Grace hesitated. “Ice.”
CeCe shivered. “Damn. He’s perfect for you.”
Grace sat up straight, insulted. “What do you mean by that?”
“The students all say you’re smoking hot. Fire and Ice, baby.”
Grace shook her head at CeCe’s humor. “The only ice that’s melting is in my glass.” She waved to the waitress to bring their check.
“You should have some fun.”
“You’re right; I should. I’ll call Jones and take him up on his invitation.”
“I meant with Ice,” CeCe clarified.
“If I’m going to get involved with a man, he’s at least going to be able to take me out to dinner.”
“You have a point,” CeCe admitted. “But I still think Ice would have been an experience.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “One which is better left alone.”
Chapter 5
Grace flipped through her class notes, trying to ignore the concentrated stare from in front of her. She had managed for the past hour, but it was wearing on her nerves. Thankfully, it was Friday, and she wouldn’t have to look at him for two whole days.
A hand from the back of the room had her rising to her feet. A big smile greeted her as she approached. She couldn’t help liking the friendly man. Max was always giving her smiles and small winks. There was no doubt in her mind he was a ladies’ man.
“You need some help?”
“I’m stuck.”
Grace looked down at his computer screen. “Yes, you are.” Her fingers typed in several commands before she was able to fix his mistakes.
“Thanks, Teach.”
“You're welcome.”
Giving him a brief smile, she rose and went back to the front where a note was sitting on her desk. Unobtrusively, she glanced down and read it.
Quit smiling at him.
Shocked, she glanced up to see Ice frowning at her. She picked the note up, crumbling it into her hand before tossing it into the trashcan beside her desk.
“Something wrong?” Jackson, the guard standing in the front of the room, asked.
“No.” Grace gritted her teeth angrily. The man was going to get in trouble if he didn’t stop.
His hand rose in the air, and Grace debated ignoring it until Jackson gave her a curious look. Left with no choice, she went to his desk.
“No smile for me?” Grace could practically hear the sarcasm in his written sentence.
“No. Quit writing me notes and staring. I’m sick of it,” she typed in.
“No, you’re not. You’re getting hot.” At that point, she deleted his sentence and went back to her desk.
He had gone too far, and she wasn’t going to tolerate it. She wasn’t going to get involved in a situation, which could not only affect her professional career, but get herself hurt both mentally and physically by the criminal.
She stuffed her papers in her briefcase. “I need to leave early. Please complete your assignments and send them to my email. Enjoy your weekend.”
Grace left the classroom abruptly without another word, well aware she was running away. She didn’t care; she only had to make it through one day next week then the classes would take a break until after Thanksgiving. After that, she would be in the home stretch of finishing this disaster of a semester.
* * *
“Did you do something?” Max asked.
Ice studied Max’s angry expression. “Why?”
“She ran out of that class like her ass was on fire.”
“Maybe she had someplace to be. What do you care?”
Max pulled out a chair next to him at the table. “Because that was thirty minutes I could have been out of here.”
“Is that it?”
Max gave him a grin. “Hell, no. I’d rather look at her than two hundred of these assholes. You got a problem with that?”
Ice’s impassive face stared back at the brother.
“Why is it okay for you to stare and get friendly with her, but if I do, everyone is worried about me being distracted?”
“That’s because you’re the boss. I’m just the muscle.” Max grinned.
“And because you go through women like toilet paper.”
“That, too,” Max admitted. “Can I help it if I’m irresistible?”
“Kiss my ass.”
“Don’t tempt me. If I stay in here much longer, I don’t know whose ass will start to look good. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’” Max quoted.
“Why don’t you tell Jackal that piece of advice?”
Max shook his head. “Nope, Jackal can’t take a joke.”
Ice shook his head at his longtime friend as Jackal took a seat. Ice hadn’t seen him since they had returned from class and Jackal had been called for a visitor.
“I talked to Rave. Grace’s boss, Ross, gave in and went out for drinks with her. It took her a while, but he gave more information. Nothing unusual. She attended UT because her parents traveled frequently. She has an older brother who went in business with her parents. The reason she took the teaching job was because Ross threatened to fire her. There aren’t a lot of jobs in this town, so she didn’t want to move after having to do so for so many years with her parents.”
“So, nothing which would draw any attention to her?”
“No, but Henry hasn’t gotten back to me on her background. I’d feel safer if we waited.”
Ice glanced around the room at his men spread throughout. They were here because of him. If they waited much longer, they could lose the window of opportunity for another month. Ice didn’t want to sit in here for another thirty days any more than they did.
“Monday is our target, brothers. This is the last weekend we spend behind bars.”
* * *
Monday morning, Grace pulled into the parking lot of the prison, locking her car door after she got out, smiling to herself at her actions. There really wasn’t a need to lock her doors; there was enough security around her to make the best thief wary. Besides, who would actually be stupid enough to steal a car from the prison parking lot?
As she walked toward the gate, she saw a large truck backed up to the building. Food delivery must be stocking up for the upcoming holiday. She felt saddened that they must miss their families.
Her parents and brother were flying down to join her. She was looking forward to seeing them again, and the Thanksgiving dinner she and her mom would prepare together.
She stepped through the first gate, waiting patiently for the second to open. She was ten minutes ahead of schedule since she had left her office early to dodge Jones, who had managed to stop by several times already that morning. Her instincts had proven correct; he was already trying to entrench himself into her life.
She had gone out this weekend with him, despite her reservations. Jones had been a pleasant dinner companion and she had enjoyed spending time with him, but she had also recognized there was no chemistry between them.
The second gate opened and she walked inside the building. Giving the guard her briefcase to look through, she then stepped through the scanner. After the green light, her bag was handed back to her.
“You’re early today,” Jackson greeted her.
