Dragon’s Unwanted Love (Dragon Secrets of Parkhurst College #1)
Prologue
The weight of the box in his hands suddenly no big deal, Steven Proctor stood in the doorway to his new office, still in shock that he’d been the one appointed to the highest position at the college after the big scandal the spring before.
Now fall had arrived and he was facing the biggest challenge of his career, and still not sure that he was happy about the turn of events.
There’d been no possibility of turning down the opportunity to become the Dean of the college, but that meant leaving behind the eight young men who had become so important to him.
He knew without a doubt that the clan wouldn’t be pleased with this unexpected turn of events either, and he dreaded the phone call that he would have to make later that day to break the news to them.
It wasn’t his fault that the former Dean of the college had been nothing more than a gangster dressed in nice clothing, nor had it been his choice to get involved with the clan’s latest scheme to protect themselves, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to take the heat for everything that had gone wrong in the last six months.
“Are you sure you don’t want some help unpacking?” his new assistant asked, breaking into his thoughts. “I don’t mind. It’s part of my job, you know.”
“Thanks for the offer, Mindy, but I just have this one box today,” he said, looking around the huge office. “I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding room for everything.”
“Well, if you’re sure,” Mindy said, then hesitated. “Dean Proctor, I just wanted to say that we’re all so pleased to have you here. Things have been a bit difficult the last few years, and well…we’re just glad to have you in charge now.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence. I just hope I don’t disappoint you,” he said, then smiled at the young woman. “I’m going to need all the help I can get.”
“Anything you need, just ask, Dean Proctor,” Mindy said, smiling at him. “How about a nice cup of coffee? I can run down to the breakroom and grab you some.”
“That’s okay, I can get my own coffee, and I really would like you to call me Steven, at least when we’re alone,” he said, walking over to his desk and setting down the box. “All this formality makes me even more nervous.”
“You’re going to be a great Dean, that’s why they picked you,” Mindy said, her voice full of reassurance. “I’ll go get that coffee and let you get settled in. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”
“Mindy, you don’t have to get me coffee,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m a grown adult, I can do it myself. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
“I know you can do it yourself, I just thought this one time…” she said, her words dying away, then she grinned at him. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get the coffee this time, and you can do it the next time. I like mine with lots of cream and sugar.”
He laughed, some of the tension draining away. “That’s a deal,” he said. “You drive a hard bargain, Mindy.”
“That’s why I’m good at my job,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
When she was gone, he walked around the desk and sank down into the big leather chair, feeling instantly like he didn’t belong.
He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly.
He was the Dean of the college now, the students were depending on him to pull the school out of the mess the last man who sat in the chair had made while pursuing his own personal ambitions.
He hoped he was up to the job, prayed that he could run the school and still have time to keep an eye on the boys as they navigated their senior year of college and discovered the truth about the real reason they’d been brought together at Parkhurst College.