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He said nothing.
I pinched my thigh and didn’t wake up. Instead, the harsh bite of pain made me nip the inside of my cheek in order to keep quiet.
This wasn’t a dream after all. This was fucking real.
Before I knew what was happening, I was in the back of a university car, a luxurious black Escalade which was only in the budget for private universities like Newsome, apparently. Somehow, I’d even beenspecialenough to be accompanied by the provost—my favorite person. He was an oversized babysitter really, to make sure I ended up on the plane like I was supposed to like the well behaved, blackmailed student that I was.
He was so big that he barely even fit in the seat beside me. I looked anywhere but at him for a long while. Making eye contact seemed dangerous to the tenth degree, so I avoided it at all costs.
In my mind, he was Medusa, and a single look would turn me to stone.
This was a man I’d talked to on Friday. I’d made him growl, I’d let him try to perform intimidating posturing with his size, and it had been fine. Because on Friday, he hadn’t been radiating crazy, intense vibes.
Or maybe I was the one radiating crazy. It was hard to say.
My entire world had been turned upside down in the matter of a day. This whole thing stunk big fat monkey balls, and I didn’t see any other choice than just going along with it. I didn’t have money, connections, or friends in the right places to figure out what was really going on.
With a pouty look, I gazed out the window as we drove through the university. The tree-lined avenue, with its ancient oaks adorned by Spanish moss, stretched into the distance. I’d gotten high a great many times under those trees, surrounded bynature and the comfort of silence. I sighed, letting a little sliver of happiness shine on my sour mood.
It didn’t last long.
As we continued driving through the campus, the road wound through Founders Square, a meticulously landscaped park adorned with native plant life. Towering magnolia trees, their fragrant white blossoms swaying in the warm breeze, were now starting to fade from view. I glanced one last time at the serene campus pond, where water lilies bloomed in shades of delicate pink and white. I’d always liked sitting out there on the grassy bank, especially late at night when the campus was at its most beautiful.
As we approached the gates, the wrought ironwork that framed the exit felt like one last formidable barrier keeping me in the place I’d called home for the last two years.
I didn’t know if I was ever coming back.
We drove towards New Orleans, and the silence reigned supreme as we headed towards the airport. It was going to be a long few hours. Finally, I turned my hard gaze on him. I didn’t know where the bravery had come from, but if I was going to turn to stone, so be it.
Up close like this, he was huge.
I’d never been that great at estimating height, but he had to be close to six foot, ten inches, maybe seven feet. There was only the slightest amount of room between the top of his head and the roof of the SUV.
His presence commanded my attention, his broad shoulders and incredibly well-defined muscles exuding the kind ofsupernatural strength that you only saw in the movies. He was wearing a dark grey button-up shirt. The buttons at his chest strained a little, stretched tight over the muscles there. I couldn’t see any of the tattoos that he was rumored to have, but I had no trouble imagining them beneath the tightly fitted shirt. His torso tapered down to his hips. A thick black belt clasped around his waist and a black pair of slacks hugged his thighs that could easily be climbed like a tree.
He appraised me with deep green eyes, and as I met them, I realized there were flecks of gold and yellow within his irises that were really quite breathtaking, if not for the grouchy, cold demeanor of the scary man they belonged to. The hair on his head was dark and unruly, yet still seemingly perfectly styled, just like the rest of him.
His facial features were ruggedly chiseled. High, sophisticated cheekbones added a touch of elegance to his roughness, and a well-groomed beard framed his sharp jawline, giving him an air of masculinity on a man that didn’t need any more of it. He exuded bold confidence in waves, enough to make me slide a little farther away from him in my seat.
Feeling like I was looking for too long, I forced my gaze away from him and back out the window.
The car had long pulled away from my familiar surroundings and I couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang of nostalgia. The wrought iron gates, the oaks with their draping Spanish moss, and the scent of magnolias all faded into the distance.
He cleared his throat, and my eyes stole back to his.
He opened his mouth like he was just about to say something, but then the sharp sound of his cell phone ringing broke the silence. I sat back and watched him warily as he answered.
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” he voiced.
His voice was always sexy, but today it sounded downright husky. His tone was deep and gravely, and it sent shivers down my spine. Each syllable he uttered held a captivating power, drawing me in like a moth to a flame. I hung onto his every word, reluctantly enjoying the way the sound of it rolled through my body.
I didn’t know the context of the one-sided conversation, but it sounded bad. The provost made a few non-committal grunts before he nodded once.
“You got it, boss,” he said as he hung up the phone. Then he cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for the driver to hear. “Turn the car around. We need to go back.”
CHAPTER 4
Caelum
