KarinaOne more class to go. That's what I keep telling myself as this day drags on, longer and longer. I've been hit on by two men and one woman already, thanks to the parents coming in to tell us about their jobs. It's all for the good of the kids. My mantra since this day started. They need the real-world experience that I hadn't had. I want this for them, so I'll make the best of whatever else we have coming our way today.I just made an escape to the restroom, to wash my hands after one overzealous father shook it so hard, he left his sweat on me. Not one of the finer moments of my life. That's for damn sure. Typically, I'm speaking to students as I walk through the halls, but today, I just want to get this over with, go home, and indulge in an entire bottle of wine."Hey, Ms. Holland, my dad's here, is it okay if I go get him?" Caleb asks as I pass him in the hallway heading for our room. Checking my watch, I see the bell is about to ring, but give him the permission he'
KarinaI'm on my second glass of wine tonight, and my mind is still completely blown that Mason is Caleb Harrison's dad. I'm also still trying to recover from the way I orgasmed in my classroom. This man makes me do things I could lose my job over, but that fear pales in comparison to the way he makes me feel. Dear God, my face gets red as I think about it, body heats up as I relive it. I'm five minutes into the best daydream I've ever had when my phone rings. Glancing at the caller ID, I see that it's my mom."Hey Mom," I answer, sitting up straight and setting my wine over to the side. I'm doing my best to appear like I'm not half-way tipsy, but I'm not sure how well it's working."Hey," she answers, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "How's it going down south? We miss you."I know she does. Every time she calls me, she doesn't necessarily lay on a guilt trip, but she lets me know how much they miss me at home. I haven't yet told her Philly doesn't feel like home anymore
Karina"Shit!" I hiss between clenched teeth as I put my finger a little too close to my curling wand, slightly burning the tip as I artfully arrange the last strand of hair I've curled around my face. Totally what I get for not using the glove provided, but I have more control with bare hands; and honestly, I like to live dangerously sometimes.Giving myself a once-over, I admit, I'm pretty hot. Hopefully hot enough that Mason will want to do a little fooling around before he drops me off back home. I'm black on black and dark tonight. Black booties encase my feet, up to black ripped jeans, and a band t-shirt that's a little looser than I like it to be. Reaching behind me, I put a knot in the extra material, and when I do, it exposes a small swath of skin between the band of my jeans and the top of the cotton. Closing my eyes, I imagine Mason running those rough hands of his over the smooth skin. Insanity that I've been with this man once, been on one date with him, and he can hav
MenaceWalking behind Karina has quickly become my favorite pastime. The way her jeans hug her ass should be fucking illegal in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. "Two," I tell the hostess as we enter, holding up two fingers. Fuck my life; I try to play it cool. The hostess is someone who's wanted me to take her out on a date for a while, and every time she drops the hint, I play it off. Needless to say, tonight when I walk in with my arm around Karina, I'm given the look of death."Hey Mason, didn't think you were really into dating." She gives me the evil eye."No, never said that," I correct her assumption, hating that I'm about to be a bit of a dick, but I don't want this woman to ruin what will be a great time between me and Karina. "I was just never into dating you."Karina coughs, and I suspect it's hiding a laugh. Another glare is shot our way as we're taken to a booth in the back. Our menus are slapped on the table, before she turns, flinging her hair
KarinaWatching Mason drive has jumped to the top of my favorite things in the world list. There's something about watching his big hands rest on the steering wheel, his long fingers wrap around the cylindrical shape, and the way his forearms flex as he easily maneuvers through the streets of Laurel Springs. "You okay?" His shit-eating grin is proof he knows exactly what I was looking at. At dinner, I had a few margaritas, and I might possibly be replaying every second of what happened in the backseat of this Jeep the last time we were together. Crossing my legs to ease the ache between them, I let my gaze meet his. "Fine." The word is breathless and husky, even to my own ears. I sound like I should be on the other end of one of those sex-operator phone lines."You sure? A little tipsy?"Maybe I am, slightly. He hadn't been lying when he told me those drinks were potent. "Mmmm." I make a non-committal sound in the back of my throat. When he turns into my driveway, I want
Menace"What's that thing on the side of your neck?" Renegade asks as I duck into the squad car he and I are riding in today."What?" I pull the sun visor down and push back the plastic piece to look in the mirror. Son of a bitch, I got a hickey last night when Karina attacked my neck. "Must have cut myself shaving," I lie, knowing damn good and well I have a beard right now."Riiiigghhhtttt." He starts the car. As we pull out of the parking lot, I can feel his eyes on me."What, kid?""Don't give me that kid bullshit." He laughs as we drive up Main Street. "I have a wife, I have plenty of sex, and I know exactly what a hickey looks like. I've just never seen you with one before, so it's kind of weirding me out.""Weirding you out?"Renegade sighs. "I've always kind of seen you as a dad, but I also always thought of you as way older than the rest of us. Even though you and Whitney are close to the same age. I don't know, you've just been the one who had his shit together,
