Wildest Dream (Book 1 in the Teach Me series) by RC Boldt
Date of Publication: December 8, 2015
Taken from his parents and bounced from one foster home to the next, former Navy SEAL turned math teacher, Callum "Mac" Mackenzie had a rough childhood. The only time he's let himself get attached to anyone has been with his military "brothers". He's convinced he doesn't know how to love and certainly doesn't "do" relationships. He's spent fourteen years in the Navy and now he gets to live out his other dream: teaching.
Her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, science teacher, Raine Thompson feels as if her time to find "the one" is running out. She knows life is short, especially after dealing with breast cancer two years ago, and wants to experience her own happily ever after. But is it in the cards for her?
Finally acting on the simmering attraction they have long ignored, Raine and Mac decide to have a fling and they discover what it's like to have someone who knows you inside out also be the one who makes your body come alive.
But it was only temporary…
Mac was sitting across from him with Tina’s
chair situated flush against his, her mouth close to his ear. Probably
whispering gross, sexual things to him. Yuck.
Taking a sip of her drink, ‘Talk Dirty To Me’
began playing and she reached out her hand to Zach. “Come on and dance with
me,” she called out to him. Jokingly, she added, “It’s our song!”
He shook his head, giving her a rueful smile.
“Next one,” he yelled back.
Raine blew him a kiss before she returned to
the dance floor. Just as she had resumed dancing on her own, she felt hands
strongly grip her hips from behind and a body press flush against her, moving
suggestively. Raine froze, certainly not enjoying the sudden invasion of her
space by a stranger. Then, a voice spoke in her ear, “Move with me, baby.”
No. Just, no.
Before she could remove herself from his
grip, Mac appeared in front of her, holding out his hands for her to grasp. He
gave a hard glare to the guy behind her that must have communicated something
in man-speak to make the creeper let go of her. She mouthed “thank you” to which
Mac merely winked.
He pulled her close as he danced with her,
looking down with a wide grin on his face, that dimple of his making itself
known. Twirling her quickly, he swung her back, close to his body as they
continued to dance together.
Usher’s ‘Yeah’ came on next, causing her to
squeal in excitement, making Mac shake his head in laughter, as he watched her
begin to dance with vigor. He cast out an imaginary fishing line and she
pretended to get hooked, with him reeling her in. They did the ‘lawnmower’ and
‘shopping cart’ moves, each of them bursting with laughter at each other’s
antics.
“Now, we’re going to slow it down a bit for
this next one,” came the DJ’s voice as the beginning of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking
Out Loud’ began to play.
Mac offered his hand to her. “May I?”
Eyes shining up at him, she took his hand.
“You may.”
They slow danced together like they had a
dozen times before. Like she had done with Zach or Lawson or even Foster.
Suddenly remembering that Mac hadn’t arrived
alone tonight, she looked in the direction of their table. The guys were
sitting there in conversation, but Tina was nowhere to be seen.
Her head swinging back toward Mac, Raine
opened her mouth to ask about the absence of his ‘friend’ when he simply told
her, “She left.”
Brows furrowed, Raine looked at him, waiting
for further explanation. He simply shook his head. “Just dance with me.” He
twirled her out and back again, but this time, she stumbled on the return and,
off balance, came flush against his chest.
She looked up at him to apologize but
suddenly faltered as she met his gaze. The way he was watching her was unlike
the usual way in which he looked at her.
His gaze was noticeably different; heated and full of interest and with
a hint of yearning?
No. That couldn’t be. She wasn’t even his
type.
With her low heels on tonight, the top of her
head still barely came up to his chin. She suddenly became aware of his hard
body pressed against hers. She knew from when they went running together or to
the beach that beneath his clothes was a well-defined chest and abs. But she
felt more awareness in the air between them. Raine felt breathless, realizing
her breasts were pressed against him, feeling his hardness against her stomach.
Mac leaned in closer, his hooded gaze locked
onto her lips as her tongue slid out to wet them. Her breath hitched in
anticipation. Just when she thought their lips would meet, she felt Mac press
his forehead against hers instead. Raine exhaled slowly, trying to calm her own
breathing.
What the hell
just happened?
She had almost crossed the line with her
friend. Willingly. Wanted to, even. And that was not okay.
“Mac?” she whispered to him with what she
knew was a confused look on her face. He released her as the song ended and
gave her a forced smile. “I’ve got to run to the restroom. Guard those hips of
yours from creepy guys.” With a wink, he was gone.
Which left her to wonder whether she was
upset about what had almost happened between them…or disappointed that it
hadn’t.
***
What the fuck was
that?
Mac scrubbed his hands over his face as he
stared at himself in the restroom mirror, waiting in line behind another guy.
He’d come so close to kissing Raine on that
dance floor. So fucking close that he could nearly smell the vanilla vodka from
her drink. And breathe in the vanilla scent of her shampoo.
Fuck.
