"What is it?" Miss Rogers turned her head toward him. She lost her footing and stumbled.
Austin automatically caught her before she fell. He held her against him for all of three seconds. She jerked out of his grasp and hurried inside the bus.
He followed her, silently cursing the way she felt in his arms. Cursing her for making him feel desire. He stopped at the top of the steps and looked at all of the kids inside the bus. They were laughing and joking. He said hello to a couple of parents sitting down the aisle. Miss Rogers finished counting heads, then took her seat.
The bus driver looked at him. "We've got a long trip ahead of us. The sooner we start, the sooner we get there."
Austin searched for Kelsey and saw her way in the back. Her blonde head close to a red one. Amelia Jackson. They were talking and giggling. Kelsey caught his eye and waved.
There was only one seat left on the bus. He groaned at the inevitable, then sat down next to Miss Rogers. She didn't look too pleased with the situation.
"I'll trade seats with one of the kids." She started to rise.
He clasped her forearm and pulled her back down. "Don't. You'll spoil their fun. They'd rather sit with their friends than the teacher."
"Gee, thanks."
"It's true, and you know it." He let go of her arm, his fingers burning from the contact.
She stared at her arm for a moment, then raised her eyes to his. He heard her breath catch.
The seats were small. His thigh was jammed against hers. He could feel the heat through his denim jeans. She was wearing jeans, too. And a loose blouse with a denim vest embroidered with all kinds of school things: apples, chalkboards, a bell. He could see the curve of her breast under the vest.
Miss Rogers scooted closer to the window. She forced a smile. "It's two hours to Lubbock. You may regret not switching seats."
"Probably." He was already regretting it. Sitting so close to her was torture. Mixed with forbidden pleasure. He hated himself for the traitorous feelings.
She gripped the back of the seat when the bus swung out of the parking lot onto the highway. Her hand brushed the back of his neck when it slipped along the edge of the seat. Awareness shot down his spine. It was going to be one hell of a long ride.
It didn't help when she jerked back, her cheeks positively red now. Swallowing hard, she quickly found her balance, leaning back into the corner between the seat and window. As far away from him as possible. Which suited him just fine, he told himself.
The air between them crackled with tension. He didn't know how that was possible on a school bus crowded with noisy kids. But it was happening and he didn't like it.
Miss Rogers stared out the window. He leaned his head back on the seat, closed his eyes and decided to ignore the situation. He had a lot of things to think about besides the woman next to him:
Which fields to fertilize, which ones to plow, getting with his brother Dallas to move the cattle onto the wheat on the north farm.
These were only a few of the hundreds of details he had to deal with on a daily basis. He didn't have time to be distracted by the woman, no matter how attractive he found her.
The kids settled down, most had headsets with music. Some were quietly talking. Some playing games in their seats. After about an hour, they started to get restless.
"Miss Rogers, how much longer?"
"I'm thirsty, Miss Rogers."
"I'm bored."
Austin opened his eyes and straightened in his seat. "I knew the peace couldn't last long. And here I was thinking what a good class this was."
"It
is
a good class," Miss Rogers said. "The best. But riding on a school bus isn't the most wonderful way to travel."
"You can say that again," he grumbled under his breath.
She gave him a look, before rising on her knees and turning toward the back of the bus.
"Who wants to sing a song?" she called to the kids.
"Oh, great. This will make the trip so much more delightful," he said, as the noise level on the bus rose with enthusiasm.
"You have a better idea?" She looked down at him. The corners of her eyes crinkled with amusement. She was enjoying his predicament. The shy lady had a humorous streak.
"Not really," he said.
"I didn't think so." Her look said to shut up, she would handle this. She had switched to teacher mode, he realized. In control. Not nervous at all. More relaxed.
Austin wished he could relax. With her kneeling in her seat, her cute butt was almost level with his eyes. Dark blue denim hugged the enticing curves lovingly. He clenched his teeth. He had to get a grip. On himself, not her cute butt.
"Okay, class," she called. "I'll start you off. See if you can get through the whole song without messing up. Ready?
Ninety-nine bottles of coke on the wall . . . Ninety-nine bottles of coke . . . Take one down, pass it around . . . ninety-eight bottles of coke on the wall . . ."
She directed the kids for two more rounds, then slid back into her seat.
"That should keep them busy for a while," she told him.
"When did the words change to that song? I didn't learn it that way."
"This is a school function. We can't let the children sing about beer, now can we?" Her eyes twinkled a moment, then widened when she realized how close she was sitting to him. She was in the middle of the seat, not plastered against the window, as before. Their shoulders rubbed together. They were sitting almost hip to hip.
Austin watched the forest green eyes darken, awareness making the pupils dilate. Quickly, she moved over, putting space between them. The color was high on her cheeks again.
Clearing her throat, she bent to retrieve her clipboard from her bag. "I've assigned five students to your care. You'll be responsible for them once we're inside the museum. Each parent and their group of kids can go their own way. Just stick together and know where your kids are at all times. "
The way she switched between sensual woman to prim, competent teacher fascinated him. He reminded himself he didn't want to be fascinated by her.
She handed him a computer printout. "We'll eat lunch in the park at noon. That will leave us with an hour for the show in the planetarium. We should be back on the bus by two-fifteen, two-thirty at the latest. Any questions?"
Austin looked at the neatly typed list. "Just one. Do you always plan things like you're preparing for a military campaign?"
She smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "I'm an organization freak. I prefer to leave nothing to chance."
