high school games Preston Academy played in, but that was to cheer on kids I’d seen put in hours of effort—and who weren’t being paid millions to play. Unless they were given a free ride to Preston Academy, which happened all too frequently. Thus, the financial issues of the last school I’d taken charge of.
I switched my concentration back to Chris. He was pulling into the driveway of a cute little clapboard house. The academy was nestled in the trees in a suburb outside of Minneapolis. Chris also lived in Eden Prairie. Should I have followed him home in my own car?
The part he lived in screamed middle-class, unlike the neighborhoods the rest of my students lived in. His house was one of many on the block; it didn’t take up the whole block. I had rented a town house in a gated community in Bloomington. Maybe I should’ve invited him back to my place, but I didn’t care to spend more time than I had to in the big, empty house.
The garage door opened, and he pulled inside. I was debating pulling into his driveway or parking along the curb when the second garage door opened.
I chewed my lower lip. We both knew we were hiding what we were doing, but parking in his garage made it sneakier. I had a job to do and someone spotting my car wouldn’t help. Especially after the talk I’d had with Dresden Wentworth’s parents. Do you know how much I pay this school every year?
Uh, probably what every other parent pays. And his separate donations shouldn’t come with a list of instructions. Sometimes I wished I could say what was really on my mind. I also dreamed of drafting a disclaimer parents should sign that stated Money donated to Preston Academy in no way makes me an authority on how it should be run. If I have ideas and opinions, I will present them at the next school board meeting. However, I will not wine, dine, or bribe my way through the school board members to sway their decision.
I pulled into the garage with more speed than I intended, stomping on the brakes before I went out his back wall into what was probably a tidy backyard.
The garage darkened as the door descended. I was officially on a date. With the guy who’d kept me up at night all week. I peeked at him as I gathered my purse. He was climbing out of his vehicle, the twisting motion tightening his T-shirt around his abs. How had I underplayed how good-looking he was? It was like my brain had gone into survival mode because I could plummet hard for a guy like him.
His dark blond hair rode the line between trimmed and shaggy. Intelligence shone in his eyes without the peacock displays for my benefit. His form-fitting shirt and worn jeans hugged his body at unexpected times. All of it together made him catnip to my inner puma. I wanted to pounce on him and see if he tasted as delicious as he had the first time.
He had reached my side of the car by the time I got out.
“Thanks for letting me use the garage.” I glanced around. There wasn’t much extra room outside of the vehicles, but he had a snowblower and a lawn mower neatly lined up on the far side. The workbench that stretched across the front was also organized, but with tools that actually looked used and not for show.
He didn’t hire a lawn service. How did that exponentially increase his sexiness? I clutched my tote lest I jump into his arms before we stepped foot in his house.
“I was inventorying my kitchen on the way here,” he said with a lopsided grin. Even his expressions were relaxed and unpracticed. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I can make you the best damn grilled cheese you’ve ever had, or we can order pizza.”
My stomach took on a mind of its own and flipped and stretched like it was preening under the options. My nanny used to make the best grilled cheeses in the history of cheese and bread, yet I had had enough of the gourmet pizzas in the eateries I went to. Pizza was supposed to be greasy and cheesy and that quality was assumed if a place delivered.
“I…can’t decide. I don’t have enough of either one in my life.”
“And you work around teenagers? I’m surprised.” He led me to the door to the house.
“You have