Karina"Thanks for coming with me." Violet grins over at me as we sit in the only nail salon that Laurel Springs has to offer. "Whitney gave me this gift certificate for my birthday, and I haven't had time to come and use it yet.""No problem." I watch as the nail technician cuts back my nails and starts painting the shellac I prefer on them. "I haven't had a manicure in a long time."Vi looks at me, an inquisitive look on her face."What?""What's going on with that single dad? Did you get things straightened out? Decide to see him again?""Yeah, actually I'm seeing him tomorrow. I'm heading to the fishing and hunting show in Birmingham with him and his son tomorrow." I play it coy, while still giving her some of the details."Oh my God, Mason is taking Caleb, and they asked Anthony to go, but he's working, and I've never seen him so bummed. They have new boats there," she frowns. "But at least Caleb and Mason get to spend some time together.""I know Caleb and Mason a
KarinaK: How'd you sleep last night with two teenagers under your roof?I can't help but give Mason a hard time. Caleb's a good kid, I know that from having him in my class, but he's also a teenage boy, almost a man, with teenage hormones. M: Slept like a baby, Rina. Told you I trust Caleb. Now had it been me and you'd been here? No doubt about it, there's no way I would have kept my hands off you last night.I'm trying to think of what my reply will be when another message comes through; a picture of Mason's head against what I assume is his pillow. His eyes are heavy with sleep, his smile lazy, and his stubble is grown in more, adding to the beard on his face. Looking farther down, I can see his chest on full display. Immediately I wonder what he sleeps in.K: You look cozy and fine as hell. What do you sleep in, Mase?M: Last night? I slept in these. The next thing I know, I get a picture angled a little further down, showing a flat stomach with light hair, leading
CruiseFive Years Later"Molly's asleep." I press my wife up against the door to our bedroom, spreading open-mouth kisses along her neck as we grind against one another. Pulling back, I push my hands up her tank top, palming her breasts, moaning as I feel her nipples peak against her bra. "I paid Kelsea her stupid-ass babysitting fee, she's gone. We're alone." I can hear the annoyance in my voice. It's been an on-going argument between the two of us, how I'd watched her for free as a kid, and now she charges us.We've been out with friends and family, had a DD, and both of us have had a little too much to drink. Her with the margaritas she likes to indulge in with the ladies, and me with the whiskey Morgan and I were shooting straight with my dad."God, I want you." She rakes her nails across my neck, down my back, and fists my shirt in her hands.I want her too. Molly is three now, born within the first two years of us getting married, and we've finally got this parenting th
Ruby"Where are you taking me?" I watch as Caleb drives through the streets of downtown. This fall night is cool as rain falls from the sky. It's not sheets like the day he shot the armed man, but a steady drumming against the roof of the Jeep."You'll see." His deep voice has a secretive lilt to it, one that I've come to know well in the year we've been together. He's not great at keeping secrets, but when he does, they're the best kind.As he turns in front of The Café, I grin. No matter what's happened inside the building or in front of it, this is still one of our favorite places to go, to be. On any given night, we can walk inside and find any number of friends or family inside. It's darkish in there tonight, but I figure maybe the electricity is flickering because of the rain storm we're in. Earlier in the day, the school had lost power.He snags a parking spot near the door. "Don't touch the door, I'll come around for you. I don't want you get wet."Since the first nig
RubySeptemberBack when I bought this dress so many months ago, I had assumed I would wear it for Valentine's Day, but because of Caleb's schedule we were never able to make a special date work. He never did take me to that dinner, but we've had so many other special moments that I truly can't complain. Tonight, however, I'm thrilled to be wearing this dress to watch him get an award for bravery."You look absolutely gorgeous." He comes up behind me in the mirror as I'm applying a layer of lipstick."You don't look so bad yourself." I turn around in his arms, helping to straighten his dress uniform.I don't think Caleb has ever looked as hot as he does right now. There's something about him being so buttoned-up that I'm loving. "It's cutting off my circulation." He pulls at the fabric around his neck."You're fine." I slap his hands away. "Are you nervous?""Not really," he says with a shake of his head. "Nerves was playing for the college football championship. This is
