Protective Instincts Read Online Free PDF Page B

definitely would."
    "Me, too. Old football injuries. "
    She needed to end this conference before she started imagining Sam in lounging positions. Too late. She took a sheet of paper from a neat stack and reached across her desk. "Here is a list of assignments every student needs to complete during the month, remind him so he'll keep his grades as good as they are now."
    When she'd handed him the papers he reached in his shirt pocket for a pair of glasses. She'd considered him the jock type, rugged, virile. The wire-rimmed glasses made him so very appealing.
    "Have you always wanted to be a teacher?" Sam glanced up from the assignment list.
    "Oh, yes, since I was in pre-school, at least." She grinned so hard her face hurt. Her chest tightened further. "Have you always wanted to be a security specialist?"
    "I wanted to be either a professional football player or a school coach. Halfway through college, I decided against either."
    "I see."
    "Well, Sean's car is being serviced, and he should be through with football practice. Guess I'd better go." Sean's dad stood, twisting to remove his man-sized body from the student-sized desk.
    Brit smiled. His awkwardness made him seem almost normal. She was reluctant to let him go, but she was ready to finish her conferences so she could get her stuff together and head home to her private space.
    Too bad, she felt like her home had been violated.
    The police were supposed to go by this morning and check all outside doors and windows for signs of forced entry. They had promised to send an officer by the school to tell her if they had found anything suspicious. No one had been by and she hadn't had time to call the station yet.
    She was tempted to ask Mr. Samuels to follow her home, but if he
    had to take Sean home that might alert the kid to her problem. He'd want to help, maybe even mention it to someone. She didn't need a student involved in this, whatever it was. Besides, someone would likely report it somewhere like Facebook or a gossip website. As far as she knew, she had managed to stay off of them. Someone would have commented if there had been anything about her. Other teachers weren't that lucky.
    Brit stood and extended her hand to him as she had each parent before him. His hand was callused and strong and warm. Her skin almost gleamed in its paleness against his tan. When she looked up to his face, the tension of his jaw spoke volumes. His eyes left no doubt he'd felt the intimacy of their clasped hands.
    He removed the glasses and slid them into his shirt pocket.
    "Bye, now," he said, then turned and left.
    Two hours and three conferences later she had to rub her palms against her legs when she thought of heading home alone after five o'clock. Would Mr. Samuels be in the parking lot to offer her an escort home, tonight? She probably wouldn't give him an argument this time. For the first time she dreaded the drive home. Her caller had stolen so much from her. How long had he stolen her privacy without her knowledge? She certainly didn't feel safe anymore.
    He'd looked about to say something personal earlier but he didn't. Their conference should have been simple. It would have been, if she had been able to say what she needed to say. Sean was doing well. Simple enough. Time to pack up and head out to the old Mustang. She needed rest. She needed to look into hiring a detective to find out who was watching her house. Mr. Samuels could likely install security cameras to catch the man who knew too much about her house and her habits.
    * * * *
    Sean and Sam sat in Sam's black truck, ready to leave the Florence High School parking lot. This had been a long day and the parking lot lights had come on.
    "Dad, can we have pizza tonight?"
    "After the practice you put in, you deserve it. I'm not sure I can handle it, though." Sam felt gut punched, pole-axed, wrung out, hung up to dry. He'd met Ms. Roberts to discuss Sean's grades and found his mind on her, frightened and vulnerable. Should he