CeCe shivered. “Damn. He’s perfect for you.”
Grace sat up straight, insulted. “What do you mean by that?”
“The students all say you’re smoking hot. Fire and Ice, baby.”
Grace shook her head at CeCe’s humor. “The only ice that’s melting is in my glass.” She waved to the waitress to bring their check.
“You should have some fun.”
“You’re right; I should. I’ll call Jones and take him up on his invitation.”
“I meant with Ice,” CeCe clarified.
“If I’m going to get involved with a man, he’s at least going to be able to take me out to dinner.”
“You have a point,” CeCe admitted. “But I still think Ice would have been an experience.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “One which is better left alone.”
Chapter 5
Grace flipped through her class notes, trying to ignore the concentrated stare from in front of her. She had managed for the past hour, but it was wearing on her nerves. Thankfully, it was Friday, and she wouldn’t have to look at him for two whole days.
A hand from the back of the room had her rising to her feet. A big smile greeted her as she approached. She couldn’t help liking the friendly man. Max was always giving her smiles and small winks. There was no doubt in her mind he was a ladies’ man.
“You need some help?”
“I’m stuck.”
Grace looked down at his computer screen. “Yes, you are.” Her fingers typed in several commands before she was able to fix his mistakes.
“Thanks, Teach.”
“You're welcome.”
Giving him a brief smile, she rose and went back to the front where a note was sitting on her desk. Unobtrusively, she glanced down and read it.
Quit smiling at him.
Shocked, she glanced up to see Ice frowning at her. She picked the note up, crumbling it into her hand before tossing it into the trashcan beside her desk.
“Something wrong?” Jackson, the guard standing in the front of the room, asked.
“No.” Grace gritted her teeth angrily. The man was going to get in trouble if he didn’t stop.
His hand rose in the air, and Grace debated ignoring it until Jackson gave her a curious look. Left with no choice, she went to his desk.
“No smile for me?” Grace could practically hear the sarcasm in his written sentence.
“No. Quit writing me notes and staring. I’m sick of it,” she typed in.
“No, you’re not. You’re getting hot.” At that point, she deleted his sentence and went back to her desk.
He had gone too far, and she wasn’t going to tolerate it. She wasn’t going to get involved in a situation, which could not only affect her professional career, but get herself hurt both mentally and physically by the criminal.
She stuffed her papers in her briefcase. “I need to leave early. Please complete your assignments and send them to my email. Enjoy your weekend.”
Grace left the classroom abruptly without another word, well aware she was running away. She didn’t care; she only had to make it through one day next week then the classes would take a break until after Thanksgiving. After that, she would be in the home stretch of finishing this disaster of a semester.
* * *
“Did you do something?” Max asked.
Ice studied Max’s angry expression. “Why?”
“She ran out of that class like her ass was on fire.”
“Maybe she had someplace to be. What do you care?”
Max pulled out a chair next to him at the table. “Because that was thirty minutes I could have been out of here.”
“Is that it?”
Max gave him a grin. “Hell, no. I’d rather look at her than two hundred of these assholes. You got a problem with that?”
Ice’s impassive face stared back at the brother.
“Why is it okay for you to stare and get friendly with her, but if I do, everyone is worried about me being distracted?”
“That’s because you’re the boss. I’m just the muscle.” Max grinned.
“And because you go through women like toilet paper.”
“That, too,” Max admitted. “Can I help it if I’m irresistible?”
“Kiss my ass.”
“Don’t tempt me. If I stay in here much longer, I don’t know whose ass will start to look good. ‘Desperate times call for desperate measures,’” Max quoted.
“Why don’t you tell Jackal that piece of advice?”
Max shook his head. “Nope, Jackal can’t take a joke.”
Ice shook his head at his longtime friend as Jackal took a seat. Ice hadn’t seen him since they had returned from class and Jackal had been called for a visitor.
“I talked to Rave. Grace’s boss, Ross, gave in and went out for drinks with her. It took her a while, but he gave more information. Nothing unusual. She attended UT because her parents traveled frequently. She has an older brother who went in business with her parents. The reason she took the teaching job was because Ross threatened to fire her. There aren’t a lot of jobs in this town, so she didn’t want to move after having to do so for so many years with her parents.”
“So, nothing which would draw any attention to her?”
“No, but Henry hasn’t gotten back to me on her background. I’d feel safer if we waited.”
Ice glanced around the room at his men spread throughout. They were here because of him. If they waited much longer, they could lose the window of opportunity for another month. Ice didn’t want to sit in here for another thirty days any more than they did.
“Monday is our target, brothers. This is the last weekend we spend behind bars.”
* * *
Monday morning, Grace pulled into the parking lot of the prison, locking her car door after she got out, smiling to herself at her actions. There really wasn’t a need to lock her doors; there was enough security around her to make the best thief wary. Besides, who would actually be stupid enough to steal a car from the prison parking lot?
As she walked toward the gate, she saw a large truck backed up to the building. Food delivery must be stocking up for the upcoming holiday. She felt saddened that they must miss their families.
Her parents and brother were flying down to join her. She was looking forward to seeing them again, and the Thanksgiving dinner she and her mom would prepare together.
She stepped through the first gate, waiting patiently for the second to open. She was ten minutes ahead of schedule since she had left her office early to dodge Jones, who had managed to stop by several times already that morning. Her instincts had proven correct; he was already trying to entrench himself into her life.
She had gone out this weekend with him, despite her reservations. Jones had been a pleasant dinner companion and she had enjoyed spending time with him, but she had also recognized there was no chemistry between them.
The second gate opened and she walked inside the building. Giving the guard her briefcase to look through, she then stepped through the scanner. After the green light, her bag was handed back to her.
“You’re early today,” Jackson greeted her.
