Teacher I Want To Date Page 18

  Her lip quivered. I hated seeing her this way, this vulnerable side of her.

  “Hey, girlfriend of mine.” I smiled, but it didn’t change her expression. “Drive my car and meet me at the station. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can cook up that fancy dinner I promised you.”

  After she tipped her chin, the cop shut the back door, and then we were off to jail.

  I went from calm to raging mad in two seconds as I stepped into the station. Mike stood there with a smug smile, talking to the officer behind the desk. My only consolation was that I’d busted his lip, and his eye was swollen. Too bad his nose was no longer bleeding.

  No one would talk to Gabby that way. Not on my watch and especially not some lying asshole.

  It took every ounce of control I had to breathe through the haze of anger as I walked past him and into my cell.

  Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be here, yet … here I was, next to a guy playing with himself, across the room from a guy singing “Ode to Joy,” who was sitting next to a guy with all tats, staring at me like he wanted to skin me alive and eat me for dinner.

  I didn’t make eye contact. Don’t engage. I repeated the mantra in my head. In this cell, I was the underdog, and the last thing I needed was to be in another fight.

  Who knew how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. I picked at my nails and silently sang “Ode to Joy” about fifty times with the singing guy in my cell.

  Finally, a cop called out from the hall, “Mason Brisken. You’re free to go.”

  I saluted my odd, scary-to-weird cellmates and proceeded to follow the officer out.

  The dark hallway smelled of Clorox and mildew and body odor, and I grimaced, trying to breathe only through my mouth.

  As soon as I exited the secure area, I inhaled deeply and was bombarded by a little Mary crushing her body into me. Tears rolled down her face. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  I picked her up, held her close, and kissed her face. “I’m fine. It was just a little misunderstanding.” I peered over her head and shot daggers at Brad, who was sporting a smug smile. “Really? You couldn’t take her home first?” Idiot. Wait until Charles finds out Brad took Mary to the police station. I couldn’t wait for that verbal beating.

  I searched the room for my girlfriend, but she was nowhere. Where did she go? I frowned as I continually scanned the area.

  “I was with Mary at her dance class and rushed over as soon as Gabby called. This was one call I never thought I’d be getting. What the hell happened?”

  I shook my head and tipped my chin toward the six-year-old in my arms. “Later.” I didn’t care how eager Brad was to get the scoop; I wouldn’t traumatize Mary any further. And first things first. I needed Lionel to book my court date, and we needed to get out of here.

  Lionel strolled over after stopping at the desk. His briefcase was in hand. “Charges were dropped.”

  I gawked at him. Who called him? How did he get here this quickly? “What? Why?” Well, that was unexpected.

  Lionel smirked, rubbing a hand over his head. He’d started balding in his mid-thirties, and now, in his fifties, he didn’t have any hair left. “Mike Gomez dropped the charges.”

  I reeled back. “What?” He insisted that the police be called, and then he just dropped the charges? That made no sense. “Where’s Gabby?”

  “Who’s Mike Gomez?” Brad asked, an eyebrow raised.

  “What are charges? Like credit card charges?” Mary wiggled in my arms and framed my face with both of her hands.

  I kissed her one last time before placing her on the floor, and then I patted Lionel’s back. “Thanks, bud.”

  Lionel had been our family lawyer for years. He’d been our father’s lawyer, and now, he was ours. He’d bailed Brad out a few times when he was a teen, always causing trouble. I guessed it was my turn.

  “That’s the easiest case I’ve ever handled. I’ll bill you.”

  Brad called my name, but I was already headed out. My eyes scanned the area, and then I spotted Gabby. She stood at a distance, face distraught, arms crossed over her chest. She was with the asshole. I breathed through the next second. I needed to play it cool, or I’d end up back behind bars.

  When Mike reached for her waist and brought her in, all I could see was red, and I charged toward them. Deep breaths. Keep calm. I didn’t need to go to jail again. Especially since I’d just gotten out.

