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  “Ness, we’ve had the kids nearly two hours and didn’t notice he was missing until now.” She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut.

  Jessica was right. On a normal day, Vanessa never would’ve missed something like that. She’d have taken careful attendance, been walking the halls constantly if she wasn’t sure about something. But instead of sleeping last night, she’d been screwing around with trouble-incarnate.

  Now she was exhausted and off her game.

  An idea popped into her head. “Give me a second, let me make a call.”

  Two missing troublemakers— that couldn’t be a coincidence, right?

  Jessica hesitated, but then nodded and left the room. Vanessa dialed Jared and waited as she listened to the ringing of his phone.

  After four rings, he finally picked up. “Good morning, beautiful.” His voice was low, sexy. It wouldn’t distract her.

  “It’s two-fifteen in the afternoon.”

  “You sound grouchy. That’s okay, though, I like angry sex.”

  Anger filled her mind and lust filled her body. Stay. On. Task!

  “Jared, before I call the police, do you have any idea where Josh Spaudling is?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, he’s here with me.”

  First, she sighed in relief. He was safe. Thank freaking God, nothing had happened. Then, anger. “You can’t just kidnap students, Jared!”

  “Woah-oh-oh. Kidnap? We’re working on a project. I told your principal I wanted to take a student to conduct interviews at the foundation, and he agreed.”

  “Wait, you asked Gary?” And nobody told her?

  “Yeah. He thought it was a great idea.”

  Vanessa pressed her fingers into her eyes. It didn’t relieve any of the pressure there. “Next time you take one of my students, can you tell me so I don’t have a freaking heart attack?”

  He laughed into the phone. “I like you fired up.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek. “Yeah, well I don’t.” She thought of Brooke, who’d spent the past week planning interview questions for the foundation’s board members. “Josh wasn’t supposed to be interviewing. That wasn’t his assignment.”

  “Relax.” She saw red. “Listen, how about you come down after work? You guys get out in what, twenty minutes? Come to my office.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Because good things are happening over here, baby. You’ll understand why I kidnapped your student when you see.” More silence. “And I’d love to fuck you on my desk.”

  The line went dead.

  Vanessa’s mouth fell open.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Jared looked at his watch, frowning at the time. Vanessa got out of work half an hour ago, yet she wasn’t there. He was just starting to think that she wouldn’t show when the doors swung open at the front of the building.

  There she was, wearing blue jeans and a Walker Foundation tee in place of her usual business attire. The large frames of her glasses outlined tired eyes, only serving as a reminder of what they’d done the night before. Jared grinned, then walked over to her.

  “Hey, you.” Her eyes found his. She looked so frustrated with him. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you in pants.” It hadn’t dawned on him until then, but she’d been in a formal dress every time he’d seen her.

  “Yeah, well, it’s casual Friday, and I didn’t exactly sleep well last night.”

  Jared smirked, a familiar ache returning to his lower abdomen. He definitely hadn’t gotten her out of his system. No, if anything, the hunger he felt was even stronger than before. Now that he’d had a taste? He needed more. So much more.

  But first, business.

  “Would you like to see my latest mini-miracle?” he asked, moving to the side and gesturing in the direction of the staff room.

  Vanessa looked at him with absolute frustration and exhaustion. She wasn’t kidding when she told him not to mess with her schedule.

  Instead of answering, she simply walked in front of him, heading toward the door he’d pointed to. He didn’t mind, it gave him a great view of her backside, perfectly hugged by her blue jeans.

  “In here?”

  Jared leaned around her to open the door, his body brushing against hers in the process. He felt her shiver.

  Then he pushed the door open.

  It was a large room, with several round tables, a countertop that wrapped around the room, three refrigerators, a microwave, an oven, two pantries that were stocked twice each week… everything his employees may need.

  At the furthest table sat Josh, with three men and two women sitting with him. They were all laughing and talking, all dressed down and relaxed.

  Vanessa turned toward Jared. “I don’t understand, I thought he was interviewing?”

  “He is.” Jared placed a hand on the small of her back and urged her forward.

  She resisted. “But we were going to interview the board members.”

  Jared chuckled. “No, Brooke is interviewing the board members, as promised. Josh is interviewing my staff, the people who run the place.”

  She squinted at him, which somehow made her long lashes look even longer.

  “I have around fifty staff members that run the foundation, plus a couple hundred volunteers. All of my staff are former military. Some had the skills before coming here, but anyone who didn’t, I provide complete job training for. A lot end up moving into the private sector once they hone their skills, but some have been here from the start with me.” Jared had a great set of employees.

  “That’s not public information. I had no idea you hired so many veterans.”

  Jared smiled. “I guess it’s just not something I ever thought of broadcasting.”

  She rolled her eyes at him. “Do you even know what good marketing that is for yourself? How did you not think of it?”

  Jared stared into her eyes, glistening and perfectly framed by those naturally dark lashes. “Maybe I did think of it.” Maybe he’d thought of it a lot, had others tell him exactly what she did. It would have been great marketing. “Maybe I just thought it was the right thing to do and didn’t want it to become a selling point.”

