by V. F. Mason
Elvin nods, propping his chin on his hand, and his annoying voice pulls me back to the conversation. “You have a photographic memory, so you’ve probably memorized everything already, because you have two PhDs.” He sighs. “Not like us mortals who have to study hard.”
“If you put as much work into your studying as you do into poking your nose into my business, I’m sure you’ll get a good grade. Priorities, Elvin.”
His friends snicker, and he shares their laugh before gluing his gaze back on the book.
I finally focus my whole attention on my beauty, who spins around, acting as if she’s busy with the shelf on modern art. “Estella,” I address her, and she freezes for a second before resuming putting the books away, not even bothering to face me as she pushes the cart forward. “Glad you’re still here.”
“The library is open ’til nine, Professor MacAlister,” she replies, her melodic voice lowering on my surname, and I wonder how scandalized she would be if I hitched up that fucking dress of hers right here and spanked her ass to teach her a different kind of lesson.
One her body would crave to repeat.
Checking the time on my watch, I order, “Splendid. I need a book on ancient Greek myths. Assist me with it. Now.”
She looks over her shoulder, annoyance flashing in her eyes at my tone, and her green orbs flash dangerously, alerting me to the character hidden under the shy persona she displays to the world. Although in my life, she is a siren, luring me into deep water by enchanting me with her beauty.
“I’m not your employee, Professor.” The bite in her words lets everyone know she’s the princess in the castle, doted on by her older brother, no matter how much she wants to cover this fact at the university by creating the image of a struggling student just to fit in among the group. No one else would have dared to speak to me like that here, and by how Elvin raises his head in surprise, I’m proved correct in my assumptions. “You can find it there.” She points at the far left end, the most secluded area in the library, hidden by several bookshelves, where it’s almost impossible to hear or see anything back there.
Precisely why I chose that place as my hunting ground.
“No, you aren’t,” I agree as she pushes the cart farther and leans down to grab another book. “You are the librarian though, aren't you? So I believe assisting those who ask you for help is part of your job description.”
Her mouth opens and closes at my audacity, her nails sinking into the paperback and bending it a little. She takes a calming breath, but it doesn’t appear to help her composure much.
Ah, all this frustration should be put to good use.
Such as screaming my name as I drive deep into her, staking my claim all over her.
Elvin jumps up. “I can help you, Professor MacAlister. What do you need?” I glance his way, and he must read the reaction on my face, because he drops back on the seat and grabs his book. “On the other hand, this test is not gonna get passed by itself.”
Smart man.
I should give him extra credit at the end of the semester, because God knows we should appreciate brains in this world where so many fools surround us.
Since Estella stands motionless, opening and closing her mouth as if she has no idea what to say, I come closer to her, my boots soundless on the carpeted floor. The air hitches in her throat when the tips of my shoes touch her bare toes. “We can do it the hard way or the easy way, darling.” My voice lowers to a whisper, my words intended for her ears only. “The choice is yours.” I reach to remove the strands of hair from behind her ear, and she shifts her head to the side, avoiding my touch. “The choice will always be yours.”
Within reason, of course, but I fail to mention that to her.
My smart darling guesses it all on her own though. “Blackmail does not involve a choice.” She exhales heavily, her chest rising and falling, while my mouth longs to feast on her flesh, craving to see how her nipples will react.
I’ve never had any particular preferences when it comes to women. I fuck when the need strikes me and the adrenaline pumping in my blood demands an outlet, but that’s about it.
With Estella though?
I want to spend hours worshiping every part of her body so it will become attuned to me, and then no one else will be able to set it aflame.
Mine.
She speaks up, louder this time, causing the nerds to glance in our direction once again. We must be providing the best entertainment they’ve seen in months. Based on my observations, people tend to not include them in anything, so they always hang out together. “What story would you like to read? You probably know all the myths anyway. Or at least you should.”
The sarcasm dripping from every word she utters further strains my hard-on against my zipper. My inner beast demands I wrap my arm around her waist and fuck her on the nearest horizontal surface while enjoying her claws digging into my back as she marks me.
She might be innocent, but the hints of temper she displays tell me our passion will burn the sheets between us.
“Hades and Persephone.” Surprise flickers on her face. Clearly, it was the last thing she expected me to say. “There should be a whole book dedicated to their relationship.” I should know, since I bought it and put it in there.
Like I said.
If you want something, you create opportunities yourself and don’t let anyone dictate your fate.
“Oh shoot! We’ll be late for the movies,” Elvin exclaims, and all his friends jump up, rapidly gathering their things. “Our history professor said she’ll give extra credit to whoever goes and writes a paper on it.”
Glancing at my watch, I grin, thinking how one can always count on a nerd to play right into my hand.
“Bye, Professor MacAlister. Estella, see you in the class, and thanks for all the help!” he shouts as he rushes off with his friends. Estella just gapes at them in shock before swallowing hard and looking at me again as she adjusts her glasses once more.
She abandons her book cart and spins around, giving me a perfect view of her ass as she saunters toward the requested shelf. I can almost hear her heart galloping inside her chest at the prospect of being alone in the library with me, like the prey who knows the hunter has come to catch her.
