The Protector (Complete)

Chapter 2

Greta's heels clicked on the tile floor as she headed down the hallway towards her classroom. She had been given the classroom on the far end, one that gave her the privacy she always enjoyed in the classroom. The copy machine was at the opposite end of the hall, but being on the end of the building that no one frequented for no reason meant that her students wouldn't be distracted by the comings and goings of other teachers or students.

She transferred the copies she had made to her left hand as she searched for her keys in her small handbag.

"Can I help you, ma'am?"

"Oh, yes," Greta sighed, handing over the large stack of papers she had in her hand to the student helping her. She quickly found her key and slipped it into the lock.

The action was useless. The door was already open. She guess she had forgotten to lock her door. Locking her door was an action she hadn't performed very often. Rarely, if ever did she lock her own house door, and she hadn't even had a lock on her last classroom door.

"You can just set the papers on my desk..." She glanced at the student who had offered the help. "What's your name?"

"Will," he said as he set the papers down.

"Short for William?" Greta guessed.

"Wilfred, actually," he replied. He tugged on his tie and stared over Greta's shoulder.

"Well, thank you, Wilfred."

Wilfred shrugged. "Oh, ma'am, everyone just calls me Will."

Greta smiled at the young boy who must have been about fourth grade. "I don't use nicknames, Wilfred. Thank you for your help."

Happy to be freed, Wilfred hurried from the room, skidding to a stop halfway down the hall when another teacher caught him running.

Greta shook her head as she smiled. She rounded her desk, already separating her copied papers into stacks to prepare for the day. She was about to sit down when she caught sight of the man standing in the back of her classroom.

She was back on her feet. Rounding her desk, she leaned on the front of the desk, crossed her arms over her chest, and used her best teacher look on the man. "I hadn't forgotten to lock my door, had I?"

"No, ma'am," the man said.

The deep, cultured voice sent a shiver down Greta's back, but she managed to keep it off her face. "Can I help you with something?" Her voice held just enough civility so as not to bite her back if the man standing in the room was someone of importance. She had thought she had met all the teachers and staff at the school, and she didn't remember the man.

"I've come to meet you."

"Oh?" Greta asked.

The man moved from where he had been standing in the back. He easily strode to the front of the classroom, his immense body coming to stand only a foot or two from Greta's smaller frame. He was mildly impressed with the fact that she showed no uneasiness with his closeness. He knew his height and mass usually had most men unnerved and most women running from him. But Greta hadn't moved. In fact, if he hadn't mistaken it, she was irritated with him. "My name is Alexander Waslow."

Batting her eyelashes to hide the rolling of her eyes, Greta uncrossed her arms and held out her hand. "Greta Klassen." She felt his hand envelop hers. The touch itself seemed to send a flash of fire through her body. Her face flushed. Suddenly she was grateful that she hadn't turned on the overhead lights yet.

Alexander was surprised at the strength he felt in the small hand. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but it wasn't strength.

Greta tugged her hand back and once more crossed her arms. She was going to wait for Alexander to come out with what he wanted to say, but a glance at her desk changed that. She had papers to sort and classes to prepare for. She didn't have the time to play a game with the man in front of her.