Chapter 1
“Miss Pengram, please stay after class,” the rough-hewnvoice cut easily through the noise of students getting their things to leave.
The response from her fellow classmates in her night classwas mixed. Most ignored the tall professor’s summons, too busy focusing ongetting their belongings and getting home for the night and some gave hermildly curious stares as they too, hurriedly departed. Bowing her head to hideher frown of disappointment, Everly closed her spiral notebook and stuck herpencil into the metal spring along the spine, before dropping the notebook intoher messenger bag.
The last remaining students were walking out the door justas she approached the wooden podium where the professor stood. With a loudclunk, the thick metal door of their classroom slammed shut as the finalstudent departed. The stadium seating class seemed cold and cavernous with onlythe pair of them standing on the empty stage.
“Miss Everly Pengram,” The dark-haired professor began, hisrough-textured voice rumbled over her name like an old pickup truck drivingdown a gravel road. Keeping her eyes trained on the floor, Everly didn’t darelook up to the intimidating man. “I was able to get a copy of your graded testsfrom my predecessor, Mrs. Hornsby, which is why,” he paused a moment, grabbingsomething from the top of the podium. “I am assigning you extra work.”
Shocked she pulled her gaze from the spot on the floor andmet the chilling dark blue eyes of her professor. Dr. R. H. Black was thesubstitute teacher the college brought in weeks ago when the previous calculusprofessor Mrs. Hornsby’s husband got called away for work, forcing her to takea leave of absence to care for their small children while he was gone.Truthfully, Everly found the giant man frightening and would much rather haveMrs. Hornsby back. Quiet and stern he was the complete opposite from the warmcheerful Mrs. Hornsby.
Dark, glacial blue eyes stared at her as he handed her theyellow slip of paper, giving her a look that seemed as if he was almostsatisfied she was forced to meet his gaze as she accepted the assignment.Opening her mouth, she wanted to argue that she would be better prepared forthe next test but her words died on her tongue as she glimpsed his expectantgaze. Everly knew that look, she had seen it enough times in class as heverbally decimated any student who tried to question or challenge him in anyway during his lectures. Standing tall and calm he simply stared down at herwaiting patiently for her to dare argue, eyeing her hesitation but ready tostrike. Pressing her lips together, she turned her gaze away again, to stare atthe far wall over his shoulder as she nodded and accepted the slip of paper.
“Is that all?” She asked politely still not making eyecontact, wanting to be able to escape the tension he was creating.Subconsciously she put her hand on the small bump on her stomach.
There was a pause of silence that stretched between themthat almost pulled her gaze back to his. Thankfully he finally spoke, “I willwalk you out.”
She preferred he didn’t, but she was far too cowardly to sayit. Pulling her pink winter cap over her thick black curls she waited anxiouslyby the door as he pulled on his own expensive black winter jacket over hisbroad shoulders. Well, she thought, if she did ever feel uncomfortable walkingto her car at night she knew she would be safe tonight. The large six-foot fourman walking beside her with his natural fierce expression would surely send anypredator, man, or animal running with his tail between his legs.
Biting Colorado wind whipped around them as they steppedthrough the exit glass doors heading towards the now barren campus parking lot.With her hands tucked deep into her pockets and her chin down, Everly snuck aglance at the man walking next to her. She could still vividly remember the dayhe walked into class, his piercing gaze finding hers immediately in the crowdbefore introducing himself to the class. Firm set lips and narrow eyes thatframed his astute hard gaze, the tall imposing man immediately raised thefemale pheromones in the class at his arrival. Everly could clearly overhearthe women “oohing” and “awing” over his scruffy brown beard or their whisperedexaminations of his assumed physique under his conservative black dress shirtand dark jeans.
Why didn’t anyone see what she was seeing? When she lookedat the man all she saw was the heart and soul of a domineering man. Forcefuland imposing, Mr. Black looked like the type of man that would take everythingshe had to offer without hesitation, command it from her even. She hated that,she had enough of giving herself completely, she wanted nothing to do withsomeone else who wanted more—her life was tumultuous enough.
The cold wet sprinkling of moisture on her nose was her onlywarning of the change in weather. As quickly as it started the light coldsprinkles transformed into fat droplets of freezing rain.
