Page 31 of His to Teach
“You’re an innocent,” he murmurs, his gaze on my lips. “And it’s incredibly alluring.”
“Alluring?” I whisper.
His grin takes on a predatory quality that I’m not sure I like.Don’t be silly,I tell myself.Isn’t this exactly what you’ve been looking for?
I try to push thoughts of Nate’s blue eyes out of my head as I turn my gaze to Aden’s brown ones. “Alluring?” I ask, letting my voice rise a few notches, knowing the effect will be to make me sound more innocent.
His grin disappears, his eyes darkening. “Incredibly alluring. You have no idea the things I’d like to show you.”
“Like what?”
His eyes flash, his gaze again drifting to my lips.
“Like how good it can feel,” he says, inching even closer until his lips brush my neck, just below my ear. Just the way Nate had done. “To be so very bad.”
Goosebumps erupt over my skin but before I can react further, a rough hand is on my shoulder, pulling me away from Aden.
“Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
I spin on the stool to see Nate looming over me, his broad body filling my vision. He glares at me, a fire in his eyes I’ve never seen before, his jaw set in anger.
“Nate,” I gasp, but his gaze has already moved to Aden.
“Get away from her.”
Aden only grins up at him. “And why would I do that? Harper and I were having a very enlightening conversation?—”
“She’s not available, Roth.”
Aden’s eyebrows go up. “I don’t see a collar,Chase.”
“Get. Away. From. Her.”
Aden stands, his height nearly equal to Nate’s, though he isn’t quite as broad. “I’m pretty sure you cast this one aside,” he snarls, all traces of his smirky grin gone as he glares at Nate. “Seems to be a habit with you, don’t you think? First Renee and now this one. Don’t blame me for your foolishness.”
I have no idea who Renee is but when I see the look on Nate’s face, I’m fairly sure he’s going to punch the guy over thecomment. Instead, he reaches down and grabs me around the upper arm, his grip tight. “Come with me.”
“Hey,” I yelp, trying to pull my arm back. But then Nate’s eyes meet mine, the fire and power in his gaze unmistakable, and I feel the fight go out of me.
“Come with me, Harper.”
“Fine,” I mutter, feeling embarrassed by the scene he’s creating. And more than a little ashamed by my own capitulation. It feels like I don’t have a choice but to do what he says, not when I hear that demanding tone in his voice. Not when he looks at me like that. My body just responds to him, all on its own.
“Hang on—” Aden starts as I stand, but another man I didn’t notice before puts a hand on his shoulder.
“Leave this one, mate,” the man mutters in a velvety English accent. “Let me buy you a drink.”
I don’t hear whether or not Aden agrees before Nate is dragging me from my stool and over to an empty booth in a nearby corner.
“Sit.”
I glare up at him, crossing my arms. “I don’t think I have to do what you say, Nate. In fact, I think you made it pretty clear that you weren’t interested in bossing me around in any context outside of the classroom.”
He makes a noise that sounds an awful lot like a growl. “Harper. Sitdown.”
I sigh, sliding into the booth. I expect him to sit on the other side and am surprised when he slides in after me instead, turning immediately to face me, giving me no escape from the fire in his eyes.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