RubyI'm lying on my couch, re-watching some TV show I've seen a million times, trying to figure out how to get through to Caleb when the doorbell rings. At first I ignore it, not wanting to disturb my brooding, but then I hear his voice."Red?" It's unsure and soft as he knocks on the door this time. "I know I don't deserve for you to let me in, but I'm asking you to. Please?"For a moment I think about ignoring him, I think about letting him sit out there and sweat. Give him the same type of reaction he's given me, but I realize quickly one of us has to be the bigger person. That person is me, because I know he's hurting and I know he's dealt with the situation he's been thrust into the best way he knows how.Opening the door, I stand there with my arms crossed. Until I see what he's carrying in his hands.The ugliest looking cupcakes I've ever seen in my life."I finally realized why he made them, even though they looked like shit," he gives me a slight smile. "It's the
Cruise"How'd you get in here?"My dad is waiting on me, probably ready to rip me a new one, just like Ruby did. I'm so not in the mood for it tonight."You don't need to know how I got in here." He gets up from where he's sitting on my couch. "Instead, what we need to do is talk about how we're going to get you to where you need to be.""What the fuck is that supposed to mean? This is me.""This isn't you, we both know that. I didn't raise you to be a fuck face. You haven't been answering my calls, your mom's, Kelsea's, or come to find out Ruby's, so let's talk about this Caleb. What the fuck is going on?""Nothing." I grind my teeth together, not wanting to do this with him."We've done this once before son, and we won't do it again. Do you remember when your friend died? Remember when you pushed everyone away? How'd that work out for you?""How does having a murderer for a son work out for you?" I fire back at him. "Because I'm on administrative leave for committing
RubyI'm sitting in my car watching Morgan and Caleb eat through The Café window. This is what I've been reduced to. It's been a week since the shooting, and so far, Caleb's refused to see me. I went to see him the other night, and it was a bad scene."What are you doing here?" Caleb opens his door, arms crossed over his chest. "I figured me not answering any of your calls let you know I'm not up to talking to anyone right now. Including you."Not gonna lie, this hurts. Seeing him like this hurts, hearing him talk to me the way he is hurts. But I won't give up on him. I promised Kelsea months ago that I would be here if he needed me, that I could handle whatever was thrown at me."You need me," I talk against the tightness in my throat."I need to be left the fuck alone. You. Mom. Dad. You all need to leave me the fuck alone.""We won't," I shake my head standing my ground. "We won't leave you alone to deal with this by yourself.""Fine, then if you won't leave, I will."
CruiseThe July sun is beating down on the pavement as I make my drive around the streets that make up Laurel Springs. It's been a boring day, for the most part, but I'm not stupid enough to think it'll last. Lately it's been slow and I've been feeling a lot like the other shoe might drop. This nagging feeling hasn't let go for the last week, but I know eventually either that shoe will drop or I'll get over it.Rain came through over an hour ago, but it did nothing to cool the day down. It's now a sauna outside. In certain parts there's actually steam coming up off the road. Behind the sun that's moved in, you can see more clouds behind. A dark hazy threat looming in the background, more storms are moving in. The stillness of the day threatens to break wide open when they do.Because of the heat that's been baking the ground and asphalt for days, most people are inside this afternoon, enjoying the air conditioning and not wanting to have heatstroke. Probably one of the reasons th
CruiseI love the smile on Kelsea's face, love even more that I'm the one who put it there. "You excited Kels?" I grin into the rearview as we make the drive to Birmingham."So excited, like I knew you knew him." She bounces in her seat. "But I didn't really know!"Him references my college roommate Slater Harlow, known by everyone who watches professional baseball as Savage. He's a formidable force on the baseball diamond, having the best season of his career. We're not as close as we once were, because life took us two totally different directions, but we still hang out every once in a while. Typically I like to keep the fact I know him from just about everyone, because I know he values his privacy. Now though? Kels is old enough to go to a major league game, and I'm doing my best to impress Ruby."I've known him a long time." I think back to our college days, how both of us had been so damn homesick. Him more than me, since I could at least head home on the weekend. Slater w
RubyIt's a hot summer day, as I walk onto the practice field. Since school let out in early June, I've been catching up on sleep, taking a summer class, and spending as much time with the man in my life as I can. Neither Mason nor Caleb are here today. Both are on duty, so another parent has offered to help the girls practice. Karina is sick with a summer cold and me? I'm here, not sure what the hell I've gotten myself into. Kelsea and I are spending the afternoon together, beginning with me picking her up. So we'll see how this goes."Ruby!" I hear as I shield my eyes and look out along the field. Kelsea is running toward me, her backpack bouncing as she runs."Hey Kels," I greet her, a real smile on my face. She and I haven't had a ton of time with one another, but as Caleb and I have gotten closer, the same has been true for the two of us. "You ready?" I wave to today's coach as she walks beside me."I am, it's hot out here." She pushes her hair back from her forehead.Ta