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I tried to ignore him and continue on my merry way, but Damen’s hold did not waver. My feet slipped on the laminate floor as he dragged me to him until my back rested against his chest.

I could no longer hide from my predicament.

“What are you doing?” I hissed at him. “Let me go!”

Damen was more like Titus than I’d thought. Maybe he needed a dose of the same deterrent.

He even had the nerve to chuckle! Why did the sound of it annoy me?

“I’m holding you this way so you can’t escape,” he explained. “And so you can’t resort to any underhanded attacks.”

“There was nothing underhanded about what happened with Titus,” I retorted. “I was acting in self-defense.”

This was the worst.

“Yes, I know. It was hilarious,” Damen said. “And well deserved. Titus can be overbearing. However, I’d rather play it safe.”

Who was overbearing now ?

“But there’s something I want to ask you first.” His breath was warm against my ear.

I shook off the shivers shooting down my spine as I focused on his words. “What?”

“How do you know Gloria Protean?” he asked. “You’re not in her class.”

Where did he get the right to look up my schedule?

Still, his question caught me off guard, and I finally turned to look at him. Why were his intense features drawn in worry?

“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked.

Damen sighed and moved closer. I’d almost made it to the end of the bookcases and was now trapped between the neatly stacked shelves and his larger frame.

I should have been intimidated—this wasn’t exactly an ideal situation. But instead of being scared, I was flustered.

What was wrong with me? I hated this kind of guy.

Damen didn’t seem to notice. “Ms. Protean,” he repeated in a voice that indicated he was not used to being ignored. “What does she want with you?”

What was it to him, anyway? Did he have something against grandmotherly figures? He’d been pretty rude to her, and I wasn’t even sure what to make of their conversation.

But he seemed so concerned that it was hard to stay on guard.

“She wanted to talk about Professor Hamway,” I told him. “Which was fine because I’ve been doing some research.”

Damen’s gaze over me made my skin prickle. “Without me?” he asked. “You were supposed to wait.”

I wasn’t sure why he thought he deserved any special rights to my time, but it was obvious that he believed he could do whatever he wanted. How did he become so arrogant?

I opened my mouth to respond—which would probably have ended with me embarrassing myself—but nothing escaped. I stared at him, my heart racing, as I stood speechless.

Then laughter—close enough for me to pick up—drifted over from the next row.

The sound shattered the enchantment cast over me—how could I have forgotten our position—and my face burst with heat. How would this scene appear to anyone passing by?

Damen’s eyes glinted mischievously. He must have had the same realization.

“Let me go,” I whispered. But my venom only encouraged him, and he smiled. My traitorous heart began to beat faster. “Someone might see us!”

“Really?” His grin grew wider. This was the expression he’d had when we first met. “Then it’s fine if we don’t get caught? Consider it noted.”

“No!” I screamed internally, even though my words were a weak protest. “You can’t play with students anyway.” Not that it mattered; there’d be no games between us—ever. “You’re basically a professor.”

“Ah.” He ran his finger down my cheek, and I shivered. “But you’re not my student. I can’t help it.” His lips dipped slightly, and he tilted his head as his gaze continued to hold mine. “You’ve taken root in my mind.”

What an idiotic thing to say.

“Why are you so annoying?” I gritted out. Plus, what even was that line? It sounded like something from a cheesy romance novel. I’d be shocked if that ever worked for him in the past.

Finn’s stupid, horny brother. He could go flirt with someone else. I didn’t even remember why I wanted his help anymore, because no matter how much I wanted to lean into his touch or melt under his scorching gaze, I wanted to poke him in the eyes that much more .

What a quandary.

It was only the sound of my name that saved him from getting hit where it hurt.

I looked in a panic at the far end of the aisle as the familiar voice registered. This was the worst possible thing that could happen. Finn could not know I was talking to his brother.

Finn called my name again, closer now. He was shouting, which was so rude to do in a library. He was going to find us…

Damen glanced over his shoulder, and he frowned. “Why does he have to be so loud?”

“Will you stop?” I couldn’t hold back the hysteria bubbling in my chest. “Are you forgetting that Finn can’t find out I know you? This is a disaster.”

“Why?” Damen’s attention returned to me, eyes flashing with something threatening. “Because you think he’d get angry?”

I didn’t think—I knew. And my heart raced at the thought.

I’d betrayed him.

Damen’s voice had a note of challenge, but there was something else, too. It was almost as if his feelings were hurt. This made me feel guilty on top of my fear. I didn’t want to be mean.

