Broken Lion by Devon Hartford

office next to us had a large desk. If he were to suddenly pick me up, take me into the office, swipe everything off the top of said desk, sit me down on it and go to town, I would probably let him.
    One of the parents sitting in the chairs by the front windows coughed, breaking the moment.
    “We should…” I muttered, unable to finish my sentence.
    Lion’s eyes searched mine. “Yeah we should.” He was obviously thinking about that desk too.
    “Mom!” Daniel ran out of the back in a white karate uniform with a white belt tied around his waist. He looked incredibly cute and was the perfect distraction. “Check it out, Mom! I’m a white belt!”
    “You are!” Trying to switch gears, I took a deep breath. Was there a ladies room around here somewhere? I needed a wipe down.
    “Sensei, when do we learn how to break a board?”
    Lion chuckled and patted Daniel’s shoulder, “We’ll work up to it. You ready to learn some jiu-jitsu?”
    “Yeah!”
    “Then line up with the other kids and we’ll get this party started.”
    Daniel ran onto the blue mats and lined up with the other children who ranged in age from about six to twelve.
    Lion flashed me the sexiest grin in history. “We can fuck after class.”
    “What did you just say?”
    “I said we can talk after class. About signing Daniel up.”
    “Oh. Right.” I needed a cold shower. Or an orgasm. Since neither was an option I sat down with the other parents to watch class.
    For the next hour, Lion wrangled the kids with the help of Robert and Melanie. It was obvious from the start that Lion had worked with children before. Even on crutches, he was a pro at wrangling them and keeping them semi-focused. He also looked ridiculously sweet working with them. Whether on his crutches or in his wheelchair (he switched between both), he instructed them on how to punch and kick and block while Robert and Melanie demonstrated. During group drills, he went from child to child, always encouraging them, always making them laugh, all while correcting them gently and teaching them. The kids loved him.
    More importantly, Daniel was having more fun than I’d seen him have since the divorce. All because of Lion Maxwell. The man was melting my heart and he wasn’t even trying.
    That was when I knew I was in serious trouble.
    Why did there have to be a stupid rule about doctors not dating their patients?
    When class was over, Daniel ran up to me. “Mom! That was so awesome! I can’t wait to do it again!” He threw his arms around me. “Thank you so much for taking me today! I love you, Mom!”
    To my astonishment, Daniel was once again the happy kid I remembered, the one who had disappeared into hiding when things between Donald and me had soured. Gone was the perpetual dark cloud that had been hanging over my son’s head for too many years.
    I hugged my son back as hard as I could.
    I was going to cry in front of everybody.
    And it was all Lion’s fault.

    <<<<<<<>>>>>>>

    It took an hour for Lion and his staff to sign up the interested families after the free class was over. Daniel insisted we wait around until I signed him up. I didn’t mind waiting. I was reluctant to leave. As long as Lion was here, I wanted to be here. There was nothing unethical about me being here. It was for my son. And I intended to enjoy every moment of it.
    When Lion finished with the last of the other parents, he came over to me and Daniel and smiled. “I take it you’re signing Daniel up.”
    Daniel looked at me hopefully.
    I rubbed his shoulder. “Of course we are.”
    “Then step into my office.” Lion pointed the way and Daniel ran ahead.
    Daniel was already sitting in one of the chairs facing the desk, practically bouncing out of it with excitement. I sat next to him and did my best not to remember what I had imagined Lion and I doing on this desk. I might think about it later when I was alone, but not right now.
    Lion walked us through the options and suggested I sign Daniel up