The Principal's Office (34 page)

“
You
talked. I only got to listen. Now I’m through listening to anything you have to say.”

He glanced over his shoulder, holding his hands up again to ward her off. “We can talk about this later. You’re not reasonable right now.”

“I’m very reasonable,” she said. “I’ve simply decided that I will not allow you to appease your girlfriend by taking my children from me. I’ll fight you. You’ll have to take this to court. If you try to use that video, you’ll have to admit you searched my bedroom to find it.” She heard her own voice and was amazed at the strength of it. Power pulsed through her.

Gary stepped into her space, trying to get her to back up, but she wasn’t moving. On the edge of her peripheral vision, something moved, a shape darkened the kitchen door.

“What’s the matter, Gary?”

Sherry, pretty, trim, young, with an apron tied at her waist and a wooden spoon in her hand. It was only then that Rachel caught a whiff of spices, something Italian.

“Nothing,” Gary snapped without turning. “Rachel was just leaving.”

“What did she mean about trying to appease me?” She sounded little-girl sweet, but Sherry had fire in her eyes.

“Nothing, Sherry. It’s just divorce stuff.”

Rachel stared at him and felt the spark of victory rising in her chest, heating her through. “Sherry doesn’t know what you’re trying to do, does she?”

Gary swallowed, his Adam’s apple seeming to get stuck for a moment on a very large lump in his throat. “This isn’t about Sherry. It’s about you and me.”

“It’s about Justin and Nathan and who they’re going to live with,” she said flatly.

“But they live with you for a week, then with Gary for a week,” Sherry said to Rachel as she looked at her suddenly shrinking weasel of a boyfriend.

“Gary wants them full-time because—” Rachel stopped, glared at him. “Why don’t
you
tell Sherry why you want them full-time?”

He opened his mouth, but his tongue seemed to stick to the roof of his mouth. Finally, for Sherry, he managed, “You said you wanted to spend more time with them, sweetheart.”

Rachel tried to remember what endearments he’d used on her and couldn’t. They’d long since lost all that.

“The boys are wonderful,” Sherry said, staring at Gary as if
she didn’t know who he was anymore. “But Rachel’s their mom. I don’t want to take them away from her. How could you even think I’d want that?”

The girl wasn’t so bad. Maybe clueless, maybe not, who knew, but she wasn’t evil.

“What have you done, Gary?” she whispered in a guileless voice that Rachel believed completely. Sherry didn’t know anything about the video or the blackmail or Gary’s plans.

“It was just a discussion,” he said softly, his brown eyes pleading and pathetic. “I just
asked
.”

Rachel couldn’t stand another word from him. “You didn’t ask.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “You stole from me.” She held out her hand, palm up. “I want the video card back. Now,” she added through gritted teeth.

“Gary,” Sherry said.

Gary’s gaze shifted between them as if he didn’t know who posed the greater threat.

Then he huffed out a breath, reached into his pocket, pulled out the precious video card, and slapped it onto Rachel’s palm. “There. You’ve got it back. Now you can leave.”

Rachel smiled, feeling so damn good, she wanted to dance. “I have one more thing to ask.”

“What?” he said, his voice strained, a very sore loser.

“Not from you. From Sherry.”

“What?” Sherry asked sweetly.

“Would you guys take the boys tomorrow night? I have a friend I need to mend some fences with, and I’d really appreciate it if you’d take care of my sons for the night.”

“Of course, Rachel. Anytime.” Sherry smiled. “They’re wonderful boys, and you’ve done a great job raising them.”

“Thank you, Sherry. I’ll drop them off after dinner, about seven.” She smiled at the woman, turned to leave.

“One more thing,” Sherry said.

Rachel raised a brow. The girl could possibly give as good as she got.

Sherry held out a hand to Gary, palm up. “You’ve got Rachel’s key. You need to give it back.”

Oh yeah. In her moment of glory, Rachel had forgotten all about it.

Gary muttered something Rachel couldn’t hear, then dug his key ring out of his pocket and slid off the house key. He laid it in Sherry’s hand, and Sherry handed it to Rachel.

Whoa. Gary had met his match. Perhaps if Rachel had done the same kind of thing years ago, taken charge when it was needed—like telling him he was ridiculous about the whole massage episode—their marriage would have been entirely different.