What was wrong with me?

I was just about to apologize, but he continued, “My little brother doesn’t scare me.”

What did that mean? I never even suggested such a thing.

I was still trapped, and Finn could find us at any second. And Damen didn’t seem to care. When all was discovered, Finn would know that I’d tricked him.

Just the thought made my stomach turn.

“But he does scare you,” Damen said suddenly.

I blinked, his words crashing through my agonized thoughts, and stared at him .

“Why are you afraid that he’d get mad over something this stupid?” His features were dark with concern. “What did he do?”

My eyes widened. “I’m not scared of him,” I explained in a rush. “I’m just trying to prevent an ugly confrontation. Can we please leave before he finds us?”

Finn called out to me again. He had to be only seconds away from finding us.

I flinched. We had to move.

“Whatever,” Damen said. He tore his gaze from mine and grabbed my hand. I was so stunned at his determination that I unresistingly followed.

He pulled me through a private doorway reserved for the library staff.

“I’ll let it go for now,” he said, pulling me behind him. “But we will discuss this later.”

I allowed him to lead me along winding hallways and staircases until we finally stepped out into the afternoon sun and exited the building. But even though we were safe, he didn’t stop.

Instead, Damen continued to guide me to the faculty parking lot.

Now what?

“Wait.” I tried to pull away, but Damen’s grip was solid. He did, however, stop walking. “Where are we going?”

He looked at me incredulously. “You didn’t want Finn to know you were with me, did you?”

“Yes, but I’m still with you,” I pointed out. “And you’re kidnapping a student. That won’t look good on your resume.”

One of his eyebrows shot up. “Kidnapping?” he asked, amused.

“Yes,” I pointed at him with my free hand. “I know you want revenge, but Titus had it coming. What else was I supposed to do? ”

“This again?” Damen’s lips lifted before he dropped my hand. “I know he did, and I’m glad you did it.”

I’d never admit to my guilt! “I don’t regret it—” Then his words penetrated, and my tirade faded. “What?”

“You were alone in an unknown neighborhood and approached by a strange man. I would have done the same thing.” Damen was still grinning.

I frowned, recalling the other manner of injury inflicted upon the aforementioned man. “But… I kicked him in the… parts, too,” I whispered.

Damen’s nose twitched, almost as if he were about to burst out laughing, but he resisted. “Yes, but you were uncomfortable, and he wouldn’t leave you alone. Plus”—he leaned down and touched my nose—“it was funny. Not everyone has the fortitude to stand up to Titus. I think you’ll fit in with our group quite well. It’ll be helpful when we work together.”

I stepped back and covered my face with my hands. He was too much.

But did this mean they weren’t angry? Still, Titus had to hate me. It hadn’t been nice of me to do that to him.

“How are…” I trailed off, unsure of what to say. ‘Titus’s balls’ was too crude of a comment, so I went with the next best phrasing. “How is Titus doing?”

Damen flung an arm over my shoulders as he resumed leading me through the parking lot. This time I didn’t protest. For whatever reason, he seemed to want to hang out with me.

And I was kind of curious as to where this might lead.

Now that my panic had faded, all I could focus on was him. The warm feeling of his arm over my shoulders chased away the early autumn chill. The way he towered over me made me feel so small, and his comforting, musky scent seemed to dominate the air .

He was sharply dressed, too. With his glasses and Oxfords, he was both modern and scholarly. His tweed jacket was tailored to his powerful form. Everything about his appearance seemed expensive.

I wondered how much money psychology graduate student-teachers earned. It couldn’t be a lot. He had to be living on family money—like Finn.

Even though I was wearing one of my nicest sweaters and skirts, I had to look out of place. It was strange. With Finn, I was never self-conscious. I’d grown up with way less when I was younger, and, as best friends, our styles had evolved together. But for some reason, with Damen… He was a true professional. I wanted to impress him.

I really did need to learn how to be self-sufficient; otherwise, hanging around Damen and his little friends could easily ruin my already low self-esteem.

My tumbling thoughts screeched to a halt. What was I thinking? I wasn’t going to be hanging around them. This entire situation was awkward. And I hadn’t even accepted their help.

Yet.

Although, I was tempted.

But there was one more matter—besides Finn—to discuss. “Wait.”

Damen paused, glancing down at me.

“You laughed at me.” I pointed at him. “I’m not here for your amusement, you know.”

