The rest of the lecture passed in a blur.
Aria tried her hardest to focus on the words spilling from Professor Raiden Knight's lips, but all she could think of was the heat from that night—his body pressed against hers, his rough hands on her skin, his mouth scorching every inch of her.
Her heartbeat was louder than his voice.
Raiden, on the other hand, spoke with chilling professionalism, but his eyes? They kept drifting back to her. Cold, calculating, but something deeper lingered behind them.
When class ended, the door slammed shut behind the last student, and Aria was still frozen in her seat, her hands trembling.
She could feel it—the presence of him just behind her.
"Miss Voss," his voice broke through the tension, smooth but stern.
Her pulse spiked. She slowly turned, heart hammering in her chest.
There he was.
Professor Raiden Knight.
In the flesh.
Standing too close.
Too dangerously close.
"I—" She swallowed, trying to push the words out. "I don't know what you think happened last night—"
"Don't play coy," he interrupted, his tone low and deadly. "I know exactly what happened."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"You think I don't remember?" He stepped closer, his breath hot on her skin. "That night didn't just fade away, Miss Voss. You're not the first to try and erase the damage. But here—" He leaned in, his voice a whisper now. "Here, there are no do-overs."
Aria's chest tightened, a strange mix of fear and arousal swirling inside her.
She tried to step back, but the edge of her desk trapped her. Her eyes darted to the door, but she knew there was no escape. Not from him. Not from the magnetism that clung to the air between them.
"I—I don't even know what you want from me." Her voice was barely a whisper.
His eyes darkened. "I want everything you don't want to give me."
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. No defense. No words.
Raiden's gaze dropped to her lips, his jaw tightening. "But maybe you'll give it anyway. Because that's how this works, Miss Voss. We don't get to choose who we burn for."
He took another step forward, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
His lips brushed her ear as he spoke. "One night wasn't enough. I think you know that. You're going to come with me tonight. And I'll show you just how deep this goes."
Aria's pulse was a drum in her ears. The logical part of her screamed at her to resist, to run. But the part that had burned for him—the part that had wanted him the moment they touched—was already trapped.
She nodded, unable to speak.
Raiden pulled back, his eyes dark with something unspeakable. "Good. Don't be late."
---
7:00 p.m. — The Meeting Place
The night air was thick with expectation.
Aria stood outside the hotel, her body taut with nerves and a sick anticipation. She wore a tight black dress—nothing fancy, just something that would make her feel invisible in the crowd. But it didn't work. She felt every set of eyes on her as she walked into the private suite on the top floor.
The door opened with a soft click, and there he was—Raiden Knight, dressed in a dark tailored suit, his cold eyes sweeping over her as if she were his to claim.
Her breath caught as he walked toward her. He didn't say a word, just reached out, taking her wrist gently. His touch sent a jolt of heat racing up her arm.
She couldn't resist.
Not anymore.
---
To Be Continued…
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