“Fuck,” Mr. Black cursed sharply beside her.
Wanting to look up through the rain to see what happened,Everly was shocked when he grabbed her and pulled her close. Using one arm tolift one panel of his jacket over her head he used his other hand to forciblytug her along at his quick pace. Stopping in front of her red hatchback, hetook the keys from her gloved hands as he kept her crowded close under hisjacket.
“Sir,” she gasped over the blistering cold rain, still a littleout of breath from their sudden run. “Sir, this isn’t necessary.”
Opening the car door with a jerk, Mr. Black ignored her ashe pushed her to get into the driver seat. Still using his jacket like a shieldin the doorway of her car he looked down at her and gave her a fierce look.
“It’s very much necessary since you’re pregnant and you areonly wearing a cheap flannel jacket in this weather,” his voice snappedharshly.
Everly’s first instinct was to shrink back, to just endurethe burning anger she could see on his hard face, but she reminded herself thatshe had to change that about herself. Opening her mouth, she prepared to argueback with him but the firm grip he placed on her cheek stopped the wordsimmediately.
Firmly, but not painfully, he held her chin in the palm ofhis hand while his thumb and finger pressed her cheeks inward.
“Don’t argue with me Everly, just go home and take a hotshower,” he commanded brusquely before stepping back and firmly shutting thecar door.
Watching him walk to his large dark SUV, Everly pursed herlips in dissatisfaction as she obediently drove away.
It was his rain streaked face that haunted her later as shestepped out of her steaming bathroom from the shower. Shaking her head, shetried to dispel the image of her teachers hardened face or the hot feeling ofhis rough hand on her face that still felt imprinted on her skin. How did heeven know she was pregnant anyways? She was not even four months yet and hardlyshowing. Biting her lip in thought she tried to think of all the people at thecollege she knew well enough to know her condition. There was her academiccounselor of course and a couple of girls in her class that were mothers thatshe could occasionally talk to for advice. Maybe that was how he found out, sherationalized, he overheard her talking to the other students.
Grabbing her robe off the small bed she looked around theequally small studio apartment. With only a half-wall that separated her tinybedroom area from the even tinier living space, she could still vividly recallthe day when she moved in a few months ago. Looking at her suitcase on thefloor in the closet and her laptop on her bed, she realized absolutely nothinghas changed from that day appearance wise. No decorations, no clothes in thedrawers, no changes at all just her simply living in the space. It wasn’t thatshe didn’t like it, she liked it a lot actually it wasn’t too big or too smalland it was all her own. She just couldn’t get comfortable yet. There had beentoo many changes and upsets in her life recently and she just could not trustthe comfort, not quite yet. Although it was a blessing to find an affordablealready furnished apartment, especially in a thriving ski town like GoldenCreek, Colorado. Finding a college that would accept her scholarship midwaythrough term certainly wasn’t easy, neither was finding a new job. Butthankfully the Internet was an amazing thing, through countless sites she wasable to apply and obtain a job at the downtown bank.
Her life was slowly getting back on track.
Stepping in front of the full-length mirror Everly untiedthe robe letting it hang open to either side. Turning to the side she stared ather tiny growing belly. The familiar mixture of excitement and pain flooded heras she examined her slowly changing body.
Two years. It’d only been two years since she had left homeand look where she was now. Practically word for word on target according toher mother’s venomous prediction. Lied to and taken advantage of by a man shetrusted too naïvely. Forced to leave town and change colleges with only threethousand dollars to her name and a beat-up car.
Using the lotion she had sitting next to the mirror, sherubbed the cool cream over her stomach. Long black untamable curly hair, a ratherlong oval face, and plain brown oval-shaped eyes, everything added up toaverage. Average looks, average height and an average personality; facts herfather made sure to remind her of when she left their family that day two yearsago. She was naïve and for all intents and purposes new to the world and shehad already made one very costly mistake. But Everly was hopeful—she had to be.Looking back up to her profile she smiled softly.
“Don’t worry little one, everything will work outeventually,” the words she knew, were far more for her sake than anything. “Wewill find our own place in this life together.”
Chapter 2
