Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
ARCHER
The incessant ticking of the clock on my desk was driving me insane. I rubbed a hand over my face, my head throbbing.
I sat slouched at my desk, my eyes fixed on the same line of text for the fifth time, though I hadn’t read a word of it. My mind was elsewhere.
My first class of the day was about to begin and, right on cue, the door creaked open and three students entered. They hesitated, waiting for permission to speak.
‘Professor, do you have a minute before class?’ one of the boys said. ‘Would you mind looking over my assignment?’
A terrible, dark part of me was entertained by the way even the most confident students changed their demeanours around me… How lively conversations in the corridors would come to a staggering halt when I walked past.
They were terrified of me.
I’d heard the rumours and whisperings, after all, and I suppose my strict teaching methods only added fuel to the fire.
Rising from my desk, I ushered the students inside. I helped the boy with his essay absent-mindedly. The bell rang and the room slowly filled around us as more students meandered in and took their seats.
‘Excuse me, sir?’ a small voice asked from behind me.
‘What?’ I said, without bothering to turn around.
‘I’m… um, my name’s Iris. I’m new here… Iris Blackthorne.’
I vaguely remembered the note left for me about a transfer scholarship student. I picked up the clipboard from my desk to remind myself. Flicking through the papers, I found her name and the seat I had allocated to her.
‘Miss Blackthorne, seat 17B,’ I told her, then read on.
‘It says here I’m also to set you extra assignments so you can “catch up”.
’ I sighed at the additional workload. ‘I expect you to work hard in this class, if that’s the case.
I don’t deal with slackers.’ I didn’t care that I probably came across as harsh.
I don’t have time for students who don’t put the effort in – it’s better to let her know my standards from the outset.
I looked up from my clipboard…
And that was when I saw her.
The most goddamn beautiful girl I had ever seen in my life.
My breath hitched in my throat and, for a split second, I couldn’t speak.
Her eyes were the first things I noticed. They were a striking shade of green, framed by long, thick black lashes. Her raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red ribbon, one strand hanging loose and grazing her rosy cheek.
‘Yes, sir,’ she said. ‘I’ll put the work in. I’m sure I can catch up.’
‘See that you do,’ I said.
A student somewhere coughed, and I snapped back to reality. I quickly turned back to my desk.
Iris Blackthorne…
Fuck.
Class had ended, and I leant against my desk as the students slowly filed out.
I capped my pen and shuffled a few papers, trying to appear composed. For the past hour, my focus had been nowhere near where it ought to have been.
She’d sat two rows from the back, on the left-hand side.
She wore an oversized jumper that concealed her figure, but a teasingly short skirt and stockings that kept my eyes drifting back to her incessantly.
She didn’t look tired or bored, the way most of my students did.
She was alert and ready. It was refreshing.
I asked her to speak up in the debate, out of a desire to hear her voice again.
It came across as strong and confident, but I could tell she was nervous underneath.
I could tell from the way she wrapped her finger around that damn piece of hair, and the way she chewed on the tip of her pen – those lips and teeth nipping at it constantly.
She was one of the last students to leave, and my pulse quickened as she walked past my desk.
She had a boy waiting for her – Rory, I think his name was. I should know… I just teach so many students that they sometimes blur together unless their academic achievements make them stand out. I waited until she was almost at the door before I called out to her.
‘Miss Blackthorne?’ My voice came out steadier than I felt. ‘A moment.’
She lingered by the door, one hand still on the strap of her bag. The last few students brushed past her until the room was empty save for us.
She slowly walked back over.
‘Yes, Professor?’ she asked.
I took a breath. ‘I have the additional assignments for you to complete, as requested by Headmaster Draven.’
‘Oh, yes,’ she said quietly, tucking the strand of hair behind her ear. It immediately fell back into her face, and my fingers itched to tuck it back into place myself. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
I passed her the assignments, and before I could stop myself, my fingers brushed hers. I heard her inhale sharply as our skin touched, a spark of something passing between us as our eyes met.
I swallowed hard and dropped my gaze. What was I doing? I stepped back slowly, despite not wanting to.
‘Complete these worksheets and bring them back to me. I will mark them and then provide more,’ I said, voice straining among other things.
She blinked, and her long lashes brushed her freckled cheeks. ‘Thank you, sir.’
I nodded. ‘You’re dismissed.’
She retreated slowly towards the door, and I watched her leave, hating myself for noticing the sway of her slender hips as she walked.
She reached for the door handle, about to leave, and before I could think better of it, I called after her.
‘Welcome to Ashcroft, Miss Blackthorne.’
She looked back at me over her slim shoulder, and the small, subtle smile she gave me was almost enough to bring me to my knees.
Well… Shit.