Underneath It All (Storm Series) (10 page)

T
he players zipped up and down the ice, and she listened closely to the commentators, but couldn’t make heads or tails of half the things they were saying about the game. Stuff happened and the announcers got all excited, but Alaina had no idea why. She’d have to ask Rob to explain some of the rules. When the game ended, she sent a text to Rob.

Alaina:
Nice win. I watched, though I didn’t understand a lot of what happened.

Several minutes later, as she was getting ready for bed, her phone pinged.

Rob:
You watched? Very cool. Sometime soon, when I’m not playing, we’ll sit down and watch a game and I’ll tutor you. You can have a kiss for every right answer. ;-)

She laughed.

Alaina:
How very charitable of you.

She
had just returned from brushing her teeth when her notification signal went off again.

Rob:
I thought so. Gotta run to the airport. Take care, sweets! See you soon!

After attaching the phone to the charger, she crawled underneath her covers. Though she’d never been very excitable,
the truth was Alaina liked watching him play. Knowing she could also say, “Oh, Rob D’Amico? Yeah, he’s hot. And he’s mine,” sent a little zing through her blood. Not that she had anyone to tell something like that too besides a few close friends, but still. By his own volition he’d made their relationship exclusive. He
was
hers.

Wow. Crazy.
She was certainly not one to care about the status of someone, but she had to admit showing him off to those mean bitches from high school would be pretty satisfying. Never in a million years had she thought she’d land a man like Rob. With a silly grin she couldn’t wipe off her face, she fell asleep.

~ * ~

FIVE

A
t school on Thursday, Rob was all smiles and high-fives, listening patiently as the children ran around the room showing him all their new stuff, never letting on he had any idea what any of the supplies and equipment were. A contented sigh escaped Alaina. She must’ve sound like a lovesick fool doing stuff like that. But who was around to hear? If she wanted to let out a feminine sigh as the hottest guy she’d ever seen, much less dated—and messed around with—read
Is Your Mama A Llama?
to her adoring students, that’s just what she’d do.

He
finished reading then asked her to lunch when they were in the hall afterward. Alaina let out a relieved breath as she walked back into the classroom. Rob had treated her as he had before, not trying to take her hand or kiss her, which she was grateful for. Little kids were far more aware than many adults realized, and the last thing she wanted was to explain her relationship with Rob to the small fries.

A
few hours later, Alaina met him at a small café, and the two of them ended up chatting for over three hours, talking about everything under the sun. Only when people began to arrive for dinner did they notice how long they’d been sitting at the table. Rob left a generous tip, and Alaina had to hold back a smug smile when she noticed the waitress had put her phone number on the check but he’d left the slip of paper in the sleeve on the table with nary a glance.

On Saturday night, t
hey went to dinner on their first traditional date. Rob took her to a crowded, noisy, Italian hole-in-the-wall, and she had a huge plate of spaghetti in front of her in record time. His steak Marsala smelled amazing, and when he offered her a bite, she couldn’t resist.

She asked him some questions about the
previous night’s game, which again, she’d watched, though she was having trouble tracking the puck on her small, non-HD television. The silly thing didn’t really look like a puck, more like a grayish blob moving from place to place. Rob patiently answered each question and offered to watch a game with her the next afternoon after practice. He then broke the news that tomorrow’s date might be the only time they could see each other for a while since the team would be gone most of the week, and she readily agreed to spend the time with him.

“Hey, do you want me to
read on Monday? I don’t think I’m scheduled, but I could stop in quick before my pre-game skate.” Monday’s game was at the Barn, but the team would be gone for the rest of the week.

Either way,
Alaina figured game days were important to him and that she shouldn’t intrude on him during that time. “No, we’ll be fine. Really.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t want to make too many demands on your time.”

Rob
pulled a face. “I offered.”

“I know, but you’re a nice guy and you clearly love the kids. I can’t take advantage of that.”

“How about we work out some special method of payment?” He grinned, and she whacked him on the hand, sending Marsala sauce flying off his fork.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe he said that.
Was Kyle right? Did Rob just want to sleep with her?

Alaina shook her head.
Rob wasn’t like that. She hoped.

