Page 79 of Hunt Me

Archie, of course, got himself comfortable at the desk, leaning back with his arms behind his head and the smallest smirk on his face. He’s fucking enjoying this.

I turn my back to the class and sign very small in front of my chest so no one can see, ‘You are Deaf.’

He blinks at me, raising a brow.

‘It’s a lie, I know. Can you lie?’

He rolls his eyes, then jerks his chin in a nod.

‘Good. You’re Deaf. Don’t answer questions. You’re observing for another college who’s interested in implementing the Deaf teacher program.’

It’s obvious he doesn’t know what I’m talking about, but he doesn’t argue with me. He drags his tongue over his lower lip, and my dick immediately threatens to get hard. His eyes glint, and it takes everything in me not to smack him because he fucking knows what he’s doing.

I’m just grateful I haven’t taken my CIs out yet so I know whether or not I’m making any improper, involuntary noises.

I turn my back to him and sign a quick good morning to my class. ‘We are doing revisions today, so please get out your notes and get into pairs.’

I can see a thousand questions in their eyes, but luckily, my students are more focused on passing their final than they are on asking questions about the absurdly hot, doe-eyed, cherub-faced yet slightly terrifying man in the corner of the room.

And that is the only thing that saves me from total disaster.

By lunch, I’m not hungry at all. The stress of managing Archie—who, to his credit, hasn’t done anything to distract my classes or trip me up—and the fear of getting questions I can’t answer have ruined my appetite.

But it’s clear Archie isn’t having it.

It’s possible he heard my stomach rumble because as I try to head to my office, he takes my arm and steers me toward the parking circle where Mellie’s truck is parked.

‘No,’ I try, but he fixes me with a hard stare. I sigh heavily. ‘I’m not hungry.’

‘I don’t like when you lie,’ he tells me with something in his eyes that tells me he’s actually bothered. ‘You need to take care of yourself. You’re still healing.’

I swallow heavily, then resign myself to following him over to the short line at Mellie’s window. He brightens when he sees me, waving with an enthusiasm he probably won’t keep once he realizes that Archie isn’t the man he envisioned me with.

Though, to be fair, Mellie has started softening on the idea of Deaf and hearing relationships now that he’s with Rhett and has softened about Thom and Dex being with our friends. But he also comes from a generationally Deaf family, which means he will ask questions, and Archie probably won’t see a reason not to answer him honestly.

I yank on his arm as we queue up behind a couple of art students who are wearing smocks covered in paint. ‘Don’t tell Mellie about the stalker.’

Archie frowns. ‘Mellie?’

I gesture to the food truck. ‘He’s a friend, but I don’t want him to know.’

Archie blows out a puff of air, then nods. ‘Yes. Less people who know, less danger.’

Pragmatic of him, I suppose. And I appreciate that he’ll take the reason maybe not to lie directly, but to withhold the whole truth.

When I step up to the front of the line, Mellie cocks his head, a smirk on his face. ‘Who you?’ he asks Archie.

Archie just blinks at him and then says, ‘We fuck.’

I groan, putting my head in my hands, peering up at Mellie, who looks far too happy.

‘Really?’ he asks, his finger scrunching up and down.

‘Yes. Once, but will more soon.’

I sigh and then nudge Archie to the side. ‘Ignore that. Please.’

‘Never. Tell me details. How did you two meet?’