Free Devil Moon by Dana Taylor Page A

it to you."
    Phil lifted an eyebrow. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." He turned his hand over and captured hers. "So you read my resume, huh? Part of the job or personal curiosity?"
    Maddie said nothing and tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tighter and began making little circles with his thumb over her knuckles.
    "May I have my hand back, please?"
    The sides of his lips turned up every so slightly. "I'm not finished with it yet. You know, I'm curious about you, too. I ask myself what a woman with your education and drive is doing in this hick town. I see you in your little business suits and those awful dark-rimmed glasses and I wonder who you think you're fooling. You try to be a real hard-ass, but, honey, I can see right through you."
    She pulled her hand away from his relentless minor caress, feeling breathless. And it wasn't from the running. "I congratulate you on your superior x-ray vision, Mr. Wilcox, but I can assure you I am exactly as I appear. I'm organized, disciplined and neat–all attributes which appear to elude you. I dress in a manner suited to my position and I expect a certain amount of respect from the students and the staff. However, every time I'm near you I feel as though you're mocking me, laughing at some sort of private joke at my expense. I can tell you, I don't like it."
    Phil's brown eyes crinkled as he leaned a little closer in her direction. "You know what it is, don't you? You want everyone to see you as the assistant principal and I look at you as a woman. You're afraid of being a woman, aren't you, Maddie?"
    They stared at each other almost nose to nose. He had seriously ticked her off. She needed some sort of snappy reply . Afraid of being a woman . She'd tell him. She'd show him....
    She cupped her hands around his cheeks and came at his mouth with intensity, her hot lips taking the smirk off his face. She'd show him who was afraid of being a woman.
    As she pressed her mouth to his, she anticipated his surprise. Weren't expecting this, were you, macho man?
    Of course…she wasn't expecting spontaneous combustion . She felt it happening. Pow! The strings, the cords of control she'd so carefully laced around her inner woman began popping. She could almost hear them– zing, ping, snap ! Phil's arms wrapped around her and the kiss transformed from an assault to a surrender. She folded into him, going soft and pliant. Total meltdown.
    Phil lifted his head, saying hoarsely, "I take it back."
    Maddie blinked, struggling to focus, trying to regain strength. "What? Take what back?"
    "The crack about your being afraid of being a woman. Honey, you are all woman." His brown eyes smiled, almost merry.
    Coming back to her senses, Maddie pushed away and stood up, a little unsteady. "I really have a lot of work to do. I need a cup of coffee." Oh, God, did she need coffee.
    She nervously packed her little knapsack, keenly aware of Phil’s frank stare.
    He said, "Thanks for the run. I feel better about facing the day."
    She started to walk down the steps. "Good."
    "Are you coming to the game?"
    She stopped and turned to look at him. She'd planned on renting a video to watch at home. Her eyes softened. "Of course, wouldn't miss it. I'll be rooting for you."
    He smiled a teddy bear grin. "Good."
    * * *
    Maddie stood before her closet at six o'clock that evening, still groggy from an afternoon nap. She'd meant to do laundry and run the vacuum, but weariness overcame her and she crashed on her flowered quilt. She chose a t-shirt bearing the beaver mascot, jeans, and coordinating jacket.
    Examining her myriad of scarves, she procured an appropriate match and tied it on. The trademark began as a lark at the school and now was expected. Students would think her half-naked without it. At Christmas she received boxes of imaginative scarves from favorite students. Slipping into comfortable flats, she headed for the door just as Randy rang the bell.
    She opened the door. He wore a raccoon coat and