Page 47 (2/2)

Brent’s palainst the damp rocks behind hiroan of appreciation Between her teasing and the perpetual state of arousal she caused in hi undone completely

But she was deteretic She sed him whole and dared hi forcefully and letting out a guttural cry

She was a treasure As she rose to her feet tolips She was his treasure Brent wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head

She was his, and he wouldn’t be letting go

Chapter Two

Brent

Two months earlier

Tires squealed as Brent pulled into the parking marked off for parents in front of the two-story, clean-white La Jolla Country Day School He was late After years of parking in the lower school lot, he’d naturally driven over there for the parent-teacher conference, instead of the hter actually attended now

He hopped out of his Porsche, straightened his tie, and secured his phone before jogging up the stairs Cara would still be on campus for her after-school activities He was pretty sure that she either had band or Homework Club today Or lacrosse? Or was that the fall sport?

Walking briskly but with care not to appear rushed, Brent checked his phone once ht classrooave him directions The hallere so wide and clean that alh there were some posters here and there for a school musical

When he arrived at Ms Ra with another parent This irked him a little His time was valuable He slipped inside and took a seat to hile looking around at the roo the center of the roo, and the dying light strea shadows He scanned the room to see what the children had been up to It had seee to him that La Jolla sent the children on to rade rather than sixth, but Cara was sharp enough that it hardly e-appropriate materials for her to read in the lower school anyway