Free The Principal's Office by Jasmine Haynes Page A

couldn’t explain. Bree could never understand the kinkiness of what she did, the heat of doing it, the surprise, how much she wanted more of it. “It was very good.”
    “Great. Since you’re fine, I have to go. I’m kinda tied up right now.” Rachel thought she heard a man’s deep chuckle. Bree’s boyfriend.
    “Thanks for checking on me, Bree.”
    “I’ll do it for
you
anytime.” Then Bree was gone. Yet again, there was importance in her words. Bree was giving her something she hadn’t given a lot of people. She was telling Rachel she was special.
    She removed the Bluetooth, setting it on the bedside table. It was after ten. If the boys were going to call, they would have already. She was alone. Her body was sated. But it would be a week before she could have more.
    Was she supposed to call him? Ask for sex? How should it work?
    Then, in the dark, Rachel smiled. It would work any way she wanted it to. Because he was desperate for her.
    For the first time in a relationship, she was actually in the driver’s seat.

7
    ON SUNDAY EVENING, THE FRONT DOOR SLAMMED JUST AS RACHEL was putting the last of the Nathan’s folded laundry in his bureau drawers. She’d have more to do this week; when they went to their dad’s, they took full suitcases and returned with all the dirties.
    “I’m back here,” she called. Gary dropped them off after dinner, so at least, following a day of cleaning and chores, she wouldn’t have to cook.
    “Hi, Mom.” Justin, on his way to his room.
    “Hi, honey.” She allowed herself a smile as she mouthed the greeting, thinking of last night with Rand and watching
honey
. She did not feel guilty about it now that her sons were home. She was allowed a separate life when they were gone.
    Then Nathan wheeled his suitcase in, leaving it by the closet door. Her heart lifted when he actually smiled at her. He was such a beautiful boy, taller than her now, turning into a man right before her eyes. His hair was a lush brown, and she liked to think he’d have a strong face in a couple of years. More than anything,she wanted to reach out and push back his hair. But that would be considered babying.
    “Mom, look.” He thrust a paper at her. She barely had time to read it before he started telling her all about it. “Dad registered me for the driving lessons. He said you could pay your half whenever you get the money. He doesn’t care how long it takes. All you have to do is sign this. I can even do the class stuff online. It’ll be a piece of cake.” His brown eyes sparkled with excitement.
    Rachel could barely hold the paper without shaking. She wanted to shriek. Goddamn Gary. He’d put her in an untenable position. Because she either had to smile and lie and say how happy she was for Nathan, or refuse to sign and break his heart.
    She turned to close his underwear drawer so he wouldn’t see her expression. “Well, isn’t that great, honey.” She tried not to grit her teeth. “What a wonderful”—fucking asshole—“guy your dad is.” Of course, she would never say that word in front of Nathan. But it felt marvelous to think it. She realized Rand was right; it was such a good word. And it had so many meanings beyond just sex.
    “Will you sign, Mom?” For a moment, Nathan was her little boy again, begging for a new toy that everyone else had.
    If he was guilty of playing her and Gary off against each other, she needed to at least call him on it. “Did you ask your dad to register you for the class, Nathan?”
    He looked her straight in the eye. “No, Mom.”
    “So it was his idea.”
    “He asked me if I would have my driver’s license in time to take the car in the summer, and I said no. So he just looked up the class on the Internet. And he made an appointment at the DMV to get my permit.”
    She was sure there had been a bit more back-and-forth that Nathan was leaving out. She took the paper anyway. At some point, it was just plain stubbornness not to acquiesce. But she