Chapter 1

Chapter One

S ONIA

" Y ou failed the test," Joey squealed. "You're a genius. How the hell did you fail?"

"I just did. I needed an excuse for the extra tutoring. You know the college puts students on academic probation on the list before anyone else. It's been almost impossible to see him. The last time I was in a room alone with him without a bunch of college girls giggling like mad geese was six months ago at my brother's dissertation."

"Sonia, you're risking your future for what? Some old dick?"

"He's only thirty. My brother’s age. He’s gorgeous. Have you seen him?"

"Yes. I guess he isn't bad-lookin' if that's your type, but can't you ask Vance to hook you up? I mean, he went to grad school with the man." Joey grabbed a book off the bed and tossed it on the floor casually as if the floor was a side table or something.

"You guess?"

Joey shrugged. "He isn't really my type."

"Yes, I've seen your type: Jack and Phillip. How the hell are you gonna choose between them?"

"Who says I have to choose?"

"Are you gonna play them against each other?"

Joey glided her hands over her body. "There is plenty of me to share."

I burst out laughing. "You’re a handful enough for two dudes."

"You avoiding my question?"

"What question?"

"Why don't you ask Vance to hook up something?"

The idea of asking my older brother to set me up on a date was out of the question. Even mentioning Tristen’s name to Vance could blow everything up before it started. Vance would probably try to kill Tristen.

My brother, a smart guy, wasn't exactly level-headed. After my dad’s death, he crowned himself The Matthew King, the master of everything, the protector of those who lived under him—my mother and me. There was no way on God's green earth I was ever going to put myself through that kind of hell.

I wish he’d find a girl so he’d be too busy to worry about me, but Vance was too mean to attract a girl. If by a miracle someone wanted to be around him, she’d probably be locked up somewhere, controlled by him, the overprotective dick. Vance didn't trust anyone. That’s why I was shocked that he called Tristen a friend.

"I know. But seriously, Sonia, what's your plan? You walk into his office, and then what? Present yourself on his desk like an all-you-can-eat buffet?"

"I haven't thought about that."

"Maybe you should. You don't even know if he is interested. Professor Daddy seems too stuck up to risk getting hot and heavy with a student."

"He isn't old enough to be my dad."

"What if this backfires?"

"What you mean?'"

Joey fiddled with a lace blouse I'd thrown on the bed while I searched for the perfect outfit. "Well, what if he turns you down and gives you an F? That would seriously blow."

My hand hesitated, as did my conviction. Hearing Joey say my fears aloud made them real. Suddenly, my plan didn’t seem as concrete as it had been a moment ago. But if I didn’t try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. I'd seen the way Tristen looked at me. There was no way all of this was in my head. I wasn’t fuckin’ crazy.

"It's worth it,” I finally replied.

"You say that now, but you'll change your tune when you fuck up your life."

I shrugged. “Maybe, but I don’t want to regret my decisions. If I don’t try, I’ll never know. Besides, I don’t think Tristen would try to get me expelled. Worst-case scenario, I get put on academic probation and die of humiliation.”

“Or you’re wrong about him, and by doing this, you fuck up your entire life.”

I rolled my eyes at Joey, continuing to thumb through my clothes. I'd chicken out if I forced myself to listen to Joey’s words.

Instead, I focused on what to wear when I finally confronted Tristen. Something sexy but not too sexy. I needed to look so tempting that he wouldn’t be able to refuse, even if he wanted to. All I knew was that the time had come to ensure Tristen Watt knew precisely what I was offering and what I wanted. I needed to tempt him so the scales tipped in my favor and eliminated all his doubts. No way was I leaving that office without getting what I wanted. I wouldn’t offer him a choice. There was no choice. Tristen and I belonged together.

T RISTEN

T he hallway outside the office was quiet. Typically, you'd hear students talking or rushing from class to class, but I didn't want interruptions. I'd been waiting a long time to be alone with Sonia Matthew. Now, there she was, sitting in front of me like a fuckin' Monet—priceless and utterly captivating.

I knew she was different from the first day I saw her almost a year ago. Perfect. I’d been waiting outside her house, picking up her brother, when she ran over, tripped, and almost fell. I hadn’t known I could move that quickly when I caught her. Her sweet expression was shocked before she plastered on a polite smile to thank me. Once I’d set her upright, she started talking to me a little too fast, wringing her hands. I wasn’t sure if it was nerves or a twitch, but it had its own charm. She looked so young that I was uncomfortable being so drawn to her.

Vance had mentioned he had a seventeen-year-old kid sister, but he never mentioned how sweet and innocent she looked. I knew I shouldn't look at her, but I couldn't help it. She drew me to her in a way I didn't think was possible. One look and I’d been utterly bewitched. I never thought I’d lose all sense of logic until that day when Sonia Matthew stared at me with her pretty blue eyes and put a spell on me.

