I whispered, "I've wanted you since the day we met, Professor."
Whether voluntary or not, his hips pressed a bit closer at my words, and he turned to study my face.
"I never thought someone as vibrant as you with your whole life before you would be interested in me," Benedict said, barely above a whisper.
"Well, not my whole life…" I said with a smirk. "I'm thirty years old, I know what I want—and I want you."
"I'd be a fool not to give you everything you want, Iris," he said, leaning in to claim my lips again. This time, there was nothing tentative about it. His hands roamed my body, his fingers pressing into my hips before he nudged my legs apart with his knee.
I moaned as the top of his thigh pressed into my clit. I was wearing my usual black leggings, and the thin fabric did nothing but add to the friction of his leg against me as his foot found purchase on one of the lower shelves behind me.
"Take your pleasure, Iris; let me watch you come undone," he whispered in my ear, his hands urging my hips into motion against him.
I didn't hesitate; I began to grind myself against his leg, the pressure firm and consistent and all-consuming. I wasn't inexperienced; I knew what made me feel good, and I wasn't shy about it. Being here with him so unexpectedly, all my filthy fantasies from the past months inches away from comingtrue—I knew it wouldn't take long for me to find my release.
Through the haze of my pleasure, I realized that Benedict was no longer leaning in to kiss me. Instead he stood upright, his hands still firmly on my hips, and he watched me. Studied me so intensely that his gaze burned my skin. He watched my face, the flush coloring the tops of my breasts where they were fully on display in my favorite bodice; but, more than anything else, he studied the place my cunt rubbed against his leg and the movement of my hips. It was like he was memorizing exactly what I liked. I hoped he was.
"Gods, Iris, you don't know how many times I've imagined this," he whispered, and it was my undoing.
I ground my clit into him once, twice, and that tingling wave of pleasure crested at the small of my back, my muscles clamping down, pulsing through my orgasm. I had always been rather quiet while I finished—holding my breath heightened theexperience for me. I was silent now, too, but Benedict studied my face as I came.
My breathing was ragged, and Benedict slowly untangled our legs. I immediately noticed a small damp patch on his fine, dark gray trousers.
He smiled at me, looking rather pleased, and I smiled right back.
"I shall bid you a goodnight, Iris."
Before I could answer, he turned to go.
Chapter 5
Afew days passedafter my encounter with Benedict in the library, during which I thought about almost nothing else. My work on my projects stalled to a concerning degree. I somehow managed to pull things out at the last possible moment, but this level of distraction was not something I wanted to make a habit of.
My fellow students started discussing their plans for the winter solstice; many would return to their families to spend the longest night of the year feasting and sharing remembrances, as was tradition in Daosbor. I,however, planned to stay put for the holiday. I'd make myself a nice dinner and spend the evening curled up with a good book, as I had for the last ten years.
Classes with Benedict were…more charged than they had been before, but no more eventful. I'd catch him watching me, and now that I knew he wanted me, I let myself stare back, hoping he could read my emotions on my face. I didn't know what to make of what had happened—he'd said this was unusual for him, but I wondered. Was his interest in me purely physical? I was impatient to know, but knowing, it would seem, was out of my control.
Our practical examination for Benedict's class was scheduled for the final day before everyone departed for solstice. It was always cold in Daosbor, but that morning a delicate snow fell, flakes dusting the curves and hollows of the Academy's ornate architecture as we gathered in the courtyard.
We had each prepared for a duel against one of our fellow students, during which we were meant to use as many of the techniques we'd studied as possible. That meant I probably shouldn't use my fire, but…when did I not, honestly.
The first few pairs took their turns, and my mind wandered. I wondered what being with Benedict—somewhere that was not a public library—would be like. Would he take control? Would he seduce me? I found almost any possibility appealing when it came to him.
"Adept Letum, please step forward for your examination," Benedict said, as he also stepped into the ring.
I waited for him to name my sparring partner for the day, but he didn't say anything else as I arrived at my position opposite him. I waited for a beat in confusion before I noticed that he was holding his staff—an ancient-looking, beautiful arcane relic thatalready pulsed lightly with an emerald green glow.
He must have noted the confused look on my face, because his lips curved up slightly in a smile.
"I will be your exam partner today, Adept Letum," he said, and a thrill ran through me. "In order to give you a fair assessment, I thought it only right."
"I trust your judgement, Professor," I answered with a smirk of my own.
"Very well, let's begin then."
With a flourish of his hand he fully revealed his lich nature, and it took my breath away. His elegant bone structure showed fully through his flesh, which had taken on a faint opalescent glow in its translucence. He was so beautiful and horrifying, and I had never seen anything more alluring.
I felt myself blushing, but I forced myself to focus.