  Gabby

  I pushed Mike’s hand off my waist. He was no longer allowed to touch me ever again.

  “There’s nothing you can say that would make me change my mind, Mike. It’s over.”

  “Gabby!”

  I flipped to turn away, and my spine went stick straight at the sight of Mason coming at us at a full-on sprint. His features screamed fury, and I walked quickly toward him, bracing him before he reached his target and before he was thrown into jail again. A girl could only take so much in one night.

  “What is he still doing here?” Mason seethed.

  I linked one arm around his. “It’s fine. Let’s go. We’ll talk about this at your place.”

  “I don’t want him touching you. Speaking to you. Near you.” He spat words over my head, “Get out of here before I shut your other eye. Then, you’ll have to call your wife to pick your ass up because you can’t drive with two eyes busted shut.”

  “Uncle Mason said a bad word.”

  My eyes flipped to Mary and Brad approaching. When did they get here?

  They both huddled by Mason now, but it was as though Mason was in a fog of enraged smoke. He looked like a breathing bull, nostrils flaring, muscles tight, and Mike was his red flag.

  And Mike just couldn’t seem to help himself as he goaded Mason. “Big words, rich guy. Better be careful there. I might have to press charges. If it wasn’t for my girl over there, you’d still be in jail.”

  “Shut up, Mike. Just get out of here!” I yelled over my shoulder.

  Brad had one hand on Mason’s back. “Let’s go. Calm down, little bro. Let’s just go.”

  Mason’s breaths escaped him in big, angry puffs. His whole body was tensed up like a wire, and I hugged his middle, afraid he was going to go ballistic and get himself put in jail again. Though I had to admit, this side of Mason was pretty dang hot.

  “Mason …” I pleaded, peering up at him.

  “All right, this was enough drama for the day. Gabby, I’ll call you,” Mike said, taunting him still.

  And it worked.

  “The hell you fucking will.” Mason charged, but Brad caged his arms around him, body checking him.

  I stepped back, placing a hand on Mason’s chest.

  Brad tightened his hold. “Mason, you have to fucking relax.”

  “Now, Uncle Brad said a bad word,” Mary said.

  This was going to end in the worst way possible, and I could not let this go down that way. “Just go, Mike. Leave.”

  “Listen, jerkface.” Suddenly, all eyes turned on Mary. Her voice was loud, clear, and powerful, like a boom of fireworks on a silent, dark night. With one hand on her hip, she pointed a shaky finger in Mike’s direction. “Leave my uncle alone, or you’ll have to mess with me!”

  When Mike laughed, Mary pointed and screamed in a high-pitched voice, loud enough and screechy enough to break glass, “Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” Her screams reached soprano-level pitches. She kept on going until her whole body shook from the rage. She kept going until she was stomping her feet. She kept going until the tears fell down her cheeks, hard and endless. Until Mason picked her up, curled around her, about-faced, and walked straight to Brad’s car.

  Mary was crying in his arms, shaking from the adrenaline.

  “I’m sorry, Mary. It’s done. It’s over. No more, baby girl.” He shushed her cries against his chest. His voice was soft, vulnerable, and shaking with his own emotion.

  He kept kissing her cheek as she cowered into him.

  “I wanna go home,
Uncle Mason. I want to go home.”

  “Yes, baby girl. We’re taking you home.” His face crumbled as he tucked her closer. “I-I’m so sorry that Uncle Mason got that mad. I’m sorry that I scared you. I promise it will never happen again.” His voice broke with deep, sullen emotion as he cowered into her.

  I followed him to Brad’s car.

  Brad paced alongside me, his one hand fisted at the top of his head. “Shit. Shit. Shit. I should’ve just taken her home before I got here.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He shook his head as we followed Mason. “It’s fine.” He blew out one ragged breath and whispered so only I could hear, “It’s not fine, but it’ll have to be for now. Even if it takes thousands of dollars in therapy, I’ll make sure she’s fine.”

  “Kids are more resilient than we give them credit for,” I said softly. I should know. I had grown up fast without a father.