She shouldn’t be afraid.
This hunter craves to possess her, but he will never harm her.
Just claim her.
* * *
Estella
This cannot be happening to me.
My heart races inside me, beating so loudly I can feel it in my neck. My palms sweat as we walk toward the secluded shelf to get Ryder his damn book.
No one else is in the library.
Somehow, the knowledge awakens something inside me, creating a forbidden atmosphere around me. Goose bumps break on my skin, spreading so rapidly I get tingling sensations all over.
Placing my hand on my chest, I rub it back and forth as I muster a professional demeanor. My professor should be called a handsome devil for how irresistible he is.
Even in the library among the dusty old books, he stands out as the wicked temptation sent to test my resolve, and as of right now, I’m failing miserably.
Quin. The date. Maybe he will cure me of this infatuation.
The thought does nothing to calm me down; it merely adds to my sour mood, because using Quin seems so bad.
Before Ryder showed up at our university, I could envision myself with Quin, despite his reputation. But I did wonder why he would want someone like me. However, now, with my childhood crush around, popping up all over the place and confusing my mind to no end, it’s impossible to see Quin as anyone but just a friend.
We reach the bookshelf in question, and I slide my fingers over the thick books, searching for the specific title and finding it quickly.
Snagging it, I turn around and gasp at seeing Ryder standing right in front of me. “Professor MacAlister.”
His eyes flash with heat at me calling him that, and an unfamiliar thrill r
ushes through me, sending a scorching flush all over my flesh, and a breath slips past my lips. “I found the book.”
He glances at it, and then his orbs settle on me, lazily and possessively at the same time, scanning my appearance as pleasure fills them… and something else.
Something I cannot name yet, but it speeds up my pulse, and my toes curl into the carpet when he steps closer. His intoxicating masculine scent mixed with tobacco envelops me, drawing invisible ropes tightly around me and tricking my mind into succumbing to whatever the devil has to offer.
“Have you canceled the date?”
My eyes widen at his question. A muscle in his cheek twitches, and a deadly expression settles on his features, his voice having dropped a few octaves. The deep timbre glides over my skin like silk, unsettling my mind in ways I don’t understand.
Or know how to resist.
“It’s… it’s none of your business.”
A sinister smile curves his mouth at my reply, and he comes even closer, the tips of his shoes touching my toes while he asks, “Isn’t it, darling?”
“You’re my professor.” I take a step back to avoid the onslaught of power hitting me from every direction. My back hits the bookshelf, rattling it slightly, and I press the book to my chest. The energy around us changes, and a sense of the inevitable looms above me. “You can’t dictate who I can or can’t date.”
In fact, I’m not sure he’s allowed to interact with me like this at all, but Ryder must not follow any rules.
He places his arm above me, caging me in between his hard chest and the bookshelf, leaving me no route to escape. The air sticks in my throat when he grips my chin, tipping my head up, his touch burning me as our gazes clash. His penetrating and mine confused.
“I told you to never lie to me, darling.” He leans forward, our mouths a breath away from each other. My hold on the book tightens as I keep it as a shield to prevent our chests from connecting. “A man always protects what belongs to him.” I still at his words as his thumb brushes over my lips, sending electricity over my nerve endings, and even though my mind screams for me to stop him and run away, I’m staying glued in place. “And you, my darling, are mine. Cancel the fucking date.”
Insane.
He must be insane. What else explains this madness?
Madness that lures me with each passing second toward a man whose intentions have secrets written all over them. What else would explain why he covets a student so much he doesn’t think about consequences?
A student he’s ignored all these weeks while keeping his smiles for everyone else.
Fury washes over me, boiling my blood and mixing with the lust consuming my senses. From it, I find the strength to fight against the attraction simmering between us like a volcano ready to erupt. “I belong to no one.” I push his hand away and raise my chin high. “Least of all to you.” I dart to the side, and the book drops on the floor with a loud thud. I don’t manage to go far though, as he pulls me back. He settles his splayed palm on my collarbone, sliding it up until it wraps around my throat, and his fingers flex on my pulse. “Ryder.” I address him by his name for the first time. My voice trembles as I grab his shirt, crumpling the cloth in my hands. I want to push him away, yet I stand motionless.
The tension in the air becomes so thick I can almost touch it, and heat sinks into me, creating a fire within me that threatens to burn me alive.
Just a little more pressure and he can cut off my oxygen supply all together.
“Ah, my stubborn yet beautiful, innocent girl,” he whispers, and I open my mouth to protest again when he presses his lips to my pulse point. A gasp escapes me at the contact, and my hold on his shirt tightens.
The sensations travel through me, awakening every hair on my body. Sensual arrows shoot straight to my core as he adds fuel to the already burning fire swirling inside me, ready to erupt in a powerful blast.
I should scream my lungs out, tell him to stop, wiggle in his embrace. Do something, because such dangerous encounters lead to devastating consequences.
I should know, since it’s the inevitable outcome of anyone dealing with my family.
Yet I’m mesmerized by his softly spoken words, the husky tone that’s even but holds so much steel in it. The dominant energy comes from him in waves, and I long to submit to it.
