“I was married. He’s passed. And going by Miss is a personal choice. After a while you get a little tired of people asking about your husband and having to explain you’re a widow,” I said and let out a humourless laugh. “Like right now, actually.”

God, what was I doing? I shouldn’t even be entertaining this conversation. My personal circumstances were none of his business.

Stu shot me a commiserating look and ran a hand through his hair. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It was a long time ago,” I said, not bothering to correct him on his language this time. I was beginning to think it was a lost cause, encouraging Stu Cross not to swear.

“Can’t have been that long,” he replied, eyeing me up and down. I didn’t look particularly young for my age. In fact, I always tended to look the exact age I was. Still, twenty-eight was young to have lost a husband, I knew that.

“It’s been almost four years,” I said, again not knowing why I was being so open. Bizarrely enough, there was something oddly liberating about speaking to Stu.

“Four years? What were you, a child bride or something?”

I shook my head. “I married at twenty.”

Stu whistled. “That’s young.”

“It was, but I was always mature for my age.”

“And you still wear the ring,” he said, his voice very quiet now.

I lifted my hand up in front of me to study the small diamond. It hadn’t been particularly expensive, but it had been the most beautiful thing in the world to me the night Mark proposed. In an odd way, it still was.

“Yes, I guess I’m just very sentimental in that sense.”

Surprising me, Stu came forward and took my hand in his. I hitched a sharp breath as he slowly slid his thumb down the centre of my palm. Tingles skittered along my spine as his eyes followed the movement of his thumb and he made a low humming sound in the back of his throat. I stood completely quiet and still, partially because I was dumbfounded and partially because I couldn’t remember the last time a stranger had touched me.

Had a stranger ever touched me?

Stu Cross was without a doubt the most forward person I’d ever met.

He turned my hand over to reveal the front of the ring. “Pretty,” he said, and I nodded before glancing up into his eyes. My heart skipped a beat when I found he wasn’t looking at the ring, but at me. Words were unreachable and all I could manage to do was pull my hand from his and take a sobering step away from him.

I stared the floor as I whispered, “Why are you acting like this?”

“Because I like you,” he answered simply.

I looked up, studied him closely. Something was off about this entire situation. “No, you don’t.”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “I’ve just spent the last two days watching you, Andrea. Believe me, I like you.”

“Address me as Miss Anderson, please,” I said, fumbling through my mind for a way to put an end to this bizarre moment. How had he known my first name? Perhaps one of the other students mentioned it.

The edge of Stu’s lips twitched and he winked at me. “Okay. If that’s how you like it.”

I shook my head at him. “Don’t be cute. I’m your teacher. I’m trying to help you.”

He met my gaze squarely. “Do I look like I need help?”

My instinct was to move farther away but I stood my ground. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be. “Sometimes it’s the ones who don’t look like they need help that need it most.”

“I don’t need help. I just want to be friends,” he said, mustering a very handsome and charming smile. “No wait, that’s a lie. I definitely want to be more than friends.”

His determination had me flabbergasted. No man had ever pursued me like this, not even Mark. Something was amiss.

“Well, friendship is all I have to offer, Stuart,” I said, putting as much authority into my voice as I could muster. “And the flirting will need to stop. Like I said, it won’t get you an easy pass. The only thing that will that get you a pass is hard work.”

He grinned. “You’re sexy when you’re laying down the law, do you know that?”

Now I just shook my head in exasperation. There was no talking to him. Maybe he was just a natural flirt and couldn’t help himself. Either way, it wasn’t going to work on me so perhaps I should just let him have it his way. Still, it was difficult not to return his smile. He really was far more handsome than he had any right to be. Plus, the twinkle in his hazel eyes was pretty much irresistible.

“Completely shameless.” I sighed and walked around to the other side of the desk, needing some space from his heady presence. “So, tomorrow I hope we can start over. Please try to fit in some reading this evening and get an early night so you’re not late again.” When I looked at him this time he was smirking.

“Just gonna ignore the fact that I want you, eh?”

I shook my head, exasperated. “I’m sure my oversized grey slacks get you real hot and bothered, Stuart,” I deadpanned. “Now go on, I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

Busying myself gathering the last of my things, I studiously avoided looking at him, hoping he’d concede defeat and leave. Big mistake. Before I knew it, strong hands took my handbag and coat and set them back on the desk. Then Stu used his broad frame to corner me into the wall behind my chair.

I stared up at him, my breathing heavy, unsure why I wasn’t screaming for help. But I knew why. It was the soft, sexy look in his eyes. It was a dangerous look, but not one that could lead to harm, not physically anyway. This was by far the most surreal thing that had ever happened to me. It was like some little Cupid baby had shot him with a love arrow and all of a sudden Stuart Cross was hot for his teacher.

Or perhaps all that time behind bars away from the opposite sex had turned him into a crazed horndog. I mean, when was the last time I had been flirted with? Mark and I started seeing each other when we were seventeen, so perhaps I should be asking had I ever been flirted with? Surely I was imagining things. Stu made it clear he hadn’t wasted any time catching up on what he’d missed out on for two years. So, why me? Was this all just a game, a bit of fun?

The dark look he gave me said it wasn’t. In fact, all I saw in his eyes was need.