Don't Say Goodbye (Navy Book 2)

Chapter 14

"I have been called to the Dean's office," Kellan texted the following Thursday while she was between classes and in the library

"Are you concerned?" she texted back.

"I'm not," was his brief reply.

Charlie went back to work, she had several finals to prepare for including the presentation for Kellan's class which was the following Tuesday. He was going in alphabetical order and she was glad that her last name started with a T. The thought of standing in front of him and giving a presentation made her uneasy.

Her phone buzzed again and it was her email. There, in her inbox, was a request for her to come to the Dean's office as well. It was an ASAP request so she gathered all of her stuff, but before she left the library, some instinct made her erase all of Kellan's contact information, except for his emails which were strictly class related.

The stroll across the campus to the Dean's office only took a few minutes. When she arrived she told the secretary why she was there and she was told to wait a moment.

Looking at one of the bad paintings by the school's art student's, she was wondering if maybe the school should close the art department, when she heard another person enter the office and looked briefly over her shoulder to see a tall handsome man in kahki uniform approach the secretary. "Dr. Hilliard," he identified himself causing Charlie to spin around. She looked at the secretary and caught the look of surprise on her face before she flushed.

Kellan, his beard gone and his hair trimmed short, looked at her over his shoulder and gave an apologetic smile. What was he sorry for she wondered, being so handsome or not warning her of his change of appearance ahead of time?

He was absolutely gorgeous. His hair was cropped short but still fell in thick waves. Charlie looked at the whiteness of his neck as he turned to talk to the secretary and for some reason she saw that white stretch of skin on his bare neck as a chink in his toughness. He turned to look at her and suddenly, remembering why they were probably there, she cleared her throat. "Dr. Hilliard, I didn't recognize you."

His clean shaven jaw was very well defined, and she knew for a fact that he couldn't have shaved it more than a few hours earlier because when he had left her that morning he still had his beard, but already there was a shadow of stubble under the skin. His cheek bones were very well defined and his nose looked sharper than usual. He was a classically handsome man.

But the eyes were the same. There green depths were trying to read exactly what she was thinking and she was thinking that now he was way out of her league.

The door opened to the Dean's office and the cool and collected Dean, Michelle Matthews, presented herself. Dean Matthews was a beautiful self-assured forty something who had a lovely figure, jet black hair, and warm brown eyes. She smiled warmly at Charlie and gave a look of disbelief when she saw Kellan.

"Dr. Hilliard?" she asked.

He smiled and nodded. The smile revealed perfect white teeth behind a bit of a crooked grin and she just about groaned out loud. Well, at least he wasn't perfect.

"Charlie isn't it?" The Dean turned towards her, motioning for her to proceed her into the office.

"Yes ma'am," Charlie said, stopping in her tracks when she entered she saw Brad sitting in one of the guest chairs with the fakest look of concern on his face that she had ever seen.

"Charlotte." He rose and moved towards her, and Charlie automatically moved behind the other guest chair avoiding his out stretched hand.

Not saying a word she looked at Dean Matthews and did her best to try to pretend he wasn't there. He was dressed in his dress khakis just like Kellan and looked very serious and professional. One would have to take him seriously the way he looked.