Rob dabbed at his
Polo shirt, laughing. “Easy there, slugger. So I guess that’s a no?”

“If you want to kiss me, all you have to do is ask.
Or just do it. You don’t need my permission. I think we’re beyond that, don’t you?”

“Is that so?
I’ll have to remember that. Might come in handy later.”

Alaina smiled, looking down and playing with her spaghetti.
Geez, didn’t the man know what a god he was in bed? Though they hadn’t done the actual deed, the single-minded focus with which Rob approached even a little messing around was sexy as hell. He could do just about anything to her and she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it would feel good.

“Anyhoo…”
Should she tell Rob about Kyle? On the one hand, he was just a student teacher. On the other hand, she didn’t want to not tell Rob and then, when he was at the school reading, have him see Kyle and wonder who he was. In the end, Alaina decided full disclosure was the way to go. Plus it would be a welcome change of subject. “A new student teacher started recently.”

“Oh, someone to haze and run into the ground like we do the rookies? Excellent!”

“Must really be something to be a hockey player,” she said. “We aren’t too bad. We don’t want to scare the student teachers too badly, after all. They do usually pull playground monitor duty, which sucks in the winter.”

“I can imagine.”

“He’s helping out with the upper grades.”

Rob raised an eyebrow. “He?”

“Yeah, his name is Kyle.”

“Oh, I assumed you were talking about a woman.”

Alaina’s eyebrows drew down. “Why? Because teaching is women’s work?”

“No, no
.” Rob was shaking his head as he spoke quickly, and his hands were up in a defensive position. “Honey, please don’t think that. You know I respect the hell out of what you do. I guess I was more thinking because all the other teachers are female the student teacher would be too.”

That made sense, she had to admit to herself. “It’s actually unusual to have so many women placed in one school, and in particular when a woman is the principal.
Though we do have male staff, just not teachers.”

“So should I be worried about this Kyle?”
Rob sat back and started drumming the fingers on the table. “I’d crack my knuckles if I need to.”

She could tell he was trying to dispel the tension he’d unintentionally caused and she let him off the hook. The comment had irked her, but Rob had never given any indication he thought her job was woman
’s work, as she’d accused him. “No. I mean, he’s very…enthusiastic. He’s not even assigned to me. They have him dealing with the upper grades, but he told me to ask him for help if I needed anything.”

Rob scowled. “Sounds like he’s hitting on you.”

Alaina waved away his concern. “He’s probably overeager to please.”

“In the classroom better damn well be the only place he’s looking to please you.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing to concern yourself over.”

He leaned forward, capturing her free hand in his. “Promise to keep your eyes open.”

“Okay.” He was overreacting, but he had admitted to being on the possessive side, which was why she hadn’t been sure if she should mention Kyle or not. The cat was out of the bag now, though.

Rob leaned back.
“So when am I going to see you next?”

“Tomorrow.”

“After tomorrow, smartass.”

Alaina thought for a minute.
“Tuesday? What time are you guys leaving?”

“We usually practice, break for a quick lunch
then are in the air by one thirty.”

“Oh, that’s no good.
Probably not until you get back.”

Rob winked.
“I guess I better enjoy tomorrow then.”

One side of her mouth kicked up. “You can help me cut out construction
-paper leaves for the kids’ art project on Tuesday.”

Deadpan, he replied, “Fabulous.” She laughed and he continued
, “By the way, we’re watching the game at my place. I like my TV way better. The players are life-sized.”

“Yeah, yeah. I work at an inner-city school. My salary barely keeps me in clothes with a roof over my head.”
Much as she wished that was different, Alaina still wouldn’t trade her job for the world. Of course there was something to be said for financial security, but the satisfaction she got from teaching couldn’t be replaced.

He turned serious. “That’s
stupid. Really.” Leaning forward, he said, “I assume you know by now that I make millions every year. And I play a freaking game. Yes, not everyone has the talent and drive needed to become a professional athlete, but at the end of the day, we play a
game
. You’re changing the lives of children and getting boned. That’s criminal as far as I’m concerned. Athletes and actors and musicians rake in the cash, while teachers, nurses, and all those others who really make a difference in peoples’ lives get the shaft.”

