Temptation (The Hunted Series Book 1) Read online

  Here's to forgetting Austin. My head was beginning to grow foggy, but I downed the second shot as well. Tyler grabbed my hand and we ran into the sea of people dancing. He turned me around and pulled my hips into him. I let my body move to the beat.

  "Penny," he whispered into my ear. "What are you trying to do to me?"

  I reached my hand up behind his neck and let him control my hips. He turned me around so that I was facing him.

  "You're a great dancer."

  "Tyler, this is not dancing," I laughed.

  "Oops, alcohol must have worn off." He quickly picked me up and lifted me over his shoulder.

  "Tyler!"

  He walked me over to the bar and placed me back on my feet. Everything seemed a little blurry. He grabbed the bottle and wrapped his free hand around my waist. He led me toward the staircase. When we reached the first floor he led me to another set of stairs.

  "I haven't shown you the second story yet," he said as we made our way upstairs.

  "You mean your room?"

  "Penny, you are quite the cynic. Actually, no, not my room." He touched a tie on one of the doorknobs. "This room," he said, and opened the adjacent door that didn't have a tie hanging from the doorknob.

  "I can assure you, Tyler, that you will not be getting lucky tonight."

  "I don't even know what you're referring to. I just wanted you to show me how you prefer to dance. Without all those other people around." He took a swig from the bottle and handed it to me.

  I took a small sip and set it on the bureau. I grabbed his hands and placed them on my hips. Then I reached up and wrapped my hands around the back of his neck. We slowly swayed back and forth. This was probably the sweetest thing a guy had ever done for me. I moved closer to him so that our bodies were touching.

  "So you like it nice and slow?" Tyler said gently.

  "If you are referring to dancing? Yes, isn't this nice?"

  He leaned down to kiss me. I wanted to forget about Austin and I needed to forget about Professor Hunter. I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer as he kissed me deeply. His hands slid down from my waist and grabbed my ass. I let him squeeze for a second before reaching down and moving his hands back to my waist.

  "Penny, please, you're killing me." He lifted my chin in his hand and kissed me again.

  I liked how his hands felt on me. "We should take things slow," I said breathlessly.

  He pulled back and lifted me into his arms. He set me down on the bed and laid next to me. "Then why are you laying on the bed? That's rather forward of you."

  "Tyler. I like you." Melissa was right. He was funny and sweet, even if he was a little pompous. Maybe this could be more. Maybe Tyler was just what I needed.

  He put his hand on my knee and slowly moved it up my thigh. "I like you too, babe."

  I grabbed his hand and held it there to prevent it from rising anymore. "Tyler, we've had too much to drink." My body wanted him and he could tell.

  He looked down at me with his blue eyes. He lifted his hand off my thigh and slid his fingers through my hair. "I believe that I'm thinking pretty clearly." He kissed me again and I let my hips rise into him. I did want him.

  But at the same time my mind was screaming "no." Austin had always made me feel insignificant. All he had ever wanted was my body, and I had given it to him. I liked the feeling of Tyler wanting me, but I didn't want to sleep with him on our first date. My flirtations had gone too far.

  He moved on top of me and pushed my skirt up a little.

  "Tyler, please." I began to sit up.

  "No need to beg for it, babe." He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He pushed me back down onto the bed and lifted my hands above my head, holding them firmly in place.

  "Tyler, get off of me." My mind was suddenly beating my body.

  "Don't be a tease. You know you want this as much as I do. I promise to take it slow. Just the way you like." He began to kiss my neck.

  I pulled up my leg and kneed him in the groin. He rolled off of me, grabbing the spot I had hit.

  "What the hell, Penny?!"

  "I asked you to stop." Tears had begun to stream down my face. I got up off the bed, stumbling slightly.

  "You're such a bitch!"

  I made my way over to the door and slammed it behind me. A few people turned to stare as I ran down the stairs.

