Chapter 8

EIGHT

AUSTIN

Focusing was a struggle. Not the best time for that, considering I had two more meetings to get through and a stack of paperwork needing my attention.

But every time I allowed my mind to drift, it immediately went to when Jasper walked me to my door and wished me goodnight.

The whole escorting me to the door and being kissed on the doorstep before leaving me puffy-lipped and with a hard-on was honestly the first time ever a man had done that to me. It left me weak-kneed and reliving the moment constantly when I couldn't afford to.

But the experience had left its mark, and Jasper's heated mouth against mine, his tongue stroking against my own as he'd tugged me close was a memory I'd savor. Busyness be damned .

A knock on my open door drew my attention. I greeted Barb with a smile, but it lost its sparkle when I saw her serious expression.

"Do I want to know?" I asked.

"Quite possibly not." She stepped into my office, a wad of paper in her hands, and closed the door behind her. The action had me tensing. Barb needing privacy was never a good sign.

I indicated for her to take a seat.

"Larry has just been to see me," she said as she sat at the other side of my desk. "He found these taped to the southside building." Papers were placed on my desk, and I scooped them up.

The image was gritty, no doubt due to an old camera and the dark. My heart stuttered, heat tearing through me, anger in its wake. Despite the dark, it was clear who was in the image. Jasper and me, on my doorstep, arms around each other and mouths locked together. I shuffled through the papers to discover the images were the same.

"He passed by the building a couple of hours ago but said there was nothing on the walls then. He's done a search since, and these are the only ones he can see."

I clenched my jaw, trying to wrap my head around what I was seeing.

"All students are in classes, and there were no phys ed classes, so I don't expect any students have seen them," she continued, and I looked up, making eye contact for the first time, not quite sure what I expected to see. The look on her face indicated she was livid on my behalf, helping me remember to draw in a breath and exhale. I needed oxygen. I needed to get my brain working.

Frowning, I shook my head, glancing at the photo and then at her. "I don't understand why or who would do something like this. What were they trying to achieve?"

Barb pursed her lips before saying, "The whole thing is ludicrous. Could it be a student, simply stumbling upon you and a new teacher and thinking they'd have some fun?" From the doubt on her face, it was clear the argument was weak to even her own ears.

Sickness churned in my stomach, and I struggled to grasp on to a single emotion. One thing I wasn't was humiliated. Not by the kiss, not even by the picture. But that a moment between the two of us had been abused this way pushed my anger to fury level.

The board knew I was gay, and while I'd never made a public announcement about my sexuality, considering it wouldn't be expected for me to do so if I was straight, I did not, nor would I ever, hide who I was. I was open about my previous relationship, the only one the community would have known me to have. I'd had previous partners, but the last one before Rupert was before I lived locally.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. "How shall we handle this?"

I exhaled, not holding back my frustration. I'd have to tell Jasper. The knowledge hit me hard. This was the last thing that he should be dealing with. As a young and new teacher, he was so much more vulnerable than I was. My stomach lurched.

"Austin." I snapped my gaze to Barb's. "There was nothing malicious in the image per se. No slurs, nothing derogatory written around."

"Other than a complete invasion of my privacy and Jasper's." My jaw cracked this time when I ground my back teeth. "And who the fuck was outside my house? It's not like I live in easy access to town."

"Should I call the police?"

I shook my head again. "No. But I will reach out to Hank." He was one of the board members and was a good guy. "I'll let him know, ask how he wants me to handle it, make an official statement should we need it, and it looks like I also need to disclose the news about me and Jasper, just to be safe."

A sympathetic smile was directed my way. "I'm so sorry you have to put up with this sort of nonsense." A different kind of smile then spread across her lips. "And Jasper, huh?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, Jasper."

With a tilt of her head, she fixed her eyes on mine. "It makes sense."

"What does?"

"Since he started, you've been less grouchy."

"Me, grouchy?"

"Yes, you. After that sorry excuse for an ex did a number on you, and to be honest, for quite a while before that, you haven't been yourself."

My eyes widened in surprise. I worked my ass off to make sure I came to work positive and got my job done. And I tried to ensure my personal and professional lives didn't cross over. But considering that was now horseshit, since I was dating a member of staff, clearly I wasn't as good at keeping everything together as I thought. "Was it that obvious?" Guilt burrowed its way through me.

"Only to me, I think." She cast me a wink. "And I know what you're thinking, and no, your shitty love life didn't impact on your ability to do your job."

I laughed loudly, the action freeing and relieving some of the tightness in my shoulders. "Thank you," I said, so grateful that the woman before me was her own level of badass.

"If Jasper keeps making you smile and brings the joy I haven't seen in a while back to your eyes, I am 100 percent supportive of your new relationship." She stood, collecting the papers from my desk. "I wish I could file these in the shredder, but I'll be sure to put them somewhere more secure should we need access to them."

"I really appreciate that. Thanks, Barb."

She bobbed her head and reached for the door handle. "Just checking, you're still aiming for discretion with your relationship, right?"

"If that's possible." I grimaced. Only time would tell.

