“Then show me.” I reached out and placed my hand on his chest, feeling the way his breath hitched at the contact. “Show me what I’m asking for, Professor.”
Something snapped in his expression. One second he was pressed against the bookshelf looking conflicted, and the next his hands were fisting in my shirt, pulling me against him with inhuman speed.
“You want to know what you’re asking for?” His voice was barely above a whisper, but it sent electricity racing down myspine. “You’re asking me to risk everything I’ve built here. You’re asking me to break every rule I’ve lived by for centuries.”
“Good,” I breathed, tilting my face up toward his. “So stop being a coward and break them already.”
His grip tightened on my shirt. “You’re asking me to claim you in ways your pretty little witch mind can’t even comprehend. To mark you so thoroughly that you’ll never be able to pretend this didn’t happen.”
The threat in his voice should have scared me. Instead, it sent heat pooling low in my belly. “Do it.”
“Fuck,” he breathed, and then his mouth was on mine.
It wasn’t like the desperate kisses we’d shared in that alley. This was possession, pure and simple. His fangs scraped against my bottom lip as he devoured me, his hands moving to grip my face like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.
I moaned into his mouth, pressing closer until there was no space left between us. I could feel every hard line of his cock against mine, and could taste the hint of danger that clung to him like cologne. This was what I’d been craving, what had been driving me to distraction for days.
He broke the kiss abruptly, his amber eyes now flecked with gold that seemed to glow in the office lighting. “Last chance, Archer. Walk away now, and we can pretend this never happened.”
Instead of answering, I reached between us and palmed the obvious bulge in his pants. He hissed, his hips bucking involuntarily into my touch.
“I’m not walking away,” I said, squeezing him through the fabric. “I’m done following everyone else’s rules about what I should want and who I should be with. I’m tired of being the perfect Quinn heir.”
His laugh was dark and full of promise. “Perfect Quinn heir? Oh, darling, I’m going to ruin you for anyone else.”
The endearment sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with fear. “Promise?”
“Count on it.”
He smiled, all hint of that resistance melting away. “Then get on your knees.”
The command sent heat racing through my veins. I stared at him for a moment, taking in the predatory gleam in his amber eyes, the way his fangs peeked out slightly when he smiled. This was the Valen I remembered from that alley. Dangerous, commanding, and absolutely in control.
And I fucking loved it.
I sank to my knees without hesitation, my hands already reaching for his belt. The leather was smooth under my fingers as I worked it open, then moved to the button of his pants. I could feel his eyes on me, watching every movement with that intense focus that made me feel like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly, and I tilted my head back to meet his gaze. The gold flecks in his amber eyes seemed to pulse with inner light, and I wondered if it was some vampire thing or just the effect of arousal. “You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this. About having you on your knees in my office.”
“Tell me,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I’d intended. I freed his cock from his pants, wrapping my fingers around the thick length. He was already hard, the head flushed dark and glistening with precum.
“I’ve thought about bending you over my desk,” he said, his voice dropping to that low rumble that vibrated through my bones. “About fucking you so hard the whole hallway would hear you screaming my name. About marking every inch of your perfect skin so everyone would know exactly who you belong to.”
I stroked him slowly, watching the way his jaw clenched with the effort of maintaining control. “Who do I belong to, Valen?”
“Me,” he said without hesitation, his hand moving to tangle in my hair. “From the moment I first touched you, you were mine.”
The possessiveness in his voice should have triggered every rebellious instinct I had. Instead, it sent a thrill of satisfaction through me. After years of being told what to do by my father, of having every aspect of my life controlled and monitored, there was something liberating about choosing my own chains, even if I knew they were only temporary.
“Prove it,” I challenged, leaning forward to run my tongue along the underside of his cock.
He groaned, his grip tightening in my hair. “Careful what you ask for, darling.”
I took him into my mouth without warning, relishing the way his hips jerked forward involuntarily. He tasted salty and musky, a combination that made my head spin with want. I worked him deeper, using every trick I’d learned over the years to drive him crazy.
“Fuck, Archer,” he breathed, his free hand bracing against the bookshelf behind him. “Your mouth...”
I pulled off just long enough to speak. “Better than you remembered?”
