[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
she puked all over his desk?
Luckily, she hadn t eaten today. In fact it might have been yesterday morning when she d
last eaten. She wasn t sure.
I ve thought about it quite a lot, she told him. Now or never. Just do it Bree. I& quit.
He blanched, his eyes wide with surprise.
I resign, she reiterated. So I guess this is my two weeks notice.
No, he snapped. Clean out your office today. I ll have a replacement in for the rest of
your classes this semester. I must say, I m highly disappointed with you.
Why? Because you thought I d fuck you? I like to choose my partners, thanks.
No, because I never thought you d let a relationship interfere with your career. You
know damned well I never would have pressed you for sex.
Yes, I do. But he would have done everything he could to interfere with her life and
eventually turn her to his will. If she was alone long enough, she had to admit, she might bend to
his desires. He wasn t utterly repulsive, and loneliness could get overwhelming.
Quitting wouldn t really change things between her and Nic and Leo. God knew if they d
even realize she was gone since they d been avoiding her like the plague. But she had to do it.
So we won t have any problems? Butler asked. Would she press sexual harassment
charges after all? That s what he wanted to know. He wasn t as self-assured as he pretended to
be.
She regarded him archly. Two could play at this. So I won t have any problem with a
good reference? she countered.
Glowing, he growled.
I want a signed letter of reference on college letterhead.
Done, he said, obviously irritated.
She nodded and rose, heading for the door. She had a lot to do.
For what it s worth, Butler said as she reached for the doorknob, I m sorry to see you
go.
She rolled her eyes without looking at him. Thank you, she murmured and slipped out
of the office.
True to his word, a manila envelope containing several signed letters of reference was
delivered to her office within an hour of her leaving the dean s office. She experienced a strange
mix of euphoric freedom and panic at the sight of them. Carefully, she slipped them into her
briefcase, and then looked around the office. She had precious little to take with her today.
Knowing this moment was coming, she d taken personal items home the last two days while she
worked up the nerve to actually meet with Butler.
With a canvas bag slung across her body and a briefcase in her hand, she shut her office
door for the last time and fought back nostalgic tears. This was for the best. Who knew what the
future held, but she wouldn t regret it.
Determined, she headed for the parking lot and ran smack into Nic as she stepped out into
the brisk, morning air.
Briony, he exclaimed as he held her upper arms, steadying her.
What was it with running into him when she was trying to make a getaway? The universe
had a sick sense of humor.
The electricity that filled her whenever he touched her tingled through her body and filled
her with longing. She summoned a brave smile. It never made it to more than a lift of one side of
her mouth. Nic.
Aren t you supposed to be teaching? he asked.
In other words, he wouldn t be here if he didn t think he was safe from& this. It was
really over. She shook her head. No. Oh God, I need to get out of here. She glanced at her
watch. I m on my way to an appointment. I ve got to go.
Nic immediately released her and stepped back, a strange look on his face.
She tried to brighten her smile, which was damned near impossible. Bye. See you
around. Or not.
Yeah& see you, Nic said faintly as if he didn t quite believe her.
She didn t look back as she headed for her car. Her shiny, six-month-old Prius. Dear
God, she hoped she could make the payments. On the car. On her house. Her math said she was
fine for at least six months. Her heart was scared to death.
And for what? She looked over her shoulder to see Nic still watching her, his eyes
narrowed now.
So that was that. He was still pissed, and she realized sadly that all hope of eventually
telling them what she d done and repairing things skittered away like dry leaves on a brisk wind.
At least she was free of the restraints she d put on herself.
They were right: She d been a coward.
Nic stared after Briony, his brow furrowed. Something was wrong. He knew damned well
that she should be teaching right now. Like a lovesick fool, he d stood near her classroom door
over the last week and listened to her as she spoke to her class.
After he watched her drive away, he headed into the building. Stopping outside the
classroom where she normally taught Freshman Algebra, he peeked through the window. To his
surprise, that asshole, Dean Butler, was teaching her class. Was she sick? She hadn t looked sick.
Well, she d looked peaked. He probably looked like shit, too.
Maybe she really had an appointment. She d checked her watch&
Leo was in class for forty-five more minutes. Nic decided to call him on his cell as soon
as the class let out. They still hadn t decided what to do about Briony, but they d both agreed it
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]