Page 35 of Love Undercover
He shrugged, unable to hold back an answering smile. “It’s the easiest way for me to make the trek back.”
She bit her lip and rolled herself forward, sliding slender hands over his shoulders, leaving behind a trail of flames at the touch. He tried not to dwell on that as he tucked his hands under her knees, hoisting her up. Her fingers dug into his chest a little, and he felt the tension in her body.
It made it harder for him to walk with her so rigid, and he racked his brain for a way to relax them both.
He latched onto the first thing that came to him. “Tell me about your summer job.”
He sensed her surprise in the way she pulled back slightly.
“We have a bit of a hike ahead of us. Might as well fill the time,” he explained.
“Right. Um. Well, I like to stay busy, as you know.”
He chuckled.
“I do the story times, summer activities, and programs the library puts on. It’s a nice way to earn money when I’m not teaching.”
As he’d suspected. “You don’t want a break from dealing with kids?”
He felt her shrug. “It’s still something different. Plus, I like being around kids. Except when I don’t get my coffee or I run into my ex-boyfriend,” she added.
“And get questioned by the FBI.”
She tsked.
He couldn’t help his smile. “Explains your active avoidance of curse words of any kind, though. You’re quite committed with your alternatives.”
“I’d rather stay out of the habit than slip accidentally.” She sniffed, sounding offended.
“It’s a commendable effort.”
She had gone rigid again, almost like she wanted to pull away. Did she think he was making fun of her?
“I mean it,” he assured her. “I’m sure the parents appreciate it, too.”
She softened a little. “I don’t care that much if other people curse. But I’ve always been put off when adults use language in front of children, especially that young.”
He hadn’t thought about it before, but he also wasn’t around kids a lot. “That’s fair. My habit has been pretty unbreakable.”
“How hard have you tried?” she asked, and he heard the smile in her voice, felt her doubt.
“Not very,” he admitted. “The kind of people I’m around are a lot worse than the occasional curse word. To fit in, I have to speak like them.”Among other things. . .Now he was getting tense. “Do you like teaching or the library better?”
She took a breath. “Good question.”
He felt her relax a smidge, and it made him want to know more. Not just because it brought that passion out in her voice again.
“If you had to give one up, which one would you choose?”
Her hands had softened against his chest, one finger tapping along his collarbone as she contemplated.
“Hmm. I’m not sure.” She paused, her silence holding a weight and shape that he desperately wanted to hold in his hands. Her next words came more slowly, halting, like she struggled to form them. “I’ve been told before that I’mtoo much.“ A soft laugh. “Certainly for a librarian. But you know who doesn’t think I’m too much? Kindergartners.”
He laughed, imagining what maybe was “too much” and realized it really wasn’t. Sure, it was ridiculous at first to hear herlist of requirements. But she also backed off and capitulated on the ones she could compromise on. Like she was used to push-back. And, really, what was the big deal with a few items that settled her mind? If it made her feel physically better, too, why not?
“Tell me about your hippie ways,” he said, and that stiffness snapped her muscles tight again, like she was preparing to defend herself.
She took a while to answer, and he wondered how often people gave her a hard time about it. Of course, she didn’t know him well, but that was twice she believed he only intended to judge her.
