Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
My heart is racing in my chest with every step I take. I can smell her scent wafting through the halls and it makes my bear stir.
He seemed to have learned his lesson last night because he’s letting me take the lead today. At least, I hope that’s what he’s doing. He may just be waiting until we see her and then he’s going to burst out of me again and leap onto her. I wouldn’t put it past the furry asshole.
The fourth-grade teacher sees me and gives me a big smile as I walk by. I give her a quick polite nod as I make my way to my girl.
My breath quickens when I arrive at her door and knock on it. I nearly drop to my knees when she opens it and I see her beautiful face and gorgeous dark brown hair that now has a short chunk hanging down the side of her face. The rest of her hair is pulled back into a ponytail and all I can think about doing is pulling the elastic band out and sinking my hands into it.
“Oh!” she says, looking startled. “Carter. What brings you back here?”
You.
I clear my throat and lift up the globe. “I want to give you the world, Aubrey.”
She starts chuckling as she takes it. “You didn’t have to do that, but it’s very kind.”
“I just hope I didn’t traumatize any of the kids.”
She laughs again and the sight and sound is like a spear to my heart. What I wouldn’t give to hear that sound every day…
“I think they’ve gotten over it,” she says as she gives me a shy look. “Want to come in and say hi?”
I swallow hard as I look over her head and see the kids staring at me. It didn’t go so well the last time.
“Sure,” I nervously say. “I’d love to.”
“Hey, class,” she says as we walk back in. “Remember Mr. Lamb, the fireman?”
“Where’s your uniform?” one of the kids asks me in an accusing manner.
“I have the day off,” I tell him. “I’m not fighting fires today.”
“So, what are you doing?” he asks. “Why are you here?”
“I came to give your teacher a new globe.”
The kid looks at me skeptically. “You came all the way here to give it? Why didn’t you just have it delivered?”
“I, um…” I glance at Aubrey and her cheeks are starting to blush.
“He wanted to see Miss Olson,” the blonde girl in the front row says. “He’s in looooove.”
“Sara!” Aubrey scolds. “That’s inappropriate.”
“Doesn’t make it not true,” she mumbles under her breath.
“Is that true?” a redheaded boy in the back asks. “Do you love Miss Olson?”
Is it getting hot in here?
I shift my weight from foot to foot as they wait for my answer. I knew I shouldn’t have come into the classroom.
“Jeremey!” Aubrey snaps just in time to save me. “Mr. Lamb is not in love with me.” A hint of something flashes across her face as she says it. Disappointment maybe? Regret?
But it hits me when I hear her say it. I am in love with her.
I want her.
I want her badly.
I’m watching her as she continues to lecture the class. “It’s very rude to assume that someone is in love with someone else just because—”
“No, they’re right,” I say, interrupting her.
Her face drops and her adorable pink cheeks darken a little more as she stares at me.
“I knew it,” the blonde girl says under her breath.
Aubrey stares at me for a few silent seconds and then charges past me into the hallway.
“Oooooh,” the class says as they watch me with grins on their faces.
“No game,” the redheaded boy says as he shakes his head. “He’s got nothing.”
I give him a dirty look and then follow her into the hallway.
“Maybe that was too forward,” I say to her. She’s standing there staring at me with a face that I can’t quite read. “Or inappropriate, or wrong place wrong time, but I can’t stop thinking about you and I want to take you out.”
She looks at me for what feels like an eternity until her lips start to curl up into a smile. “You do?”
Relief floods my body and I feel like I could holler out in joy. “I do. I really really do.”
“Okay,” she says with a smile. “How about you pick me up after school? Three o’clock? Is that too early for a date? I haven’t been on many.”
She closes her eyes and drops her shoulders in embarrassment when she realizes what she’s said.
“It’s just my car,” she continues nervously. “It’s not working at the moment and the janitor drives me home, but his car is full of bleach and he only talks about baseball even though it’s November, and I—”
“Three o’clock,” I say as I step forward and take her hand. The feel of her soft skin sends bolts of lightning jolting through me. “I’ll be out front.”