“I don’t sneak—”
“Mrs. Constantine.” I nodded at the seat behind her. “Sit.”
She sucked in an indignant breath, and the dainty cords in her neck strained against her skin. Flawless skin. Slender bones. She would bruise so beautifully in the wrong hands.
In another life, older women were my weakness. But not this one. Not this life and not this woman.
Caroline was, by definition, glamorous. Regal cheekbones. A ripe mouth slashed with scarlet. A body that boasted regular visits to the gym. And not a shimmering blonde hair out of place.
I found her deeply unappealing. She was arrogant and power-hungry with a code of ethics befitting Lucifer himself. From what I knew through my own investigation, the cold queen had no redeeming qualities.
She held my gaze in a silent standoff, one that lasted another second before she lowered onto the seat behind her. She was a smart woman. Smart enough to know I wasn’t a man who backed down.
As for the daughter…
Tinsley slouched deeper in the chair, belligerently directing her gaze anywhere but in my direction.
“Miss Constantine.” I stepped before her, steeling my voice. “Sit up straight.”
Her eyes lifted. Heart-stopping eyes that expressed emotion with visceral clarity. They burned straight through me as she said, “Two words. One finger.”
Caroline gasped.
I kicked the toe of Tinsley’s shoe with enough force to send her shooting up in the chair.
“That”—I motioned at her ramrod position—“is the posture I expect in my classroom. I’ll deal with your other transgressions later.”
Frozen in shock, her lips formed a pouty O.
Her hair, the palest shade of gold, reached nearly to her waist, fading to the color of cultured pearls as if naturally whitened by the sun. Long lashes swept outward from extraordinary wraparound eyes that were wide, light blue, and unduly striking. Add to that her small, pointed nose and delicate bone structure and she had a distinct elven look. A purebred beauty with a face that unveiled magic whenever she was provoked.
In thirty years, she would be exquisite beyond compare. The kind of allure that elicited intense reactions from the beholder.
Most men would find her desirable now, but I was one of the unconventional few who had a strong aversion to teenagers. Even when I was a teenager, I sought older women. An obsession that ultimately became my destruction.
I hadn’t been called to be a priest. Nine years ago, I chose this life as my penance. Celibacy confined the darkness inside me, and placing myself in a boarding school kept my cravings in check.
The faculty was comprised of priests, retired professors, elderly widows, and a few devout married couples. I surrounded myself with zero temptations.
Best decision I’d ever made, and perhaps, the only noble thing I’d ever done.
I wasn’t a kind priest. But I was an accomplished leader. Running this school allowed me to retain the one thing I needed above all else.
Control.
This small, sequestered corner of the world was my kingdom, and I knew how to deal with its wealthy, powerful families.
Like the one sitting before me.
“I agreed to your rules.” I stood directly in front of Caroline, forcing her to look up at me. “Because they are my rules. Every stipulation you put forth is written in the school’s handbook. You would know this had you bothered to read it.”
“Don’t you dare—”
“Read it. Acquaint yourself with how things are run here. I don’t care what your last name is or how you do business in your world, but you will not come into mine and make threats again. This is my domain, and the decisions I make are in the best interest of the students. I will not cater to the demands of the Constantines. Not mother nor daughter nor any of the assistants, lawyers, bodyguards, or other minions you send my way.” I clasped my hands behind me, relishing the stiffness in Caroline’s shoulders. “If you have a problem with that, show yourself out and take your daughter with you.”
They could stay or go. It made no difference to me. My class load was light this year. Either I would have a lot of free time on my hands or the bulk of my days would be allocated to Tinsley Constantine.
No question the girl would be a full-time job.
And no surprise she had something to say about it. “Are the bars on the windows in the best interest of your students? Do you provide straitjackets, too, so we can’t stab out our hearts in misery?”
I didn’t acknowledge her, didn’t so much as glance her way. I held Caroline’s gaze, waiting for her decision.
“I was right about you.” She gathered her purse and phone and stood, facing me toe-to-toe. “Hard and uncompromising. Exactly what my daughter needs.”
Translation: I won’t go easy on the girl.
She was right about that.
“Tinsley.” Her tone announced her departure, cold and dismissive, as she strode to the door. “I expect a satisfactory report from Father Magnus.”