  Her lips slowly curled into a smile. The first one he’d gotten from her since she had strutted into his office. “You really care about this, don’t you?”

  With every fiber of his being. “Of course I do.”

  She bit her lip, something longing in her gaze. Then she turned back to the back table of the room, walking toward it.

  Jared followed close behind.

  Josh’s back was toward them, so he wouldn’t know that anyone had approached. Jared wanted to keep it that way. The kid may not act the same around his teacher.

  “You really did that?”

  Kyle laughed. “Heck yeah, I did.” He pulled out from the chair and lifted his jeans to reveal a metal prosthetic. He clinked his fist into the metal. “Got this baby to show for it.”

  Kyle had been injured in combat, but that’s not where he’d lost his leg. He’d enlisted, did two tours, and took a bullet to the neck. He barely survived, but the physical wounds healed. Coming back to an empty house filled with photos of the woman who left him, trying to battle the demons of taking a bullet and nearly dying, remembering how the men beside him died from the same weapon that nearly killed him…

  Kyle had wounds that weren’t physical. And they ended up being a much bigger threat to him than the bullet was.

  “How do you come back from that?” Josh asked.

  Kyle smiled, his blue eyes catching Jared’s for just a second before returning to the kid. “I realized I was sicker than I thought I was. When I was discharged from the hospital for my leg, I admitted myself to a rehab center for everything else. Never looked back.”

  Josh was scribbling on his notepad. Jared turned to see Vanessa’s warm eyes beaming with satisfaction over the little reporter in training.

  “Do you ever
regret anything that happened? Would you do things differently if you went back now?”

  Kyle locked his fingers together behind his head. “I mean, obviously if I went through it now, I’d do it differently. I’m smarter now. But I don’t regret anything.”

  “But, the-” Josh stopped himself.

  “The leg?” Kyle laughed. “Yeah, it sucks. But every morning I wake up and have to put that prosthetic on? The only thing I’m thinking is about how determined I am to never go back to that place.”

  Jared didn’t know how much of Kyle’s history he’d shared with Josh, but any little bit was enough. Jared had a strong feeling that the kid may be able to relate to what Kyle had to say.

  It was the main reason he’d brought him there.

  “Is this the teacher?” Kyle asked, looking to Vanessa.

  Josh spun around to look. “Hi Miss Adams,” he said quickly, his entire demeanor changing.

  “Hi, Josh.” She took a step forward. “I appreciate you doing these interviews. I’m really excited to see what you have.”

  His smile was wider than Jared had ever seen it.

  It may have warmed his chest a bit.

  “I should go,” he began. He turned back to the five people sitting around him. “Thank you guys so much for all your stories. I hope we can talk more one day.”

  “Of course, you can,” Jared interjected. “You’re welcome any time.”

  Josh smiled, gathered his papers, and stood from the chair, walking around to shake the hands of each member of Jared’s team he’d been sitting with.

  Vanessa turned. “How did you do that?” she whispered.

  “How’d I do what?” Jared teased.

  She rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips told a different story.

  “There’s a limo out front, Josh. It’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

  The kid’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

  “Really really.”

  Josh walked up and extended his hand. Jared took it and shook. “Thank you, Mr. Walker.”

  He nodded, and Josh quickly waved to Vanessa before walking around them both and heading outside.

  “Vanessa, can we have a word in my office?”

  She looked to him, opened her mouth to speak, and then snapped it shut. Lust shot across her features, and he couldn’t stop the smile that promptly spread across his face.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Vanessa’s heart raced as she followed Jared to his office. When she walked in, she couldn’t help but be mesmerized. It was similar to Gavin’s office, with floor to ceiling windows, a stunning darkwood desk and relaxed seating in front of it. On the wall opposite the desk was a refrigerator built into the wall, along with a couch and a television.

  Oh, how the other half lives.

  Jared closed the door behind them. Vanessa bit her lip.

  “Don’t pretend that wasn’t amazing.”

  She laughed, thinking back to Josh’s enthusiasm. Truthfully, she’d never seen him excited about anything. “Is that all he did all day? Talked with your employees?”

  Jared’s smile could bring a girl to her knees. And it just might do that to Vanessa if she wasn’t careful. “Pretty much.”

  “And how’d you know that would help him?” He’d been so certain. The kid punched him, and he jumped to his defense with such certainty that he could handle it.

  Jared stepped closer to her. At the moment he did, his phone began ringing. He walked to the desk, picked it up, and placed it right back on the hook. He leaned against the front of his desk.

  “Maybe I’ve been a little brat before.” He raised one eyebrow. “Maybe I had a long conversation with someone who set me on a better path.” He pushed off the desk and began to step toward her.

  The phone rang again.

  He rolled his eyes and did the same move, picking it up and slamming it back down.

  “What if it’s important?” she asked.

  “If it was important, they’d call my cell. Not my business number.” Jared’s dark eyes scanned over Vanessa’s body. She suddenly became hyper aware of her outfit choice… and incredibly uncomfortable.

