Page 71 of Silk Sheets

Mentally, I shook those brain eating thoughts away and focused on putting my trust in them.Bothof them.

During the second half I found myself rushing down the hallway, heading straight for the bathroom. Thegirl’sbathroom.

Thankfully, it was empty and I was in and out in no time so that I could get back to cheering

Rushing back down the hallway, I felt a sudden hand on my arm and noticed Chase standing in the doorway of Logan’s classroom.

Without hesitation, he pulled me inside and slammed the door shut. I didn’t know whether or not to be thankful that Logan was inside. He was seated behind his desk, hands hovering over the keyboard due to our sudden entrance.

“What’s going on?” Logan hesitantly asked and I glanced over at Chase.

“Logan, please get out,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest, not tearing his eyes from me, and Logan got up in confusion.

He cast me a look and I simply shrugged in response. He stepped around his desk, grabbing his keys, and leaving the classroom by shutting the door behind himself.

“Who is Asher Graham to you?” Chase asked and I was taken by surprise, turning my entire body to face him.

“He’s my friend, why—”

“Then why were you kissing him, Dakota?” he questioned, stepping closer to me and I stepped back.

“What are you talking about?” I asked—dumbfounded—and the muscle in his jaw ticked.Oh…“It was a kiss on the cheek. Chase, it was platonic—”

“I don’t care what you call it,” he began, stopping in front of me, leaving no space between us. “You don’t kiss or touch another man. Do you understand?”

“Chase, please—”

“Do you understand me, Dakota?”

I swallowed hard, contemplating my next move. “No.”

Deep blue eyes pierced through me but I kept my head up to look him in the eye.

“Stop treating me like some kid you can push around. Asher is my friend and if you can’t accept that then leave. You should know better than to get jealous of your student, Mr. Madden. Or threaten one.”

“I’m not in the mood for your games.”

“And I’m not in the mood for your possessiveness.”

He gave me a single nod and with only a few strides he was at the door, yanking it open. The door smacked against the wall, making me jolt in surprise. He left the classroom—clearly on a mission— and my eyes grew wide as I followed behind him.

“Chase!” I called out, watching him stalk down the corridor. I struggled to keep up with his long strides as he passed by multiple classrooms. “Where are you going!” I called out after him, reaching for his arm but he pulled away from me.

He was headed straight for the door leading to the football field.No…

“Okay fine,” I called out after him. “No more Asher, okay? Chase stop!” I grunted, grabbing his arm and he stopped to look at me.

He stared down at me with filtered rage in his eyes and I swallowed hard, trying to catch my breath.

“I’m sorry,” I reluctantly apologized. “Just stay away from him. You could lose your job.”

“My jobisn’tmy top priority right now,” he said and I scoffed, looking around.

“Let’s talk in your classroom,” I lowered my voice as I let go of his arm. A couple of students passed us and Chase stepped aside, allowing me to walk first. He seemed eerily unbothered and unfazed by the students, and it led me to believe that he clearly wasn’t dependent on this job.

As we entered his classroom, he grabbed my upper arm and walked me toward his desk while loosening his tie.

“I’m not yourchild,” I hissed, tugging my arm from his hold. Now, we stood chest to chest behind his desk. “You can’t just bark out orders and expect me to follow them blindly.”