“Can you blame them? You’re kind of a snack.”
He barked a laugh, but loomed over me. “How?”
“I have my ways. Ways that could have been avoided if you deleted our thread the first time I asked. Or the second time. Or the third…”
“Unbelievable,” he said, pacing around my office again like a caged lion. “I’ve got random guys winking at me in the hallways and you’re acting like it’s my fault.”
“It is your fault,” I insisted, rising from my chair and going to the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have exams to grade.”
I started to open the door, but Jace planted his palm on the wood and closed it again. His easy strength was on full display, arm bulging as he held the door closed and stared at me.
For a brief moment, I wondered if Cam had gone too far. IfI’dgone too far.
Then Jace grabbed my arm and pulled me into a kiss.
My body came alive as I leaned into him, savoring the way he felt. Jace’s hand slid behind my neck and pulled me closer, deepening the kiss with a deep noise that rumbled up out of his chest. I gripped his arm, squeezing his bicep, holding onto him because I never wanted him to stop. He was hard and warm everywhere my fingers touched, and I wondered whatelseof his was hard and warm right now.
His body pushed into me until my back was against the door, and I quickly reached up and tugged on the blinds to block anyone’s view from the hallway before turning all of my focus back to Jace and the insane electricity sparking everywhere our skin touched.
After two weeks of teasing and flirting, kissing Jace felt so much better than I could have imagined. Surrendering to the undeniable chemistry between us. And the fact that it was forbidden made it infinitely hotter.
This isn’t allowed.
The thought penetrated the throbbing ball ofneedthat was screaming between my legs. We weren’t supposed to be doing this. I was his Criminology Professor!
I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away, but I went with him for a step. Our lips continued churning like they had a mind of their own, unwilling to stop, until I finally tore away from him with a gasp and a more forceful shove.
He stumbled back a step, looking as shocked as I felt.The leftover heat of our argument was like static in the air. My pulse was still a little too fast, my breath not quite steady.
He stood there in my office, his broad shoulders straining his tight T-shirt, ex-military build screaming dominance. His dark gaze was hot and frustrated as he watched me.
“This is a mistake,” I said, forcing my voice to stay level. A hot flush crept up my chest even as a cold, nervous flutter tightened my stomach. “You should leave.”
I returned to the other side of my desk, but Jace hadn’t moved. “You don’t want me to leave.”
My stomach flipped. He was right. I wanted him to kiss me again, to shove me up against the door and take me like I belonged to him…
“I’m your professor,” I made myself say. “You’re my student.”
“I’m not a child, Lila.”
He moved again, circling my desk like a predator closing in on its prey. I backed up an inch just to keep some space between us, even though the reckless part of me didn’t want anything separating us.
“Jace,” I tried again, knowing my voice was too soft to be convincing, “we shouldn’t—”
“We shouldn’t,” he agreed. He reached the side of my desk, and instead of stopping, he came around it. Into my territory, my safe professor space. And I felt the entire world narrow to a single point of heat. “Tell me you didn’t feel anything, and I’ll leave.”
I swallowed. Hard. “I didn’t feel anything.”
“Liar.” He grinned, and looked utterly pleased that he could read me like an open book. A book that wasn’t on the syllabus, but one he wanted to devour.
He was close enough now that the hungry look in his eyes felt like a hand sliding up my spine. Close enough that I could seethe faint freckles across his nose, the gold in his brown irises, the controlled rise and fall of his breath. I sat down in my chair, and he leaned closer. Looming over me.
The role reversal, the sudden feeling that he was in control and could do whatever he wanted with me, wasexhilarating.
“I want you so badly ithurts,” he whispered. “It’s a physical pain, Lila. And I know you feel the same way.” His eyes raked over my body, then settled on my lips like he wanted to devour me.
“That’s not the point,” I breathed. “We have to set boundaries. There are rules.”
