Besides, I’m not sure what good it would do to go down this rabbit hole any further. Viktor is obviously a professional, who probably lives in my neighborhood, and inherited the watch from some rich, dead relative. The fact that he sort of looks like Max is my crazy brain playing tricks on me.
Yes. That’s it.
Now, if I can just get that to stick.
When class is over, the professor motions for me to come to the front of the class with two flicks of his fingers. He doesn’t even look toward me. He flicks them forward, like he owns me, like he’s obviously in control. Granted,he is. This ishisclassroom. Still though, I’d have appreciated a smile with his finger flick thing.
My stomach turns as I stand from the desk, my heart pounding as I carry myself heavily down toward the lecture hall floor. Empty, the space is enormous and reminds me of a Greek stadium meant for elaborate fights between man and beast. Maybe that’s what this is, a gladiator battle. I should lay my sword and run. I know I can’t fight this man and win.
“Ms. Tyler, have a seat.” He gestures toward a chair opposite his desk in a closed room behind the podium. Now if I’ve learned anything as a woman it’s that I shouldn’t lock myself in strange rooms with giant weirdos.
“You mind if we sit out here? I’m a little warm today.”
Viktor narrows his eyes as though that’s not an acceptable answer but continues none the less. “I don’t tolerate tardiness. If you’re late again, I will ask you to leave, and it will count as an absence. Three absences and you’re out of the class. I understand this is your senior year. I’d hate to see that happen.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, swallowing hard as I look toward him. “You remind me so much of someone. Can I show you a photo? I’m curious if you’re related.”
A smile that’s not really a smile creeps up onto his face. It’s more a grimace that’s upturned than anything else. He doesn’t speak.
I think it’s what flips a switch inside of me. The one where I become the cops, interrogating my professor like a criminal.
“Are you following me? Did you mean to be at that bar last night? Did you—”
“You’re beautiful,” he says, the words low and muted, his gaze off into the distance as he walks behind the podium. “It’s hard to look away from you.”
I don’t know a lot, but I’m pretty sure this is sexual harassment. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to tell me what’s going on here. Like, right now.”
He sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, raking a hand through his dark hair before catching my gaze again. “You’re smart too. I’ve seen your grades. Looks like you’ll graduate with honors.”
Okay, so he is stalking me. Then again, that might be something a professor would know. But would they know the first day of class?
“Forgive me,” I say, my voice trembling. “I admittedly am dealing with a lot of mental health issues at the moment, but you’re being confusing as fuck right now.”
“I see why he liked you,” Viktor groans just before the back door sucks open and people start filtering in. The quiet room is suddenly loud and though I’m happy not to be alone with the strange murderous man, I’m not ready to be done with this conversation.
“What do you mean? You can see why who liked me? Did you know Max?”
The man nods toward the class of people coming in and stands straight, running his hand down over his beard. “Don’t be late next class.”
I shake my head and stand from the chair, stepping toward him. “No. You don’t get to do that. You can’t say something so ominous and not finish it. I need to know what you meant. You see whywholiked me?”
His gaze narrows down to me, the intensity back again. The one that makes my groin come alive for some odd reason. “You’re forgetting who is in charge here, Ms. Tyler. Please head on to your next class.”
My next class? In charge?He was just calling me beautiful ten minutes ago. I’m obviously dealing with a mental case.
He’s so close that I take in his scent again. Leather, the forest floor, some sort of musk that I can’t describe. That’s the one… the one that’s putting me under this stupid spell every time I see him. The one that’s playing tricks on me.
Viktor reaches his hand out and touches my shoulder, his large paw of a hand resting neatly as he looks down at me. “I appreciate your dedication, and I understand you have questions that need answering, but I have a class to teach. Maybe we should meet another time… off school grounds.”
This is just asking for trouble. All of it. Every single sentence. Every word he just said. It’s all trouble.
“And is that smart? Would you advise your daughters of that?”
“I don’t have daughters.”
“Well if you did, would you advise them to meet some strange man after class? Their professor none the less. A professor that’s been following them around like some psycho.”
He does the half grin thing again and looks away before glancing back at me, his tone deep. “I’m a lot of things, Ms. Tyler, but I’m never late, and class is about to start.”
