Checking my watch, I notice I’ve been out here for almost an hour. I stretch one more time to warm my muscles again and begin the jog back toward the campus.
As I’m coming around a bend, I spot Grayson standing to the left and move to the right side of the trail so I can jog by him. The peaceful moment I just had is tainted by an irritating feeling which I always get when I see the guy. Besides him coming onto me every damn chance he gets, annoying the ever-loving shit out of me, I can’t say there’s anything I like about him.
“Hey,” he says as I’m about to pass by him.
“Hey,” I mumble back, keeping my eyes on the path ahead. The last thing I want to do is give him a reason to strike up a conversation with me.
To my dismay, he falls into step next to me. “Not every day I get you alone.”
I ignore his words, doing my best to not let my irritation show on my face.
Reaching out, he takes hold of my forearm, and I have no choice but to stop when he pulls me to a halt. “You know, for a freshman, you have a lot of attitude.”
I clench my jaw, so I don’t retort with, ‘For a senior you think you’re entitled to a lot of liberties.’ Instead, I pull my arm free and say, “I have assignments waiting, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
I take a step forward but stop when Grayson moves to block my way.
My patience begins to evaporate and my annoyance spikes. “I really don’t have time for this, so I’m just going to be blunt. I’m not interested in you in any way.”
When I try to get around him, he matches my step to the left, blocking me again. “I didn’t ask whether you were interested in me.” The hurt tone of his voice contradicts his words.
He takes a step forward, closing some of the distance between us, but I take one backward, which makes a frown settle on his forehead. “I go hunting with my father,” he randomly states, and it takes me a moment to understand what he’s saying. “You want to know what’s the most exciting part?”
“I’m not interested,” I repeat my words from earlier.
“The hunt,” he continues. The corners of his mouth turn down in a haughty sneer, and it makes the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “There’s nothing like the thrill of a chase and you making me chase after you only reminds me of it.”
“I’m not making you do anything. Seriously, I’m not playing hard to get. I. Am. Not. Interested. In. You,” I enunciate the words. Damn, I’ve never met someone with such thick skin before.
His hand shoots up between us, and wrapping his fingers around the back of my neck, he yanks me closer.
Cheese. He had cheese for lunch.
The smell of his breath makes my stomach turn.
“Impossible,” he whispers, and when the blue of his eyes darken to midnight, I feel a sensation of apprehension slither down my spine. “Girls like you never say no to someone like me.”
“Girls like me?” offended, I spit the words out.
“You all want a taste of a man who’s way above your shitty little lives.”
Holy crap, this guy is conceited and egotistical to the point where he’s ludicrous.
He begins to lean in as if he’s going to kiss me, which has my self-defense roar to life. Bringing my hands up between us, I push against his chest while moving to the side so I can pull my neck free from his hold. He only budges a couple of inches, but then I feel his muscles tense under my palms, and tightening his grip on the back of my neck, he pulls me toward him until his mouth smacks hard against mine.
There’s a moment in every situation where you realize your mistake – I shouldn’t have even talked to this guy because he’s the type who twists your words into what he wants to hear and believe.
Knowing things are about to get seriously out of hand, and I can’t have that alone in the woods with this creep, I shove as hard as I can while twisting my body away from his.
I manage to free myself from his hold and try to dart away, but he grabs hold of my t-shirt, and in the process of yanking me back to him, I hear my sleeve rip.
The bastard!
“What’s your damn problem?” I snap at him. His grip on my arm is so tight, I only end up hurting myself when I try to wrench it free. “You’re hurting me, Grayson. Let go.”
Tilting his head to the right, his eyes narrow on me. “Do you think you’re in a position to tell me what to do? It must be true,” he tsks, shaking his head.