The Professor (Forbidden Encounters 1)

“Bryce?”

“Let him go, Abbs.” Jake’s arms are folded over his chest and he’s glaring daggers at Bryce.

Without a backward glance Bryce marches to the door, grabs his coat and exits. Paralyzed by shock over Jake’s arrival and Bryce’s reaction, I don’t move immediately. I just gawk at the door. A few seconds later, I recover enough to run to the door and fling it open.

Bryce is opening the driveway’s gate.

“Bryce, wait a minute. Let me explain.” The cold wind bites into my skin.

“You don’t owe me any explanation after a second date, Abby.”

I take a step back as if he just dealt me a physical blow. Now he’s downplaying our...relationship? “Why are you being like this? I told you, Jake is a family friend. What, you don’t believe me?”

He rounds on me. “It’s not that…’’ Looking skyward, he sighs. “You introduced me as your “uh…”. I know I said I’ll go as slow as you want but you could have introduced me as something more than uh.”

Point taken. Hanging my head, I murmur. “I didn’t handle that well, I know. I was just in shock. I wasn’t expecting anyone to show up.”

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

Yet, it doesn’t sound fine. I can tell he’s still upset. “I’m sorry, Bryce.” Arms wrapped around myself, I grit my teeth, so they don’t chatter.

“You should get inside. Don’t freeze to death on my account.”

He doesn’t even want to talk. Shoulders drooping, I take the hint.

“Fine. Go. We don’t want anyone seeing the Mayor’s son with trash like me, right?”

“Abby, that’s not what this is about,” Bryce says with clenched teeth.

“You go running when someone asks if you’re the Mayor’s son though. Just go, Bryce. We knew this was…” I can’t finish the sentence because emotion chokes my throat. I turn around and head down the dirt driveway, my feet cold since I’m not wearing shoes, and climb up the sagging porch steps.

I hear a door slam and tires peel out of the driveway.

When I enter the house, I glare at Jake and slam the door.

“Come on, Abby, what are you mad at me for?”

I glower at Jake’s stupid handsome face. The ladies love the hell out of him even though he has major commitment issues. I’ve never seen him in a relationship that lasts longer than two week... and two weeks is pushing it for him. Yet, women flock to him like cats in heat. Maybe it’s the tattoos or the bad boy persona. Hell, maybe it’s the air of danger that he exudes. I don’t know. I only see him as Uncle Jake.

“How could you barge in like that and make it seem as if you and I are... ew!”

He smirks and leans one hip against the counter, taking a huge bite out of one of the baked biscuits. “First of all, I didn’t barge in. I used my key. And how else was I supposed to get rid of that guy?”

“His name is Bryce, and I didn’t want to get rid of him.” I growl my frustration.

“What, are you dating him or something? That’s a bad idea.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“While your father is still locked up, I’m responsible for watching out for you girls.”

My eyes narrow to slits. “Yeah, so responsible you disappeared for two months.”

His jaw clenches. “I was taking care of something for your father and shit went south, alright? I was in the slammer for a few weeks.”

I scoff and shoot him a disgusted look. He and my father are cut from the same cloth. “I should have guessed that’s why you disappeared. Lucy was worried.”

He lifts a brow. “You weren’t?”