Bound by Duty (Bound Series Book 1) by Stormy Smith Read Free Book Online

said slowly, giving me a look of mild annoyance, “we have three classes together. And have for the last month. So glad to know I’m so easy to miss.”
    He pushed himself off the bench and tossed his backpack over his shoulder, meeting me eye-to-eye. I couldn’t help but take a step back. I was afraid he’d hear the thunderous pounding of my heart, yet I couldn’t hide the red flush creeping across my face.
    “Do I make you uncomfortable, Amelia?” His voice was low as he matched my backward step with a forward one. The look in his eyes made it clear that if I were running, he’d be giving chase.
    I swallowed and tried to project a confidence I didn’t feel. “You wish, Montgomery. You just seem to irritate the crap out of me.”
    I turned on my heel, felt his eyes on my back, and struggled not to react to his deep chuckle as I rushed away and into the room. Trying to calm my frantic heartbeat and the electricity that came with every one of our interactions, I took a seat in the back corner, as I usually did. I was comforted by the fact that I could see him, but he had to make it obvious he was watching me. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem concerned over making his interest obvious and turned in his seat multiple times throughout the lecture to catch my eye. I wanted to look away, but I found myself holding his stare every time, memorizing the dimple that came along with his smirk of self-confidence.
    As we were dismissed, I tried to get out quickly, to avoid Aidan completely and get myself together, but just as I pushed through the double doors outside, he caught up to me. “Hey, doll, you’re running off again. You can’t avoid me forever, you know?”
    I kept walking. “Can’t I? You don’t quite seem to be getting the hint. Or haven’t you noticed that I just keep walking away?”
    I slipped my sunglasses on, feeling smug as I turned to do just that — and ran straight into a wall. Of muscle. Of Aidan. He had cut off my escape. As I not-so-gracefully tried to keep myself from falling over and then attempted a glare up at him, I found Aidan smiling down at me. “Well, that stopped you, now didn’t it?”
    We both looked down and I realized I still had both hands pressed against his chest. In that same instant I both heard and felt a familiar crackle and pop and we recoiled from each other.
    “What the hell?” he yelped. Aidan stood rubbing his chest as I stumbled for words. “That was some… uh, static shock. What did I tell you? You should just leave me alone.” I tried to sound nonchalant and failed miserably.
    “I don’t know why you seem so offended that I’m interested in you, Amelia.” He stepped forward again, thankfully not noticing the small burn hole in his T-shirt. I struggled to maintain my position, not wanting to give him an inch but afraid of my potential reaction doing more than burning his shirt if I touched him again.
    “I can read you, doll. I can see that you aren’t as offended as you want me to think.” I stuck my chin out defiantly but got caught in Aidan’s stare. The gray in his eyes deepened from smoke to ash and I was sure he could see right through me. “Again, Montgomery, you’re out of your league. You don’t know a thing about me or what I want. You’re going to need more than a wink and pretty smile to make this happen.”
    I stepped around him as he clutched his chest, saying, “Ow, now that one hurt. Insulting a man’s pride is just too far.”
    “This is what I’m saying. You don’t want to take me on.” I tossed him a smile that was more confident than I felt as I strode away, fervently trying to maintain a normal pace and not sprint to my car, all the while wishing I had a reason to look back and see if he was watching me go.
     
     
    This continued with Aidan; him popping up before and after my classes. He was never intimidating or creepy, but made it obvious that he was interested and thoroughly enjoyed rattling me. I’d never really done