Waking Ms. Briar; a sweet, clean romance_A Middleton Prep Novella Read online

  Waking Ms. Briar

  A Middleton Prep Novella

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  WAKING MS. BRIAR

  First edition. June 29, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 Laura Ann.

  Written by Laura Ann.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  By Laura Ann

  DEDICATION

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  CHAPTER 1 | Present Day

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18 | 2 Hours Earlier

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  EPILOGUE

  THE END

  Author Note

  Middleton Prep Series Order

  NEWSLETTER

  A HOME FOR THE UGLY DUCKLING

  Read on for SNEAK PEEK of | Middleton Prep #4. | Lucy’s Story.

  Valentine’s Day

  About The Author

  By Laura Ann

  DEDICATION

  To my little caboose,

  Whose mischievous grins and

  Innocent eyes bring joy to

  Our family.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to the crew at LDS Beta Readers.

  Your dedication and willingness to help is what

  Makes a project like this doable.

  Also to Victorine at

  Blue Valley Author Services

  For the beautiful cover.

  Prologue

  Rory crept cautiously into the trees at the back of the private, all-girls school she attended. She was supposed to be getting ready for bed, but instead, she had snuck out to spend some time by herself. The slight breeze caused a rustling sound to sing through the leaves, Rory found the sound soothing and her muscles relaxed, knowing she was alone.

  Pushing into the darkness, she headed towards her tree. Even in the shadows she knew exactly where she was going; the massive oak had become her sanctuary. She often sat at its base, singing and watching the woodland animals. It was also the only place she allowed her true emotions to show. Rory’s parents had sent her to a private school when she was still a toddler. Their research work in the Amazon took precedence over everything; including their only child. Today was her sixteenth birthday and they hadn’t acknowledged her in any way.

  “They probably forgot... just like last year.” Rory muttered to herself. There you are. A smile grew on her face when she spotted the silhouette of her favorite spot.

  Rory settled herself at the base, drawing her legs to her chest. She rested her face on her knees sideways and sighed heavily. “Sixteen,” She whispered. “Sixteen. No card, no cake, no hugs. No kiss ....” Closing her eyes she soaked in the sounds of the forest nightlife. Crickets sang, leaves danced, a distant owl called out a mournful hoot. She reached into her pocket and withdrew her favorite lip gloss. It was Rory’s favorite, leaving a slight red tint to her lips and smelling like a rose garden, it was soothing and familiar.

  “I know you.” A deep voice whispered just behind her right ear.

  Gasping, Rory jumped to her feet, scrambling backwards and swallowing the scream that wanted to emerge. A tall, lean silhouette rested against her tree. Rory felt the hairs on the back of her neck come to attention and her heart rate speed up. Rory’s imagination ran wild for a moment. Who is this guy? Is he a murderer? A thief? A...wait... Her eyes widened. Did he hear me talking about never being kissed? She groaned at the thought.

  The stranger shoved off the tree and walked closer, Rory countered his steps by stepping backwards. When he stepped from the shadows into the moonlight, she found herself gasping again. He was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. He was long and lean, obviously still a growing teenager. His hair was as dark as the shadows, his skin looked tan, but the most impressive feature was his eyes. Like two emeralds, they glowed in the night, sparkling with mischief and playfulness.

  Rory scrunched her eyebrows together. Did he say he knew who I was? I definitely don’t know him. I would have remembered someone this hot. “Who are you?” She asked, her voice came out breathy and vulnerable and she had to stop herself from wincing at the sound. She swallowed hard to bring moisture back to her mouth, but to no avail.

  He stopped and put his hand to his heart. “I’m wounded m’lady.” With a dramatic flourish, he swept into a bow, his dark hair hanging. “I’d know you anywhere.” He stood and grinned.

  Oh dear heavens, that grin is dangerous. “Yeah, well...I don’t know you.” She continued to study him. Oh yeah...I would have remembered him. “Where did you say we met?”

  His grin widened, and his straight teeth flashed white in the light of the full moon. “I do believe I saw you walking through my dreams.” His voice dropped, taking on a husky quality.

  If anyone else had said such a line to her, Rory would have snorted in disbelief. But the tone of his voice caused a tingle to run down her spine and she couldn’t seem to make her voice work.

  He started walking towards her again, his movements slow, as if he was afraid she would bolt. Rory’s mind screamed for her to move, but she found herself rooted to the forest floor, entranced by the smooth movements of his long limbs. When she looked directly at him, his green eyes burned into hers, never breaking contact as he approached.

  When he was within a few inches, he stopped. Holding out one hand, palm up he asked. “May I?’

  Rory frowned. “May you what?”

  “Have this dance?” He reached out and took her hands. Slipping one to his shoulder, he held the other and after rocking them back and forth for a moment, starting dancing with her around the woods.

  “W-what are you doing?” She asked.

  He smirked. “Dancing. Waltzing to be exact.”

  Blinking rapidly, Rory forced herself to focus on the conversation. “I know that. But why?”

