What the actual hell is wrong with me? I need to get laid!
“Please take a seat and we can get started,” I advise and turn to walk past my desk. I can’t help it. I really can’t. I shake my ass a little more than I would normally do to see if he’s looking at me the way I’m looking at him.
Does he want me the way I want him?
Do I even want him?
There he goes again smiling as if he can read my mind!
Axl and Braydon sit in the chairs in front of my desk so we can discuss what has been happening lately.
Axl’s big body can barely fit in the chair making my kid sized chairs seem even smaller. His huge chest is puffed out in front of him making his Henley underneath his vest strain to cover.
His weird eyes follow me as I sit at my desk. I can feel the heat from them. They are heavy and very commanding.
220
Dana
“What seems to be the problem?” Axl asks and clears his throat.
“Whuh?” I breathe out. Shit! I totally zoned. “I mean, yes. I wanted to talk to you and Mrs. Tanner about Braydon’s performance in school.”
“There isn’t a Mrs. Tanner, Ms. Burns. Quit beating around the bush. What’s going on with my son?”
His deep voice and his piercing eyes is enough to make me pant. What the hell is happening to me?
“Braydon hasn’t been coming to school a lot. He has quite a few absences. Is there something going on?” I ask.
Axl looks surprised. “How many absences are we talking here?”
I counted them before the meeting because I was waiting so long, but the number escapes me now that I need it. I quickly count them up. “He has had twelve unexcused absences this marking period.”
“Braydon! Why haven’t you been going to school?” Axl demands.
Braydon squirms in his seat and looks over at me. “My mom… Sometimes she forgets to bring me to school.”
“Are you serious? Your mom forgets to take you to school twelve times?”
“Mr. Tanner—”
“My name is Axl. You may call me Axl. Why am I just hearing about it now?”
This is when the weight of his stare gets to be too heavy for me. “That’s because your son came to school dirty a couple of times and a report had to be made.”
“What do you mean?” His voice gets louder.
I want to sink in through the floor at the way he’s asking questions. He’s no longer just curious about this meeting, he’s down right pissed off!
“Axl, the report happened while I was on vacation. Anyways, this meeting is to discuss what is going on at home.”
Axl’s head looks straight ahead at me. His eyes darkening and then cooling all at the same time. It’s as if he’s trying to read my mind. It is very unnerving.
“I’m not trying to be mean. Braydon is a fantastic kid in my class. His grades are great and for the most part he doesn’t create problems. I’m just trying to see if there is something we can work on to make his time at school a little easier for him. What do you think?” I ask. I rambled a little too much, but I’m desperate to turn this conversation around.
“Braydon, what is goin’ on at your ma’s house?” Axl asks his son.
The tender way in which he is talking to his son, melts me a little more.
Braydon shifts in his seat without looking at either of us. It is clear there is something going that he doesn’t want his dad to know about. However, we need to find out.
“Braydon, this is a safe space. Whatever you say in here won’t get you in trouble,” I try to help.
“No,” he mumbles with his face down into his chest.
“All right, I’m takin’ my son home. Anything else you have to talk about?” Axl grumbles.
The baritone in his voice makes my heart beat a little harder and faster. “Um, no?” He has totally caught me off guard. I have never had a parent make me feel as if I’m out of control.
Axl stands up with Braydon standing with him. His hand is cupping his son’s shoulder and he looks at me. I stand up as well to be polite. Axl’s greedy eyes work their way up my body and down my body in an equal pace.
“Thank you, Ms. Burns. I can promise ya this won’t happen again.”
Braydon looks up at me cautiously. “I’m sorry,” he whispers.
Quickly, I walk around the desk and kneel in front of my student. I’m at his eye level and he’s wondering what I’m doing. The uncertainty is all over his face.
“No matter what, I’m here for you. You can tell me anything and I will do my best to make sure you’re okay. Okay?”
He nods and walks out of the room.
“Thanks for carin’ about my boy.”
I smile at Axl who is offering his hand to help me up. I set my hand in his and allow him to assist me. The minute our hands touch, a spark flies through my body. I gasp at the sensation.
“I’ll see you around, Ms. Burns,” he croons in a sexy velvety voice.
“You can call me Dana,” I call after his retreating back.
Once I’m alone in my room, I stand in the middle of the classroom and wonder where the hell all of my professionalism has gone. That woman wasn’t here just now. The woman standing in the room is a sad one who is a little too horny for her own good.
Shaking my head, I start to pack up the stuff I need to take home with me for a long night of grading homework.
221
Axl
The only thing I want to do is shift my ass into my beast form and demand Trina give me some answers. However, I have to be here for my son and that’s what is important right now.
We’re walking into the restaurant