His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Darn him for looking so befuddled. It was too adorable. “I know your type,” I said. “You’re a psychologist. I’m not some lab rat for you to make fun of.”

Damen tilted his head to the left. “Do you always jump to wild conclusions? ”

I gasped, offended. “Of course not! It’s been proven that my conclusions are very logical.”

“Really?” he frowned, and my response seemed to have displeased him even more. “First of all, my focus is forensic psychology and criminal profiling. I’m not a counselor.” His tone was serious and slow, as if he truly wanted me to understand his words.

“And secondly,” he continued, “Despite what you think, we were never laughing at you . We were laughing at the absurdity of the situation, which was something of Finn’s own making. Although I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure why. That’s something I’m trying to figure out.”

He grabbed my hand, and my pulse skipped. “You, on the other hand,” he said. “You’re completely perfect.”

This time, I was sitting in Damen’s house under much different circumstances. Even though I’d basically been forced to come, which in any other situation could have caused me to panic, something about his self-assured, positive demeanor made it hard to stay uncomfortable.

I watched him, the more relaxed atmosphere allowing me to take in the environment a bit more today, as he fussed with the fireplace. It was difficult to contain my questions. Why, for example, had he meticulously restored the interior of his home while leaving the outside of the property and grounds unattended? It had to be on purpose, especially considering the surrounding forest.

If I didn’t know any better, it almost was like he was trying to keep visitors away.

Should I ask? I really did need to know—otherwise, I would start drawing my own conclusions. And that, sometimes, wasn’t the best.

“Damen?” I looked around the room, wondering how to word this politely. “I was admiring your décor—what was the theme? It’s rather… gothic.”

A haunted house.

Yet, somehow, very elegant.

The fireplace was finally blazing, and the chill receded. I’d caught him just as he moved to sit in the same seat he’d had yesterday, and he shot me a perplexed look before he answered. “What do you mean?”

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t strange to him. Maybe he didn’t care about design. Perhaps this was his normal—which led to a different line of questions.

It was obvious, on some level, that Damen and his friends were a little bit different. Finn had rarely spoken of him, plus there was his behavior toward me—it was almost as if he was personally offended that I refused to worship the ground he walked on.

Why would such an elegant, egotistical man remain hidden in grandiose riches amongst crumbling ruins?

I contemplated this for a moment. It was still light outside, but was it possible that he was a vampire?

I’d seen stranger things.

“Stop looking at me like that.” Damen interrupted my thoughts. “I’m just a regular person.”

My mouth fell open, and I pressed my hand to my chest. How had he known what I was thinking?

“Your face is extremely expressive.” Damen leaned over the coffee table.

“You shouldn’t analyze people!” I said, indigent.

“Like you aren’t?” he asked, but then continued with a smug smirk that made me want to punch him. “Besides, I’m not analyzing you. I’m stating a fact. You’re passive at first glance, but your eyes tell a different story. You have a vivid, fun imagination. In fact…” The humor faded from his expression as his tone turned wistful. “You remind me of someone.”

“Who?” I huffed.

“Someone very important to me.” Damen looked past me, to the roaring fireplace. “He was my best friend. But I haven’t seen him in a lifetime, so maybe I’m just going crazy.”

My pulse began to race as a ringing began to echo in the back of my thoughts.

“It doesn’t matter,” he continued. “Back to the present—how did you say you and Finn first met?”

“I didn’t.” I pursed my lips. It was definitely way too soon to come clean about that topic.

“School?” he asked, pressing forward.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “S-school.”

The silence consumed the room before he finally conceded.

“I get it,” he sighed. “Listen, I don’t care about your relationship with my brother.”

I knew he was lying, but something in my stomach began to stir as he reached for me.

“I know this is probably unheard of, but I need to ask…” Why did he sound nervous? There was a hitch in his voice that stirred through my subconsciousness and caused the hair on my arms to stand straight. “Do you think we can be friends too?”

What?

My breath caught as I stared at his calloused hands.

Why?

Damen Abernathy—my best friend’s brother and his otherworldly weirdness—wanted to be my friend? It didn’t make sense. But I couldn’t deny that there was a connection between us, something growing in my chest that warmed my skin and made my heart flutter when I looked at him.

It was something old, familiar. A pull that was impossible to ignore.

I reached for him, touching my fingertips to his palm. This was entirely out of character for me, but I couldn’t refuse. I was nervous, yet there was a thrumming in my chest that just felt right.

At this moment, my heart felt full.

“Okay,” I agreed.