  “Who wouldn’t want to dance with a fair maiden such as yourself?”

  Rory wrinkled her nose. “Who talks like that? Seriously. And a girl like me? What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  That cocky grin crossed his lips again. “I mean someone with hair as gold as the sunrise.”

  Rory raised her eyebrows. “It’s night time.”

  “Eyes like pools of chocolate.”

  Rory felt her lips twitch. “Or mud.”

  “And lips as red as any rose.”

  Rory rolled her eyes. “It’s lipgloss.”

  “Tell me your name.”

  Rory smiled, fighting laughter. “I thought you knew me.”

  He smiled in return. “I’d know the girl of my dreams anywhere, but alas, her name eludes me.”

  A giggle bubbled out of Rory’s lips. She couldn’t help it. His attention, as ridiculous as it was, made her feel good, attractive and even...happy. “My name is Aurora. But everyone calls me Rory.”

  He shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Well I am not everybody, and Rory doesn’t do justice to your beauty. Aurora you shall be.”

  Rory smirked. “I can’t say any other strangers have ever grabbed me to dance in the woods, so I would h
ave to agree that you are not everybody. So...what’s your name?”

  His smile lit his whole face, and Rory found herself holding her breath. Holy cow. Seriously, this guy is way too gorgeous for his own good.

  “Steven. At your service.” He tilted his head at her, while they continued to spin around trees and fallen branches to an unheard melody.

  “Well. Steven. Thank you for the dance, but I really should probably get back to my dorm.”

  They stopped twirling, but he didn’t let go of her. His green eyes studied her for several long moments.

  “What?” Rory asked, suddenly feeling a bit unsure.

  He leaned in next to her ear and whispered. “Happy birthday, Aurora.” Then he kissed her cheek softly before letting her go and disappearing into the shadows.

  Rory stood still for a moment. Her fingers touched her cheek where she could still feel the warmth of his lips. As she came out of her stupor, she realized she was trembling, but not from cold. “Thank you.” She whispered to the darkness, then slowly made her way back to her dorm room, knowing there was no way she would sleep, but that wouldn’t stop her from dreaming.

  CHAPTER 1

  Present Day

  Rory blinked rapidly bringing herself back to the present. The Middleton Prep Holiday Staff Party was a grand success. All the teachers and staff were laughing, mingling and enjoying themselves. All except Rory. No amount of good cheer or holiday punch was going to pull the high school science teacher out of the conflicting emotions that were pulsing through her. When she signed a contract to work at Middleton Prep two years ago, she had been so excited, and had become even more so when she discovered who else worked here.

  The boy who stole her heart with a moonlit dance had grown up into a man just as handsome as she had expected him to be. Though her first reaction had been surprised elation, but it hadn’t taken long for her heart to break. It was painfully obvious, that their evening hadn’t meant as much to him as it meant to her.

  Rory had never seen him after the night of her sixteenth birthday. Two weeks after their meeting, Rory’s parents had sent a note to the school head mistress to have Rory sent to an ancient aunt she had never met. With no say or power over her situation, Rory had dutifully left and finished out her high school years in public school. All through college she had wondered about the boy in the meadow, but had no way of tracking him down.

  Now he was a fellow teacher, and had a reputation for charming every person he came into contact with. He often spouted Shakespeare and spoke in a loud, dramatic voice, complete with arm flourishes. The entire staff loved it ... except Rory.

  “Uh, Rory?” Piper, the school librarian, touched her elbow. “You’re gonna burn a hole in Steven’s head if you keep shooting those laser eyes at him.”

  Lucy, another teacher, laughed at Piper’s comment.

  “Good, maybe that would throw off his game. And save a broken heart or two in the process” She pinched her lips together, discovering they were dry and reached for her lip gloss.

  “Whoa...” Lucy said, putting her hands up in surrender. “Bring down the wrath, chica. It’s not worth getting so upset over.” She slung her arm around Rory’s shoulders. “By the way, what are we so upset over to begin with?”

  Rory’s shoulders slumped in defeat and she broke her stare. “Nothing. The guy just drives me crazy. Walking around like he’s all that and a bucket of chicken. I can’t stand guys that have egos that big.”

  A deep chuckle rumbled from the tall, muscular man behind Piper. Nash was the school football coach slash math teacher, and Piper’s boyfriend.

  Piper looked at him over her shoulder. “I’ll have to remember that one next time you go strutting across the football field. All that and a bucket of chicken.” She snickered, then squealed when Nash tickled her side.

  “Have you told Steven you were his Secret Santa yet?” Lucy asked, eyeing Rory.

  “No. I don’t think I have to. I’m pretty sure he figured it out when I left him the stink bomb. There are only so many people who have the necessary skills to build those in this school.” Rory said with a grin.

  “Yeah, every teenage boy on the premises and yourself, Ms. Science Teacher.” Lucy retorted.

  Rory laughed with the group. “By the way, has anyone seen Charlotte?” Rory asked, referring to her housemate and fellow teacher. “I thought she was finally going to talk to Christian at the party.”