Not looking forward to being the bearer of bad news, I hovered outside Jasper's classroom. The halls were empty, students long gone, but with my mind working overtime, there wasn't any stillness or calm.

During a thirty-minute call with Hank, we'd discussed a plan of action. The concern was clear. It wasn't so much the possibility of a student placing photos clearly intended to humiliate, but rather that someone had been outside of my home. It was the tipping point to the sheriff being called, a statement made, and the photographs filed as evidence.

There was nothing else to be done other than to be vigilant and report anything else untoward .

Police involvement added significantly to my discomfort of the discussion I needed to have with Jasper. Truth was, we'd known each other for a couple of weeks, and while our attraction was instant and reciprocated, I didn't know him all that well. And not knowing how he would react rattled me.

"Hey."

My gaze shot to the doorway where Jasper peered from. Immediately, my thoughts traveled to our goodnight kiss, and I smiled, which then wavered when the photograph popped into my mind. "Hey."

Brows dipped in confusion, he looked disarmingly attractive. I seriously hoped that there would be more kisses, more getting to know each other. I wasn't ready to give up on what was going on between us yet.

"Everything okay out here?"

My smile was tight before I took a step toward him. He backed up and entered the classroom, closing the door behind me. The temptation to kiss him tugged at me, but if Jasper's reaction resulted in him no longer wanting to get to know me, then it wouldn't be fair to confuse the situation with foggy brains from a heated kiss.

The confusion morphed into worry when it became clear I wasn't going to kiss him, and I'd put physical distance between the two of us .

He edged over to his desk and backed against it, remaining quiet as his expectant gaze centered on me. There was no way to sugarcoat or prolong the inevitable. Doing so would only make it worse.

I stuck with the facts.

"There's been an incident. A photograph of us from last night was printed and placed around a small section of the school. Larry removed them, and we don't think students saw them." I'd kept my ear to the ground and had also sent Barb on a mission, going in search of gossip. At the end of the day, she reported that there was no chatter about photographs or me and Jasper. While reassuring, it didn't settle my unease.

I focused on Jasper's reaction. Wide-eyed, he peered back at me, his skin losing some of its color. There was no other way but for me to continue. "I've spoken to a member of the board and had to file a police report."

"What?" He stood upright, horror-stricken, his skin paler still.

"Someone was outside my house. Only someone who wanted to be specifically at my house would be there." I was fully aware no students or even staff members lived within a ten-mile radius. Nor did I live en route to anywhere of significance.

Understanding registered, and he gasped, his hand covering his mouth. "What the hell? And what's going to happen?"

The need to reach out to him tore at me, but I held back. "Nothing." I shook my head. "Everything has been filed as a precaution. The sheriff expects seniors spotted us at the restaurant and used it as a way to cause trouble." I wasn't so convinced. If that was the case, they could have easily taken photos of us there. There was no need to follow us home.

"And what do you think?" He lowered his hand, his gaze steady. I relaxed a little and laughed on the inside that he was able to read me so clearly.

"Is it bad that I thought of Rupert?"

His brows sprung high. "Really?"

I shrugged. "He's got a vindictive streak, and I wouldn't put it past him."

"Don't get me wrong," Jasper said, his tone shifting, "I'm not usually one for stroking my own ego, but you've definitely upgraded."

A loud laugh burst out of me. With it came a relaxing of my shoulders and a lightness easing through my chest. Jasper's eyes were all but twinkling in mischief. This time I didn't hold back when the urge to touch him hit me hard.

I stepped into his space and hauled him close, though I was breaking my own rules since we were on school grounds. "I'm so sorry this has happened." My voice dipped with sincerity. I didn't want him hurt or embarrassed.

When Jasper's hand touched my face, his thumb caressing my cheekbone, my exhale was loud and relieved. He shook his head, still caressing me as he said, "This isn't your fault. As long as you're okay and neither of us are in trouble with the powers that be, we'll shrug it off and hope nothing else happens. And if something does, we'll deal."

I searched his eyes, my chest full of gratitude. "You're pretty incredible, you know that?"

A cheeky grin appeared. "It's always nice to hear. Not sure you should keep stroking my ego this way, though. I don't think it's healthy."

"Duly noted," I answered before slowly leaning in and dotting a small kiss to his lips.

When we pulled apart, he asked, "So what did the sheriff say about Rupert? You told them about your split, right? And what did the board have to say? It can't have been bad, I'm assuming, since—" His eyes darted at the minimal space between us as he remained securely in my arms. "—you know."

"The deputy sheriff called me just before I came to see you, saying they followed up with the contact details of where Rupert was staying, but he's no longer there, and his friend said he left town yesterday morning." And honestly, I couldn't imagine anything cloak and dagger going on, or Rupert dressed up in a costume and mask doing dastardly deeds in the darkness of the night, but the idea of students going so far as to follow me home didn't sit well. It was probably why I was fighting the idea so much.

"Okay." Jasper bobbed his head. "And the board?"

"They were pleased I brought it to them straightaway. And as long as we continue to follow the code of conduct, they have no concerns."

He huffed out a breath, his shoulders loosening. "Okay."

"Are you, though?"