Because then he would be the one to take care of everything, and the desire building in the pit of my stomach would have an outlet.
His tongue peeks out, then licks my skin, breaking more goose bumps on my flesh as he skims his lips up to my ear, biting on the lobe, as he murmurs, “You belong to me, only me.” And then he glides his lips to my chin, nipping it as our breaths mingle, our lips inches apart. Our gazes clash, and this time around, my inevitable fate shines brightly from his orbs, promising me a life full of pleasure.
But only with him by my side.
“We can’t. I’m not,” I manage to croak. His thumb presses harder on my neck, and the air hitches in my throat as he rocks his pelvis into me. We both groan when the thick bulge in his pants hidden behind the zipper connects with me, and my core clenches reflexively. “Ryder.” While my words beg him to stop, my body pleads for him to continue. Scorching heat washes over me in waves, demanding something I do not understand, and I tug him closer to me.
“I bet this pussy is dripping for me right now. All damp and ready for your man to eat it out while your voice becomes hoarse from pleasure.” My hands circle his neck as my nipples peak through the dress from the erotic images in my head, making me crave them here, in this forbidden place, from a man I barely know but desperately want to call mine.
He licks my lips before trapping the lower one between his teeth. The sting mixes with my lust, creating a cocoon around me where only he and I exist, adding to the force pushing me down the wicked abyss where sins rule.
He sways back and then thrusts forward again, this time harder, and my legs shift as I try to accommodate him—while several more books drop all around us.
My fingers thread through his hair, tugging him closer, desperately needing a kiss, but he denies me, continuing to drive me insane with each word he says. “I can see it now. You’re getting used to my mouth.” His other hand cups my breast, squeezing it hard, earning himself a moan, and then his fingers circle my nipple. “It will be your favorite thing. Right after my dick.” I should hate his crude words; instead though, they just intensify the desire in me, and my clothes feel almost offensive on my skin.
I whimper when he lowers his hand to my stomach before settling on my hip.
He finds the hem of my dress and hikes it up, his hand clenching my ass cheek and forcing me to stand on my toes. “What is it, darling? Like having my dick as your personal toy?”
A sense of ownership washes over me. My insides love everything about his words, because just the idea of having this man belong to me and only me while he focuses on my pleasure alone is an addicting aphrodisiac I cannot resist.
My professor is a forbidden fruit designed to taint me in darkness and soak me in sinful cravings that will be my undoing and lead to my downfall.
He swallows my whimper with his mouth, connecting us in a deep, passionate kiss as his tongue explores my mouth, roaming and staking his claim as if marking his territory for anyone daring to question his right over me.
Each lick and flick of his tongue draws me deeper into his embrace, holding promises of things I’ve only heard and read about but desperately want to indulge in now. They are the answer to the blazing heat consuming me from head to toe.
Even my limited experience with kissing lets me know there are few men who kiss like Ryder MacAlister.
You’re their most prized possession, and they will kill anyone daring to snatch you away.
A kiss that changes and dooms my fate for eternity as it forever attaches me to Ryder, placing invisible chains on me, locked around my wrist, and he’s the only one who has the keys to them.
Our mouths separate f
or a second, and we both draw a breath and then kiss again. Our tongues duel for dominance as my nails dig into his scalp, and he growls.
A surprised gasp slips into the kiss when he lifts me up. My legs wrap around him and lock on his back as his strong arm holds me tight. The other hand tangles in my hair, pulling it hard until I gulp for breath and throw my head back. He bestows kisses all over my neck, sucking on my skin and leaving hickeys for sure.
And instead of mortifying me, the thrill rushes down my spine, loving the idea of everyone knowing I belong to this man who silences the voices in my head and gives reprieve to my overanalyzing mind.
Right at this moment, with his cock pressing into my clit with each step, I do not care about anything.
Us being in a public place, people who might walk in on us at any moment.
The only thing that exists for me is Ryder and what his touch entails. Lust whispers in my ears to succumb to the temptation, because it’s the only thing that will relieve the fire destroying me from inside out.
He puts me on the table, the bare skin of my thighs rubbing against the harsh wood while the dim light coming from small lamps gives him a wild look.
A barbarian who came to claim what’s his. My pussy clenches at the idea as my gaze falls to his erection, and instinctively my thighs rub together, just imagining what it’d be like to have it stretch me so much.
He hisses a breath through his teeth, and my eyes shoot back up to him. “Look at you. All frustrated and mine, begging to be taken.” He places his hot palms on my hips, lifting the dress until he exposes my panty-covered core. My cheeks heat up at the simple white underwear I've chosen today. “My darling, you’re too innocent.” He chuckles, the sound tingling my skin, and then my moan echoes through the space when his middle finger slides up and down my core, pushing the cloth inside me while his thumb brushes over me gently. “So wet. You haven’t even had my dick yet, and you already crave it.” He licks around my puckered nipple before sucking it hard and drawing it into his mouth through the dress, leaving wet spots in his wake. I lace my hands in his hair in a death grip, not wanting him to stop and giving him access to do whatever he pleases with me.