  Chapter 4

  Thursday

  I stumbled out of the frat house. It was drizzling and I had no coat or umbrella. I silently cursed Melissa for making me wear this miniscule outfit. No wonder Tyler had acted the way that he did. This wasn't me. Austin had messed with my head and completely demolished my self confidence. I was embarrassed and ashamed of what had just happened. The tears began to mix with the drizzle. I had to focus hard on not falling over because of my stilettos and the booze.

  The drizzle turned into rain as I made my way onto Main Street.

  "Miss Taylor, is that you?"

  My whole body froze at the deep voice. I was wearing the most inappropriate outfit I had ever worn, and now my white tank top was drenched and completely see-through. "Um...no. You have the wrong person." I quickly started walking again, but my high heels prevented me from moving too fast.

  "Penny, stop!"

  I turned around and stared up at Professor Hunter, who was as unbelievably sexy as ever. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged him in all the right places, and a leather jacket with a plain white t-shirt beneath it. He looked the same as he did in class, except that he had a 5 o'clock shadow and an umbrella.

  "Professor Hunter, I'm sorry..." I let my voice trail off and I folded my arms across my chest to help hide my most likely exposed breasts.

  He lowered his eyebrows when I said his name, just like he had in his classroom. "You like to apologize when you've done nothing wrong."

  I probably imagined it, but it felt like his eyes lingered for a moment on my legs. He moved toward me so that I'd be under his umbrella with him. "Is everything alright, Penny?"

  My eyes were probably red from my angry tears. I was hoping he wouldn't be able to tell in the rain. "I'm fine."

  "Then what are you doing out so late all by yourself?"

  "I could ask the same of you." I rolled my eyes at myself for being so immature.

  "I was just going for a walk."

  "Me too," I responded quietly.

  He laughed. It was an enticing sound. I drew a little closer to him and let my arm brush against his.

  "Are you cold, Penny?"

  Cold and mortified. I nodded up at him. I liked the way my name rolled off his tongue.

  He handed me the umbrella as he slid out of his jacket. Then he held his jacket out for me and I slipped one arm in and then the other. The leather held the scent of his cologne. He took the umbrella and held it above both of us again. He was such a gentleman.

  "Well you really shouldn't be out alone this late, Penny," he said. "Especially in those walking clothes."

  "Neither should you."

  He laughed again. "Is your dorm near here? It would make me feel much better if I escorted you home."

  "I live in Sussex."

  "This way then," he said, and placed his hand on the small of my back for just a second.

  We walked in silence for a few minutes. Every now and then I'd stumble a little in my heels and his hand would briefly touch the small of my back again. Each time he did, I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest.

  "I'm not good at giving speeches," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I feel like I should just drop your class."

  "I wish you wouldn't. If you ever need extra help, I have open office hours. I really am a fairly easy grader for Comm."

  "It's going to be extra painful when you fail me, though."

  "Why extra painful?" He said "extra" slowly, almost seductively.

  "Because you...I mean I. Well, you're..." I let my voice trail off. I wanted to say, "Because you're gorgeous and I have a huge crush on you." I can
't believe I almost let him hear me say that.

  "Well it does seem that you aren't great at giving speeches," he laughed again. "Like I said, you can come by any time."

  We walked along the length of the green. I had dreamt of having a date escort me back to my dorm room. But I only dated immature boys, not men. Professor Hunter was a man. I found myself once again wondering how old he was.

  "Have you been a professor here for long?"

  "Not long at all. I do love it here, despite how much it rains. Besides, you never know what you'll find during a long walk in the rain." He smiled down at me.

  Is he flirting with me? It seems like he's flirting with me!

  Before I knew it, we were at my dorm. I stepped out from under his umbrella and let the rain fall on me again.

  "Here," I said and pulled off his jacket.

  His eyes drifted for just a second to my wet tank top. "No, you can keep it."

  "I've been stealing all your clothes. Soon you'll have nothing left."

  "That does seem to be your plan." He had a mischievous look in his eyes.

  "I insist," I said as I held out the jacket to him.

  He took it reluctantly.

