by Marian Tee
The innocence remained in his gaze. “No, I don’t.”
She took a deep breath before muttering, “Woo me.”
“Was that so hard to say?” The professor’s tone had suddenly turned disarmingly gentle, and her mood instantly swung from irritated to infatuated. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. She was so easy to play with.
A shadow fell over her, and she almost jumped in her seat. “How do you do that?” she demanded. He made her feel deaf, with the way he so easily crept up on her.
Ignoring the question, he took her hand and pulled her up. When their eyes met, he said quietly, “I still have one minute left with you before my next class arrives.”
She blinked up at him.
“What do you wish us to do with this last minute?”
Her heart beat hard at the question. Her body knew exactly what she wanted to happen, but she just couldn’t make herself say it. She could only look at the professor, her eyes cloudy with a mixture of wariness and desire.
Kassia bit her lip, hoping that the professor would consider it answer enough.
He did.
Alessandro kissed Kassia. Her lips parted without him asking, and their tongues mated. But it didn’t feel enough.
Fifty seconds.
He lifted her up, and her arms and legs wound around his body, her pussy fitting right above his cock.
Forty seconds.
He moved them towards the wall, and once her back touched the hard surface, he ground his lower body against hers. She moaned against his mouth even as her legs locked more tightly around his waist.
Thirty seconds.
The sound of footsteps reached him, and their time together dwindled.
Five seconds.
Alessandro reluctantly pulled away, lifting his mouth and lowering Kassia back to her feet as he did. A mewl of protest escaped her, and he brushed his lips against her forehead in apology. “We’re about to have company.”
Kassia blinked in confusion. She blinked again, and the professor was already behind his desk.
“You may go now.” The professor didn’t look up as he spoke, students from his next class entering the room at the same time.
She told herself she shouldn’t be hurt. The professor was only doing this so people wouldn’t talk about them, wouldn’t know that they were…playing. Her mind understood, but her heart didn’t.
As she reached for her bag, her phone beeped, and she took it out. Without looking at the professor again, she headed for the door while switching her phone on to read her message.
It was from the professor.
Don’t forget I belong to you.
****
“He’s getting to you, isn’t he?” Ellie looked at her friend knowingly. They were having lunch at the cafeteria. Or at least she was. Kassia hadn’t touched her food once. She had been too busy gazing at her phone. She was biting her lip in seeming indecision, but there wasn’t any mistaking the sparkle in her eyes either.
Kassia was happy…even if she clearly didn’t want to be.
Also, it didn’t seem like she heard a single word Ellie had said.
Kassia heard her friend laughing, and she looked up guiltily, realizing too late Ellie had been talking the whole time and she hadn’t heard a word of it. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Her gaze swerved back to her phone as she spoke. She couldn’t stop staring at it.
“Did he text you again?” Ellie asked finally.
Slowly, Kassia shook her head.
“Then what?” Ellie was exasperated.
Kassia hesitated before saying almost guiltily, “He added me on Facebook.”
Ellie was surprised. The professor had struck her as very old-fashioned in many ways, and she knew she wasn’t the only one in school who thought that. It didn’t seem like him at all to have a Facebook account.
“Did you accept his request?” Ellie asked.
Kassia nodded. “And you know what I found out?” She paused then said in a rush, “He just created the account yesterday, and I’m his only friend.”
“Are you sure it’s not his second account or something?” Ellie cautioned.
“I don’t think he’s the type to do things like that, don’t you?”
Ellie nodded, seeing Kassia had a point. “So…what exactly is your problem?”
Kassia didn’t want to say it.
Ellie frowned. “If you’re waiting for me to second-guess your feelings, don’t hold your breath. I’m your best friend, but I’m not like you. You know how I feel about love and stuff.”
Kassia watched her friend daintily eat her sandwich, and Ellie couldn’t have made her point any clearer by doing so. Eating, sleeping, studying – Ellie could do all of this because she wasn’t struggling with the throes of love. Those same things used to be easy for Kassia, too…until she had fallen for the professor.
Her phone buzzed against her palm, and she almost dropped it in her shock. It was her Facebook messenger, a message notification flashing on the screen. She told herself it would be better to make the professor wait—
But no, her fingers had already moved on its own accord, tapping the screen so she could see the rest of the professor’s message.
What are you doing right now?
****
Alessandro paused in his work when he heard his phone buzz. Putting his pen down, he clicked on the screen. It was Kassia.
Lunch with Ellie.
His lips curved at the somewhat stiff reply, which was unusual for Kassia. But then, hadn’t he expected this? He had hurt Kassia, and it was clear he had a long way to go before he could woo his little chick into letting him back into her good graces.
Alessandro: You don’t want to ask me anything?
Kassia: I DO!
He almost smiled, able to picture Kassia’s excitement, which he knew she was probably regretting right now.
Alessandro: Ask away.
While waiting for her message, his phone rang, and he answered it when he saw it was his sister. “Esme?”
“Can you come to my school? I’m in trouble.”
