clicking shut froze them both.
Their eyes locked in panic as someone called Liese’s name from inside the library.
They were not alone.
Ryder’s eyes went wide with the same shock that had Liese closing her legs in a vise grip against his hips. “Who the hell is that?” he asked.
Before she could answer, she heard her name called a second time, closer than before—the voice unmistakable. She uttered a low curse as Ryder’s alarm changed to incredulity.
“Is that Blake Stone?” His eyes zeroed in on the locked door.
Liese nodded and pushed on Ryder’s chest, but got nowhere. “We can’t get caught,” she said frantically, spurring him into action.
In a rush, she adjusted her underwear and shoved her skirt over her hips, smoothing it down her thighs. Ryder tucked his shirt into his pants and fumbled with his belt. Liese tried to reorganize her desk and pick up the items strewn across the floor. It looked like a bomb had gone off—office supplies littered the carpet like shrapnel.
Ryder knelt to help her, gathering random items to deposit on her desk. “Why is he here?” Accusation made his tone sharp.
“I was supposed to help with rehearsal at the end of the day. He’s probably checking up on me. I told him I had a meeting with you,” she defended in a harsh whisper. Panic-stricken, she almost dropped the armful of papers she’d gathered.
“Let me take care of this.” It wasn’t a request.
He fixed her hair, tucking errant strands behind her ear before smoothing his hand down the side of her neck. “Sit down; you’re shaking.” He kissed her cheek before he stepped back, motioning to her chair. Liese didn’t bother to argue. Barely able to breathe through her anxiety, she dropped into the chair and set to rearranging the mess of papers on her desk. Ryder stuffed the condom wrapper into his pants pocket—she wasn’t even sure if he’d bothered to remove the condom. Then, calm and composed in spite of their situation, he stepped over and opened the door.
Blake stood at the threshold with his fist raised, ready to knock. The furrow in his brow deepened, and his look of disquiet morphed into confusion.
“Hello, Mr. Stone.” Ryder greeted him with a smile, his tone light, posture open. But Liese could see his hand on the door knob flex until it was white knuckled. “We’re just finishing up a meeting. How can I help you?”
“I—uh . . .” Blake looked from Liese to Ryder, apparently uncertain as to what the principal could do for him. “I wanted to make sure Liese was okay. She wasn’t feeling well earlier, and we had rehearsal for the holiday play this afternoon.”
“Oh?” Ryder feigned surprise. “Sorry if I’ve kept Liese from something important. Had I known, I wouldn’t have let our meeting run so long.” Liese could see only a partial profile of Ryder’s face. He remained placidly indifferent, but she didn’t miss the undercurrent of derision. Right now he bordered on furious.
“Oh, I thought she . . .” Blake paused. “Well, then—” He stumbled over his words, eyes ricocheting from Ryder to Liese and her desk. He frowned at the chaos there. Blake had been inside her office enough to know she kept her desk organized.
Ryder stepped into the doorway to block his view of the room. Liese could see him craning his neck, looking rather put out. “I’m sure if Liese and I can work through the remainder of her proposal without further interruption she’ll be able to get to rehearsal soon enough,” Ryder said. “Unless you’re here because her presence is no longer required?”
Blake went stony. “We just finished, which is why I came to check on Liese.” Despite the perilous circumstances, Ryder remained completely unfazed while Blake’s obvious irritation bordered on disrespectful. Liese would have felt embarrassed for him if she hadn’t been about to pee her pants.
While the two men glowered at each other, she took the opportunity to slip a
Their eyes locked in panic as someone called Liese’s name from inside the library.
They were not alone.
Ryder’s eyes went wide with the same shock that had Liese closing her legs in a vise grip against his hips. “Who the hell is that?” he asked.
Before she could answer, she heard her name called a second time, closer than before—the voice unmistakable. She uttered a low curse as Ryder’s alarm changed to incredulity.
“Is that Blake Stone?” His eyes zeroed in on the locked door.
Liese nodded and pushed on Ryder’s chest, but got nowhere. “We can’t get caught,” she said frantically, spurring him into action.
In a rush, she adjusted her underwear and shoved her skirt over her hips, smoothing it down her thighs. Ryder tucked his shirt into his pants and fumbled with his belt. Liese tried to reorganize her desk and pick up the items strewn across the floor. It looked like a bomb had gone off—office supplies littered the carpet like shrapnel.
Ryder knelt to help her, gathering random items to deposit on her desk. “Why is he here?” Accusation made his tone sharp.
“I was supposed to help with rehearsal at the end of the day. He’s probably checking up on me. I told him I had a meeting with you,” she defended in a harsh whisper. Panic-stricken, she almost dropped the armful of papers she’d gathered.
“Let me take care of this.” It wasn’t a request.
He fixed her hair, tucking errant strands behind her ear before smoothing his hand down the side of her neck. “Sit down; you’re shaking.” He kissed her cheek before he stepped back, motioning to her chair. Liese didn’t bother to argue. Barely able to breathe through her anxiety, she dropped into the chair and set to rearranging the mess of papers on her desk. Ryder stuffed the condom wrapper into his pants pocket—she wasn’t even sure if he’d bothered to remove the condom. Then, calm and composed in spite of their situation, he stepped over and opened the door.
Blake stood at the threshold with his fist raised, ready to knock. The furrow in his brow deepened, and his look of disquiet morphed into confusion.
“Hello, Mr. Stone.” Ryder greeted him with a smile, his tone light, posture open. But Liese could see his hand on the door knob flex until it was white knuckled. “We’re just finishing up a meeting. How can I help you?”
“I—uh . . .” Blake looked from Liese to Ryder, apparently uncertain as to what the principal could do for him. “I wanted to make sure Liese was okay. She wasn’t feeling well earlier, and we had rehearsal for the holiday play this afternoon.”
“Oh?” Ryder feigned surprise. “Sorry if I’ve kept Liese from something important. Had I known, I wouldn’t have let our meeting run so long.” Liese could see only a partial profile of Ryder’s face. He remained placidly indifferent, but she didn’t miss the undercurrent of derision. Right now he bordered on furious.
“Oh, I thought she . . .” Blake paused. “Well, then—” He stumbled over his words, eyes ricocheting from Ryder to Liese and her desk. He frowned at the chaos there. Blake had been inside her office enough to know she kept her desk organized.
Ryder stepped into the doorway to block his view of the room. Liese could see him craning his neck, looking rather put out. “I’m sure if Liese and I can work through the remainder of her proposal without further interruption she’ll be able to get to rehearsal soon enough,” Ryder said. “Unless you’re here because her presence is no longer required?”
Blake went stony. “We just finished, which is why I came to check on Liese.” Despite the perilous circumstances, Ryder remained completely unfazed while Blake’s obvious irritation bordered on disrespectful. Liese would have felt embarrassed for him if she hadn’t been about to pee her pants.
While the two men glowered at each other, she took the opportunity to slip a
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