  He rubbed at his brow. “You’re probably right. Sarah and Mary have lived through a lot already. This is probably nothing in the grand scheme of things.” He faced me fully. “Who is that guy?”

  “An ex.”

  Brad laughed. “Oh. Makes sense.”

  Ahead of us, Mason held Mary in his arms, walking faster, whispering something to her that I couldn’t hear.

  When we reached the car, Mason turned to Brad. “Keys.”

  Brad unlocked the door, and Mason slid into the back of the car and shut them both in.

  Brad and I shared a glance, but we said nothing about it. Maybe he was still consoling her.

  After a beat, Brad walked to the back of the car and leaned on the bumper, and I followed.

  Rows of cop cars were parked to the right and left of us, scattered around the parking lot. A few cops entered the station with a burly guy in cuffs.

  Brad broke the silence. “Do you know what my favorite thing to do to Mason as a kid was?” He picked up a rock from the ground and laughed. “Make him mad.”

  He peered up with me, still smirking. “Shit, I’d take his toys and play pranks on him all the time. Oddly, even at a young age, he was always in control. I mean, yeah, he’d get mad. What kid didn’t? But he”—he rolled the rock in his fingertips and tossed it to the side—“never got super-ballistic, blow-up mad. If he ever got really, really mad, he’d cry.” He tilted his head and knocked his shoulder against mine. “Good job. You won.”

  My face scrunched up. It didn’t feel like I’d won. It felt like my chaos was filtering into Mason’s life, even affecting Mary, and it wasn’t fair. “You’re crazy.”

  “I’m not the one who went to jail”—he shrugged—“this time.”

  “Not funny.” I winced.

  “But in all seriousness, I’ve never seen my brother that angry. And his ex-girlfriend had ex-boyfriends he’d met before. He’s not the jealous type. At all.” He retracted a set of keys from his back pocket. “That means he likes you. Shit, he might even love you. And that also means”—his voice turned serious—“if you hurt him, I’ll send hired mercenaries to find you—or more likely, hire the worst band in the world to play nonstop in front of your house at three a.m.”

  The car door opened, and Mason stepped out.

  “She’s spent,” Mason said with a sad undertone in his voice. “She’s asleep now. Take her straight home.” His tone brooked no argument, and for once, Brad knew not to reply with some snarky comment back.

  After handing him his keys and cell, he turned and headed toward his car, not even looking me in the eye. “Let’s go, Gabby.”

  Those were the last words he said all the way home.

  Chapter 22

  Gabby

  The tension was high in the car, like a thick cloud of smoke filtering through the air, choking me. Whatever I asked went unanswered, and whatever I said went without acknowledgment, which was kind of rude if you asked me, but I’d give him a few minutes to calm down, given all the high emotions that we’d gone through today.

  When we got to his condo, he opened my door, like the gentleman he was, and we strolled inside without a word. Part of me was scared because I’d never seen this side of Mason before. I could have guessed he was the silent but deadly, angry type, given his persona, but nevertheless, it was frightening. I didn’t know what to expect next.

  When he shut the door to his condo, he faced me directly, and it was the first time since we’d left the station that he made contact. “I don’t want you talking to him ever again. I don’t want you contacting him. I don’t want him touching you.” The veins in his forearm protruded, the tension in his body, his voice, his tone all bubbled at the surface.

  I blinked. “Excuse me?” I placed my hand on my hip.

  I understood he was upset, and I understood why he’d punched Mike—for my honor. I got that and was grateful. But no one, especially no man, could talk to me the way he was right now.

  “Why did he drop the charges? Did you make a deal with him? What did you say?” He paced the room, his shoulders tense and his neck taut.

  I exhaled an annoyed sigh. “All he wanted to do was talk, and that’s exactly what we did.”

  Mike had told me that if I could give him five minutes of my time, he’d drop all charges. Who wouldn’t take that deal? I hadn’t wanted Mason to spend anymore time in jail than necessary, and I hadn’t wanted him to have this mark on his pristine record all because of me.

