“Sounds like that might be it.”
She bit her lip. “I bet it was.”
Her stomach roiled just remembering it.
Eric covered her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “He’s dangerous, Hannah. I don’t want you anywhere near him.”
“I’ll go hang in Sam’s room after school from now on,” she promised. “So I’m not alone.”
“I’ll try and leave work a bit earlier if possible.” He moved his hand from hers and put it back on the steering wheel. “Are you still up for Taekwondo after we grab some dinner?”
“Yes. I think I need it now more than ever.” She shifted in the seat, adjusting her seat belt. “I needed to get to that butt-kicking stage like yesterday.”
“You’ll get there. Are you liking it then? Being back in Taekwondo?”
“I do, surprisingly. Much more than I did when I was a kid. I think even if I didn’t have a weird stalker, I’d keep going.”
“That’s because I’m in class with you now,” he teased.
She let out a short laugh and gave him a sideways glance from beneath her lashes. “Well, yeah, that’s a big part of it too. I’m looking forward to a rematch sparring tonight.”
His gaze swung to hers, and the heat that radiated in his eyes made her stomach flutter.
“You’re on.”
The soft reply sent a shiver of anticipation through her. Maybe because she was already thinking about what would happen after class between them.
But a few hours later, when they were on their way back from class, she wondered what had happened to the flirtatious man in the car. It almost seemed as the evening went on, he’d gotten a little more emotionally distant. When they’d sparred, he’d given her tips without a hint of flirtation.
Maybe he didn’t want to tip her uncle off to their involvement? Or he was determined to keep it professional while in class, being his high rank.
Either way, the uncertainty settled in her gut.
Stop overthinking this. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.
Once they arrived home, Hannah watched as Eric shut the front door and locked it. He took a moment before turning around, and when he did, his expression was guarded.
Nope, she wasn’t overthinking this. Being a teacher had made her pretty darn good at reading body language, and Eric was acting like a student who knew he was in trouble.
She met his gaze and kept her tone calm. “I’m going to shower. Would you like to join me?”
She heard the breath he sucked in before his darkened gaze swept over her from head to toe. There was an ongoing battle tormenting him inside, and it all played out on his face.
“Hannah...”
That’s when she knew.