and my thudding heartbeat against my ribcage. “You get a cupcake…and me, if you want.”
Screw the cupcake.
The smell of leather and sweet frosting fills my nostrils as I meet his breathtaking blues. “I really want you.”
His mouth crashes into mine, not giving me any reprieve to just naturally flow into the kiss because his tongue slips between my lips and causes my pussy to throb underneath my leggings.
It’s cool out tonight, but I’m on fire for this man who still has his possessive hold on my tee as if he’s never going to let me go.
I could sit here all night worrying about what I already know—my job, losing my kids, being looked at like a slut who can’t keep her legs shut for a student’s parent—but it’s getting to be extremely irrelevant now that the more time I talk to and see this man.
Because he’s right, the rulesarestupid, and I shouldn’t be punished for wanting to be happy.
“Micah?”