  "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

  "You're a senior, you're of legal age to drink, and you're allowed to wear what you like. Why would you be in trouble?"

  But I wasn't a senior, I was a sophomore. And I wasn't over 21, I was only 19. I took a deep breath. He didn't need to know that. "You're right. And I was only walking, after all. Thank you for escorting me home, Professor Hunter."

  He lowered his eyebrows when I said his name, just like he always did. But this time the action made me hold my breath. I was wrong about how he looked. He didn't look angry, his eyes looked hungry. I had to remind myself to keep breathing.

  "I'll see you at 8 a.m. sharp, Miss Taylor."

  "It's a date." My eyes got huge and I put my hand over my mouth. Had I really just said that out loud? I turned quickly away from him and fumbled with my sensor pass to open the door. Finally it clicked. I threw the door open and quickly went inside. I turned around at the last moment to see Professor Hunter staring at me intently, surprisingly not at all perplexed. The door closed with a thud.

  Chapter 5

  Friday

  I woke up a few hours later and threw up in the waste bin. Melissa had made it home at some point because she was laying in bed, but I must have been asleep when she came back. She was still dressed in her skimpy outfit.

  The sun was starting to rise. I tilted my alarm clock and saw that it was almost 7. So that I wouldn't wake Melissa, I switched the alarm off. I took a makeup remover cloth from its case and wiped off what was left of my eye shadow and mascara. Then I grabbed my bathroom stuff and quietly exited the room.

  I brushed my teeth twice and used triple mouthwash to help remove the awful taste. Then I jumped into the shower to try to wash away the awkward night. I couldn't imagine facing Professor Hunter. And I didn't even want to think about what awful assignment he had planned for today. Comm 212 was going to be the death of me. Then there was also Tyler who I had to try to avoid. I had made such a fool of myself last night. And I knew it was my fault. I didn't intend to lead him on, I was just so upset about Austin and then I wanted to make my awkward crush for my professor disappear. But I had told Tyler to stop. He was the one in the wrong.

  I let the water fall on my head and took a deep breath and grabbed my stomach. It felt like I needed to hurl again. I swallowed hard and rinsed out my conditioner before switching off the shower. The cold air sent goose bumps up my legs and I quickly wrapped a towel around myself. I tucked the edge of it into the top of the wrap to keep it in place and headed back to my room.

  After finally getting a comb through my unruly curly hair, I pinned back my bangs and put some makeup on. A little more than I would usually wear to an 8 a.m. on a Friday. I pulled on a pair of tight jean shorts and a tank top and slid my feet into flip flops. I glanced at my phone and saw that it was quarter to 8. Searching through my closet, I found a sweatshirt and pulled it over my head before grabbing my backpack and heading out the door.

  The sun felt good on my face. I entered Smith, the building where Comm was held, and made my way up the stairs. Luckily I was one of the first to arrive again, and I went to my seat in the far corner. A few minutes passed before Tyler entered the classroom. I turned and looked out the window. I silently willed him not to sit next to me.

  The seat next to me squeaked slightly and I closed my eyes. Why me?

  "Penny?"

  I looked over at Tyler. He had dark circles under his eyes. He was sitting on the edge of his seat, as close to me as possible.

  "Geez, Penny, I'm sorry. I don't even remember what happened last night, besides for the fact that I obviously acted like an idiot." He gave me a small, forced smile.

  "Well, I do remember." I wished I could just tuck my head into my sweatshirt and disappear.

  "I really am sorry."

  The door closed and I looked over. As Professor Hunter walked into the room, I couldn't help but stare. He was wearing black square rimmed glasses. His hair that was usually pushed up a little looked like it hadn't been touched. The top was even a little curly. He was wearing the same leather jacket that he had almost let me keep. He took off his brown satchel and put it on his desk, then unzipped the jacket and placed it on the back of his chair, revealing a green V-neck t-shirt . The casual air about him made him even more endearing, if that was possible.