Not that it mattered anymore. The only important thing now, besides the boys, was seeing Rand.

WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK THE FOLLOWING EVENING
, Rachel packed a small overnight bag and stowed it in the minivan. Then she made dinner for herself and the boys. She hadn’t called Rand to tell him she’d be showing up on his doorstep. He might very well slam the door in her face, but she’d worry about that when it happened instead of coming up with the worst-case scenario before she even started.

“So why are we going to Dad’s?” Justin, he always had to question. He’d end up being a lawyer. Or a reporter.

Rachel wasn’t going to lie about tonight’s outing, and she wasn’t going to pussyfoot. “I have a date, and I’m not sure when I’ll be home.” She was hoping she wouldn’t be home at all tonight, if things went well.

Justin stopped, a spoonful of minestrone halfway to his
mouth. “
You’re
going on a date?” His eyes were round with wonder as if he couldn’t believe a woman her age could find a date. Then he caught himself. “I mean, who are you going out with?”

The moment of truth. She looked at Nathan, who was eating his soup without an overwhelming level of interest in the conversation. In for a penny, in for a pound, as her mother said. Rachel dove in. “I’m going out with Nathan’s Principal Torvik.”

Nathan’s spoon splashed into his soup. “You’re kidding.”

She could handle this. She could explain. She could win him over. “Yes. I rather liked him that time we met in his office.” She took a breath. “And it seems he liked me, too.”

Nathan picked up his crust of Parmesan bread, bit, and chewed, his gaze unfocused as if he were reviewing all the ramifications in his head before he said anything.

He’d want to know if she’d called the principal or if he’d called her. If she was checking up on Nathan far more than she’d ever told him. How it all went down. She should have rehearsed her answers. Of course, she couldn’t tell the
whole
truth, but she would minimize the necessary falsehoods.

Then Nathan smiled. “That’s cool, Mom. He’s an okay guy.”

Rachel felt her jaw drop. “I thought you hated him.”

Nathan shrugged. “I was just angry. I’m over it.”

He was
over
it? Just like that? All her worrying for nothing? “Did something happen at school, with the special ed lab or…?” she trailed off. She couldn’t believe it. This was too good to be true.

“I like tutoring in the lab. The kids are pretty cool once you get to know them.”

Who was this young man? He’d stolen her son’s body. Teenagers. They were so changeable; one minute, their life was absolutely terrible and they were
dying
, the next, they couldn’t even remember what they’d been so upset about. “And Principal Torvik’s cool, too?” she tested.

Nathan shrugged. “He’s not as bad as I thought. We had a long talk yesterday—”

“Yesterday?” Before or after she’d crawled miserably into Rand’s office?

Nathan seesawed his head. “Once just before lunch, then again after school. He’s asked me to help Wally get acclimated to the student body and make sure no one causes him undue distress.”

Acclimated? Undue distress?
Nathan was parroting Rand, she was sure. Rand had fixed everything, just the way he’d said he would. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do a fine job helping Wally.” The responsibility would be good for him. That’s probably how Rand had planned it. Yet he hadn’t said a word yesterday. Not that she’d given him much of a chance. “I’m proud of you, honey.”

Nathan smiled and started slurping his soup again.

She still couldn’t believe it all.
Nothing
could be this easy. She didn’t trust her luck. “You’re both sure you’re okay if I date the principal?”

“Dad’s dating Sherry,” Justin said as Nathan nodded, his mouth full again. “And if he gets to date, you get to as well.”

“Thank you for being so fair, Justin.” She’d have liked to ask how they felt about Sherry, but she didn’t want to interject herself into the middle of that relationship, especially since Sherry now had her vote of confidence.

Some people would quit while they were ahead, but Rachel was on a roll and figured she might as well check in on their feelings about something else, too. “What about me going back to school? Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Nathan gave her a look. “I’m old enough to be in charge a couple of evenings a week, Mom,” he drawled.

Justin wasn’t about to be outdone. “And I can be in charge of him when he’s being a dick—” Justin stopped when Nathan gave him a mock punch to the arm.

Someone needed to pinch her because, honestly, she must be dreaming. Could things actually work out? Really, truly? Well, yes, they could. It might very well be as simple as finally making a stand.

