Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 34761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34761 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 174(@200wpm)___ 139(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Daniel Boden was the history teacher and he also taught gym. For the last ten years, he’d been trying to get her to go to bed with him, and at each point, she refused.
“What’s up, Daniel?” she asked.
His gaze was on Rome. “I didn’t realize you were with a student,” he said.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rome tense.
“Not a student,” he said.
Rome was tall. He’d been tall back then, but now he’d filled out, and was every inch of solid muscle, just like Daniel.
“This is Rome Hard.”
“Do I know you?” Daniel asked.
Rome turned toward her. “I was going to head to the diner tonight. Do you want to join me?”
With Daniel watching them, she didn’t want to turn him down, but the diner was so … exposed.
You didn’t have a problem going to dinner with him.
You weren’t fucking him.
There wasn’t a teacher watching your every move.
“I’d love to.”
“Rome Hard, I remember you. Nothing like your brothers at all,” Daniel said.
Once again, Rome ignored him, and Andy had never seen him be rude.
“Are you ready to go?” Rome asked.
She grabbed her bag with a nod. “Was there anything you wanted?” She turned toward Daniel. After ten years, she had learned not to give him too much attention. He’d stopped asking her to go on a date with him, but it was always there, waiting. She knew it, and he knew it. Daniel was never a man she wanted to date.
“Just to offer you a ride home, but I can see you’ve already got plans.”
“I can take care of her,” Rome said. “Whatever she needs, I’ll be here.” He took her hand, and if that was not a sign of possession, she didn’t know what was.
If this got Daniel to finally back off, she was happy with it. What she was worried about was how she was going to deal with the fallout when Rome realized he didn’t want her.
He took her briefcase from her, and hand in hand, they left the school.
If the town wasn’t talking about them at the moment, they sure were going to be by the end of the night. Gossip in small towns spread faster than wildfire.
Her nerves kicked up a whole new notch, but she ignored it.
Rome opened the passenger door for her, and she climbed in.
She watched as he put her case and bag into the back of the car before walking around to the driver’s side to climb on in.
Finger fucked and taken out for dinner by a Hard boy. Not exactly what she had planned.
Chapter Four
Rome hated Daniel with a fiery passion.
Seeing him again after all this time had only heightened his anger toward the man.
They arrived at the diner with speed, and he found them a booth. He didn’t care that the moment he entered with Andy, people were on their cell phones, probably spreading the news.
“Rome, are you okay?” Andy asked.
He looked up. He saw the concern on her face and realized he’d allowed his unease about Daniel to leak into his time with Andy.
“I’m sorry. Yes, I’m fine.”
“Does this have to do with the … history teacher and coach?” she asked.
He ran a hand down his face. “What makes you say that?”
“You were fine until he turned up.”
Rome chuckled. “You caught that.”
“I’m a teacher. It’s my job to be overly observant.”
“Daniel is an asshole and a bully. I didn’t like him when I was one of his students, and I certainly can’t stand him now.”
“Oh.”
“There’s nothing else to say.” He wasn’t about to tell Andy about all the times Daniel berated him, made his life a living hell. How he’d mock the Hard name, tell the class this was what the Hard boy was, a pathetic waste of space. Every single day he was near Daniel, his life was miserable.
No one ever knew.
He told no one.
To many, it was just a teacher riding a student, making the others fall in line, but Rome knew it was different. He figured there had to be some history between Daniel and his father. The man’s hatred was too great. He’d never asked though.
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Do you want to talk about how I’m feeling like a celebrity right now?” she asked.
He glanced around the room to see people looking at them.
He chuckled. “They’ll get over it.” He closed the menu. “How was your day?”
“Long and boring and miserable. Yours?”
“Pretty much the same.”
A brand-new waitress came to the table. Rome didn’t recognize her, and she took their orders. He’d opted for burgers and fries with lots of cheese sauce, just the way he liked it. Andy had gone for the same, with a chocolate milkshake to finish off her meal.
“Do you ever get used to this?” she asked, leaning over the table.
“This is a first for me as well.”