Daddy’s Law by K.C. Crowne

Chapter 12

Theo

“Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Did you say something mean to Miss Cruise?”

I looked up from the scrambled eggs I was making for breakfast with a wince.

Ava didn’t say a word to me the day after our almost kiss. I was on the icy end of her silent treatment the day after that, too, and the day after that. It was Friday now, and I supposed that even my son could pick up on the tension when he got in the car. I really didn’t mean for him to be subjected to this awkward situation, yet here we were.

“Everything’s fine,” I assured him. “Her car’s still broken. She might be upset about that.”

Cory frowned, unconvinced. “She must really like that car.”

“They’re expensive. Some people can get really attached. You’ll understand when you have your own one day.”

My son shrugged and dug into his breakfast, losing interest.

The truth was far more complicated, and the last thing I wanted to tell him was that I almost kissed his favorite teacher. Something inside me almost snapped that night. I was mesmerized by her pretty eyes and tempted by her lips. I couldn’t breathe or think, suddenly overcome with an alarming urge to make her mine, if only once.

Then she said my name the way Cassandra used to say it. Sweet and breathless and excited and guilt immediately ate at my insides. Made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t know if I was ready to move on. I didn’t want to move on. I was still very much in love with my wife. I’d made a vow that she was the only one for me.

My body, on the other hand, hadn’t received the memo. I drove straight home and jerked off in the shower, pushing thoughts of Ava out of my mind. Except she was the only thing on my mind. I would have been just as successful at telling water not to be wet. I went to bed that night ashamed of my lack of control.

Do you deserve an exception?

When I signed on to this assignment, I couldn’t have predicted anything more torturous. It was like someone was dangling a prize in front of me. I could look all I want, imagine having her for myself, but it would be disastrous if I gave in and took a bite. If I broke our professional relationship by giving in to my base desires, I could put Ava’s safety at risk. I could lose my job. I could end up hurting my son if things between Ava and I went south.

It wasn’t worth the risk, no matter how much I craved her.

I parked in front of Ava’s apartment, doing my usual scan of the nearby area for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. It had been over a week since Ava had been in my care, but there were no incidents to report. I was beginning to wonder if there was any merit to Mr. Cruise’s claims.

I shook my head and cleared my mind. Allowing myself to be lulled into a false sense of security would be detrimental, a hindrance to doing my job properly.

Ava climbed into the truck, greeting Cory sweetly while ignoring me entirely. I sniffed, an unfamiliar scent reaching my nose. Her usual lavender and honey had been replaced with something else. It was fruity and light, like a mix of strawberries and chocolate. It made my head spin.

Now that I was paying close attention, I realized that Ava had her hair done up in curls today, loose ringlets flowing over her shoulders. She wore a burgundy, low-cut blouse and high-waisted black jeans, a delicate gold chain hanging from her neck. She had on a bit of mascara, too, and some gloss that made her lips look irresistible.

She really is trying to torture me.

“What?” she demanded, annoyance crinkling her brow. It was the first thing she’d said to me in days.

“Why are you all dressed up?” I asked, hoarser and gruffer than I intended.

“I have a date tonight.”

I almost choked on the sticky lump lodged in my throat. “What?”

“Cindy’s been trying to set me up for ages with this guy she works with, and I finally caved.”

My chest tightened. This shouldn’t bother me, but it did. The thought of Ava going out with someone made my guts tie up in knots.

“I haven’t vetted the guy,” I said. “I need to do a background check.”

“You don’t need to do a background check on Steve.”

“I need his full name, social security number, and place of work.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she fought against a smile. Ava held her stomach, stifling her laughter. “Oh my God, I was only joking.”

I frowned. “You were?”

“You should have seen the look on your face.”

“It wasn’t funny. I take my job very seriously.”

“Yes, yes. Always so serious.” She wiped the moisture from her eyes as she giggled. “You looked like my father when I told him about my first boyfriend. I should have taken a picture.”

My stomach lurched. Being compared to her father didn’t make me feel great, reminding me just how young she was. My attraction to her was outright inappropriate, which was why I hated myself even more for wanting to throw myself across the center console and kiss her until we were both breathless.

The things I wanted to do to her. The thought of her seeing someone else —even if she had been joking— made me angrier than it should have. I didn’t want any other man looking at her. The nagging voice in the back of my head wanted to keep her all to myself. I couldn’t stop fantasizing about how she might sound, moaning in pleasure and begging me for more, consequences be damned.

“Hey, Dad?” Cory piped up.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Right. My son is in the car. I needed to get my shit together.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Why would you need to know someone’s social security number if they were going on a date with Miss Cruise?”

I paused, trying to collect my thoughts. I’d forgotten Cory had no idea that I was actually his teacher’s bodyguard. Telling him the truth would have been too difficult. I didn’t want him to be afraid.

“It’s just what friends do,” I lied. “To make sure they’re safe. You remember what I told you about strangers?”

“Yeah. Never talk to them.”

“Well, sometimes you have to. It’s part of being a grown up. It’s always a good idea to let a friend know if you have to meet with someone you aren’t familiar with. It keeps them safe.”

Cory hummed, taking it all in. “I see.” He popped his headphones in. “I’m going to listen to music now.”

“Sure, buddy. Not too loud, alright?”

“Okay.”

Once I was sure Cory wasn’t paying attention, I asked, “Seriously. Why are you dressed like that?”

She crossed her arms and looked out the window. “What’s it to you?”

What was it to me? It wasn’t like her ensemble was particularly revealing, though it was form-fitting, and the sight of her exposed neck and collarbones made my mouth dry. Her jeans made it look like she had legs for days.

