Page 5 of Men Who Yearn
“My guards and I keep an eye on everything that goes around here on campus.For the safety of the students, of course.”
“Right.A lot of shady shit happens at this campus.Yet you find time to watch me be harassed and personally come to my help.”
He leans back against the desk.“Penelope … is my son’s girlfriend.I’m keeping an eye out on her friends, for her sake.”
Interesting.I wonder why.“Is Penelope in trouble?”
“No.Let’s just say I’m making sure everyone is safe.That includes Penelope’s friends, like you.”
I take a deep breath and nod.“Thank you.”
He approaches me and places a hand on my shoulder.“If that guy bothers you again, tell me.”
He’s close.Too close for comfort, because I can feel every inch of every one of his fingers connecting with my skin.“Promise me you will, Kayla.”
I can barely collect my thoughts as I inhale a sharp breath.“I promise.”
He’s not even looking at me and yet this one simple hand on my shoulders has my knees quaking.“Good girl.”
Chapter 2
Kayla
I adjust my watch and start the timer before I continue my evening jog across campus during the evening.There aren’t a lot of people outside anymore, except for those attending a party at the Tartarus house.Luckily, that’s far away from where I’m running.
I like having the peace and quiet around me while I jog, because it helps me focus on the audiobook I’m listening to, and it makes it much easier to keep going.
When I spot a bunch of drunk students headed my way, I veer off-track and go into the direction of the main gates.It wouldn’t hurt to jog up and down the mountain road a bit.I won’t go all the way down, but it’ll have a nice view.
I pause after I’ve passed the gates to take a breath for a moment and admire my surroundings.Priory Forest is so freaking haunting at night with all those animal sounds, and the leaves rustling in the wind almost makes it look like the trees themselves could come to life at any moment.
Sudden rustling leaves put me on edge, and I turn around to see what it was.
A fox, or a raccoon, maybe?
Two dark eyes appear from behind a tree, and panic swells in my body.
I turn and make a run for it, but a strong hand swiftly wraps around my waist and pulls me back into the forest.
What the f—
I shriek, but his other hand clasps around my mouth, sealing the noise inside.
Adrenaline peaks as I dig my heels into the ground and slam my fists into his grip, to no avail.While tears well up in my eyes, he drags me behind a stone and pulls me close to him.
“Ssstt!”A low voice hisses in my ear, and I stop squealing.
Who is this man?
What is he going to do with me?
Suddenly, more rustles are audible up ahead, and a twig snaps in half.
My breathing is erratic, while his comes in heavy strokes.I can feel it as my body is sandwiched between him and the rock.
What the fuck is going on?
He leans in, hot breath fanning against the rim of my ear.“I’ll remove my hand if you promise not to scream.”
