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Chapter 22
Jack
I’d been avoiding herall day long. I had even considered working from home to pre-empt any sort of awkward confrontation at the university. Then I reminded myself that I was an adult, not a twelve-year-old boy, and I went to work—avoiding the departmental office all day long to great success.
Despite this, I found it so incredibly hard to concentrate that I concocted a meeting up the hill. I’d been putting it off for ages and today was as good a day as any to sort out the costings on my current grants. It was also a perfect excuse not to be in the department.
Nevertheless, sometimes, when you’re in complete denial, fate has a way of throwing a bucket of cold water all over you to wake you up, or, in my case, a five-foot-something bundle of temptation.
At least, that’s what I attributed to that random encounter along the path through the woods. I mean, I do everything in my power to avoid, procrastinate, and put off dealing with the woman I’ve secretly desired for so long, who now sits weekly in my loft room, completely nude, so that I, a professor, can paint her because it wouldn’t be proper to date someone from work... It’s ludicrous!—I know.
Almost as ludicrous as running into her in one of the most secluded paths on the entire Castle Eden University campus.
And, to be fair, she looked about as stunned as I was. But then something changed. A look in her eye, the way she held herself? And I could no longer resist that temptation with it being just inches away and looking so eagerly back at me. In a moment of unerring weakness, I kissed her with the longing and desire of a starving man. But when I felt her body press into mine I thought I would lose it then and there and I had to push her away.
It took every ounce of strength I had to pry myself from her. From her taste and her scent, which held me captive long after I had left her there, panting, surrounded by the coarse, bare branches of the wood.
What if someone had seen us?
My reckless behaviour had shocked me—angered me—that I’d so easily abandoned the code I’d set for myself long ago.
I might want you, Leyna Burrows—but I can’t have you.
It’s one thing to lose control, it’s quite another to do so at my place of work, even if it is outside of the department. The point is it was on campus and I should have known better—it can never happen again.
Maybe what I need is an outlet, another hobby to take my mind off of the hobby I’d started to take my mind off the woman who dominates my thoughts.
My mobile rings and one glance at the number tells me I need to answer this. Perhaps this was the additional hobby I was looking for—problems with the restaurant.
‘Jack here, what’s up?’
‘Hello, Mr Stanhope. It’s Julian from La Mezza?’ He says it like it’s a question.
‘Yes?’ I prompt him. This is odd. I don’t normally get calls from employees at any of the restaurants, although I did know Julian well.
‘I’m calling about a situation we’ve been unable to resolve.’
‘Have you spoken with Daryl yet?’
