Natalie didn’t know why, but she found herself blushing. Could everyone please talk about something other than Hawk Winchester? She really didn’t know what to say to that statement—it was far from professional as she understood the word. But everything here was just different, so she’d have to learn to go with the flow or she’d never fit in. Still, she was tongue-tied and more than grateful when Carol started speaking again.

“I know this is your first job as a teacher, Natalie, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me or any of the other teachers. Dorothy is a godsend for this school, and she’s your best source of information. She knows everything, and I do mean everything!”

“Thank you. I do have one question. I was told I would be in charge of the pageant? I’m not complaining—not in the least—but as I’m so new, it might be better to have someone else in charge.”

There. That had come out professionally. She didn’t sound as if she was whining. Or at least she really hoped she didn’t.

“Nonsense. You’ll be just fine.” And that was the end of that as far as Carol was concerned. Everything suddenly moved at warp speed.

Carol moved to her door, and she continued speaking as she led Natalie down the hallway to one of the classrooms. Natalie gulped when she walked through the doorway and found a giant Welcome on her chalkboard with little messages from all the other teachers.

When Carol left her and she was alone in her first real classroom, she read those sweet and hospitable notes. Natalie really hadn’t wanted to come to this small town; she’d always dreamed of working in a prestigious private school where she could feel she was molding future presidents and high-level businessmen and -women.

But as she stared at the chalkboard, she was so overcome with emotion that she was struggling to fight off the tears. This wasn’t the sort of place where she’d feel intimidated, where parents would try to bribe her to give their kid a better grade.

No, this was the type of school where she would find young children eager to learn, and parents who asked to see their homework. Taking out her cell phone, she snapped a few photos so she could always remember this moment, and then she picked up the eraser and cleared the board. It was time to be practical. Cool, calm, collected. Time to get her lesson plan up, and time to jump into her first day of being a real teacher.

Just as she finished writing on the board, the bell rang and the sweet music of children’s voices filled the halls. Laughter preceded the kids into the classroom. With a shaky smile, Natalie turned to face her class—thirty pairs of young eyes looking back at her, trying to decide whether she made the cut or not.

“Good morning, class.” The noise didn’t die down as the kids all settled into their chairs, so Natalie tried again, this time louder. “Good morning, class!”

The voices quieted; heads turned and eager eyes looked back at her. “Good morning, Ms. Duncan.”

Natalie beamed at the little blond girl sitting in the first row.

“Thank you for answering,” Natalie said as she pulled out a piece of candy and tossed it to the now-excited little girl. “Each time you answer a question today, or respond to a statement, you get a small treat.

“Since this is my first day here, I thought we’d start off by you each introducing yourselves to me, and then I’ll do the same,” she said, and a burst of confidence blazed through her as thirty hands shot up. Nothing like having a bag of candy to get them to listen.

The day passed in a blur of activity, and when the final bell rang, Natalie dropped into her chair. When she was sure no one was looking, she scooted backward, kicked off from the floor, and set her chair to spinning, then hugged her knees to her chest as she whirled around and around.

She’d survived. Not only had she survived, but she’d had a wonderful day, one full of great kids who were eager to learn. She felt on top of the world. A happy giggle flew from her lips as she continued spinning. She didn’t stop until her head was light and she knew if she continued she’d make herself sick.

“It appears that you like your new job.”

Natalie froze, but her chair spun one more time before her feet touched the ground and she could focus her eyes on the doorway. Leaning against the doorjamb, and looking far too good, was Hawk, sporting a sexy-as-hell smile and those made-for-dreams smoldering eyes.

Oh, this was going to be a very, very long month if she had to work with the man every day. As the wattage on his smile kicked up a notch, her stomach shook.

Yes. A very long month . . .

chapter

7

Slow and painful torture would be better than this!” Hawk’s stomach dipped when his hand brushed against Natalie’s for the tenth time this day alone. His muscles tight, his mind anywhere but where it should be, he moved quickly to the other side of the gym, feeling her gaze follow him.

“What’s your problem?”

Turning, Hawk found his best friend, Colt, walking up.

“None of your damn business,” Hawk grumbled.

“Ha! Obviously it’s woman trouble.”

“How would you know about woman trouble, Colt?”

“That’s a hoot, Hawk! Weren’t you mocking me this past year while Brielle put me through the ringer?”

“Well, that was you. It was much more fun to watch.” Hawk had definitely enjoyed how uncomfortable Brielle Storm had made his friend.

“Yeah. Well, payback’s a bitch,” Colt said with an evil grin.

“We’re in a school, Colt,” Hawk reminded him. He looked around and was grateful not to see any kids listening in. “And what are you doing here anyway?”

“I had to drop off the green paint I picked up.”

“Well, you did. Now leave,” Hawk said, not in a mood for visiting.

“If I promise to be good, will you tell me about your troubles?”

What the hell. “The entire situation is ridiculous, Colt. I barely know this woman, but suddenly I can’t seem to think of anything else but her.” Blowing out his breath, he waited for Colt to mock him.

“Maybe you should just take her out, see where things could go,” Colt told him as they both turned to stare at the woman in question while she moved through the gym hanging decorations.

“Nah. Women are great and all, especially for one thing. However, they’re also pretty much interchangeable, and most important, they’re always temporary. Natalie lives in this town, so she’s automatically out. I don’t sleep with women here, you know that.”

“Yeah, I remember that rule. That was until I met Brielle . . .” Colt said with a knowing laugh.

“You’re not being any help at all, Colt. This woman is just too damn complicated. Too messy. Too . . .”

“Too what?” Hawk’s eyes narrowed. Was his best friend mocking him?

“Hell, this is insane. I just need to get over myself, quit acting like a damn teenager.”

“All I can say is, good luck, buddy,” Colt said before laughing and walking away.

“Thanks a lot!” Hawk replied, but all he got back was a chuckle from his engaged and far too happy friend. “They all fall sometime,” he muttered, and tried to focus on what needed to be done for the pageant to be a success.

Thirty minutes later, when he took a step back and knocked into Natalie, nearly tripping over her as she leaned over a chair, he was barely able to stop the groan that seemed hell-bent on escaping from his dry throat.

Her ass should have Warning: Lethal pasted right on it, because for a woman who had shown up in town in such uptight clothing, she’d sure found her own casually hot style during the last week. The jeans were enough to give him a heart attack, and the tight sweaters she’d decided to wear with those jeans didn’t leave much to his imagination.