  He stepped closer, brushing his knuckles across her cheek and tilting her head back.

  “You know,” he muttered, “I love seeing my name across your chest.”

  She giggled, breaking free from the sexy look he’d been giving her and turning away. When she looked back, his gaze was still smoldering.

  Why did you leave last night? She wanted so badly to ask, but couldn’t find the nerve.

  His strong hands grabbed her by the waist of her jeans and pulled her against him. She gasped at the sudden movement, body lighting up at the feel of his rock hard length pressing into her.

  He leaned toward her lips, and then the phone rang again.

  A growl escaped his throat and he stalked toward it, clicking a button and nearly yelling into it.

  “What?”

  “Hi, Jared?” The voice was high, female, familiar.

  “Who is this?”

  “Jemma Jordan. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  Vanessa’s stomach began to flip. “I should go-” she began in a whisper, but Jared shook his head and raised his pointer finger. One minute.

  She took a deep inhale, and stayed anchored in place.

  “What can I do for you, Jemma?”

  “Well, you kinda stood me up on our date last night.”

  Jared furrowed his brow. “I thought that was just for television.”

  There was laughter on the other end. “Why of course not. I’m happy to forgive you and give you one more chance, though.”

  “No thanks,” Jared quickly responded. Vanessa sucked in a deep breath.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Not interested.” Jared moved his hand to hang up the phone.

  “But- you said you’d love to!”

  Jared chuckled. A deep, rolling sound that made Vanessa shiver. “Yeah, because you asked me on live television. I wasn’t going to sit there and embarrass you by saying no.”

  She smiled. She shouldn’t have, and she quickly hid her lips behind her hand, but damn it, Vanessa smiled.

  “Um. Oh. Okay. Well.”

  “Thanks for the interview, contact my office if you’d like to have me on again.” Jared ended the call.

  He turned back toward Vanessa, who was doing everything in her power to wipe the smile off her face. It wouldn’t go anywhere.

  “So, about fucking you on my desk.”

  She laughed. Loudly. Fully. So deeply that she had to bend over just to catch her breath. “How do you go from a famous television host asking you out to trying to screw some boring high school teacher?”

  Jared’s hand gently touched her neck. “I think I’ve made it pretty clear who I’m interested in here.”

  Vanessa smiled. “I don’t understand why.”

  He bent and pressed his lips to her neck, then slid his tongue over the sensitive skin there. “Last night was amazing.”

  Her breath hitched in her lungs. “It was.” Better than amazing. The best thing she’d ever experienced.

  “I say we spend tonight trying to top it.”

  She giggled and pulled away. “What exactly are we doing?” she asked.

  Jared frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, we can’t just work together and sleep together.”

  His smile was wicked. “Of course we can.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t… I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “What kind of girl?” he stepped forward again.

  Vanessa sighed. “The kind who can just screw around and keep her feelings out of it.” Vanessa envied women who could, but it just wasn’t in her. She could already feel herself getting wrapped up in Jared Walker; why else would she have taken so much joy from him choosing her over Jemma Jordan?

  “I told you last night that once wouldn’t be enough,” Jared’s voice rumbled. “Can you honestly tell
me that you don’t want to do it again?”

  She bit her lip and shook her head. “Of course I want to do it again. I can’t imagine not doing it again.” Didn’t he see? “That’s the problem. Because eventually, it’s going to stop. And the sooner I separate, the less damage it’ll do.”

  Jared’s face hardened.

  She continued. “Eventually, you’ll meet some actress or model and it’ll crush me. And I just don’t feel like being in a one-way relationship.” Been there, done that. Vanessa wasn’t getting her feelings involved unless she was with a man who felt the exact same way that she did.

  “I have no interest in anyone who isn’t you.” His words warmed her. But not enough.

  “Maybe right now.” But he would. “The truth is, we’re like oil and water. We just don’t mix.”

  “How the hell not? We seemed to mix just fine last night.”

  “Yeah, except I didn’t sleep at all, went into work so off my game that I didn’t even notice Josh was missing, and even now, I’m struggling to stay in control of myself.”

  His hand lifted once more, angling her face up toward his. “And what are you trying to control right now?”

  Her breath was coming too heavy. “How much I want to abandon all rational thoughts and beg you to take me right here.”

  Jared reached around her and pulled clip from her hair, the full mess of it cascading down over her shoulders. He leaned into her ear, his lips grazing over her lobe. “Stop trying to control everything.” He licked the skin there and she shivered, squeezing her legs as her sex ached for him. “Give in.”

  Vanessa sucked in a sharp breath as he bit into her neck, licking and sucking and kissing his way down to her collarbone. Her knees felt wobbly, and she gripped onto his muscular shoulders for support.

  A knock sounded on his door. She leapt away from him.

  “I have to go,” she said quickly.

  Jared opened his mouth to argue, but the door swung open.

  Gavin walked in, and Vanessa grabbed the opportunity, quickly saying hi and bye as she ran around him headed toward the main lobby.

  She absolutely could not control herself around Jared Walker.

  And that was a serious, serious problem.

  Chapter Eight