Black Creek Burning (The Black Creek Series, Book 1) (29 page)

His grip was firm where he held onto the arms of the chair. Rotating her back to him,
she pooled her jeans around her ankles, then stepped out, a perfect mixture of lightly
bronzed muscle and feminine curves. Reaching behind, she released the clasp of the
lace and slipped it from her shoulders. She added the rest to the growing pile at
her feet and turned. His breath caught. She stood unashamed and all woman.

Taking a step toward him, Brie stopped just out of arm's reach from his chair. Taken
with intensity of both the physical and of his heart, he slid to the floor. Sitting
on his heels, he pulled her to him. Pulled the most complex, amazing woman he'd ever
known close to him. Burying his face in her stomach, he took hold of her ankles.

Brie felt rough, possessive hands explore from the back of her heels, over her calves,
behind her knees and up her thighs to her backside. As he stood, his lips followed
a similar path.

"You're beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "I found you. How did I ever find you?"

Her legs trembled and caused her insides to ignite and her legs to weaken. He simply
scooped her up and carried her to the messy bed. They rolled, joining lips and tongues
and grazing teeth. Together they pulled his shirt from his shoulders.

His fingers ran up to her throat, circling her neck before making his way to the back
of her head and lacing his fingers through her hair. She felt needed and loved. She
felt her breathing become short and ragged. She pulled off the rest of his clothes
and swam in his awe as he trailed his fingers along the length of her arms. He reached
her breasts. Holding each in his hands, he sunk to her.

Grabbing hold of the back of his hair, she tried to pull him closer. She lay tucked
under him, his mouth feasting. The palm of his hand pressed along her as he traveled
to her center. She gasped as he pressed her over the glorious edge.

Their bodies slid dampened with sweat. Trembling with aftershocks, she found him and
sent him into his own growling moan. He moved his lips under her jaw, teeth grazing
along her collar bone up to just below her ear. He took hold of her lobe with his
teeth as she touched him.

He clamped his hand to her, taking her back up and over. She cried out and grabbed
his back. Rolling on top of him, she lifted and guided him to her. Her head turned
slightly as he held onto her hips, pulling her against him until they both shook with
need. She arched and, together, they cried out in release. Joined. Loved. Trusted.
Spent. They fell back wrapped in a tangled mass.

Nathan didn't know what way was up. He just knew their bodies were slicked together
Brie was still trembling. He turned his head, placing his lips on her cheek before
she rolled and collapsed next to him. "The coffee will be cold."

"Coffee who?" She laid an arm over her eyes for a full minute before rolling off the
side of the bed.

He lifted on his elbow enough to watch her walk to the tiny sink. She took a sip of
the tepid caffeine as she walked back with it to him. Watching her had him already
feeling aroused. She handed him the covered paper cup. It was when she crawled back
up to the pillows that he lost it and set the cup on the side table to take her again.

* * *

Nathan analyzed his work. The three days since they'd been back had been spent entirely
on laying the base trim that now sat on smooth, finished and sealed hardwood. To him,
the house was still missing a beamed ceiling at the top of the open, two-story foyer
and a wooden arched entryway to the dining room. But it looked finished to anyone
who didn't have access to the worn notebook resting comfortably in the back pocket
of his faded jeans.

Brie made no mention of the evening's board meeting. He knew she missed her students,
missed her job. Liz's confidence in the outcome was helpful, but he didn't know that
much about those kinds of things.

The moving van would arrive in the morning and the house would become a home. He still
had months of work to do with the kitchen, front door, deck, porch, shutters and all
of the extras he had planned.

He wondered if Brie would want him with her at the meeting. He would let her decide
and if she didn't want him there, he would leave it at that.

They both heard the squeal of the brakes from the bus. Brie came around the side of
the house and met Nathan coming out the front door. They paused and locked eyes before
continuing down the drive to meet Duncan and Andy.

"Hey, Dad, Miss Chapman. Mrs. Whittier says good luck tonight."

Duncan was incredibly mature for his age, Nathan thought, recognizing the taste of
sarcasm in his voice.

Brie winked at him. "Piece of cake."

Andy took Brie's hand as they all walked up the gravel. "Will you come back tomorrow?
Sean says you'll be back tomorrow. It's not fun without you."

"I'm not sure how this works. How about I let you know as soon as I know?"

"Are grandma and grandpa coming here? Are we going to their house?" Andy continued
with his rapid fire questions.

All eyes looked to Nathan for an answer.

"Why don't you two go find something to snack on and we'll be just a minute."

He tried to be casual, leaning back against her truck and pulling her to him. "I didn't
know if you wanted me there. I should have asked."

He felt her chest expand and release as he ran his hands over the back of her hair.

"I've tried to picture it both ways," she said. "The board thought we were having
a heady affair long before we were, but they're likely to stare and judge anyway.
The thought of being without you tonight feels unsettling. I've never been in love
before."

Chapter 25

He pulled her by the shoulders to an arm's length away and looked at her. "Say it
again." He ran his hands over her shoulders, along her neck and held her face tightly.