  “Nope. I haven’t seen either of them, come to think of it.” Piper replied.

  “Maybe they found each other and decided to skip.” Lucy said, wiggling her eyebrows.

  “We can hope! I’m about ready to lock those two in a closet if they don’t make a move soon.” Rory said. “I’m pretty sure the whole school is fed up with their shy song and dance. Someone needs to tell Christian to man up.”

  Nash grunted his agreement.

  “Hello, Santa.” A deliciously, deep voice whispered in Rory’s ear.

  Doing her best to ignore the tingle his voice sent down her spine, Rory spun around, coming face to face with her archenemy. “Oh. It’s you. For a moment there I thought it was someone important.” She kept her face bland.

  Putting his hand to his chest in despair, he stumbled backward a few steps. “I’m wounded my lady! I’m not sure my heart will survive such rejection from a maiden as beautiful as yourself!”

  Lucy and Piper giggled behind her, but Rory just rolled her eyes. I will NOT be like all his other groupies.

  He reached out and picked up her hand. “Please tell me what I can do to win the favor of so grand a lady! My very heartbeat awaits your edict!”

  A powerful warmth ran up Rory’s arm where he held it tight, refusing to let her pull away. She waged an inner battle with herself. Pulling away meant losing the warmth and electricity he emitted, but she refused to be just another one of the crowd. Using anger to hide her attraction, she jerked hard and managed to pull her hand out. “Unfortunately, I’m fairly sure you’ll survive to live another day. I’m sure all the girls in your classes will be grateful.”

  He smirked. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy, dear Aurora?”

  The mischievous glint in his eyes was captivating and a part of her wanted to answer the call, but it was still overpowered by her common sense. “Don’t call me that,” she snapped. ”I go by Rory.”

  “But that’s what everyone else calls you.” He slowly began to crowd her.

  Unsure of his intent, she backed away from his advance. “Exactly.” She put her nose in the air, feigning confidence. “Why should you get to be any different?” Rory stopped moving when she bumped into a table.

  Her eyes widened when he raised an eyebrow; a smug look on his face.

  Leaning forward, he stopped nose to nose. “Because,” he whispered. “No one else can claim to have done this.”

  Rory sucked in a gasp as Steven pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was firm and quick, just long enough to send tremors throughout her body. Her eyes were wide and she couldn’t think straight enough to speak when he pulled back.

  After stepping back a couple of steps, Steven gave an elaborate bow to those hooting and hollering around them.

  Snapping out of her stupor, Rory opened her mouth to give him a verbal set-down.

  “Ah, ah, ah!” He ticked his finger in the air, keeping his voice low. “It’s tradition, Aurora.”

  His velvety voice turned her mind to mush and she had to mentally shake herself to get rid of its effects. By the time she had regained her thought process he was gone, mingling with other staff members.

  “Whoo wee!” Lucy fanned herself as she approached where Rory stood. “That was hot enough to start a fire.”

  Piper and Nash were both snickering as they retook their positions in the group.

  “Tradition, my foot. Don’t even know what the idiot is talking about.” Rory grumbled.

  At that pronouncement, Piper and Nash laughed even harder.

  “What?” Rory threw her arm
s up in exasperation.

  “Ror.” Lucy giggled. “Look up.”

  Scrunching her eyebrows in confusion, Rory looked at the ceiling. Hanging directly above her was a small sprig of mistletoe. “Oooh.” She groaned. Stinking, Shakespeare reciting...jerk!

  “You have to admit, that was pretty impressive on his part. He had you in the palm of his hand.” Piper was still smiling wide, although her laughter had calmed down.

  “Well, fool me once and all that.” Rory waved her hand in dismissal. “I can guarantee you, that man will never kiss me again.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Rory took a deep breath and stretched her arms behind her. The school winter break was over and the new year had begun. It felt good to get back to what she loved. During the day she taught high school science at Middleton Prep. It was a private academy with grades K-12 in one big building and Rory loved it. Its expensive tuition kept the student count small, which meant that Rory had the resources for all sorts of fun in her classroom.

  However, several nights a week, such as tonight, Rory volunteered to tutor at the local after school tutoring center. Tonight she was helping out a group of kids with their science homework. She loved the feeling of helping kids overcome a problem. When the light of understanding lit up their eyes, Rory felt like a superhero. The feeling was addicting and Rory revelled in the sensation.

  “Ms. Briar?” A boy in the back of the room raised his hand.

  “Yes, Turner?”

  “Can I get some help please?”

  “Yep. It's what I'm here for.” Maneuvering through the tables she made her way to him and together they worked out the problem.

  Walking back to the front, Rory sat down in her chair and folded her arms, smiling while she surveyed her classroom.

  “Ms. Briar? May I see you for a moment?” Ms. Millicent’s thin, bony frame stood erect in the doorway, as unbending as her rules and regulations. As head of The Center, she ran a tight ship. There were no exceptions and she had no trouble turning volunteers and staff members away if she didn’t like how they conducted business.