Yes, he was, but that was just Craig. She was used to his sudden flare ups. Silently Lacie vowed to speak to her sister for voicing her overzealous concerns to Shane, obviously thinking she’d found a powerful ally in him, then immediately recanted that thought. Corinne did what she did out of love, and Shane couldn’t be expected to understand that Craig was a lot more about the bark than the bite. Besides, she had already made up her mind that she was going to talk to Craig and put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.
“His bark is worse than his bite. He won’t hurt me.” Not intentionally, she added silently, looking down at her casted hand. Craig just didn’t know his own strength sometimes, especially since he’d come back. He had really thrown himself into his physical therapy after Mikaela’s death. He would be horrified if he believed he had been a contributing cause to her injuries, and would be constantly underfoot in an attempt to make up for it. She didn’t bother telling that to Shane, though. Given his fierce reaction to the day’s earlier events, he wouldn’t be any more receptive to her reasoning than Corinne.
Another heavy pause. “I worry about you, Lacie. I know I haven’t earned that privilege yet, but I certainly hope to.”
He considered worrying about her a privilege? If he kept saying things like that she was going to turn into a puddle right then and there. “I’d say giving up a Saturday night to watch over me earned you something,” she said quietly, hopefully.
She heard his slight intake of breath. “That was a privilege in itself,” he answered.
Her body felt strangely boneless. And empty. Terribly empty. “You made me waffles,” she whispered.
“I’ll make you a thousand more for the chance to kiss you again.”
“Deal,” she said, breathless. Just the thought of it had her body flushing with heat, but his soft, almost silent groan intensified the sensation.
“You don’t want me to sleep at all, do you?” he grumbled sexily, making her smile. She loved the idea that she was having a similar effect on him.
“Of course I do,” she said boldly. “But only if you dream of me.”
“That’s a given,” Shane told her. “I can’t seem to think of anything but you these days.”
“Nice to know I’m not alone, then.”
“Lacie.” Shane breathed her name like a prayer. “What are you doing to me?”
She didn’t know, but she wished she did. If it was anything like what he was doing to her...
*
Shane exhaled heavily. Every cell in his body screamed for him to head over to her apartment at that exact moment and finish what they had started that morning, but he was afraid of rushing her, scaring her away.
“Promise me you’ll call me immediately if anything happens.”
“I promise.” She sighed. “But I can’t run away from this, Shane. Craig needs to understand that I am a grown woman capable of making my own decisions with or without his approval. I’ve let him believe otherwise for far too long.”
“I don’t think you should do it alone.”
“I have to. Otherwise Craig won’t take me seriously. He’ll think I’m acting under someone else’s influence.”
Shane could see her point, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He really didn’t give a rat’s ass what Craig Davidson believed as long as he was out of the picture.
“Shane?”
“Yes?”
“You’ve earned the privilege.”
Shane smiled into the phone. “Now say something wicked to give me memorable dreams.”
He expected her to laugh softly, maybe give him a gentle chastisement while her eyes sparkled and her cheeks turned that lovely shade of rose, but she surprised him. In less than a heartbeat, her sexy purr sounded in his ear. “Syrup tasted better on you than your waffles, but next time I want to try whipped cream, too.”
Lacie’s sensual laughter was the last thing he heard as she disconnected the call.
Chapter Eleven
When Lacie walked into her classroom early Monday morning, she found a single, perfect rose in the center of her desk. It sat next to a shiny, dark red apple. She picked up the small tented note card that completed the set - a textured, heavy cream-colored paper with Lacie scripted in bold, male script - and opened it to read the message within.
Coffee after class tomorrow night? Then below it: Whipped cream optional.
Warmth flooded her body once again as her lips curled up in a smile. How had he gotten inside her classroom? The windows were closed, the door locked. Of course, she thought with a flash of pride, gaining entrance to a Kindergarten classroom would be child’s play for an ex-SEAL.
It was official. Shane Callaghan had just managed to completely steal her heart.
With a mischievous grin, she picked up a bright red crayon and block printed “YES” in the corner. Then she added a few motivational stickers she put on her kids’ papers (“Star Student”, “A+”, and “Super”), and tucked the card into the pocket of her skirt. Rather than call the number he’d given her, she would deliver this personally later.
*
Across town, Shane grinned from behind his laptop as he looked at the clock. Lacie should have found his little surprise by now. Wishing he could see her reaction in person, he contented himself with imagining it instead. He checked his phone, turned the volume up a notch, and waited.
*