Temptation (The Hunted, #1)(17)

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" I added.

"I don't desire for you to be unhappy, Miss Taylor."

"Why did you give me your number, Professor Hunter?"

He pulled to the curb outside of my dorm and turned the car off. "You seem keen on putting yourself in dangerous situations." He glanced quickly at my outfit and then got out of the car.

My face flushed. Professor Hunter ran through the rain and opened up the door on my side. I slowly stepped out, not wanting for this moment to end. I kept blowing all my chances with him.

Instead of turning to walk me to the door he just stood there, staring at me. It was like he was waiting for something. I remembered the dream he recounted in class. He was waiting for something exciting to happen. And it was pouring.

"Professor Hunter..."

There was that look again. It took my breath away. And for the first time I realized that it wasn't anger or hunger. It was hunger and anger. He leaned down and placed his hands on the car, on either side of me. Our mouths were less than an inch apart. He opened his lips slightly like he was about to say something. I could feel the heat of his breath in the rain. He drew a fraction of an inch closer.

"I can't seem to stop thinking about you," I whispered.

Instead of responding, he quickly grabbed the back of my neck and let his lips meet mine. His kiss was full of passion, passion that he had been holding back just as much as I had. He pressed his body against mine and lightly pushed me so that my back was on the cold, wet steel of the car. He leaned into me. The contrast of the heat from his body and the coolness of the car sent a spark through me. I had never wanted someone so badly before. I let my hands wander beneath the back of his hoodie. His skin was so soft.

His lips pulled away from mine and he groaned softly in my ear. "Penny, you need to try to stop." He stepped back and lifted the hood of his hoodie over his head. He rubbed his forehead as he walked around the car. With one last smoldering glance, he got into his car.

I stood in the rain as I watched him speed off.





Chapter 15


Sunday

"Penny?" Melissa nudged me. "Penny it's nearly dinner time, do you want to get up and get something to eat with me?" Her voice was etched in concern.

"I'm tired," I groaned and tried to turn over.

"Penny, you have to get up. Tell me what happened last night." She pulled the sheets off of me. "Oh my God, Penny, are you bleeding?!"

I looked down at my knees. The rain had made the blood trickle down my shins. It looked like something out of a horror film. I started laughing.

"Penny you're freaking me out."

"I'm fine," I sat up. "I just fell last night."

"Penny I have to ask you a serious question, so stop laughing. Did Austin hurt you?"

"No," I said immediately. "Geez, no."

"Okay, good. Then get up. We're going to the dining hall." She tossed a pair of workout shorts and a tank top at me. "You can tell me all about last night while we eat."

There was never any reasoning with her. I wasn't even upset about Austin. I just didn't want to get up. I wanted to relive Professor Hunter kissing me over and over again. As soon as I got up I knew I'd have to face the truth. He didn't want me to pursue him anymore. It was our first and last kiss. I touched my lower lip with my index finger. The fairytale was over.

I sighed and got out of bed. After cleaning my cuts with peroxide, Melissa and I made our way to the dining hall. I walked around aimlessly with an empty plate. Nothing seemed appetizing. I finally copied Melissa and got a salad.

"So tell me what happened," she said right when I sat down. "We came back to the booth and you were gone. I had assumed it meant you two had made up." She raised both eyebrows. "But now that I've seen you...not so much."

"He had me, you know. Like he always does. I went to the bathroom to try and talk myself out of going back to his place. And when I came back out, I saw him talking to these girls and I just snapped. I don't even know what came over me."

"So you had a fight?"

"I threw a glass of water in his face." I cringed.

"Seriously?! I can't believe I missed that. Great move, by the way. What did Austin do? Geez, I can picture his face." She laughed to herself.

"I ran out of the restaurant and he followed me."

"You know that you're basically describing a romantic comedy, right?"

"Yeah, except we had a huge fight. We both said some pretty horrible things."

"Hence the staying in bed all day?"

"No. It's weird but I'm actually okay with it. I just felt so tired afterward, you know? But I'm not sad or upset. I'm so over him."

"Well look at you. I'm proud of you, Penny. You finally stood up for yourself."

"Ha, yeah." I took a bite of my salad. I began to wonder if I should talk to her about Professor Hunter. She always had great advice. But I couldn't do it. There was something between me and Professor Hunter that seemed so private. I felt like I'd be betraying him if I told her. If I told her it almost seemed like it would be over. But it is over.

***

When I got back to my room I opened up my laptop. I had to finish my psychology paper for tomorrow. I pulled up the document and finished typing about the implications of Pavlov's experiments with his dogs. "You can potentially twist someone into something they are not. The implications are dangerous." It wasn't my best writing, but I hit the print button.