Alaina had to admit she was
surprised he felt that way about his own situation. In her experience, a lot of people with those salaries had a sense of entitlement, but Rob was the polar opposite. “But it’s very difficult to get to your level, Rob, and it takes years of hard work and sacrifice. You should be rewarded for that.” She couldn’t believe she was defending his ridiculous paychecks.

“I still feel bad.”

His expression was clouded, and she was sorry their conversation had degenerated to this. She’d wanted to have a nice night out with Rob. “Don’t. You deserve every good thing. You’ve sacrificed a lot, and you’re a good person, though I did promise to keep that information to myself.”

Laugh, please.

One side of his mouth kicked up. “Wouldn’t want to spook people into thinking I’m a nice guy.”

They finished dinner and he
paid the check, leaving another very generous tip. When he dropped her off at her apartment, he said, “I’d come up, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to leave, and I’m really, really trying to take this slow.”

“
I can understand that, and I appreciate it. When the time is right, we’ll know.” Alaina was convinced she was right about Rob. Kyle, for some reason, obviously didn’t like professional athletes, but she couldn’t let him color her view of Rob, who’d been nothing but great to her and the school.

“We better,” he grumbled
.

S
he pulled him in for a quick kiss. “Thanks for the carbo-loading and the Chianti. I should sleep well tonight.”

He laughed. “My pleasure. So see you tomorrow at my place at twelve
thirty?”

Rob gave her his address and she jotted it down in the notebook app on her phone. She might not have all the luxuries, but this smartphone
, which her parents had given her for Christmas, was quickly becoming a necessity. It would’ve been even better if they’d offered to pay the bill for the thing too, but her parents weren’t rich by any means. So the phone was the one thing she allowed herself to have even though it wasn’t strictly necessary.

“I’ll bring some food for lunch.
”

“Order something and have
the place deliver the food. I don’t want you having to go out and buy stuff.”

“I don’t mind,
” Alaina protested.

Leaning in and whispering directly into her ear, he said, “I do. And you should always listen to me.
Don’t make me hide cash all over your apartment because you’re too stubborn to let me pay for things. You should know by now I would in a heartbeat if it would make things easier for you.”

With a derisive noise she pushed him back out the door. “Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow.”

Alaina was oddly touched Rob wanted to take care of her. Sure, he had money to throw around, but he used it to help others from what she’d seen. Whether he was doling out big tips at a restaurant or giving the school obscene amounts of money to spend on the classrooms, he used his money for good. Rob didn’t waste it, and she admired that about him.

The next day, she thawed the chili from earlier in the week and grabbed a bag of chips and some cheese to accompany her comfort-food offering. She felt weird going anywhere empty-handed, and her mother, the consummate hostess, would have her head. Alaina could almost hear the woman now. “You were raised better than that.”

“Yes, Ma,” she murmure
d as she carried everything to her little car.

When she arrived at Rob’s house, Sebastian answered the door
. Looking past him, she spied Sarah. A little fissure of disappoint took up residence. Alaina had been hoping to cuddle during the game and maybe have a little more than cuddle time afterward.

Rob
walked out of the kitchen carrying drinks. “Hey!” Jerking his head toward his friends, he said, “They don’t have anything better to do than tag along on my dates.” Sebastian snorted and Rob gave him a shove after setting down the glasses. “So I guess we’re gonna double.”

“Fine with me.”
She smiled, but turned away so he wouldn’t see the disappointment on her face.

“So you call watching a hockey game at your house a date? Dude, that’s lame,” Sebastian
said.

Alaina couldn’t help but chuckle.

Sarah leaned forward and said in a stage whisper, “We’re glad he’s got someone finally. Having him in the middle hogging the popcorn was really making seeing movies a pain.”

Alaina laughed so hard she nearly dropped
the chili, but Rob swooped in to grab the bundle. “What’s this?”

“The leftover chili. Not sure how far
this amount will go with four of us, but I saw how much you liked it…”
I wish you’d told me more people would be in attendance. I would’ve brought something else.