Free Breakaway by Kelly Jamieson Page B

chatting.
    Babies were so sweet and precious and she’d never admitted
it to anyone, but she wanted one of her own. A crazy thing to want when she
wasn’t married and didn’t even have a boyfriend. Probably she just wanted to
replace her brother and sister with someone else to look after. She rolled her
eyes at herself as she hurried down the hall toward her classroom. Except…she’d
always loved babies and kids. Hell, that was why she’d become a teacher. She
sighed.
    Jason was in her classroom when she arrived and she went
from soft longing to tingling awareness in the blink of an eye. As he worked
with the kids, he seemed more focused this week, though very tense. Which was
exactly how Remi felt. Damn. She plastered on a smile for the kids and made it
through the reading session. Once again, Jason hung back until they were alone.
    Her heart tapped in her chest as she gathered up some papers
she was going to take home and looked up at him inquiringly.
    He stood there, putting his jacket on, blinking, his mouth
tight. She’d kissed that mouth. And he was such a good kisser…
    With a mental shake, she tried to refocus.
    “Was it better today?” Jason asked, almost sounding…nervous.
    “Was what better?”
    “Ah…me. I know I’ve been kind of distracted. But the truth
is…Remi, you distract me.”
    Her heart missed a beat and her mouth fell open. “Me.”
    “Yeah.” He rubbed his face, then blurted out, “I can’t stop
thinking about you!”
    She stared at him, her lungs refusing to expand and take in
oxygen. Funny he should say that, since she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
    “Would you like to go get some dinner?”
    She still stared at him. From the pained expression on his
face, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d actually meant to issue that invitation. “Dinner?”
    “Yeah.” He lifted a shoulder. “You know. In a restaurant.”
    Now she almost smiled. “Why?”
    “Uh…why not?” He smiled too, that sexy, boyish smile that
was enough to melt her panties. And she did begin to feel a little warm and her
tummy did a little flip.
    “I don’t think so,” she said, breaking eye contact and
picking up the folder she planned to take home.
    “Why not? C’mon, Remi. We had fun that night.”
    Was that was this was about? He wanted more sex? She
frowned. “I think if you’re looking for ‘fun’,” and she emphasized the word for
effect, “you’d be better off with one of your supermodel girlfriends.”
    He drew back and his smile disappeared. “What’s that
supposed to mean?”
    “I mean, I’m not really made for fun. Apparently. After what
happened the last time.” Add to that the fact that he’d said he was going to
call her when he clearly had no intention of ever doing that, having dinner
with him would be a big mistake.
    He laughed. “I told you. That was funny. Maybe not at that
moment. I think it’s nice that your friend cares that much about you.”
    And it also showed how out of character it was for her to do
something like that, but she didn’t want to point that out to Mr. Fun.
    “Come on, Remi.” His voice was deep and velvety soft. “It’s
just dinner.”
    The suggestive and silky tone of his voice made her shiver,
made her nipples tingle, made her insides clench.
    He reached out and stroked a hand down her bare forearm,
lingering at her wrist, his thumb stroking over her pulse there.
    “How about the fact that you said you were going to call me
and you never did?”
    He pursed his lips. “I meant to call you. Really.”
    She lifted one skeptical eyebrow.
    “Really. But then I came here and found out who you are and…”
His words trailed off and she regarded him with confusion.
    “You found out who I am? How about, I found out who you are!”
    He waved a hand. “That doesn’t matter.”
    He apparently really believed that. She gave her head a
shake. “You’re a famous pro athlete. I’m a teacher. That doesn’t exactly seem
like…” She waved a hand