Alessandro arrived at Esmeralda’s private school in twenty minutes, mostly thanks to him going over the city’s speed limits. He was obviously expected, a school official waiting for him by the building’s front doors.
“Greetings, Your Highness.” The woman bowed. “I am Teresa, and I’ll be escorting you to the dean’s office.”
After returning her greeting, he asked immediately, “Is my sister alright?”
“No harm has befallen her, Your Highness,” Teresa assured him politely.
That was enough for him, and Alessandro refrained from asking any other question as he followed Teresa. The world recognized the school as being extremely picky with its students, not knowing that its criterion was based on nothing else but the student’s race. The school only accepted pure Lyccans and no one else.
Inside, he found his sister seated on one of the high-backed chairs across the dean’s desk, her back straight, hands hidden under the folds of her skirt. She leapt to her feet as soon as he entered, a mixture of relief and worry in her eyes.
Glancing at her, Alessandro only nodded briefly, knowing that Esmeralda would understand it as his promise to support her, whatever this was about. Striding forward, he bowed to the dean. “Dean Alberto.” She was a woman in her late forties and who, if he wasn’t mistaken, came from one of the oldest families of their race.
The dean inclined her head to the side in silent acknowledgment of his greeting. “Your Highness. Thank you for your prompt attendance.”
Alessandro waited until the dean was seated before lowering himself into the chair opposite his sister.
The dean’s eyes rested on Esmeralda, whose face became expressionless. “As I feel you’re the type to appreciate brevity, I shall get straight to the point. Your sister, Princess Esmeralda, has committed a rather serious offense today. Our inquiry has proven that your sister is guilty of initiating a physical altercation with another student
.”
Alessandro’s brows lifted in bemusement. In his entire life, he had never heard of any of his sisters being involved in a fight and hadn’t even thought them capable of any kind of violence. He glanced at his sister. “Is this true?”
Esmeralda slowly nodded.
“We have asked her to issue an apology, but in light of her refusal, we are left with no choice but to subject her to a week’s suspension.”
When Esmeralda didn’t even flinch at the announcement, Alessandro knew not to bother asking his sister to apologize. She was dead set against it, and once a Moretti made up his – or in this case her – mind, there was no swaying it.
Ten minutes later, Alessandro and his sister were alone in the limousine. “Care to tell me what the fight was about?”
Esmeralda swallowed. “It was over Domenico.” When Alessandro stiffened, she knew the anger wasn’t directed at her, and she quickly added, “Don’t blame him!”
Unfortunately, her words only seemed to make Alessandro more furious, with the way his lips tightened.
“I mean it,” she said fiercely. “It’s not his fault.”
Alessandro still didn’t speak, but his gaze on her was completely unimpressed.
“I know you and Alejandro don’t see it, but Domenico’s not being weak. It’s his penance, can’t you see? For all the time he chose power over Misty—”
He shook his head. “You’re young, Esme. You know nothing—”
Esme flared up. “Just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m stupid!” She stopped speaking when she realized she had raised her voice at Alessandro. She had never done that before, hadn’t ever shouted at any of her siblings, older or younger. Shame engulfed her, and she shrank back against the seat. “I’m sorry, Alessandro.” She bit her lip as the urge to cry suddenly struck her. “I didn’t mean to shout at you,” she whispered.
Alessandro wordlessly pulled his sister into his arms. “It’s fine, sweetheart. We’ve all been living under stress for some time now.” And that, he thought grimly, was a fucking understatement if he ever heard one.
When Esmeralda only nodded against his chest, he asked carefully, “Can you truly not tell me what the fight was about or even just what it was you’ve done?”
With her eyes closed, she could easily replay the entire incident in her mind. “It was a girl in class.” Rica, the blonde beauty who almost every guy in school had or once had a crush on. “She came up to me and asked how much was Domenico selling for since she wanted a pet.” She lifted her head so Alessandro would see how much she didn’t regret what she had done. “I slapped her.” She bit her lip. “She slapped me back, and well, that was that. We didn’t stop fighting until some of the teachers came to break it off.”
“As a teacher, I’d like you to remember that violence is never the answer. But as a Moretti…” An ominous light glinted in his eyes. “I’d have to say you did good, little sister.”
She grinned.
“Is that all then?”
Esmeralda forced herself to keep her grin in place. “Yup.” But it wasn’t. Her fight with Rica was nothing compared to seeing Rica’s older stepbrother looking so grimly disappointed at her afterwards. It had crushed her so much that she had found herself taking refuge in her temper flaring up. Remembering the words she had so rashly thrown at him made her wince now, and she was miserably certain he wouldn’t talk to her after today.
Alessandro noted the way his sister started biting her nails. “Are you sure there’s nothing else that’s troubling you?”
Esmeralda stopped biting her nails. “Nothing.”
They had reached their home by then and as he helped her out of the limousine, Alessandro said, “I shall let Domenico know about this.”
She froze. “Can’t I be the one to do it instead?” She looked at him pleadingly. “I don’t want you and Domenico to keep fighting. It’s not right.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Esme. Nothing I say can hurt Domenico.” He smiled mockingly. “I’m sure you know about how he wiped the floor with me in the fighting hall.”
