“No?” His creepy grin widens. “Good. Very good. I–I only mention this because I’ve noticed he’s taken a…particular interestin you.”
A chill pierces my chest.
“I had some gaps in my knowledge,” I reply. “He offered to tutor me. For the course.”
“He offered to tutor you,” Belcher repeats slowly, as if he were tasting the words, digging into the meaning behind them. Something about his expression—the way his brow twists—tells me he knows what we werereallyup to.
But how could he?
No one saw me go into August’s office. We may have made some noise, but we weren’t that loud.
Or were we?
“That’s generous of him,” Belcher goes on. “Professor Holt usually doesn’t take such an interest in freshmen—”
I stop walking. “Professor Belcher.” I’m not sure where the strength in my voice comes from, only it’s there, like steel. Maybe it’s the stubbornness that drove my mother nuts for eighteen years. “Is there something you’d like to ask me?”
He blinks back at me, surprised by my assertiveness. He almost smiles, but something else takes over his face. Something sharp, like a pin sticking out of a cushion.
“Of course not,” he says, reaching out and touching my arm, just above the elbow. His fingers press into the bare skin below my sleeve, sending an unwanted shiver through me. “If Professor Holt’stutoring sessionsare ever…not enough for you…my door is always open.”
A hand closes around my other arm.
Not grabbing or pulling. Not painful. It’s just there. Large, strong, and immovable, owned by a man who is used to being obeyed. Even without the wondrous scent that fills my nose, I would know who it is simply by the touch.
August.
I didn’t even hear him approaching. Where did he come from? The lecture hall? The parking lot? I have no idea, but here he is, standing slightly in front of me like a shield between me and Belcher.
And have I mentioned how large this man is? Because I should. Standing next to Belcher, who is average height and average build—average everything—August looks like another species of man. One genetically built in a lab to make other men feel insufficient.
His shoulders are so broad they block out the sun. His jaw is so sharp it could slice the quad in half.
Belcher pulls his hand from my arm like it’s been burned. “August!”
“Gerald,” he replies, his voice much calmer. Just the low and even tone of it makes the hairs on my arms stand up. It’s the tonal equivalent of a large predator sitting very still—the stillness that comes beforesomething.
Belcher nervously adjusts his glasses. “I–I was just introducing myself to your student here—”
“Yes, I saw.” August’s thumb moves gently on my arm. I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it. Or maybe he does, and he’s doing it precisely so Belcher can see. “Is there something Miss Monroe can help you with? Academically?”
The emphasis on his final word is surgical.
“Oh, no, just being friendly,” Belcher replies, forcing a laugh. “Students should know they have…multiple options in the department.”
“Miss Monroe has all the options she needs.” August hasn’t raised his voice a bit. He hasn’t even moved or done a single thing that could seem odd or out of place, and yet Belcher has taken a step backward.
He takes another, off the grass and onto the edge of the path. It’s like he’s retreating from battle, and I watch, fascinated. I’ve never seen this kind of standoff between two men go this way. Normally when guys face off, they end up swinging wildly at each other. But August has Belcher terrified without even trying.
It’s amazing and has me hot all over.
“Goodbye, Professor,” he says. Something flickers behind Belcher’s glasses. For a second, I’m sure he’s going to lash out. Lose control.
Thankfully, he doesn’t. He just nods once, adjusts his fancy sport coat, and walks away.
The moment he’s out of earshot, August’s composure cracks. Nothing anyone else would notice—none of the students walking by—butIsee it. I notice the change in his breath, the way he looks down at me like he owns me.
His green eyes have a flat, focused quality that I now understand is the look of a man holding something back with all his strength.