"You're not the only one."
Miss Rogers tilted her head as if to study him. "You make lists, too?"
He nodded. "Not as precise as this. You've got me beat by a long shot. But I do like to be in control of things."
"Ahh--that explains a lot." She put her clipboard back in her bag.
"What do you mean by that?" He looked at her. The corners of her eyes were crinkled again.
"Nothing. What could I possibly mean? Forget I said anything. Look, we're almost there. I have to give these to the other parents." Laughing, she stood and slipped past him. The back of her legs bumped against his knees. She almost fell, but caught herself just in time. The laughter died in her throat. She kept moving, holding onto the seats as she walked down the aisle.
Austin frowned as he watched the bus driver maneuver in the Lubbock traffic. Miss Rogers almost sounded as if she were flirting with him. Teasing him. She looked like she was amused. But she wasn't amused whenever they touched or got too close. He wasn't amused either.
He told himself he didn't want anything to do with a woman like her. She was a forever-after-let's-have-babies kind of woman. She would want more than just a physical relationship. And she deserved more. He didn't have anything to offer a woman like Miss Theresa Rogers.
****
Theresa herded her group of students past the archeological exhibits of the Texas Tech University Museum. The quality of the presentations was excellent. She hoped the kids were enjoying them as much as she was.
Leading the group to another room, an exquisite display of ivories and jades caught her attention. She must have lost track of the time, because before she knew it, a voice from behind interrupted her study of the polished stones and figurines.
"Miss Rogers, I'm hungry. It's getting close to lunchtime, isn't it?" Kelsey McCade came to stand next to her and leaned on her.
Glancing at her watch, Theresa saw that it was five to twelve. "You're right. It's time to eat. Let's gather everyone and head to the park." She hugged her, then looked around for her own group of kids. None of them were in sight. Where had they gone? They'd been beside her just a minute ago.
Austin McCade walked up. "Lose something?" he asked. "Or someone? Or several someones?"
"Hopefully, just misplaced." She craned her neck to look past him. "Have you seen them? I couldn't have taken my eyes off them for more than a few seconds. I thought they were right here. I became really engrossed in this display. The pieces are beautiful. The kids must have thought I was taking too long."
"Don't worry. They're making a pit stop before we leave for lunch. Patti Garrison has them under control. Everyone is accounted for. Except for you. They said they told you, and you nodded."
Theresa let out a relieved breath. "They probably did. I was reading about the history of these pieces. They belonged to Helena Rubinstein. I guess I didn't really hear what the kids were saying. I knew they wouldn't get in trouble. This is a good group, like I've said before."
Austin picked up her bag, where she had laid it down on the floor. He held it out to her. Taking it from his grasp, she stared at his hands. They looked strong, capable. Roughened from hard work.
She had felt those hands on various parts of her body. At the Founder's Day Jubilee when he had held her close during the race. This morning, when he had caught her as she stumbled. Brief touches, but they had branded her. Making her wonder what they would feel like caressing her, touching her all over.
Her eyes moved up to his face. He was watching her. Did he know what she was thinking?
His mouth was set in grim lines. Those sculpted lips had touched hers once, a mere brush, a fleeting whisper. The impact had been devastating, leaving her yearning for more.
"Thank you," she said, swinging her bag on her shoulder. Quickly turning away, Theresa hurried toward the group near the restrooms. She prayed she looked calmer than her thumping heart sounded in her ears.
Being near Austin made her feel dreamy and liquid on the inside. The bus trip had been nerve-racking. Those little innocent touches hadn't been innocent at all. The chemistry between them was unreal.
Even now, her breath caught when she thought about it. His hazel eyes full of hunger one minute, anger the next. Theresa was certain he felt the sparks. But he didn't want to do anything about it. Didn't want anything to do with her.
People had warned her about Austin McCade. How he couldn't get over his wife's death. How he stayed true to her memory. But surely, his wife wouldn't have wanted him to live the rest of his life alone. He couldn't be more than thirty-four or thirty-five. Much too young to live in the past, with no thought to his future.
She wondered if he could ever let go of that past. If a woman even had a chance with him. Or would she always play second fiddle to his wife's ghost.
Shaking her head, Theresa pushed the thoughts away. None of it really mattered anyway. Even though he was gorgeous and sexy as hell, Austin McCade possessed a will of steel. Nothing could penetrate the wall he'd built around himself.
She knew he felt the sexual pull between them. It wasn't all on her side. She'd seen the desire burning in his eyes. Theresa sighed. Obviously, the attraction wasn't strong enough to tempt him to risk his heart again.
"Miss Rogers! Are we going to stand here all day?"
Theresa shook her head and looked at the group. "No, if everyone is ready, let's go eat some lunch." Taking a quick head count, she lead the way to the exit.
They rode in the bus to a nearby park. Austin didn't sit next to her this time. She heard his deep voice and laughter in the back, where he sat with Kelsey.
At the park, Theresa and two of the mothers handed out sack lunches and sodas from the coolers. As she gave the kids their lunches, she was constantly aware of Austin as he stood on the edge of the group. The man might say he wasn't interested, but she could feel his attention on her.
After all the lunches were claimed, Theresa felt her hand grabbed. "C'mon, Miss Rogers! Sit with us!" Kelsey tugged her to a picnic table under a large tree.
Austin sat with a group of Kelsey's friends. His eyes narrowed when he saw her approach. Kelsey seemed oblivious to her father's frown.