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm in love with you, Nathan."

He pulled her forehead against his and closed his eyes tight before bringing their
lips together.

"Stop spying," Duncan yelled from the fridge with a banana in his mouth. He leaned
in the doorway. "What're they doing?"

"Kissing." Andy didn't turn to his brother but smiled wide.

"Gross," Duncan said as he pulled out some lunchmeat and bread.

* * *

They took Nathan's truck, but would have opted for Brie's shorter pickup if he had
known it would be so difficult to find a parking spot.

"They decide this kind of thing in executive session," Brie said to him. "I have to
tell you that regardless of the outcome, I need to move back home, Nathan." She looked
like she was expecting an argument.

"I figured." He knew it was coming and actually thought it would happen long before
now.

Taking a deep breath, Brie opened her mouth, then got the strangest expression before
closing it again. She remained somber and quiet as they parked.

There was a crowd hanging outside the back of the brick building adjacent to the parking
lot. He took her hand as they walked closer. He could tell that she recognized people
in the crowd. Her hand tightened around his.

"These are parents of students I've had," she whispered. "Nathan, they look angry."

"Not just parents. Look." He tilted his head to the right. Two cops were in the mix.

Back straight, chin up, Brie walked to the edge of the crowd, excusing herself as
she stepped through them. The crowd soon noticed her and started clapping. Slow at
first, but soon they were a loud mass of bodies.

A man walked through the crowd toward them. "We gave them an earful on their way into
the building, Miss Chapman. We support you and let them know it." He shook her hand.
"You kept our kids safe."

The first officer approached her and also held out his hand. "Every situation is different
and sometimes you have to use common sense. That's what you did, and that's what we
told each of them on their way in." He shook gingerly. "When administration starts
reprimanding staff for using their heads, we have to stick together. We'll go to the
press if this goes badly tonight."

"Thank you." She cleared her throat and spoke a little louder. "Thank you, everyone,
for your support. It's... overwhelming."

Nathan led her through the crowd into the building, but not without him noticing the
stares at his hand on the lower part of her back. Brie was visibly relieved when they
spotted her sister.

As they hugged in greeting, Liz explained, "They have to publicly announce what they
decided in executive session. It's first on the agenda after the motioning of approval
for the minutes of last month's meeting."

Liz led them to skinny metal chairs with blue-gray cushions. The board members sat
around a huge kidney-shaped table covered in a white drop cloth that reminded him
of a wedding party table. Each member, plus the superintendent, assistant superintendents
and the press had a shiny name plate and a microphone at their seat.

Odd, for such a compact area, Nathan thought.

Brie looked glazed over as they listened to corrections to the board minutes from
the last meeting. He didn't get all of it. All he knew was that his girl needed to
get back to work.

"Second the motion?" Brie jerked to attention. In response to the raise of a hand
from a rather hefty board member in a floral dress, the president continued, "Note
the second motion was from Alisha Harris, and let's move on to other business."

The board president was easy to distinguish, wooden gavel and all.

"Meeting in executive session, the board, in cooperation with the Northridge Education
Association, has made a decision regarding the lockdown procedure that took place
March eighteen of this year at Bloom Elementary. Principal Sandy Finley was dismissed
and teacher Brianna Chapman will retain her teaching position with a letter of reprimand
placed in her permanent file. Next business is to recognize our winter athletes...
"

He hadn't noticed she'd been holding her breath until it came out all at once. Her
eyes went first to his. Warm and glowing, she had the prettiest smile he'd ever seen.

Next, Brie's eyes turned to her other side to Liz, who didn't look as relieved.

"We'll fight the reprimand," Liz mouthed.

Brie ignored Liz's comment and looked like she might bounce out of her seat. "I do
go back tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. Aren't you at all mad? Did you see the crowd out back? And they're still going
to write you up?"

Brie didn't seem to be listening. She kissed her sister on the cheek, slid her arm
through his and looked back up at him. "Take me home, Reed."

As they drove, Brie looked out the window. "I had no idea how relieved I would feel.
Relieved and alive."

"I need to swing by my folks to get the kids." He played with the hair that escaped
her pins and danced around her neck.

"I've never seen your parents' home. I can't wait to tell Andy about all the work
he's going to have in the morning," she said mischievously. "You dress up well, Reed.
I'm in love with you."

His hand tightened on the wheel, but his eyes stayed straight. He moved his other
hand down to join with hers.

* * *

They celebrated with a game of Uno before tucking the kids in their beds.

"The moving van comes tomorrow." Brie thought Nathan's eyes lit as she said so. "You'll
be surprised at how much we have. I hope to have most of it out and the extra boxes
hidden before you get back from work."

"You sound like Mr. Mom."

"That's not an insult."

"I'll walk myself home tonight. You stay with the kids."

"Take my truck."

"Just around the corner? On this gorgeous night? I'll walk across the creek. You can
watch me."

And she knew he would.

Brie stopped when she reached her yard, the usual unsettling feeling crept up her
back. Macey stood panting comfortably and Brie smiled. Unlocking the back door to
the garage, she went in that way.