Maria (Made Men 7)

“Me, too.” Maria smiled before walking away. She would give the one-of-a-kind designer purse away just to have his eyes on the back of her head right now.

“Goodbye, Ms. Caruso.” The words left his mouth when she opened the door to the possibility of prying ears.

The way he said it held a promise that this impromptu meeting wouldn’t be their last, and it had sent a shiver down her freshly shaven, exposed legs until it pricked every hair up.

Considering the crown on her head, this was a very dangerous game she felt was beginning to start in her bones, but … she could play it.

Turning back, she gave him a wink that only he could see. “Goodbye, Mr. Evans.”

Three

The Urge to Punch His Cute Little Face

Leo’s eyes had been permanently narrowed the second she exited the classroom, carefully studying her and ignoring the phone she held out to him.

“Take it,” Maria snapped.

Finally, he took it out of her hand but with a suspicious look as he did so. She wanted to get on with it.

“What?”

“I … don’t know yet.” It seemed as if his suspicions were mixed with a bit of confusion.

With a roll of her eyes, she walked back down the school hallway.

“Oh God! Maria!” Her little brother hissed while hurrying to catch up with her.

She quickly turned around to see her suit was too close behind for her to have the conversation she was about to have.

“Todd, what have I told you? Nine steps behind me at all times!”

“Yes, sorry.” Todd nodded his head, quietly counting her steps before walking behind her again, this time at the greater distance that she had coached him on the first day he started working for her. He was definitely one of the better ones she’d had, not on a protection scale, but on a give-me-some-fucking-space scale. Some of her previous bodyguards had the proverbial stick shoved so far up their asses that she had to be cunning to get what she wanted. Todd, however, was like a love-sick puppy dog that was far too easy to train. She only hoped the poor sucker would last.

“Maria, I swear if you—”

“Shhhh!” she hissed back at her brother to keep his fucking voice down.

“—have a crush on my teacher,” he continued in a harsher but quieter voice, “I swear I’m never going to be able to go to school again!”

“I”—she tried to lie—“don’t.”

Not believing her for a fucking second, Leo’s feet cemented themselves to the floor. “You’ve never liked anyone before! We all thought you were probably a lesbian!”

Her heels suddenly halted next to him. “Excuse m—” Shrugging, she had to agree, especially since she thought she might have been one too. “Okay, yeah, that’s probably fair.”

This time it was him rolling his eyes as he walked off.

“It’s come as a shock to me, too, you know. I didn’t expect the first person I’d ever feel anything toward would be your fucking teacher! It’s not exactly ideal for me, either.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.” He turned up his head, suddenly feeling better about it.

“Why?” Maria asked, not liking the smug look on his face.

“You’re not his type.”

“Excuse me!” This time, she finished her sentence with more vigor, as this one was actually fucking offensive. “I’m everyone’s type.”

“Not Mr. Evans’s,” he assured her.

It was everything Maria could do to keep her voice down to a whisper. “And why is that?”

“Because you’re young, blonde, and too pretty.”

Okay, well, the urge to punch his cute little face left, but all those things she already knew, and she didn’t exactly understand how her best qualities were her worst in this situation.

“Yeah? So?”

“So, Mr. Evans has had every girl and teacher in this school after him, and the only one he showed somewhat of an interest in was a substitute teacher that some kids caught him out on dates with a couple of times.”

“Okay …” She was sensing a “but” , “and” or “if.” Whatever it was, it was coming.

“And she looked and acted nothing like you.” Leo himself seemed shocked that was who Kayne had chosen to go on a date with. “She was just normal compared to some of the women after him.”

“Normal?”

“Yeah, she’s not necessarily pretty, but she’s not ugly, either.” He attempted to put it in words but still could only think of one. “She’s just … normal.”

“Well, maybe for once a guy likes a girl with a personality.” Heaven forbid.

“No.” Leo shook his head. “I’ve had her as a sub a couple of times, and she just comes in and hands us packets to work on then sits behind the desk. She doesn’t talk to us and doesn’t care.”

“Is her name Kendra?”

“I’m not sure? Maybe. Why?”…

…Her eyes didn’t move as she glided across the floor. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Her mind didn’t catch up to what she was doing until their bodies hit each other.