Legs I want wrapped around me.

“Nothing,” I grumbled.

She nodded and looked out the window.

“Are you still upset with me about the other night?” I asked cautiously.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied, trying much too hard to sound breezy. “Cindy wants to grab dinner. It’s a girl’s night. We don’t get to do it very often because our schedules are so hectic, so we dress up and make a thing of it. No men for you to worry about.”

I relaxed a little. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Less work for me.”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, arching a curious brow.

“I’ll have to accompany you to dinner.”

She clicked her tongue. “Can’t I have one second alone? I promise Cindy isn’t going to stab me with a fork. Unless she’s had too many white wine spritzers.” And then she added, “Wine makes her brave.”

“You’re allowed to have dinner with your friend, but I need to be nearby.”

Ava said nothing. I didn’t expect her to. She knew the rules.

* * *

Check in.

All clear.

It was yet another uneventful day camped out in the parking lot. It was muggy, too, so I had the windows rolled down for some fresh air. Despite the humidity, the weather was nice, sunny, with clear blue skies and sporadic white clouds.

At some point before the final period of the day, I spotted a familiar head of brown curls and a burgundy blouse exiting through the main doors of the academy, a line of uniformed students following in single file. They carried with them all manner of art supplies —sketchbooks, canvases, paints, boxes full of pencils— with them to the small courtyard out front.

Cory was amongst them, sticking close to the shade of the trees surrounding the white stone path. He stayed close to Ava, who spoke to her students with a smile. She was too far away for me to hear what she was saying, though I could venture a guess that she was telling them not to stray too far.

I noticed a boy approaching Cory. They spoke briefly and my son nodded. The boy sat down next to Cory in the shade. He must have made a new friend, by the looks of things.

I observed from afar. Ava being out in the open like this brought new challenges. Anybody could walk up to her if they wanted to. She was exposed on all sides. She was safer indoors, surrounded by walls and winding halls and furniture.

But there was no denying her beauty beneath the sun. The sunshine streamed past her hair, creating an almost golden halo through her locks, highlighting the rich, red-brown hue. She looked at ease outside, enjoying the fresh air.

She looked free.

Happy.

It was clear how much Ava not only loved teaching and art, but also the kids in her care. There was a sparkle in her eyes as she walked around, checking what her students were working on. Her smile was ever present and brilliant, a work of art in and of itself. Undeniably beautiful.

I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to keep this up. This contract technically had no expiration date. As long as Mr. Cruise wanted me to protect his daughter, I would.

But I could no longer deny how badly I wanted her.

And that thought alone was frightening.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat in my truck watching her. It would have been borderline creepy were it not for the fact that it was literally my job. What I admired most about Ava was how good she was with Cory.

She checked on him nearly twice as much as the other students, helping point out certain areas of the sketch he was working on that she liked. Even though I had no idea what they were talking about, I could tell how much Cory adored her. It was in the way he hung on her every word, in the way he gestured animatedly whenever he spoke his mind.

I hadn’t seen him like this in years. Not since his mother died.

The school bell chimed loudly from inside the academy. It only took another few minutes for Ava to shepherd her students back inside and another few minutes still before she returned, Cory at her side, both leaving with a stream of other kids as school finished for the day. The boy who sat with him during class caught up from behind, speaking quickly into my boy’s ear. Cory nodded and then looked out to the parking lot, waving at me when he spotted the truck. The three of them walked over together.

“Hey, Dad!” Cory exclaimed.

“Hey, buddy. Who’s your new friend?”

“This is Emilio.”

“Our newest student,” Ava added politely. “He’s been here for a couple of days now. This was his first art class with us.”

“H-hello, sir,” Emilio greeted sheepishly. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

I nodded. “Good to meet you, too.”

“Emilio invited me to a sleepover at his house,” Cory piped up. “Can I go?”

This took me by surprise. Cory had only been to a handful of birthday parties before, but I always made a point of meeting the hosting family first, and I always picked him up in person once the event was over, just to get a sense of what they were like.

“I’m not sure about that, buddy,” I said slowly. “It was sort of last-minute, and I’d like to meet Emilio’s mom and dad first.”

Cory whined. “But Dad.”

Ava tilted her head to the side. “I can vouch for him,” she said softly. “Mr. and Mrs. Gomez are very nice people. I believe they live a couple of blocks away from you.”

Cory peered up at me, wide-eyed with his hands clasped together. “Pretty please, Dad? Emilio says he has the new PlayStation. Pretty, pretty please?”

Ava gave me a knowing look. “Yeah, pretty please?”

I grunted, half-amused. I supposed Cory was old enough to handle a sleepover. “Okay,” I said. “But I’m picking you up first thing in the morning.”

“Awesome,” Cory and Emilio cheered together.

“Need me to drop you off?”

“No, that’s okay. I want to ride the bus with Emilio.”

I frowned. “The bus?”

“Bye, Dad!” Cory exclaimed, running off to catch the big yellow school bus that was about to leave from the front of the school. “Love you!”

“Love you, too,” I murmured, watching him climb aboard and take a window seat near the front.

Ava giggled. “I hope they have fun. It was sweet of you to let him go.”

I sighed. “What choice did I have? You were all giving me puppy eyes.”

“Guilty as charged.” She slipped into the passenger seat. “Don’t worry. Cory’s got a good head on his shoulders. You just need to trust him.”

“I know, I know. You’re right.”

“Can you say that again so that I can record it?”

I snorted. “Put your damn seatbelt on. Don’t I have to take you to dinner?”

Ava grinned. “Aye aye, captain.”