Maybe This Time (The Educators Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

delicate. What the hell, Steph needed help. “Is there any chance she has some of her mother in her?”
    His chiseled features turned incredibly sad. “I don’t know. She’s never been on medication. God, I hope she isn’t lie Andrea.”
    “I’m sorry. I had to ask.” She moved to her knees, inched over and she touched his hand. He grasped onto hers then linked their fingers. “If she’s shown no signs by now, it’s probably a moot point.”
    His gaze remained on their joined hands.
    “I’m sorry you’re going through such a hard time. And Steph, of course. I’ll do my best to help both of you.”
    “Thanks. That’s all I can ask.” He looked up into her eyes. “I guess I should be going.”
    “I guess.”
    Suddenly, the air turned electric again. She noticed how his face was shadowed with a beard like he’d gotten the night in Atlanta, how there were little creases around his mouth probably because he was tired and worried. He was so handsome, she had to glance away.
    He tugged on her hand and she toppled over into his lap. She was so close she could see the nick on the underside of his jaw. His mouth was inches from hers, his expression intense.
    “Gage, we said we wouldn’t.”
    “I know. And we won’t.” He tipped her chin. “Not after this. We deserve one goodbye kiss, don’t we?”
    Without waiting for her response, he lowered his head. When his lips touched hers, he brushed against them softly, sweetly, as if savoring the taste of her. One arm was around her and he pressed her to him. She fell into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing their chests flush.
    She adjusted her position and felt him hard against her bottom. Now his hands were on cupping her cheeks, her hair, the back of her head, bringing her closer to him.
    They kissed for a long time. It was Gage who drew back. Delaney’s head was spinning when she opened her eyes. “I’ll really miss this, sweetheart,” he said sincerely.
    She rested her forehead against his. “Me, too, Gage. Me, too.”
     

 
    Chapter 4
    “Come on, kid,” Schmooze said after detention on Tuesday. “I’ll give you a ride.”
    Stephanie frowned. “My dad said to take the bus right home, but thanks anyway.”
    The senior girl looked down her nose, literally, at Stephanie. “Since when do you do everything daddy says?”
    “Since he got so pissed about my run-in with Speranza.”
    Schmooze’s gray eyes narrowed. They were darkened by a ton of mascara and liner. Her blond hair fell in cool loose curls around her face and onto her shoulders. Ms. Dawson said she was striking . “Funny you should mention the asswipe. The girls are meeting today to talk about him.”
    “What about him?”
    “How we’re going to get revenge. He got you in a shitload of trouble again, he called Catherine’s house about her grades in chemistry which made her father beat the crap out of her. He failed Mitz twice in idiot senior science. Somebody’s gotta stop the fucker in his tracks.”
    Stephanie didn’t like the sound of that. Sure, she believed in payback, but Schmooze’s voice was deadly cold. She started to say she couldn’t meet but then Schmooze’s expression turned hard and Steph was scared to object. “You better be in on this, Steph. If you want to hang with us.”
    Since she didn’t have any other friends at school—she’d ditched those she’d had in middle school--Stephanie thought maybe she’d better go.
    Schmooze drove a sleek yellow Camaro that was brand new. Steph’s father was supposed to buy her a car on her sixteenth birthday, but she doubted she’d be getting wheels now. Well, screw him. Let him pretend he was interested in her. She knew what he was really like and he’d get tired of playing a role soon. Till then, she wasn’t buying into his lies.
    Mitzy and Catherine joined them at the car, groused about Steph’s sentence to detention and grounding then they all piled inside. Everybody lit up a cigarette and