Page 16 of Hunted

Lockwood laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I ought to, but no. Feel free to clothe yourself before making that hasty getaway you’re so determined to effectuate.”

“Thank you, Sir. I appreciate it.”

I quickly threw on my oversized hoodie, completely disregarding a bra or shirt. He was right—I was incredibly determined to make a run for it. As I was wiggling into my underwear, though, the towel slipped from around my waist and my poor instructor copped another full frontal view of my vagina.

I squeaked in horror, barely registering Lockwood’s pained groan, and rushed to cover my dignity and my nether regions simultaneously. I couldn’t look up, couldn’t bear to see my future slipping away from one bathroom fuck-up in my instructor’s ocean eyes. He’d have to report this—would have to inform Beckett, who would in turn have to notify Commander Varco—and there would go any chance I ever had of becoming an Eagle.

Hell, I’d be lucky to even receive a Swallow designation if they thought I’d been propositioning my instructors.

While I was busy grieving my future, my foot got stuck in the leg of my trousers, and I stumbled, knowing full well I was about to eat shit and embarrass myself further in front of my superior officer.

But I barely faltered, because two strong hands had snaked around my waist to prop me up.

Catching our reflection in the mirror, I had a front-row seat in watching my own cheeks redden to tomato status. Lockwood met my gaze in the reflection. His eyes held mine for a beat, then dropped to my parted lips before I couldn’t take it anymore.

I jerked, dragging my pants all the way up, and stepped out of his grip. Unfortunately, my traitorous body refused to forget the way his hands felt wrapped around it, the heat of his palms lingering even as I grabbed the rest of my shit and beelined for the door.

“I’ll, uh, see you in class, Sinclair.”

My hand froze on the painted white wood, and I glanced back over my shoulder.

Lockwood smirked, and I almost tripped through the door when I realised why.

After lunch, there was only one class left to endure for the day.

Cyber Espionage, taught by the very man now grinning smugly at me, who’d seen my entire naked body no more than two minutes ago.

Fuck.

[ 5 ]

ADDIE

PARAMORE – FENCES

“Now, how would one know if they’ve tripped a silent alarm system when breaching a secured network?” Evander Lockwood asked from where he stood at the front of the classroom. He was asking the cohort as a whole, but no one deigned to answer, and somehow, his eyes kept coming back to land on my ever-reddening face.

It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with having seen me naked an hour ago.

Not at all.

I didn’t think I could sink further into my seat if I tried, much to Fleur’s evident amusement. She snickered as I dropped lower, my head surely now completely hidden by the blank laptop screen in front of me.

If I couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see me, right?

The last ten minutes had passed like watching paint dry in live action—agonisingly slowly, and disintegrating my will to live—all of them spent dodging questions and glances from the man who’d just witnessed my… mortification.

Glancing at the clock on the wall again, I winced, convinced it was faulty and that more than twenty seconds had to have passed since I’d last checked it.

Lockwood sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Really? You graduate in six months, and none of you can answer this yet? Excuse me if I find that hard to believe.” His sharp stare flicked over all the blank faces in the room, none of whom had any real aptitude for espionage of the cyber variety. His disappointment was almost palpable—and then his ultramarine gaze landed right back on me.

Shocker.

The fluorescents played tricks on me as I stared back, convincing me that there were actual oceans in his irises, rolling and meandering back and forth as he tilted his head.

I inhaled deeply, preparing an answer to his question, when he spoke again, shifting last- second to the girl on my left.

“Deveaux.”