  His Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow. “You didn’t have to do that. I told you, I had it under control. Our lawyer had it under control.” His voice was barely controlled underneath the surface.

  “That’s the thing.” I pushed back my shoulders, meeting his fiery stare. “It was an easy fix. Mike just wanted my time, and he was going to make everything go away. You don’t have to overreact.” What was with his over-the-top rules?

  Mason reeled back. “So, what? He’s the hero now? I wouldn’t have knocked him on his ass if he wasn’t blatantly disrespecting you in public.”

  Breathe through your next words, I told myself. I needed to keep this calm before I started up with the Spanish curse words, and all would be lost at that point. “I know! And I thank you. But I don’t see what the big deal is, why you’re so upset when all I wanted to do was make it easier for you.”

  He huffed under his breath. “First, he wants your time, then your heart, and then your body.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Are you so naive to think that he’ll stop at just talking to you?”

  I waved a finger in his face. “Don’t talk to me that way. Don’t you dare talk to me that way, Mason. I don’t deserve it.”

  He grabbed my finger and pulled me toward him, eyes blazing. “Why can’t you just listen to what I’m trying to tell you?”

  I jutted out my chin. “You’re not telling me. You’re getting mad at me for trying to help you out and giving me your rules.”

  That made him pause, and his voice lowered. “You didn’t have to do that. I didn’t ask you to talk to him on my behalf.” He inched forward, words hot and heavy on my face.

  And his bossiness was turning me on in more ways than I could count. I didn’t like men telling me what to do in general, but I’d take orders from Mason in the bedroom.

  “I don’t need your permission to do anything, Mason.” My voice was soft, hot, and hellishly horny. And my cheeks burned, and my body heat increased in temperature.

  I pressed a hand to his chest. I could feel his heart beating rapidly against my fingers.

  His next words were even, bossy still, but protective and oh-so sexy. “If it’s for your safety, then you do.”

  “I was never in any real danger,” I said, closer now.

  Our eyes locked, like a lustful, loaded gun. Then, he closed the gap between us and pulled me into him, fiercely kissing me. One palm was firmly on his chest, but his kisses melted through me, and I gave in to him fully and completely.

  “You have the ability to drive me absolutely crazy, Gabby.” His lips went to my neck, and my hands moved to u
nbutton his jeans. “Why can’t you let me win for once?”

  Win? He already won. He won my heart.

  Because he had. And although I was scared to death to be hurt again, I trusted Mason like I’d never trusted anyone before. It was in his love for his family, his confidence in knowing who he was and what he wanted in life, and in his protectiveness of me.

  My hands went to his cock, stroking up and down, and he gasped low and husky in my ear.

  He sucked on my neck so hard that I knew I’d have a hickey in the morning, and it shot a shiver of pain and pleasure to course through me. I knew we wouldn’t make it to his room, and we were about to have sex on his living room carpet.

  He guided me to the floor, never breaking our hot kisses.

  Clothes flew off, a condom was slipped on, and he pushed into me hard, and there was no doubt I’d get rug burn in my back.

  My nails scraped his back as he pushed harder and faster into me. My nipples pebbled hard against his chest, and my body tingled in anticipation of what was to come.

  He grunted, “Gabby, shit, I love you.”

  And then he froze.

  Mason

  I stilled and searched her face. Well, that had been unexpected. My I love yous were supposed to be said over candlelight dinner and a passionate night of lovemaking, not when I was screwing my girlfriend on my living room floor and we’d just had a fight.

  And it sure as hell didn’t start with shit.

  “Shit, I love you.”

  What the hell kind of proclamation was that?

  I swallowed hard though because it was true. I did love her. I knew it with every fiber of my being. How she was with her family, her friends, her love for the kids she worked with, and her hard fight to be independent and to survive … I loved it all, everything about her.

  “Gabby …” I stared at her, breathing hard. I’d just let the L-word slip, and a whole slew of awkwardness filled the air between us. And I was cock deep inside her.