Underneath It All (Storm Series) by Cassandra Carr Read Free Book Online Page B

certainly hadn’t been shapeless, but some of her other clothes begged the question of why she was trying to hide her body. He couldn’t explain what it was about Alaina, but he’d been scant seconds from kissing her the last time they’d seen each other. As he continued on his way home, Rob wondered what would’ve happened if they hadn’t been interrupted by the noise outside the classroom?
    He couldn’t wait to see what Alaina had gotten with the money. While the team had been out of town, the checks had cleared, so she’d at least cashed them. By his calculations, each teacher would have around sixteen hundred dollars to spend if Alaina had split the second check as well. Rob didn’t need confirmation to know she had. That was the kind of person she was.
     
    Rob walked into the school the next day on light feet, despite the large bruise on his hip from a hard check the night before. That damn Magnus had caught him later in the game, probably to pay him back for the trash-talking incident during the initial face-off. Rob’s playing style lent itself to some bumps and bruises, and Rob was grateful for the opportunity to get them. He wasn’t the most talented guy on the team, nor the youngest, so he had to be the hardest-working.
    H e stopped dead in the door to Alaina’s classroom, his gaze flying around the area. Nothing was different. She spotted him then came over and tried to push him back out the door, probably after seeing the no-doubt incredulous look plastered on his face, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he leaned on the door frame, regarding her with the stare he used on opposing players when he was about to unleash a can of whoop-ass.
    “Didn’t you get anything?” His tone was harsher than he’d intended, and Rob felt a little bad getting out the big guns, but what the hell?
    She bit her lip and looked down, shuffling her feet. “Not yet.”
    Annoyance stole through him. Obviously he hadn’t put a deadline on spending the money, but he’d really been hoping he’d see something. These kids couldn’t wait forever. In the most level tone he could achieve, he asked, “Can I ask why not?”
    “I, um,” she stopped, blowing out a loud breath, and he frowned. What was going on? “I haven’t been able to decide what to get,” she finally confessed, still staring at the floor, wringing her hands.
    “ Is there a problem? I can give you more—”
    Her head snapped up. “No! No, don’t give me more.”
    “So you have enough?” Rob felt like he was interrogating her, but this was such a surprise, he wasn’t sure how to react.
    “The amount of money isn’t the problem.” Alaina continued fidgeting like some student who’d been caught passing notes.
    Rob would’ve laughed in another situation, but now…. Afraid she was going to break a finger soon, he grabbed her hands in one of his and used the other to nudge her chin upward until she met his gaze. “Then what is? And please don’t lie to me or say what you think will make me happy.”
    She deflated before his eyes , and he felt like an ass for pushing her, but he needed to know. “I really, really can’t decide what to get. I’m completely stymied.” Pulling her hands out of his, she darted a look around, and he realized he’d been inappropriately touching her in the middle of the school again. Thank God the students seemed engrossed in their current activity and only a few noticed. “Let’s go outside.”
    Once they’d stepped into the hall and she’d shut the door behind her, Alaina covered her face. “I feel so stupid. I’m,” she threw up both arms, “paralyzed.”
    “Paralyzed?” Rob was getting more confused by the second. What the hell is she talking about?
    “Yeah. I want to do the best I can for them. They have so little , and I keep waffling about what would do the most good.”
    Okay, that made sense. Rob took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He really couldn’t fault Alaina. She clearly hadn’t blown