I still remembered what she was wearing: a skimpy sundress. Her creamy shoulders were exposed, causing my eyes to linger on her smooth flesh. I glanced down, smiling as I saw the well-used paperback copy of Crime and Punishment clutched in her hand. I wanted to start a conversation about the book, which was a favorite of mine. I wanted to know the mind of the pretty girl standing before me. Was it as captivating as her physical beauty?

Then Vance ran out of the house and broke my trance.

When she walked into my class at the beginning of the semester, I was so shaken that I didn't know what to do. From the day I met her, I knew I couldn't be alone with her. I couldn’t trust my urges when it came to Sonia. So, on that first day of class, I made a rule that I would only have office hours for those struggling or failing. A decision that had come back to bite me in the ass.

While the other girls were worried about boys, parties, and drinking, Sonia was into her books and her family. She was a good little girl. That was why I was so shocked when she tanked the exam. She was a straight-A student, a pillar of exemplary behavior. I'd even once followed her to a local animal shelter and found out she volunteered there twice a week.

A regular dog whisperer.

In the three years I’d been teaching, I'd never looked at a student, let alone another woman, like I did at Sonia. I thought that if I didn't have her, I might die. It was an obsession I couldn't shake, no matter what I tried.

Whenever I saw the little minx, my pants got too tight. I tried to avoid her, but it was hard when the girl wrapped herself in my dreams and held my mind hostage. Sometimes, I watched her like a stalker as she hurried along the hallway. Then, I found myself in my car driving to her apartment, staring at her window, desperate to glimpse her. Occasionally, I jerked off while I pictured her with her legs spread, her pretty pussy on display. I never saw her at the window. In hindsight, I was glad I hadn't because If I’d seen her naked at the window, others would too. I wouldn’t tolerate anyone else looking at Sonia. It would drive me wild and unleash animal-like primal instincts. I didn’t know what I would do. It was a part of myself I wanted to keep locked up.

Now, my gaze roamed over her. She was dressed like a sophisticated slut—okay, maybe it wasn’t slutty, but I wanted it to be. She wore a tight black skirt and a button-down cream blouse with the first few buttons open. My pants tightened as my cock rose. I wouldn't be surprised if I busted a nut from only staring at the top of her cleavage—perfect, creamy, and mouthwatering.

Sonia crossed and uncrossed her legs. Her short skirt was tight, and my gaze zoned in on the tempting peek of her white lace panties. My mouth watered. I cleared my throat, hoping that would also clear the fog of lust in my mind, something that happened every time I saw Sonia.

"You know why you're here?" I asked.

My voice sounded stern, but I didn't care. I was angry at how Sonia affected me feel and my lack of control every time she was near—fuck, my lack of control even when she wasn't present.

From the moment I'd laid eyes on Sonia, she was all I'd thought about, like a depraved junkie jonesing for his next fix. But a junkie could always find another type of hit. For me, Sonia was my only drug. She'd wrapped herself around me like a vise.

"I assume this is over my latest exam marks." Her voice was barely a whisper, but so damn seductive that I wanted to bend her over my desk. Fuck, the girl's voice almost made me blow my load right there. God only knew what her pink lips around my cock would do. "I don't know how I got a mark so low," she said, biting the nail on her pinky finger.

"I'm not sure how you did, either. You're usually the brightest in the class. It's rather shocking how you went from high marks to flunking."

She got up, her hips swaying, mesmerizing me. My hand twitched. I wanted to cage her in my arms and hold her hostage for the rest of our lives. I grabbed the chair's armrest, hoping it would prevent me from making any sudden movements that could risk my job and reputation. The university didn't look too kindly on paid staff having nonprofessional relationships with the students. And if I got my hands on Sonia, it would be far from professional.

She repositioned herself on the edge of my desk. My mouth became dry as she leaned over, crossing her arms and pushing up her large tits. "I think I need some extra tutoring."

"That's why I called you here. I'm going to submit your name for academic probation. Your extracurricular activities will be curtailed until you get these grades up."

She moved around my desk, giving me a full view of her delectable body. "Please don't do that, Mr. Watt. I'll do anything. If I'm put on academic probation, my mom will lose it on me."

We both knew I’d never put her at risk. No way would I let anything harm her or her aspirations. Sonia was playing a dangerous game at great risk, but the potential reward was far greater.

My gaze roamed her body. Her long legs were bare other than a tight-fitting short shirt that barely covered her young pussy and ass. I swiveled in my chair, no longer trying to hide my hard cock. Her eyes moved over me and finally landed on my dick. I swear she licked her lips as her eyes widened. I wasn't sure if I was seeing what I wanted to see or if she wanted to be fucked senseless as much as I wanted to fuck her.