Chapter Forty-Two
Willow
My heart pounded to the rhythm of the professor’s thrusts. His brand of passion was vicious, like he intended to destroy whatever innocence still remained within me.
Speeding up to the point I could no longer compile coherent thoughts, I felt his hands travel the length of my body, grabbing, and holding on to my soft skin.
Ravenous, the only word that could describe the way he inhaled, then drove into me. Like he owned the moment, the pleasure, and even me.
His broad left hand stopped on my hip, scratching the sensitive skin to mark the territory he conquered. Each scratch followed a deep thrust that filled me so deliciously I could barely remember where I was.
The strong hold of his other hand barely allowed me to breathe as he pinned me against his desk, my back pressed to the cold wood—my body entirely at his mercy.
The roughness of his movements wasn’t something I expected out of a morality expert, yet he thrashed and slammed himself into me so hard I needed to grab his arm for support. Still, my head banged against the wall hard enough that my ears rang.
With it came the overwhelming need to climax. It built stronger and stronger, but he wouldn’t allow it.
Torture.
Letting go of my hip, he shoved a hand under my dress and pinched the peaks of my breasts, making me shiver and try to break out of his hold.
It was too much. I needed release.
He smirked, slamming his lips on mine and occupying my mouth entirely. With no room to move or object, he did with me whatever he pleased, keeping me on edge and slowing down every time I chased my end.
And every time I grew agitated, he held my neck tighter, making the lack of oxygen cloud my judgement.
I shouldn’t have enjoyed it.
But the way he moaned against me, the way he purred ‘good girl’ in my ear, biting it until I squeaked in pain… It was hot and disturbing, and I chose to allow him to do with me as he desired.
He chased his release by relentlessly pounding away, making me shake with need for my own. Then he cried out, spasming and crashing me against his muscled chest, holding me immobile as we came undone together.
Just as quickly, he set me down and put his shirt back on.
Not too bad. At least he could finish me off.
Not wanting to stay undressed while he looked his best and composed, I fixed the position of my dress and put the blazer back on.
I stared at him buttoning the collar of his shirt and fixing his chequered tie. His cheeks heated as he looked away to the window on the other side of the classroom.
Wait… no way. Was he… ‘Shy much?
The professor put his trousers back on and coughed a little as if he were unsure of what to say. Funny. He wasn’t so restrained a minute ago. ‘I don’t usually fuck my students.’
There it was, the moral high ground I expected coming here. Or ethical dilemma, but I couldn’t exactly complain. We both wanted it, and the way his eyes lit up when he saw me was cute enough to sweep me off my feet.
‘Well then, we’re lucky I’m not a regular student, right?’ I joked, finding his consternation hilarious.
A sharp exhale left him. ‘Why don’t we discuss the ethics of what we’d just done, since this is why you’re here.’
‘To fuck you?’ I couldn’t contain myself.
He tittered lightly before sitting on his desk to face me. ‘Why was what we did ethically wrong?’
Okay. Harsh. ‘Shouldn’t you be the one to tell me that?’
‘Technically I need to assess your understanding of ethics.’ The muscle of his jaw twitched. ‘If it’s strong enough, you can move on to your other classes.’
Way to entice me. Who wouldn’t want to get released from a silly course like this?
‘Power imbalance between a teacher and student, lack of verbal consent, actions that prevented the ability to withdraw non-verbal consent, and lack of agreement regarding possible unwanted outcomes. Want me to go on?’
The crease in his forehead signalled my victory. ‘Did you take an ethics class before? How do you know all this?’
The way he looked me up and down rubbed me the wrong way. Was it the way I dressed? ‘Did you expect me to be stupid?’ I countered. ‘Because I’m blonde? Or are you a misogynist, professor?’
The colour left his cheeks, but he murmured a laugh. ‘Not quite. Keep your secrets, princess. Anyway, you’re released. You can visit me for round two sometime though,’ he said, flashing a smile.
Cheeky. I liked it. But he was growing too confident of his charm. ‘Maybe. I keep my options open.’
‘I wouldn’t dare to assume otherwise.’
The second I exited the ethics room, I realised I had no way of getting back home. No. It wasn’t home. It was a prison. Or a temporary safehouse. I didn’t know what to think about it anymore.
It would certainly help if I had a phone, but as it was, I had been stranded in the university I didn’t even want to attend. With nothing else to do, I decided to go sightseeing until the shadow-stalker eventually made his way here to pick me up.
I had no doubt he would realise I wasn’t home and make his way here. It was only a matter of time. Hours had passed as I walked from classrooms to student enrichment areas and a stocked canteen that at least didn’t let me starve.
The place wasn’t entirely horrible, though I had a hunch the corridors were usually filled with pompous dickheads.
Afternoon had come relatively quickly, and I made my way to the foyer where, surprise, surprise, my stalker had already been waiting with a scowl on his face. Lately, this had been a permanent expression of his.
Grumpy asshole.
My heart sped up at the prospect of leaving. The university might not have been as terrible as I envisioned, but I still considered it a waste of my time.
As I stepped closer, the air around Alec tightened, his darkness whipping around him like lashes as he put his cold hand on my elbow and transported us back to the estate’s entrance. Just before I could open the door, he stood in front, blocking it.
Heat flashed in his gaze, and I took a step back. I assessed him some more, and the way his fists curled at his sides made him look ready to snap.
‘What is your problem?’ I shot in his direction as he ground his teeth. ‘Cat got your tongue?’
Silence. Nothing. Not the way we usually argued.
‘You know what my problem is, you ungrateful shit?’ he asked, quietly. ‘I think about you every second, every hour of every day and every night. And you’re out there fucking everyone that breathes.’
‘I’m not into unbreathing ones.’
‘You know damn well what I’m talking about.' His words sounded like he was making a pointless request. Like he was asking for something he knew he’d never receive. ‘And you know who you are to me… Why are you treating me like this? I haven’t done anything to deserve this...’
Even if I would rather not admit it, I felt a little sorry for him. ‘What exactly do you expect of me? I honestly don’t understand what you want from me.’
Alec stepped away, creating space between us. It felt easier to breathe, yet uncomfortable. He was acting stranger than normal.
‘You don’t…’ he stopped, biting his lip as he looked in my eyes. ‘We are made for each other, why do you keep choosing random men when I am here?’
‘Excuse me?’ I asked, meeting his wild gaze.
‘You know we’re mates, and you keep fucking rejecting me at every turn. And I keep coming back because I hope you’ll eventually realise you want me, but even I’m starting to lose hope here.’
What the fuck was this guy’s problem? I placed a hand on his shoulder and explained slowly, ‘Honey, I am not your mate.’
He took a step forward. ‘I wish you weren’t. Life would be easier for both of us.’
My stalker might have been delusional, but the words still rang out in my ears, causing a dull ache somewhere deep inside. Did he think I wasn’t worthy of having a mate? ‘Even though I am not your mate, what makes you say that?’
His grave stare sharpened. ‘I saved your life. I made sure you were healed. I gave you my home. I provided for you all this time. There isn’t much more I can offer, so I think I will just let you be.’
‘What does that mean?’ I asked as he walked away toward the hills.
Stillness. He looked back at me. Then he disappeared.
Where has he gone?