Esmeralda shook her head. “You know I don’t mean it that way. Let me please—”
“No.” His voice was final.
“Just please don’t blame him for this. Everything’s my fault.”
Alessandro frowned at the unhappy expression on his sister’s face as she turned away to head up to her room. He reminded her dryly, “You do remember he’s the eldest among us and that he doesn’t need your protection? No one dies of hurt feelings—”
Pausing mid-step, she swung around to look at him and said, “Then either you’ve never been in love or you’re deliberately blinding yourself to it.”
She marched off after that, and Alessandro had to admit that her last words made a grand exit. He mentally shook his head. Teenagers.
Alessandro was on his way to Domenico’s property within their compound when he belatedly remembered to check his phone. He swore when he saw several unopened messages, all of them from Kassia.
Kassia: Can you tell me more about how you grew up?
Kassia: Are you suddenly busy?
Kassia: Sorry if I bothered you.
He called her right away, but after the third try, Alessandro knew that Kassia wouldn’t be picking up the call. He hesitated for one moment before deciding to send her a text message.
Alessandro: I apologize for not answering right away. An urgent family matter came up, and I had to take care of it first. May I call you now?
He waited for a full ten minutes, but there was no response.
Fuck it, he thought.
Turning around, he decided that his talk with Domenico could be done another time. This – Kassia – was more important.
****
Someone was knocking on her window.
Pushing her chair back with a frown, Kassia stood up and headed to the window. Raising the blinds, she almost tumbled back in shock when she saw the professor balanced on a sturdy branch of the tree across her building.
He gestured for her to open her window, and after a moment’s indecision, she moved to do his bidding. Even though he was the last person on earth she wanted to see right now, it didn’t mean she wanted him dead, which was what he’d certainly be if she left him outside her window.
The professor leapt into the opening without trouble, landing on his two feet with such uncanny grace that Kassia was left blinking. Even if she practiced ookami-kata for years, she didn’t think she’d ever be capable of doing the same thing.
The professor was dressed entirely in black, but the shirt and jeans combination made him look a lot less aloof and serious. He was still gorgeous and sexy, but now his appeal was more rugged than princely.
Even so, it still made her heart pitter-patter like crazy, making Kassia realize with a sinking heart that how the professor looked would never matter.
She loved him, whichever side he showed to her.
She loved the professor, the man inside her dorm room right now.
The realization made her gulp and step back.
Alessandro watched Kassia move away from him, as if desperate to place some distance between them. Dressed in a tank top and the skimpiest pair of denim shorts, Kassia made the most alluring figure, and the sight, combined with her intoxicating scent, messed him up in a way no other woman had been able to.
Striving for control, he resolutely kept his gaze on her lovely face as he asked, “Did you receive my message?” If he allowed himself just one more damn second of staring at her tender, heaving breasts, he would be done for.
Kassia shook her head, unwilling to answer his questions while she still had some of her own. “W-what were you doing outside my window? What if someone saw you here?” Even as she spoke, her dazed mind remained caught up by the professor’s presence in her room. He was here. He was beautiful. He was here.
Hearing the stammer in her voice, Alessandro made sure to keep his voice calm and soothing as he answered her. “N
o one did. Trust me.” His gaze remained on her face, unwavering, Alessandro wanting her to see in his eyes that him coming to her room wasn’t going to get her in trouble. It was all he could do, knowing that an explanation would involve revealing his Lyccan side to her, and that he wasn’t yet willing to risk.
When he took another step towards her, she took a step back. He saw where she’d end up, and he didn’t stop moving towards her. Three steps later, and she gasped as she tumbled back into her bed.
In a second, he was on top of her, his hard body trapping hers under him, her face between his braced arms. He looked down at her. “Gotcha.” It was such an insanely amateurish thing to say, but when the professor said it, the word almost sounded elegant.
Then the professor’s lips started to curve, and she jerked in realization that he had cunningly contrived to make her fall. “Beast!” She tried pushing him off her, but the moment her fisted hands hit the wall of his chest, everything backfired, the powerful strength of his body enslaving her senses.
This close, Alessandro could feel her heart beating hard against her chest, could smell the way heat claimed her body as she attempted to wriggle away, and his smile turned into a smirk.
She gasped. “I hate you!” But what she found herself despising more was the way her heart raced at the feel of his weight pressing down on her.
“No,” he refuted calmly. “You don’t.” He captured one fisted hand as he spoke and brought it to his lips.
She tried to tug her hand away, but he didn’t let her.
“I hate you.”
This time, he didn’t only smell her anger and desire. This close, the scent of her confusion and hurt also reached him, and his smile faded. “I’m sorry for making you wait,” he said quietly. “I received an urgent call from my sister, and I had to go to her school. She was involved in a fight with another student, and it’s resulted in her suspension.”
The explanation eased Kassia’s hurt, but only to an extent. She couldn’t make herself forget how abandoned and foolish she had felt, waiting for Alessandro to message her back.
