Page 85 of A Class Act

‘You know?’

‘Jess gave me the low-down on why you’re back. I know it wasn’t just your knee…’

‘No.’

‘And, as your boss, yoursuperior…’

‘Mysuperior?’

‘Superior in a professional capacity.’ Mason started to laugh and that was enough to counter any hesitation and embarrassment we were both obviously feeling.

‘And as I’m your boss, anything other than a professional relationship between the two of us really shouldn’t be happening.’

‘Is something happening?’ I continued to hold his eye.

‘I don’t know what’s happening, Robyn.’ Mason rubbed a hand across his forehead. ‘But from the minute you walked into the school with Sorrel and your dad?—’

‘I thought it was Jayden you were after.’ I grinned, relaxing and finding myself moving tantalisingly closer to the enticing warmth of his sweater, but not yet touching.

‘Him as well, of course.’ Mason laughed. ‘So… Robyn…’ Mason moved a hand to my arm.

‘I’m not, you know…?’

‘Me neither…’

‘Your wife?’ I asked. ‘Does it still… you know…?’

‘A little less every day.’ Mason smiled.

‘What happened?’

‘We’re very,verydifferent people: different politics, different backgrounds, different ideas on just about everything.’

‘Sounds like me and Fabian.’

‘The guy who’s defending the serial killer?’

‘Jess told you?’

‘Yep.’

‘She’d no right.’

‘I asked, Robyn. I wanted to know. Goodness, that must have beensohard for you, being with someone prepared to be on the side of that bastard Henderson-Smith.’

‘Different politics, different backgrounds, different ideas, differenttribe,’ I said sadly. ‘We learn and we move on.’

‘We have to.’ Mason put out a warm hand and stroked my face.

Could I do this? Was I ready to kiss another man?

I obviously was. I leaned into Mason and he bent his head, kissing me hesitantly at first and then, as I reacted, pressing me gently back against the warm stove so that all my senses were warm and on fire… and this was fine… more than fine… and although it wasn’t Fabian, this was a man who was exceptionally hot, exceptionally kind andof my tribe. I found myself kissing him back.

‘Bloody quadratic equations,’ Sorrel muttered as she returned from Mum’s, coming back through the kitchen door. ‘Jess…? Oh, gross,’ she added, hiding her face from where we stood before hurrying into the sitting room. ‘Oh, notyouas well, Jess? What the hell’s the matter with the pair of you?’ Sorrel backed out of the sitting room, laughter following in her wake, Mason and I joining in as she turned to us in the kitchen. ‘I’m off back to Mum and Lola where it’s safe. And, it’sschool,you do realise, tomorrow?’ She sniffed. ‘Time you were all in bed… Oh, no, I didn’t mean that.’ She started laughing and, once she’d started, couldn’t stop.

29

‘You OK now?’ I popped my head round Petra’s office door the next morning at school.

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