Page 22 of Reckless Temptation

As soon as she was gone, he leaned closer, taunting me with that unique scent. Sandalwood, like he’d burned incense. Spruce and clean soap, like he’d just showered. And then something else like paint or clay. I hated that I noticed a single thing about him.

“You’re not going to catch up with her later, though, are you?” he teased. “Because you’ll be too busy like the slutty whore you are, huh?”

I bit my lip, resisting the urge to look at him.

“You’re not fooling me.” He slung his arm around my shoulders, and I quickened my steps to evade him. “You’re not fooling me at all, Sabrina. You might look like a prim and proper law student, so obedient and well-behaved.” Draping his arm around me again, he tugged me close to his hard, hot body. “But I can tell that you’re just the same as any other desperate slut.”

Releasing me, he pushed me hard enough that I tripped.

I caught my breath, stiffening as I stopped from falling into that same damn fountain again.

I’d been looking ahead with tunnel vision so deeply in an effort to ignore him that I hadn’t realized how near I was.

It was a close call. Another foot over, and he would’ve pushed me into that low-lying wall that held the water of the ornamental fountain in the square.

You jerk!

Swallowing hard, I straightened and then exhaled a breath of relief.

As he laughed at my reaction, he flung his arm at mine, upending all that I held.

Papers flew.

Books fell.

My purse shot out too.

And of course, it all landed in the water, splashing or skimming the surface.

You’ve got to be kidding me!

“Oh, damn,” Nick taunted as he backed up. “Looks like you’ll be wetagain.”

Bottling in a scream, I spared him a glance and was proud of myself for not snarling or engaging in this with him.

“Go on.” He set his foot on the concrete ledge and got his phone out to video me. “Don’t mind me. I’ll share it with the wet T-shirt contest page again since you’re such a regular at showing your tits.”

I pressed my lips shut tight together as I climbed in to retrieve my things.

As I got my belongings, I ignored the laughter and taunts.

While I shook off the water, I refused to react.

Turn the other cheek.

In one ear and out the other.

The second I let them see me cry or frown, they’d dig in harder. And I couldn’t let them see how they hurt me. Giving them that satisfaction was out of the question.

Head held high, I kept it all in. I showed no emotion as I climbed back out, shook off my shoes to get rid of the water, and continued to class.

Nick stayed back, following me, and that only made me more suspicious. He’d clearly chosen me to be a target of his attention.

So why cut me slack now?

Elise was right in a superficial way. Hewashot. Sexy, brooding, and mysterious. In any other circumstances, as in I had the time and energy to worry about a guy in my life, it would’ve been flattering and exciting to have his attention. Since he was only present as another bully, though, I refused to believe I could ever be attracted to him.

I squeezed out the water the best I could as I headed to my next class.

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