Page 13 of Reckless Temptation

It wouldn’t have killed me to help her pick up her things, but I didn’t have the patience for her kind. Self-important and in a rush, like her agenda was all that mattered in the world. I had no room to talk about punctuality. I lived with the belief ofbetter late than never.

This girl, though… I knew exactly what she was like. From her snippy tone and her aggrieved sigh, she acted like I was such a problem in her life.

It reminded me of Tiffany.

All these fucking lawyers were like that. Holier than thou.

“Excuse me,” this student said. While she didn’t snap at me with a derisive tone, there was no missing how impatient she was. With a shove of her hand at my leg, I looked down and realized I’d stepped onto one of her papers that had flown out.

“No. Iwon’texcuse you. You’re not the only person who’s hurrying somewhere around here. I don’t have to bow and scurry out of your way like you’re some proper princess.”

“Princess? As if.” She lifted her head to scowl at me. “And you weren’t hurrying. You’re just loitering and wandering around.”

“That doesn’t give you any reason to bitch at me for being in your way.”

“I’m not b—” She huffed, struggling to get all her things that I wasn’t standing on. “Youarein my way, though.”

“You’re in mine, too.” I wasn’t moving my foot off this paper if she begged me. This was petty of me. I knew it was, but I couldn’t stop. Something about her pushed me to be combative right back. I had no clue who she was, but her attitude was the trigger I didn’t need. I was angry at the world, and she’d be the one to know it.

“I just…” With another huff, she tugged at the last paper, ripping it as she pried it from under my foot.

I glared at her as she stood, daring her to knock into me with the narrow space available in this old hallway.

She didn’t, not even making eye contact with me as she rose. That was how stuck in her little world she was, acting like I wasn’t even a human, a person, anything.

I didn’t need her to acknowledge me, but the fact that she wouldn’t as she ran off didn’t sit right with me.

Just who the hell do you think you are?

More than anything, I wondered what the hell her problem was to be hurrying like that. Something almost like terror had lit up her light-brown eyes, as if getting to class late would be a death knell.

And why the fuck is she soaking wet?

I furrowed my brow, glancing at the windows and seeing the same sunshine that had blinded me all morning. It wasn’t raining.

I followed her, lured to see why she was so pushy to get away. Why she was so…

Fuck it.I had no clue why I followed. Intrigue could spring up like that. The littlest thing could perk me into curiosity, and it was a better alternative than staying in the darkness that was my norm.

She ran ahead, but not so quickly that I’d lose her.

Around corners and further into the building, she went.

And I followed.

All the way to a lecture hall. She darted inside, but with the double doors still open, I hung back in the hallway and watched as she slipped inside.

“Sabrina,” George said from the lectern at the front. “Glad you could make it.”

Aha. There he is. And his office is backthatway.This place was familiar now.

“Sorry, sir,” she replied.

George paused, looking up as she took her seat. “I didn’t realize rain was forecast today.”

Sabrina dropped into a seat, frantic to set up her things as her cheeks turned pinker. “It wasn’t, sir.”

George pursed his lips. “Interesting.”

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