I felt like my face should’ve actually been green I was so nauseous. “Could you give me some space? I’m feeling a little under the weather and I’d hate to get you sick.”
I almost let out a relieved breath when I noticed a few moms coming in but then I saw their eyes narrow instantly and watched as they leaned into each other and started whispering. Anyone with even half a braincell could’ve seen that they were already talking shit about why Darren was so close to me.
“A man like me? My immune system is just as buff as me, Miss Morgan.” He’d lowered his voice even more so it was like we were sharing a very intimate moment. “I really think you should rethink involving parent volunteers in this. I’d be able to be much more hands on if the parents weren’t here.”
I could feel the backs of my eyes starting to burn. Feeling more and more trapped, I kept my eyes on my papers and tried to think of how to respond in a way that would make him leave.Before I could, a shadow fell over our side of the table. When I looked up, I saw it was Cole and his eyes were two burning orbs glued to Darren.
Darren clearly had no lizard brain sense of predator and prey because he didn’t notice Cole hovering over him. “So? What do you say to bringing it back to a staff only production?”
Even with me staring over his shoulder he didn’t notice Cole. I, on the other hand, couldn’t take my eyes off the big man. His face was twisted with barely contained rage and I felt like I could hear his teeth grinding together. He was a hair’s width from touching Darren but he held his body perfectly still, the control he possessed on full display.
I stammered as I answered, so caught off guard by Cole appearing. Caught off guard and incredibly attracted to him. “Um… I think that, um, the parents b-bring a lot to the table…”
The conference room had been filling all the while and the silence in the room that felt like a held breath was what finally clued Darren in. He stood up, bumped into Cole’s chest, and flinched when he glanced back and saw Cole’s face. “Mr. Ramirez? C-Can I help you with something?”
To my shock, Cole leaned even closer until his face was hovering next to Darren’s head. “I just thought this was how we were standing next to people now.”
Instead of glaring at Cole or fighting back, Darren twisted around to glare at me, like I’d summoned Cole. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”
Cole roughly patted Darren’s shoulder. “Just remember personal space, Principal Darren. You’ve got to be the example for these kids, right?”
I stood there, still in shock, as Darren left. The room was still quiet but I could hear the whispers starting back up. I doubted anyone knew what to think about the interaction between Cole and Darren. Least of all me. The only thing I knew for sure wasthat as turned off as I’d been for Darren, I was just as turnedonfor Cole.
His ice-blue eyes were onmethen, just as focused and intense. He stepped closer but still left a decent amount of space between us, a space that I wanted to close before climbing him, and spoke under his breath. “You okay?”
Oh, god. What was it about that fucking question that triggered crying? I turned so my back was to the rest of the room and squeezed my eyes shut to try and halt the stupid tears. Itwasstupid. I had no reason to cry. Darren hadn’t done anything that I could report him for but it still made me feel sick to my stomach. A part of me was so nervous that Darren was going to cross the line one day and I’d be forced to do something about it. I knew from my past that I typically froze when it was time to act. If he got bold enough to ask me out one day I wasn’t sure what I’d say. Beyondno. I hated awkward conversations and rejecting people. I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I especially didn’t want to hurt my boss’s feelings when he already seemed trigger happy to fire me.
“I’ll kill him for you. Just say the word.”
I gasped and looked up at Cole, horror written all over my face, just to see him flashing a devastating smile at me, revealing the secret dimples that rarely showed. As fast as that smile appeared it vanished, leaving me feeling bereft. I blinked and looked away, still rocked but more in control of my emotions than before. “Thank you.”
He lifted his hand like he was going to touch me and let out a grunt before dropping it and walking to his seat.
I took another few seconds to compose myself and then turned to face the room. It was full of parents looking at me with varying degrees of concern on judgement but Luke’s hard gaze drew my attention the most. He nodded at the papers in my hand andraised an eyebrow at me. I could practically hear him telling me to get my shit together and stick to the plan he’d help me make.
I took a deep breath and pushed my shoulders back. “Okay, so on the agenda first today is…”
18
Cole
Callie did good. When she stayed on track it was easy to see how intelligent she was. She led the meeting with very few side quests and I could tell that even the parents who’d been judging her were coming around to how special she was. Whatever Luke had done on their little planning date had clearly made a difference.
I crossed my arms at the thought of their hang session. Luke had been so damn smug about it and he wouldn’t just admit if anything had happened or not. I knew Ben was just as annoyed as I was. The idea of Luke sneaking ahead and gaining Callie’s favor made me want to push my best friend down a drainpipe.
As if being aggravated at Luke wasn’t enough, seeing the sleezy principal basically rubbing himself all over Callie had set my blood on fire. It’d taken every ounce of control I’d perfected over decades of training to not snap his neck. He knew what the fuck he was doing, crowding her like he had. And it didn’t help that a few of the women in the room had seen what was very evidently harassment and decided that it somehow made Callie a whore.
I wanted to lash out and demand the respect for Callie that she fucking deserved. Instead, I sat there silently like a good little boy. I fucking hated it.
Most of the other parents had already left but there were a few moms still hanging around, obviously trying to talk with Ben or Luke. My scowl kept even the most determined women from approaching. Thank fuck. I needed those women to leave so we could be alone with Callie. I needed to check on her and walk her to her car and maybe ask her out on a date. Definitely ask her out on a date.
Just when I saw that the other moms were leaving, the bridge troll they’d hired to work the front desk at the school stormed into the room with Oliver’s collar twisted in her fist, basically dragging him. I’d honed my reaction time through years of life or death situations in the SEALs but Callie proved that there were just some things Moms ruled at. I hadn’t even gotten my arms uncrossed and Callie was already across the room, hand locked around the older woman’s wrist.
“If you don’t let go of my sonright nowyou won’t like what happens next.” Her voice was low and stern and left zero room for argument. “You do not touch my child, or any child, like that, Karla.Let.Him.Go.”
The woman’s eyes widened for a moment, clearly shocked by Callie’s reaction, but then they narrowed again. “I caught him going through my desk! He’s a little thief! If you can’t control him you should leave him at home.”
Callie’s grip tightened enough that Karla’s face pinched in pain and she had to let Oliver go. She clutched her wrist to her chest and glared at Callie but Callie wasn’t paying attention to her. She was on her knees in front of Oliver, hands running over him as if she were looking for injuries.
