Alex nodded at his uncle and Colt bared his teeth and growled on cue.
Again, the class gasped.
Jenna stifled a laugh. Though Colt had obviously coaxed his way into Jenna’s classroom, he did love his nephew and Alex loved him. Seeing a grown man help a five-year-old impress a classroom of his peers made Jenna’s heart flutter.
“All right class, what do we say to Mr. McCade for coming in today?”
Thank-yous rang out, followed by a plethora of questions. “Can we touch him?” “Can I wear his hat?” “How many bulls have you ridden?” “Do you like kitties?”
Thankfully, Jenna was saved by the bell.
“Recess.” She needed to get Colt out of there. He was flustering her in ways she didn’t have a defense against. Thirty kindergartners darted out the door and Jenna rose just as Colt strutted toward her.
…
“Good afternoon, Miss Justice.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. McCade.”
He leaned back against her desk, his palms gripping the ledge behind him as he crossed his ankles. “Fancy seeing you here.”
Colt could swear the woman got sexier every time he saw her. Tight black skirt that hit her knees, wispy white blouse that was tucked in, and those sex-kitten glasses framed her face so well it made her gray eyes glow. Her hair was secured tightly in a bun, and Colt nearly groaned remembering how long and thick it was when she let it down.
“Colt. I meant what I said at the pool. We need to maintain a distance.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault we keep bumping into each other. Alex invited me for show-and-tell.”
“Uh-huh. Just like Alex came up with that ‘Uncle Colt is God’s gift’ speech.”
“I may have given him a bit of direction on that.” He grinned. “So how about dinner tonight?”
“Colt…” She let out a breath.
“Look, I get it. I know what you’re going through with the grant. And I meant what I said at Penny’s. You don’t have anything to worry about with me. It’s just a meal, JJ.”
Her eyes flashed and a delectable pink stained her cheeks. Her expression indicated that things wouldn’t stop at dinner. Which was exactly what Colt was going for.
“You’re injured,” she said, obviously looking for an excuse. But Colt was onto it.
He gingerly rubbed his ribs and glanced at the floor. In his best wounded-bird voice he said, “Yeah, I am. I’m told that a little ice and heavy breathing is the best thing for me. I can think of a few things that involve both those so maybe you could nurse me back to health?” He paused only to scan her body and wink. “Preferably in an actual nurse’s outfit?”
She rolled her eyes but he caught a hint of a smile. “Do those lines honestly work for you?”
He frowned. “What lines? I’m legitimately asking if you’ll take me to bed, then bend over wearing a—”
“I got it,” she said, holding up a hand. Colt didn’t miss that her blush was darkening. He kind of liked teasing the uptight teacher.
He didn’t know why he was so infatuated with her. Maybe it was because he’d never had to work so hard for a woman and he liked the challenge. But it was something more. JJ was constantly in his thoughts. When he wasn’t thinking about her, he was thinking about how he wasn’t thinking about her. The woman had some kind of hold on him.
She was smart, driven, and if he was being honest, way out of his league. He also knew that the one man who got to tame the secretly wild Miss JJ would be forever gifted with an amazing woman to call his own. Colt, who never thought long-term, suddenly liked the idea of having this woman, and her unbridled passion, all to himself.
“So?” He leaned in a little. “Dinner?”
“I’m sorry, Colt, I have plans tonight.”
“Just like the other night? When you hung out with my sister in a bar?”
“Plans are plans.”