Page 34 of The Headmaster’s Rule

He grunts out a sound I don’t understand, then crosses the room to retrieve a sheet of paper from his desk, and my eyes follow helplessly. He’s so tall, so solid, like the lighthouse on the cliffs of Wetherly Cove. A man who could make any woman feel safe and protected. Against my better judgment, my gaze slides to his ass, wondering if it’s as firm as it looks. His hair is a little disheveled after the day, those shirtsleeves pushed back… God, if he puts his glasses on, I’m toast.

Jesus. Listen to me. This is my boss.

Rein it in, Eleanor. If I want him to take me seriously, I need to behave like an adult, not a teenager with a crush.

When he returns to his chair, oblivious to my roving eyes, he hands me a sheet of paper. Our fingers brush, sending a spark up my arm. My body responds with a rush of goosebumps, and I suck in a sharp breath, hoping he doesn’t notice.

Instead, I focus on reading the paper. It outlines the conditions for Safe Harbor, but my eyes can barely take in the words. I’m relieved when he speaks in his usual calm and level manner, steadying my racing heart.

“As you can see,” he says, motioning to the paper, “the board has agreed to run it for one semester as a pilot program. The scope will be limited too, at least to begin with, and there will need to be regular progress reports, clear parental communication, and faculty oversight.”

I nod. “Makes sense.”

When I glance up, his expression is serious. “So, Eleanor. There’s only one thing left to do.” He slides on his glasses.

Goddammit.

“What’s that?” I squeak.

“Get to work.”

CHAPTER 13

Theo

Ishould be tired when I close my front door, but I’m not.

I’m buzzing. Buzzing after wrapping up a late meeting with Eleanor. We’ve made a lot of progress on the fundraiser plans now that Safe Harbor has been approved, and it’s a weight off my shoulders knowing we’re finally moving forward.

But if I’m being completely honest with myself, I’m not buzzing about that.

I’m buzzing about her.

Despite my best intentions, we didn’t go to the conference room tonight. Instead, we stayed in my office, eating Thai food under soft lighting, as if we were on some kind of date.

Which is utterly absurd. Eleanor is young, vibrant, and full of life; I’m sure she would have zero interest in dating a man my age. A man who’s hardened himself against the joy in the world.

I’d delayed our meeting, telling myself it would allow me to catch up on the work I’d missed during the board meeting, but I knew that wasn’t the real reason. I needed more time to recover after that moment in her classroom this morning. Time after the school day to get my head on straight. To decide whether I really could work closely with her. I knew that once I told her the board had approved Safe Harbor, there would be no going back.

But all I did was pace my office restlessly, unraveling by the minute. Delaying our meeting only ensured one thing: we’d be alone.

And while that should have worried me, it didn’t. More than anything, I was relieved. No one else was on our floor. We could let our guards down, at least a little, as we worked.

But letting my guard down is the last thing I should do with her.

It was a mistake to send Margaret home early. To let Eleanor come into my office with food. To watch her full, soft mouth as she ate.

Christ.

As a headmaster, I pride myself on traits like control and restraint. These are what allow me to run a school efficiently, to keep a cool head under pressure.

But I cannot keep cool around Eleanor. When she’s present, I’m the opposite of composed. Tonight, I damn near lost my mind. The way she tucked her hair behind her ears, the peek of cleavage I stole when she leaned across to clear the table, the jolt of electricity I felt when my hand brushed hers…

And God, when she called me sir this evening, it had a very different effect than it has in the past. I had to race to my desk to hide it from her.

It’s bad enough that she’s a competent, capable teacher with brilliant ideas that push me out of my comfort zone. But to see her like I did tonight, in the soft light of my office, her hair loose, her delicate floral scent teasing me as she sat so close… I can no longer see her as simply a teacher, my employee.

Tonight, I saw her as a woman.