I force my feet into motion, increasing my pace.
“Aww, don’t be like that.” Austin falls into step beside me, hands tucked into his pockets.
Speed walking now, I try to out-pace him, but he easily keeps up thanks to his long-legged stride.
“I’m digging this hobo vibe you’ve got going on.” He flicks the collar of my shirt and I rear back, my skin crawling.
“Don’t touch me.”
Anger flashes in his eyes and Austin does more than touch me when he spins me around and slams me back against thewall. I suck in a pained gasp and my eyes dart left to right, waiting for someone to notice what he did.
But no one does. Everybody here is too worried about getting to their own classes on time to bother paying attention to anything we’re doing.
“Austin?” The plea in my tone is evident, though I’m not sure what I’m asking for.
He steps close to me, bracing his hands on the wall behind me as he cages me in. “Are we going to have a problem, Cece?”
My face heats up at the reality of being cornered like this. Why does no one say anything?
“No.” I shake my head. Tugging on the open lapels of my flannel, I cross my arms and hug the material around my chest, as if the added layer of fabric can ward him off.
I’m eye level with Austin’s jaw and I watch through my peripheral as a muscle ticks.
I haven’t looked at his face and I can tell it bothers him. Austin isn’t used to being ignored. As one of PacNorth’s star athletes and a member of Zeta Pi—the largest fraternity on campus—he’s used to women fawning over him, desperate for any crumb of his attention.
Sucks for him because he’ll never get that sort of reception from me.
Dropping his hands from the wall, he places one on my hip, fingers digging into my flesh in warning.
I flinch, barely managing to keep myself still. Panic rises in my chest.
Auston chuckles, seeing my reaction and leans into me. “See that we don’t.” His breath fans across my neck and ear like he’s sharing a secret. I fight back a shudder and wait for him to move now that he’s terrorized me for the day. Mission accomplished. Only he doesn’t step away.
His fingers flex on my hip again.
“Austin,” I warn.
His lips ghost across my neck. It’s a move intended to remind me of my place. That he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to, and I can’t stop him.
This time, I do shudder.
He chuckles, enjoying my reaction.
“You might pretend you’re not interested but I remember the way your body responded to mine.”
I hold myself perfectly still, praying he’ll step back and release me. Of course, it’s never that easy. This is how he gets his kicks. Posturing. Intimidation. A proverbial game of cat and mouse.
“You liked me touching you, didn’t you?”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head and tears prick the corners of my eyes. No. I very much did not like him touching me. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.
I want to give voice to my denial, but more than that, I want to get the hell away from him, and keeping my mouth shut is the quickest path to that outcome.
I turn my head, desperate for someone, anyone to intervene when I catch sight of a familiar face. Kim. She stands a few class doors down from us but her attention is focused solely on me. Her lip curls in disgust, like Austin pinning me to the wall somehow confirms her original doubts.
I shake my head, my gaze pleading with her to understand it’s not like that. I don’t want him.
Austin looks over his shoulder, following my gaze. “She was fun,” he says. “But she’s served her purpose. Time to move on.”