He needed to get his head straight. He could
not -would not- screw this up. Raine was amazing and one of the best people
he’d come to know. She had fast become one of his best friends, for God’s sake.
Is this why you
sent Tina on her way?
The question nagged at him even though he
knew the answer deep down.
After he finished in the restroom, he felt
like he’d composed himself enough to return back to his friends. As soon as he
exited, he stopped short as he saw Foster waiting for him, arms crossed in a
stance that made him uneasy.
He nodded to him. “Hey, man.” Mac tried to
walk past him casually, but Foster put his palm to his chest. Not terribly hard
but forcefully enough to get him to stop.
Foster stepped up to his face, eyes hard.
“What the fuck was that all about?”
Mac clenched his jaw so hard it was a wonder
it didn’t crack. “Nothing. It was nothing,” he said behind clenched teeth.
“You’re damn right. It’d better be nothing.
And that little ‘nothing’ shouldn’t happen ever again.” The last two words were
punctuated with his index finger pushing into Mac’s chest. Hard enough to make
him wince.
“Roger that.”
Holding Mac’s gaze a moment longer, Foster
finally moved aside. “Need anything from the bar?”
“Nah, man. Thanks, anyway,” he answered.
He made his way back to the table to find
everyone on the dance floor except for Zach. Zach was looking a bit tortured as
he watched Laney enjoying herself and flirting openly with the guy she was currently
dancing with.
Mac slid into the chair next to him and
leaned in slightly to be heard over the loud music.
“Women, huh?”
Zach opened his mouth to respond but stopped.
Then he looked over at Mac for a moment, studying him closely, making him a bit
uncomfortable with the sudden scrutiny.
His friend turned his gaze back to Laney on
the dance floor briefly before turning back again to Mac. “Just biding my time,
friend.”
Mac looked at Laney dancing close to the guy.
“Better not bide it for much longer. Don’t want to run out of it.”
“Same goes for you, too,” came the quick,
unexpected response.
Whipping his head back to Zach, he gave him a
cool look before glancing around the room, trying not to let his gaze linger on
Raine.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Scoffing, Zach raised his eyebrows at him
knowingly. “Seriously, man. It’s obvious what your kryptonite is.”
Mac flashed him a cocky grin. “Are you
referring to me as Superman? Because, if so, I like it.”
Ignoring his attempt at diverting the conversation,
Zach tilted his beer in the direction of Raine on the dance floor. “That right
there is your kryptonite, man.”
Mac followed his gaze to the dance floor to
see Raine, Tate by her side, arms raised in abandon, laughing with her head
thrown back, hair cascading down her back in waves. The pure delight on her
face, eyes sparkling in laughter, smiling widely, she was breathtakingly
beautiful.
Beautiful and totally off-limits.
Tearing his gaze away from her, he shook his
head and looked at Zach sharply. “Glass houses, dude.”
Zach raised his hands up as if in surrender.
“No stone throwing from this guy.” He paused. “Just an observation.”
“Noted.”
“I gotta say, you chose well,” Zach remarked.
Mac’s look was cautious. “What do you mean?”
Zach looked back over to the dance floor to
where Raine was dancing. “Raine is like a sleeper. You meet her and you think,
eh, she’s cute and fun but nothing super striking about her-”
“Not true,” Mac interrupted. “Her smile.”
Zach nodded in agreement. “You’re right. But she’s
not one to be classified as a stunner. Until you get to really know her and,
suddenly, she’s become this witty, smart woman who is hot.”
Mac gave him a sharp look.
Zach help up a hand. “Ease up, dude. She’s
like a sister to me. I’m just saying that if she weren’t, I would be the first
in line to be her fan club president.”
Zach set down his beer, noticing the guy
Laney had been dancing with had walked away from the dance floor. With a pat on
Mac’s shoulder, he left to join Laney, twirling her around once before he began
doing the running man and making her double over in laughter.
Mac’s eyes trailed over to Raine as she
danced like a madwoman with Tate. Raine’s dress bounced around her legs and he
watched as the muscles flexed with her movements. Her face was bright,
showcasing the fun she was having with her friend.
He ran a hand over his face with a long sigh.
For the first time in a while, he was regretting his decision to be the go-to
designated driver.
Fuck it.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
He rose from his seat and walked over to the
two women on the dance floor.
It was then that he realized Zach was wrong.
Raine wasn’t his Kryptonite.
She was his temptation.
She was his wildest dream.
And he had no business dreaming of her as his.
RC Boldt is the wife of Mr. Boldt, a retired Navy Chief, mother of Little Miss Boldt, and former teacher of many students. She currently lives on the coast of North Carolina but dreams of relocating to a tropical island. When she's not writing, she can be found daydreaming of relocating to a tropical island, at the beach, going running with her family (and contemplating *gently* tossing her daughter out of the jogging stroller to reduce weight resistance), singing karaoke, harassing her husband or relaxing with a good book. And, let's be honest. Most of those activities listed probably include wine or a good microbrew. Except for the running. In that case, the drinks come afterward. :)
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