Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 75(@200wpm)___ 60(@250wpm)___ 50(@300wpm)
I walk in the front door and drop my shit on the floor. “Honey, I’m home.” I’ve been dying to use that line forever.
“Hi.” Parker strolls out of the kitchen and wraps her soft arms around my waist. “I was hoping you’d make it home before I left.” When I lean over and kiss her soft lips, everything in my world falls into place, and the uneasiness I’ve been experiencing since yesterday morning evaporates. My bear settles into place as my mate snuggles against me.
“Why don’t you call in sick and stay home with me?” I run my tongue down the side of her soft neck before gently biting down on the mark at the base of her throat. Her soft groan fills the foyer, causing my cock to turn to stone.
“I’d do it in a heartbeat if Mr. Strickland, the grouchy principal, wasn’t already on my case big time.”
Her words put a damper on my lust. I lean back and frown. “What’s going on?”
“He somehow figured out that we mated.” She looks confused, and I realize I forgot to warn her that other shifters would be able to smell my mark on her. “And he warned me that unmarried humans living with shifters is frowned upon.”
That motherfucker just put his weaselly ass on my shit list. “Don’t worry, little Minx.” I hug her tight. “I’ll talk to Barry corncob-up-his-ass Strickland.” The goddamn fox shifter knows that a mate bond is permanent and more binding than a human wedding ceremony. I’m not sure why the fucker is giving my mate a hard time, but I’m going to put an end to it. Today. “There is no shifter alive who would question our eternal mating once I put my mark on you. I have no clue why Barry is being a douchebag, but it’s nothing for you to worry about. If he tries to bring you in front of the school board, they’ll laugh his dumb ass out of there.”
CHAPTER 9
Parker
I rub the bite on my neck to calm my anxiety when I see Mr. Strickland making his way over to me. “Ms. Scott.” The way he sneers my name causes the hair to stand up on the back of my neck. “I need to talk to you in my office.”
Shoot. I’d rather have toothpicks run under my fingernails than find myself in a small room alone with the jerk. “Can it wait until after lunch?” I stall for time. “I have cafeteria duty.”
“I’ll have Ms. Simmons cover for you.” Well, darn. Since I’m out of excuses and I can’t exactly tell my boss no, I follow him down the hall and into the office at the front of the building.
“Have Ms. Simmons cover cafeteria duty,” he barks to Thelma Stephens, the school secretary. “And don’t disturb us.”
Thelma catches my eye as I walk by her desk and mouths, “I’ll check on you in a few.” The day I started, I realized something is fishy about the school’s principal. None of the females working at Honey Pot Hollow Elementary have anything good to say about him. Meg Murphy, the other third-grade teacher, took me aside on the first day of school and warned me to stay clear of the jerk.
“Have a seat.” He points at the sofa along the back wall of his office, but I ignore his suggestion and sit in one of the small, hard plastic chairs in front of his desk.
He leans against the side of his desk way the heck too close to me, and I lean back in the chair to get away from him. “What did you need to see me about?” I ask, hoping to get out of this meeting quickly.
“I want to discuss your personal life.” My eyes narrow as I wonder if I’ve heard the big jerk correctly.
My back stiffens as I glare at my boss. “My personal life isn’t any of your business.”
“I think it is.” I blink several times, wondering if this creep has lost his mind. “I felt the pull between us when you interviewed for the job. I hired you so we could get to know each other.”
My mouth falls open as I search for something to say. “Mr. Strickland,” I start, but he stops me.
“Call me Barry.” Ick. No. I’m so blown away by his audacity that I barely notice when he moves over to stand right next to my chair. He lays his hand on my shoulder, causing my skin to crawl.
“Excuse me.” I knock his hand away and hop to my feet to glare at him. “I have no desire to get to know you, and I have a mate. A mate who will kick your scrawny ass if you’re stupid enough to put your hands on me.”
I’m pretty sure I just lost my job, but I don’t freaking care.