Mission For Love (Love By Design 6)

I cleaned up my office and waited drumming my fingers on my desk. There was no way I could come up with a training plan for my girls four by one hundred relay team. All I could think about were perfectly formed gluteus maximus muscles under my hands. I calculated the kinesthetic energy needed for him to launch into a sprint workout pumping his legs and arms as sweat poured off his body glistening. He was twin to the famous Italian marble statue except better endowed and totally giggle worthy if I let myself go there and think about it. Same name, similar god like body, worlds apart.

At least I was safe for now.

Not that seventh period gave me much breathing room, but he was in for a treat when he couldn’t get into my office. The perks of being in my third year was having a tiny bit of seniority when it counted–an actual classroom and office.

Once David realized my office was inside the girl’s locker room, he’d abandon this all together. After all, there was no way he was walking in here with my girls changing. It would violate so many school policies, force him to quit, and save me from having to deal with him. That last thought though, it did give me pause.

I liked David, but I couldn’t like him in the way that distracted me and took me from my goals this year. I had put so much into building my coaching program and my girls depended on me. There was no way I could have it all. It didn’t work out like that and something always had to give. For me, that something boiled down to relationships. It’s why I hadn’t dated in years. I wasn’t saving myself for anything, but I was trying to balance my sanity and my health with the demands of teaching, coaching, and whatever else life was going to throw at me.

“Kiara?” His deep voice sounded right around the corner which I swore was impossible.

Oh crap. I let my head thunk down on my desk. Perhaps I underestimated his tenacity. He simply didn’t give up and I blamed his military training, tenacity, and general ability to get under my skin.

“David?” My typically confident self within the walls of my job wilted and squeaked.

I left my office and checked the locker room which was currently empty. He called my name again and if I didn’t get out there this would turn into an X-rated version of Marco Polo because I had zero chill where this man was concerned. He stood outside the closed door, and I imagined him leaning up against the frame, cocky and demanding. I moved to the door and stood next to it, my hand on the door. It was the only thing separating us and I couldn’t bring myself to push it open.

“You didn’t tell me your office was actually inside the locker room.” He huffed through concrete blocks and the metal door. It did nothing to mask his deep voice that sent a zinging shiver to my core.

“No, I suppose I left that out.” I chuffed knowing full well how ridiculous this was.

“I can’t come in there, at least not during school hours.” His tone suggested he was aggravated and I didn’t blame him on that score. This was a dirty trick I played on him.

“Nope. Definitely not.” I murmured keeping my hand on the door as if it might bring me closer to the object of my desire.

David sighed through the door and I leaned back against the adjacent wall grinning.

“Feels like we’ve been here before.” He muttered. He was partially right and I was totally in the wrong doing this.

“I feel like I should apologize for Saturday night.” It was easier having this conversation separated by six inches of concrete and mortar.

“I’d rather you come out and talk face to face. It was a tad awkward before. You never mentioned this was your school.” I bet he had his hands jammed in his pockets like before. All he needed was a juicy apple and I was a goner.

“And you never mentioned this was your new job.” I whispered tracing my finger over the grooves of bricks imaging the notches and indentations of his abdominal muscles.

“We can call it even if you like, start fresh. Pretend Saturday didn’t happen.” David gave me an out and I was fool to not take it. No one wanted an embarrassing colleague situation and this was definitely a situation.

Time seemed to pulse between the distance of concrete and bad decisions. I gulped some courage down and said, “I’ll leave my office door unlocked when I go. You can have it then.”

I could swear I heard him say, “but I want it now,” and I smiled. Instead he said loud enough, “fine.”

I listened to his footsteps walking away and reminded myself this was best. The least amount of contact the better. There were two more periods left in the day and then try outs for the girls cross country team. I stuck to my foolish goal of no dating, new school year, so why did I feel a pit in my stomach that was anything but productive? No apple tree was growing out of this foul seed.

Feelings avoided–check.

Awkward situation addressed–check.

Secret still in the bag–check.

But none of that made me feel better. In fact, I felt worse.

9

David

That did not go as planned. I jammed my hands in my pockets to keep my temper from soaring and possibly punching the wall. That was the behavior of a kid who didn’t get what he wanted and I wasn’t about to be that guy. Kiara wanted to pretend everything was fine.

Okay.