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  There was no time to lose! I jumped over the rope, ran like hell, and tackled the girl, throwing her to the ground before the wrecking ball could hit her. She reacted, but this was life or death, so I used all my strength to overpower her. I wrapped my arms around her and rolled us both out of the way just as the ball swung right over us.

  She stiffened and her eyes widened at the sight of the giant ball whooshing overhead. Finally, it slowed and came to a stop. I lay there for a moment, panting, still holding her. She wriggled against my grasp.

  “Let go of me!” she yelled. Her body pressed and pulled against mine, and those thin pajamas didn’t hide anything. I was suddenly aware of every curve and muscle she had, and in that instant my every nerve reacted to her body against mine. She felt so damn good.

  Feeling like a creep, I immediately let go of her and pushed myself away. I’d grabbed her to save her life, not feel her up.

  “Are you fucking stupid?” The crane operator screamed. “You could have been killed, and I would have been controlling the death instrument! I didn’t sign up to kill people!”

  The girl’s mouth opened and closed as she blinked fast, tears streaming down her cheeks. I pushed myself to stand and extended a hand to this damsel in distress.

  She considered me for a moment, with bright hazel eyes, wide open and searching, and then slid her slim hand into mine. Something thrilled inside me. It had been a while since I’d been with a woman, and this girl was doing all kinds of things to my senses.

  I pulled her to her feet and looked down at her bunny slippers. My eyes traveled up over her thin Betty Boop pajamas, the duffel bag in her hand, and settled at the messy bun of dark hair on top of her head. “I’m sorry, miss. Did we disturb your sleep?”

  She nodded, pressing her lips together. “Please...please don’t tell on me. I’ll go.” She looked around wildly. “I think a bus is coming soon, and...”

  A bus? She was taking a bus dressed like that? In bunny slippers? “You don’t own a car?”

  She shook her head again. “I sold it last week to pay for the deposit on my new apartment, but it was a scam. I showed up with my stuff and the key didn’t work. I asked the super, and he said the people who lived there were on vacation...” She pressed her lips together again, tears welling up in her eyes.

  “You got conned,” I said, my voice soft and sad for her.

  She nodded. “Yeah, so...” she twisted around with one toe pointing down in the dirt, rotating her hips with the nervous effort. I tore my eyes up and kept them on her face. “Now I’m homeless and carless. But I’m still alive thanks to you, right? So, yay?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. Why did I feel like this was my problem? I couldn’t leave a woman in need, even one so distractingly beautiful. It wasn’t her fault she was gorgeous and made my cock swell. I could feel it, growing inside my pants, filling up all the extra real estate. I held my clipboard in front of my crotch and took a deep breath as I fished in my pocket with my other hand.

  “Here, take my keys. Go nap in my truck while I deal with a few things.”

  I pointed to my truck and held the keys out. She stared at the keys and back up into my eyes. “But why would you help me? My own friends haven’t even been able to help. You don’t even know me.” She narrowed her eyes, looking straight into my soul with skeptical eyes. “How do I know you’re not just some creepy perv?”

  I grinned and pushed the keys into her hand. “Look, I’m not a creep, I promise. My name is Jack and I have a home nearby. I live there with my boyfriend, okay?”

  I couldn’t miss it. Her face visibly changed when I said ‘boyfriend,’ even though it was subtle and she tried to hide it. She looked a mixture of relieved and disappointed. I didn’t know how I felt about that, but at this point whatever it took to get this girl safe and get the job done was just fine. I forged ahead.

  “He’s a professor here and can probably help you with some on or off-campus housing on Monday. In the meantime, you can come home with me. Haven’t you ever heard the old Chinese proverb that if you save a life, you’re responsible for it? I’m just protecting my karma. Now go wait in the truck, please?” I pointed to the truck with the keys and gave her my most imploring look.

  She thought for a moment, biting her lip in the cutest way, then abruptly nodded and smiled. “Okay, Jack. Since you have a boyfriend, I think I’ll be safe. I’ll just go wait in the truck. Oh, and I’m Kara, by the way.”

