Page 15 of Tempt Me

I looked away from her. My eyes landed on the glass table across the hallway. “My daughter.”

I heard her gasp, and it was my turn to be surprised when I felt her warm hand caressing my own. Her touch left weird sparks in its wake, and I frowned, the sensation confusing me.

“I’m sorry…I didn’t know. I thought you were a weirdo.” I caught her gaze, and she lifted her chin.

“Oh, I am.” I grinned.

She smiled softly and rubbed her arms. I hadn’t noticed before, but there were marks on her skin. Bruises and her tears washed away the make-up mask she’d painted on to reveal even more discoloration on her face.

Anger hit my gut, boiling my blood. “Who did that to you? That man? I’ll fucking kill him.”

“No…” She jerked her hand back and hid her face. “Just leave it alone.”

I growled. The irritation of this woman not letting me defend her honor made me lethal. I didn’t know why she made me want to behave like some white knight bullshit, but here I was, ready to bring down kingdoms. Maybe it was because we were a lot alike.

Both of us wore masks to hide from the demands of the public. Both of us submit to obedience to avoid showing our true faces.

“That guy didn’t hurt you tonight.”

She looked at me, her beautiful eyes shining through the gap she made in her fingers. “What do you mean?”

I breathed out a sigh and ran my fingers through my hair. The need to coat my hands in that fuck’s blood ebbed at my control.

“When I found you, that guy was trying to…take from you. But I fucked him up. He learned what consent means.”

She slowly lowered her hands. “Guess you’re a teacher, after all.”

She was hiding behind a meaningless joke, but I chuckled low to make her feel better. She stared at me, something warm and curious in her gaze. I leaned toward her, the intensity in her stare drawing me in. Her lips parted, and I inhaled her breath.

“Little Voyeur…” I warned, hearing her shaky breaths. “Don’t go looking at me like that.”

She blinked her lashes low.

“Like what?” she said hesitantly, unsure and shy but not moving away.

“Like you want to fuck me,” I said, my own words sounding as hard as my dick right now.

“I…” She looked down at my pants, then up my body, landing on my lips and eyes. Her scrutiny made me feverish.

I shouldn’t be like this with a student.

Wanting to fuck a woman I was paid to teach wasn’t good. I was a smart man, but fuck me if women didn’t make me dumb as shit.

She leaned forward slowly. Her lips were so close to my own that I could taste the metallic tang of the blood.

“Professor...I—”

The door to the bedroom flew open.

Eight

Temptation: to be tempted with what one must not want or have.

How long could I truly resist?

I felt drunk. Maybe I had gotten more alcohol at the party than I thought because here I was about to kiss my professor.

Slam!

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