window toward the campus, watching for Noah, but also wanting to avoid Granite’s gaze. “Because there’s nothing to talk about.”
“You can try and convince yourself all you want, but I know it for the bullshit it is. C’mon, Hutch, talk to me. What happens inside your head that scares you so much?”
Hutch scrabbled for something to say. He thought of turning it into a joke, but tossed the idea almost as quickly as it popped into his head. Granite had witnessed his meltdowns after tapping into a killer’s head. What he didn’t want to admit was his fear that it might not only be the killer’s emotions he was feeling, but his own.
He was still contemplating how much he wanted to reveal when Lady Luck took pity on him in the form of Noah stepping out of McKinley Hall at that moment.
“There he is,” Hutch said with a nod toward the campus.
Granite crumpled up his food wrappings and shoved them in a bag. “We will pick this discussion up later,” Granite assured him and stepped out of the car.
Hutch sighed heavily and followed Granite. He knew Granite wouldn’t let it go. Maybe it was time to reveal at least a little bit of his fear.
N OAH HURRIED across the campus toward the coffee shop. He’d lied to the agents. He hadn’t had a class, but he’d needed time to get his thoughts and himself together. He’d been a huge fan of Special Agent Hutchinson’s work for a number of years, and the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself in front of one of his heroes. Noah also didn’t want the agents in his home. They would have instantly pegged him for a freak had they gotten a look at his obsession covering his walls.
His hands were literally shaking when he pulled open the door to Books and Brews. Christ, he was a nervous wreck. The time alone doing deep breathing techniques hadn’t done shit to help. A dream come true, he was going to actually sit down and talk to the person at the top of his list of “must meet,” and he was going to blow it. He’d probably sit there with his mouth gaping open, drooling, without asking him a single question. Noah would also be damn lucky if he didn’t cream his jeans. While he’d known Hutchinson was a good-looking man, up close he was fucking gorgeous, and Jesus the man smelled so good. And those eyes…. Gah! Agent Hutchinson was going to think he was a total flake.
He was so lost in his panic, gaze scanning the shop for signs of Hutchinson, that Noah didn’t notice the guy in the aisle come to a stop until it was too late, and he slammed into the unsuspecting man’s back.
“Oh damn! I am so sorry,” Noah apologized, grabbing onto the stranger’s arms to keep them both from ending up on the floor.
“What the hell…?” The stranger kept his feet and then spun around to face Noah. “Oh…. Hey, I know you.”
Noah studied the man—dark brown hair, hazel eyes, average looks—trying to place him, but came up blank. “You do?” Noah asked.
“I’m Kegan,” he said with a smile and held out his hand. “I sat in on your lecture today. I really enjoyed it. Very informative, if not a little creepy.”
Noah shook the offered hand. “Thank you,” Noah replied distractedly as he continued to look for Hutchinson. He didn’t find him, but he did notice an empty table toward the back. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Kegan blocked Noah’s path. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee? I’d really like to ask you a few questions about your presentation. I think it would be a great topic for my abnormal psych class.”
“Sorry, I’m meeting someone. Perhaps another time,” he pacified.
“That would be great!” Once again Kegan shifted and blocked Noah’s path. “Let me give you my number.”
Noah bit down on his irritation. “Uh… yeah, okay. Sure.”
“Great!” Kegan pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and flipped open his notebook. He scribbled his name and number, then tore the paper out and handed it to Noah. “Call anytime, just
“You can try and convince yourself all you want, but I know it for the bullshit it is. C’mon, Hutch, talk to me. What happens inside your head that scares you so much?”
Hutch scrabbled for something to say. He thought of turning it into a joke, but tossed the idea almost as quickly as it popped into his head. Granite had witnessed his meltdowns after tapping into a killer’s head. What he didn’t want to admit was his fear that it might not only be the killer’s emotions he was feeling, but his own.
He was still contemplating how much he wanted to reveal when Lady Luck took pity on him in the form of Noah stepping out of McKinley Hall at that moment.
“There he is,” Hutch said with a nod toward the campus.
Granite crumpled up his food wrappings and shoved them in a bag. “We will pick this discussion up later,” Granite assured him and stepped out of the car.
Hutch sighed heavily and followed Granite. He knew Granite wouldn’t let it go. Maybe it was time to reveal at least a little bit of his fear.
N OAH HURRIED across the campus toward the coffee shop. He’d lied to the agents. He hadn’t had a class, but he’d needed time to get his thoughts and himself together. He’d been a huge fan of Special Agent Hutchinson’s work for a number of years, and the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself in front of one of his heroes. Noah also didn’t want the agents in his home. They would have instantly pegged him for a freak had they gotten a look at his obsession covering his walls.
His hands were literally shaking when he pulled open the door to Books and Brews. Christ, he was a nervous wreck. The time alone doing deep breathing techniques hadn’t done shit to help. A dream come true, he was going to actually sit down and talk to the person at the top of his list of “must meet,” and he was going to blow it. He’d probably sit there with his mouth gaping open, drooling, without asking him a single question. Noah would also be damn lucky if he didn’t cream his jeans. While he’d known Hutchinson was a good-looking man, up close he was fucking gorgeous, and Jesus the man smelled so good. And those eyes…. Gah! Agent Hutchinson was going to think he was a total flake.
He was so lost in his panic, gaze scanning the shop for signs of Hutchinson, that Noah didn’t notice the guy in the aisle come to a stop until it was too late, and he slammed into the unsuspecting man’s back.
“Oh damn! I am so sorry,” Noah apologized, grabbing onto the stranger’s arms to keep them both from ending up on the floor.
“What the hell…?” The stranger kept his feet and then spun around to face Noah. “Oh…. Hey, I know you.”
Noah studied the man—dark brown hair, hazel eyes, average looks—trying to place him, but came up blank. “You do?” Noah asked.
“I’m Kegan,” he said with a smile and held out his hand. “I sat in on your lecture today. I really enjoyed it. Very informative, if not a little creepy.”
Noah shook the offered hand. “Thank you,” Noah replied distractedly as he continued to look for Hutchinson. He didn’t find him, but he did notice an empty table toward the back. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Kegan blocked Noah’s path. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee? I’d really like to ask you a few questions about your presentation. I think it would be a great topic for my abnormal psych class.”
“Sorry, I’m meeting someone. Perhaps another time,” he pacified.
“That would be great!” Once again Kegan shifted and blocked Noah’s path. “Let me give you my number.”
Noah bit down on his irritation. “Uh… yeah, okay. Sure.”
“Great!” Kegan pulled a pen from his shirt pocket and flipped open his notebook. He scribbled his name and number, then tore the paper out and handed it to Noah. “Call anytime, just
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