He scrunched his nose, something I'd noticed him doing a time or two, which was adorable. "I will be. I'm sure it'll blow over, and we'll deal if the gossip starts up, or I suppose when the gossip begins." He looked at me in expectation, and I got it. This put a considerable amount of pressure on us. While we could continue to move at the pace we chose, people knowing about the two of us meant added stress under the spotlight.

"It will," I reassured. "I'm not ready to finish exploring what's between us." My words had the desired effect and he softened in my arms. "That okay with you? "

"Definitely. And nothing a few shots and a night of dancing won't fix."

I scrunched my brow, having no idea what he was talking about. "You want to go dancing?"

Awareness registered in his gaze. "I'm heading to the city tomorrow to meet up with Ian."

I shuttered my emotions, working hard at not showing any reaction. We weren't dating, and even if we were, he wouldn't have to share with me all his plans. "Oh, okay." I wanted to roll my eyes at myself, not liking the hit of jealousy coming alive in my gut. Not for Ian, but the fact that I wouldn't get the chance to see Jasper let loose. There'd be other times, though. I sucked in my internal response and tried my hardest for the smile I gave him to reach my eyes.

After a moment of quiet, Jasper's lips pressed together. "Are you upset I didn't tell you?"

"No," I answered immediately. "It's not that at all." A self-deprecating laugh slipped out. "Selfishly, I just thought about missing out on you dancing and having a good night."

It seemed like I'd said the right thing, as a smile reappeared. "I do like to go wild every now and again." He waggled his brows, and I snorted.

"I bet."

"I want you to come tomorrow. "

My eyes widened. "You don't have to offer just be—"

"Please," he said with a laughing huff, "I can guarantee you I'll never do anything I truly don't want to. I may allow the occasional sweet talk to seduce me every now and again," he said, and I filed that information away, "but I'll never be strong-armed into a reaction."

And I believed every word. It was easy to forget at times that he wasn't even twenty-five. He seemed wise beyond his years. And then there was that confidence that sat so nicely with his sweetness and ability to laugh at himself. The combination was fascinating and attractive.

"So, will you come?" He paused before saying, "Obviously only if you can get a sitter for Penny."

My heart flipped and spun, really aiming for the gold medal with the acrobatics. "I'd love to. Thank you."

The thudding beat vibrated through my body. It had been a long time since I'd been to a club, and while I didn't think it would be a regular thing, I was having a great time.

I danced as best as I could to the beat. While I didn't have two left feet, I wasn't Justin Timberlake. But I needn't have worried about the variety of stresses I'd mulled over as Jasper and I drove out of town.

Ian was great and appeared to have given me his nod of approval, so there was that. The crowd I was concerned about standing out in… well, the notion was ridiculous now I was in the throng of people who, like me, were having a good time dancing—some like no one was watching. Which happened to be one of the men I'd secured a motel room with. That was something else I'd been mulling over. Our attraction was palpable, but yesterday had added an additional complication to us getting to know each other. Jasper had handled the news so magnanimously that when we'd checked in and he'd peered my way, asking, "One room?" and I'd nodded quickly, my eagerness to unwind and get to know the man even better was visceral.

And it was my need for him that had me reaching out and taking his hand, drawing him closer.

"Hey," he said breathily, leaning in close. Aftershave and the sweeter scent of sweat filled my senses as his arms looped around my waist. "You having a good time?"

I smirked. "I really am." I angled closer to his ear so he could hear me properly. "Thank you for this." The sad reality of not remembering the last time a man had looked out for me, done something extra to make sure I was okay had hit me hard on the drive over.

And then there was Jasper.

His concern over the photos was as much for me as himself, and from the moment we'd talked through everything and shared heated kisses yesterday, he'd lavished me with attention. Then there was tonight.

He balanced including Ian with managing to make me feel as if I was the center of his focus perfectly. My body remained the only one he roamed, with both his hands and his eyes, despite the many men making a move when we weren't grinding against each other.

I almost bit my tongue when, rather than responding with words, he flicked his tongue over my neck before turning it into tender kisses. When he reached my ear and worried my lobe, my groan escaped, and there was zero room between us as I held him flush to me.

The sweet kisses made their way across my jaw. But I couldn't wait. Instead, I angled quickly and caught his mouth with mine, allowing his gasp to soak into me, drinking in his needy reaction. Our tongues tangled, mouths working us up into a frenzy that quite possibly wasn't suitable for any other club but this one, considering the heavy sessions I'd seen on display.

Half-mast eyes peered up at me when Jasper pulled away. "I'm ready to get out of here."

"Agreed," I said .

His puffy-lipped smile made me throb and was enough of a spur to get me to take action.

I swung my gaze around the darkened room lit by strobe lighting. Ian was dancing with a guy about his size, hips close as they laughed at something. Jasper followed my gaze, nodded, took my hand, and we made our way over.

After receiving a thumbs-up from Ian, we left the vibrating room, me leading the way while Jasper focused on his phone, organizing an Uber.

"One minute," he said when we stepped outside and the cool air hit us. It was fresh and sobering, and also dotted us with goose bumps I looked forward to licking off Jasper's neck as soon as I had him naked and in bed.