  I tried not to watch her walk away, her thin pajamas fluttering in the morning sunlight. Thank god she’d been sleeping in a bra. Otherwise, I really would have looked like a pervert. A girl like that probably had a boyfriend. Though, if she did, where was he in her time of need? Did he know she was sleeping in the drama building? Maybe she was the kind of girl who wouldn’t tell a guy she needed help, and he didn’t know.

  My cock twitched again, protesting the absence of Kara’s body pressed against mine. It was only for a moment, but it had been a while since we’d brought a woman home. I was obviously ready for some more and taking it out on this poor girl. I should talk to Teddy about doing that again.

  Oh shit! Teddy! I pulled out my phone and sighed. This would change our weekend plans. I motioned to my crew to get back to work and walked off to call my boyfriend and explain to him that I was bringing home a surprise guest.

  Chapter Three

  Teddy

  So much for our weekend alone together. All I needed was a student in my house—as if I don’t spend enough time with them already. Shit, what if she was one of my students?

  No way. What were the odds of that?

  I shook my head. Focus on the task at hand—putting away all of the spoils from the farmer’s market.

  Bananas went in this basket, apples in this basket, asparagus here. A place for everything and everything in its place. Cypress Springs had several farms on its outskirts, and right now my kitchen was the beneficiary.

  I kept meaning to plant a vegetable garden but really, why would I? I had world class produce right here from the farmers market, and I didn’t have to get my fingernails dirty to get it.

  Jack’s low rumble carried from the garage and through the house. As much as I itched with curiosity, what I wanted more was to clear this mess. Put away the produce, stash the locally farmed and harvested honey in the pantry. Wipe the counters, renew this kitchen to spic and span.

  Everything put away, I neatly folded the reusable bags and stored them on the bin inside the pantry shelves. Nice and neat.

  I kept working, and soon I heard the unmistakable clomp of Jack’s boots on the wood floor. I loved how he looked in his work clothes, like a hot construction worker porn fantasy come true. Except Jack was not just a pretty face, he had the degree and the brains to go with it.

  But in that moment, I was in no mood to admire his just-off-the-job, working-man-in-the-sunshine hotness. He’d brought a student home and disrupted our weekend.

  I kept working, knowing what would come next. Jack never gave up on me, even when I was moody.

  Jack’s arms slid around me from behind and he dipped his face lower to kiss my neck. Just his touch thawed me, a tiny bit. I couldn’t help it.

  “Our guest is settling in. I told her to take a shower and freshen up. Then she can come down for an early lunch.”

  I leaned back in his embrace. This was how I liked to spend my weekends. In Jack’s arms.

  Jack nuzzled me and continued. “She hasn’t eaten, I assume, since she was in her pajamas in the theater building.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, and then thought better of it and snapped my lips together.

  “What?” Jack wheedled. He kissed my neck again and my core thawed a little more. I loved Jack, but sometimes he exasperated me. But maybe that was one of the things I liked about him. He was the yin to my yang; the light to my darkness.

  I shook my head. “No,” I started to say.

  “Remember the rule. Honesty,” Jack reminded.
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  I hated it when he was the more mature one. “You didn’t just bring her home because she turned you on?”

  Jack chuckled low in my ear, and a shiver ran up my spine. “You know me so well, but no. I genuinely felt bad for the girl. I’ll let her tell you her story, but basically, she had to find a new place and got scammed by one of those fake apartment rentals we’ve been hearing about. She sold her car for the deposit too, so she’s good and screwed. I’m hoping you can help her find housing. She’s a grad student.”

  I turned around and faced Jack, searching his face. He was telling me the truth. I shook my head. “That’s rough. The dorms are for undergrad students only.”

  Jack’s blue eyes crinkled with obvious relief when he saw that he had my attention now. He had such a good heart. I slid my hands around his waist and pulled him closer to me. “I’ll ask around and see what can be done. In the meantime, she can stay in our guestroom.”

  Jack put his hands on my chest and smiled. “Really? Are you sure? A moment ago, you seemed upset about this.”