  He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "Doesn't everyone look alert today?" He smiled. "So, I think the best thing to do is probably hear about your nights. The more comfortable we are with each other, the easier it will be to stand up here later in the semester and give fantastic speeches. Everyone up to share?"

  Some of my classmates groaned. I looked around. I probably wasn't the only one that was slightly hung-over.

  Professor Hunter glanced at me for a moment as he sat down in his chair. He pulled out the class list from his bag and called out the first name. The first few people swore they were just studying. Some people mentioned that they weren't lame and had gone partying.

  "Tyler Stevens?"

  Tyler stood up and stared straight ahead. "Honestly I got drunk and made a fool of myself. I was with this smart, beautiful girl, and I probably blew my shot with her." With one hand he reached up and scratched the back of his neck as he looked down at the floor.

  "Sounds like an unfortunate series of events," Professor Hunter responded. I looked up at him and he was staring right at me. I gulped.

  Tyler sighed and looked at me as he sat back down.

  "Penny Taylor," Professor Hunter said. While I stood up, he pulled out a small ceramic pig from his satchel. "I came prepared today. You'll have to trust that I have some pennies in here."

  I wish I could control my blushing, but I knew my face was turning red. My heart was beating so fast. "I went for a walk in the rain with a stranger I met at a coffee shop."

  Professor Hunter raised his eyebrows. "Sounds rather enchanting, Miss Taylor."

  "It was."

  He looked at me for a second more before looking down at his paper and calling the next name. I quickly sat down and looked at my hands. I could feel Tyler's eyes on me.

  After Professor Hunter had called every name, he stood back up. "Well, it seems as though we have quite a few interesting characters this semester. And now I have a feel for things that you can all use improvement on. Speaking of which..." He rummaged in his satchel and pulled out a stack of papers. "I forgot to hand out the syllabus on Wednesday." He pulled the top packet off and dropped the rest on a boy's desk in the front. "Take one and pass it."

  The boy grabbed one and handed the stack to his neighbor. As the papers began to cycle, Professor Hunter sat on top of his desk.

  "So your first presentation isn't for a few weeks, but you'll probably want to at least pick a topic soon so you can start mulling it over. All you
need to do is pick a person that has inspired you in some way and tell us all about it. But please, I'm tired of hearing about everyone's grandparents, so try to think outside the box. And next week I'll start talking about how to give effective speeches, so you'll definitely want to incorporate that advice. Any questions?"

  "A girl in the front row's hand shot up."

  "Yes?"

  "Do we need your approval for our topic?"

  "Not for this one. For later projects though, yes. But if you do have any questions you can always email me. My email is on the syllabus. And my office hours are listed on there too, if any of you have any questions or need some guidance on an assignment."

  The two girls in front of me giggled. I clearly wasn't the only one that was affected by his good looks.

  The pile of syllabi had reached Tyler, but there was only one copy left. He kept it for himself. I cursed silently. Why me? Now I'd have to go talk to Professor Hunter. I looked up at him and he was still holding a syllabus in his hands. He had a smile on his face. Had he purposely not let me get one?

  "Any other questions?" he asked.

  A normal person would probably raise their hand right now and say they didn't get a syllabus, but my heart was beating much too quickly. He made me so nervous.

  "Okay then. Make sure to brainstorm this weekend. If you have an idea in mind on Monday, then my advice will be more beneficial. Have a great weekend."

  I heard the pull of zippers on backpacks and feet shuffling. I slowly put my notebook, which was still empty, back in my bag. I pulled my sweatshirt off and stuffed it in my backpack as well. As I was doing so, a shadow fell on me. I looked up and saw Tyler hovering next to my desk.

  "Second chance?" he asked sheepishly.

  "I'll think about it," I responded.

  A smile spread across his face. "Give me your phone real quick."

  I handed it to him and stood up. He typed in his number and handed it back to me. "Have a good weekend, Penny," he said and walked away.

  I lifted up my backpack and made my way to the front of the class. Professor Hunter and I were the last ones in the room. He was sitting on his desk again now, flipping through the last syllabus. He didn't look up as I approached.