Now she had to see Rand and beg him to forgive her for doubting him and throwing him aside. He’d been right about everything.

WHEN HIS DOORBELL RANG WEDNESDAY EVENING, RAND KNEW IT
was Rachel. The law of attraction; he’d wanted her here, and here she was. He opened the door to her, feeling neither triumph nor anger, only relief. He’d planned a trip to her house Sunday evening after seven when he knew the boys would be gone. At that time, he’d fully intended to show her how ludicrous it was to give in to her husband’s demand. Tie her to the bed, take her, and when he was buried deep inside, he knew he could convince her of anything. If that didn’t work, well, he’d just have to pay the asshole ex a visit himself.

But Rachel had come to him instead.

“Come in,” he said, his heart jackhammering despite the sense of relief. He’d invited women into his house, but never into his life the way he had with Rachel.

Of course, she could be here only to discuss Nathan. Yet she wore a delicious little sweater top that was unbuttoned down to her magnificent cleavage, the flirty black skirt he’d bought her for Las Vegas, and the red high heels. Christ. Those sexy shoes. His heart began to race, and his cock pulsed to life.

The other indication that she wasn’t here about her son’s school activities? The overnight case she’d used on their trip.

She clutched the bag two-handed in front of her as if she were a little unsure of her reception. “Thank you for what you did for Nathan.”

“I’ve always believed he was a good kid.” Rand smiled, thinking of those moments he’d stood with his foot propping open the restroom door. “You raised a son you can be extremely proud of. I admire the way he defended Wally. He was ready to take a beating for the boy.”

She tipped her head. “He was?”

“He didn’t tell you the whole story?”

She snorted. “Nathan didn’t tell me anything. He just stopped calling you a dickhead and said you were an okay guy.”

Rand laughed. Sometimes he
was
a dickhead. “I’ll tell you all about it. But right now we have something else we need to talk about.”

She abruptly put a finger to his lips, her hand scented with flowers. “Shh,” she said.

He nodded, and she removed her hand. Although he would have loved for her to keep it there. He could have licked her fingers, worked his way to the crook of her elbow, then higher to the hollow of her throat…

She put her bag on the entry floor, squatting beside it. He could see straight down the unbuttoned sweater to the swell of creamy breasts. He needed to lick her. Now.

She unzipped the bag and held up the two red scarves she’d restrained him with in the Vegas hotel. “I’ve been very bad, and I need to be punished for being so stupid, Principal Torvik.”

HEAT SHOT FROM THE CENTER OF HIS CHEST TO THE TIP OF HIS COCK
. “What have you done that you need to be punished for?”

“I told you that I didn’t want to see you anymore and that I wouldn’t tell my ex-husband to go”—she rolled her lips between her teeth, then licked them—“to go screw himself.”

“Have you done that now?”

She nodded her head, her lips parted invitingly. He adored looking down at her, wanting her as she squatted beside the bag. It might be nice to have her here on the hall floor. It would be so damn nice to have her anywhere. “Did that work for you?”

She nodded again, something lighting in her hazel eyes. He’d get the whole story later; now there was something else he needed badly. “Good. But you need to be punished for being such a willful bitch.”

She fluffed the scarves at him. “Do you want to tie me up, Principal Torvik?”

A new game. He loved new games. He loved that she wanted
to play them. There were so many fantasies to fulfill, they would keep themselves happy for a very long time.

Towering over her, he dropped his voice. “In my office.” He pointed down the hall, past the stairs to his home office. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Then I’ll decide what to do with you.”

“I’ve never been called to the principal’s office before.” She rose, leaving the bag where it was, the scarves clutched in her hands.

“And you’ll pay for your disobedience. So go.”

She left him with an exaggerated sway to her hips that made his heart pump blood straight to his cock. Her toned legs in those fuck-me red shoes sent his blood pressure soaring.

“And remove your panties,” he called after her.

She glanced over her shoulder with a coy gaze. “I’m not wearing panties, Principal Torvik,” she cooed.

“You dirty girl.” His balls ached, he wanted her so badly. “Maybe I should fuck you right here in the hall.”

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Oh, Principal Torvik, you are a very bad man.”