  I searched the rugged face of my lover, my partner. Just because I was more cynical, more guarded than he was didn’t mean I was always right. I’d learned sometimes I just had to follow his lead. I shrugged. “I just wanted you all to myself today. But, if you trust her, that’s good enough for me.”

  Jack slid his arms around my neck and pulled me close. “I love you.”

  I leaned in and breathed in his sunshine and wood scent. My cock stirred and I gripped him to me as I growled in his ear. “Not that I dislike this, but why aren’t you at work?”

  Jack sighed and melted into our embrace. “I left the crew at work while I brought here to get her settled, I figured I’d introduce you, eat some lunch to help her acclimate, then go back once I knew you wouldn’t scare the poor girl.”

  I pulled back and feigned innocence. “Who me? Scare a student?”

  Jack raised his eyebrows. We both knew I tended to do just that sometimes.

  “Does this girl have a name?” I asked with a smirk.

  Jack framed my face with his calloused working hands and kissed me. “Yes, her name is...”

  The blood drained from my face, and other parts too as I looked over Jack’s shoulder.

  Oh, shit.

  Her.

  “Kara?”

  “Yeah, how did you know?” Jack asked, astonished. He caught the look on my face and turned around.

  The girl—Kara—looked equally horrified. Her face was white as a sheet and her arms hung at her side like she was a voodoo doll without a job to do.

  Jack stepped back and asked in a dry voice, his gaze flicking back and forth between Kara and me. “I take it you’ve met?”

  Kara shook her head, her mouth a little o shape. Finally, she managed, “I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t stay with Dr. Dickman—I mean—Dr. Whitman!”

  Jack burst out laughing and I pushed him away from me.

  Kara’s extra white face turned dark red. If I thought I was embarrassed, this girl had shown me up. Served her right. She deserved to be embarrassed.

  Dickman? What kind of disrespectful piece of trash nickname was that? This girl wasn’t just a student. She was my TA.

  My TA I had to keep at arm’s length because she was just so...never mind what she was. It didn’t matter what I thought. Especially if she called me things like that! Did all the students do that, or just ungrateful teachers’ assistants?

  I opened my mouth to ask her exactly that when Jack interrupted. “Do you guys really call him that? That’s funny as hell! Dickman!”

  Traitor.

  “It’s rude and inappropriate,” I said. I pulled further away from Jack and looked around the kitchen. Surely, I had missed something. Why had I put the lemons out? Of course, they would spoil before we could use them. They had to go into the refrigerator. I needed to take care of that right then. Enough with this ridiculous conversation.

  Jack laughed harder as he watched me rearrange the refrigerator to make room for the lemons. Actually, this whole fridge needed to be scrubbed down. Anything to avoid the awkwardness sitting at my kitchen table. Sitting there because Jack told her we would feed her.

  Goddammit.

  My shoulders sagged and my manners won out. Besides, I had too much dignity to let this girl see me angry clean. I could always do it later. I pulled the makings for sandwiches out of the fridge and started to spread them out on the table.

  Kara looked like she wanted to run away. Do it. Run. Get the hell out of my kitchen. I can’t handle your energy at work and at home too.

  She bit her lip and looked back and forth at me and Jack and pushed her chair back. She stood up and looked around, like she was trying to figure out the fastest way out of the room.

  Wait. Don’t run!

  Jack caught her hand. “Hey, hey,” he soothed. “Don’t be weird. Just sit down and eat some lunch.” He gently pulled her back to the table and pushed her chair in.

  Frustration bubbled inside me. The one student I’d kept walls up for all this time was sitting in my kitchen, holding hands with my boyfriend. And damn but if she didn’t look like she belonged there.

  I paced. Rage, jealousy, desire, and excitement all coursed through me at once.

  Get a grip.

  Biting back a groan, I sliced a tomato with fast controlled strokes.

  “What kind of sandwich would you like?” I asked, dragging my gaze up to hers. “I’m sure we can figure out something you’d like.”

