At home, he broke my jaw that night. And the next day, my student was expelled.
I took a deep breath, hoping Declan was getting his ass kicked every night in jail. Then I dismissed all the negative thoughts and bad memories, nudging myself back to present time. There were no monsters here to bury me in fear. No one was going to get hurt because some psycho thought he owned me. I was safe, and so were my students.
I was safe. I repeated it over and over in my head like a sacred mantra.
And with Joshua in the room, I felt even safer.
“Good morning, class.” That was all it took for confidence to wash over me as if I’d never been hurt or crushed once. “My name is Professor Isabella Ferro, and I’ll be your General Psychology teacher this semester.”
CHAPTER 10
BELLE
Joshua led me to the food court, a wince on his face as if he was constipated. “You were amazing up there.”
“Thank you…I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Well, your facial expressions rarely match your words. You look like you’re in physical pain while complementing me.”
The line between his brows deepened. “That’s not… I really meant what I said.”
“Yet you’re still frowning.” I glanced away from him as we reached the barista counter. Two more seconds and I’d be drowning in those eyes and forbidden fantasies I should have never pictured. “Can I get you anything?”You could use some fibers.
“Lunch is on me,” he said it as a statement. Then he ordered before I could even respond.
Again, I didn’t like that. The last thing I wanted was someone making choices for me, taking control of any aspect of my life without permission. “Shouldn’t you at least ask me what I’d like to have?”
His face eased a little. “If you don’t like it, you can always order something else, but I have a feeling I’ve guessed your preferences correctly.”
“Do you now?” I was too angry to listen while he’d talked to the barista. There was no way he could have guessed what I liked to eat, though. I hated food everybody loved like mayo, eggs and onions. And for coffee, I only drank a cup in the morning. Anything more than that and I’d never sleep.
She returned with my lunch tray, reciting the order back. “One honey cinnamon tea, one turkey sandwich no onions or mayo, and a blueberry muffin.”
What the hell?“Yes,” I uttered, dumbfounded.
“Did I get it right?” Joshua asked.
I cocked a brow at him, and he was smirking. “In the creepiest way ever.”
His smirk turned into a smile for the first time. I could see now why he didn’t do it so often. He looked like a predator that had just cornered a prey. His eyes moved up and down my body slowly, and eventually settled on my eyes, as if he was seeing me, from the inside out.
Creepy, and a bit inappropriate. But for whatever reason, not only had I accepted it, but also I wanted more of it.
My mind was screaming, yet my body was betraying every ounce of lucidity in me. Thank goodness for padded bras; my nipples were pointing directly at him like little bullets ready to be shot at his mouth.
I loved to see him looking at me, fully digesting me. So primal, so untamed.
Then his smile vanished. “I thought you were joking, but it looks like I really scared you.”
That’s what he got from my staring? I really need to work on my horny looks.
“I’m not scared of you, Professor Asher.” My voice fell at the end, and the way I said his name sounded like something naughty I’d call him while he was on top of me, tying my wrists.
Seriously, Belle. Stop it.
With shaking fingers, I reached for the tray, but his hands were faster. I gasped at the brush of his accidental touch. His fingertips were so cold, yet they sent a jolt of heat through me that made me shiver some more.