  Jack’s eyes met mine for a split second, and I knew he could tell I was breathing hard. I just had to get through this. This girl was not just some ordinary random woman we picked up for a night of fun. She wasn’t the kind of girl you never thought about again.

  This girl was special.

  No, this girl was trouble.

  One thing at a time. First, we’d feed her. Then we’d see.

  Chapter Four

  Kara

  “Jack has to get back to the job site, and I have some work to do, so I’m afraid I can’t entertain you. Why don’t you work on your dissertation?” Dr. Whitman cleaned up the kitchen from lunch with maximum efficiency. He had everything done almost before I could get up from the table.

  I opened my mouth and looked around. I figured I’d offer to help with the dishes, but Dr. Whitman was already wiping down the countertops.

  “That’s a great idea!” Jack exclaimed. He looked relieved that his partner hadn’t thrown me out of their house. Or maybe I was projecting that perception based on my own fears.

  I chewed on my thumbnail. “Yeah, uh, crap,” I said, more embarrassment blooming through me. This day just had me in one predicament after the other.

  They both raised their eyebrows and I flailed my hands in the air. This felt like a confession and I cringed as I said the words. “Dr. Whitman, I left my backpack in the theater building. I thought it was an earthquake, and I just grabbed my duffel bag and ran for my life. It’s probably long gone.”

  Dr. Whitman’s eyes widened and he moved, cat-like, across the room and sat in a chair by me. He leaned forward, this topic of utmost importance to him. “The building didn’t burn down. We can find your papers. Right, Jack?”

  Jack leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “I can find anything,” he said. “Besides, depending on where you left it, that part of the building might still be intact.”

  I searched between their faces, trying to hide exactly how much I was cringing inside. This day was just one long slow-motion montage of mortification.

  “Tell Jack where your backpack is,” Dr. Whitman urged. “And call me Theo in my home. You should still call me Dr. Whitman at school, but here, please call me Theo.”

  I opened my mouth and closed it and then gathered my composure. “It’s in the old prop room. That’s where I was sleeping, uh, Theo.”

  Jack shook his head. “Man,” he started to say.

  I sat forward in my seat. “It’s not so
bad if you don’t mind a little dust. And spiders.” I looked between them and grinned. “Or wrecking balls.”

  Theo cracked a smile and I felt a little ray of relief. He always seemed somehow annoyed with me. Like he kept me at arm’s length because—well, I wasn’t sure why. I’d been a TA before in my life and none of the other professors had treated me as coldly as Theo did. The smile warmed me a little, and I glanced at Jack.

  He was smiling at Theo in unguarded adoration.

  These two were so cute. It was a privilege to see such a relationship up close. I didn’t want to feel too voyeuristic, however, and I snapped my attention back to the topic at hand.

  “It’s red, and...”

  I thought better of mentioning the Hello Kitty zipper pull or the Doctor Who patch. I already felt completely immature next to Theo. I didn’t need to highlight my weirdness.

  I shrugged. “It’s red. It’s not like the room is full of backpacks. You’ll see it.” I just hoped the wrecking ball deterred any thieves. Not that anyone wanted to steal my dissertation notes.

  I leaned back in my chair, exhausted from the one-thing-after-another feeling of this day—and the days before it. “I’ll figure out what I’m going to do and get out of your hair,” I said. I didn’t know what that was, but I’d figure it out.

  Theo looked at me sternly. I knew that look, and I shrank back in my seat. Jack moved around to the back of my chair and put his hand on my shoulder. Moral support. Thank you, Jack.

  “Kara,” Theo said, absolute authority in his voice. I swallowed hard.

  “Until you have permanent lodgings, you’ll stay with us.” His dark eyes bore into me and I stared back, pinned down by his gaze. “It’s ridiculous that my TA was sleeping in a prop room when we have a perfectly good guest room.”

  Jack squeezed my shoulder. “He’s right. And, I’ll get your backpack. Don’t worry sweetie.”

  Both Theo and I glanced up at Jack as he said “sweetie” but he seemed unconcerned as he grabbed his keys and headed for the door. “You two behave while I’m gone,” he said, and the door clicked behind him.