The first week passed, and it soon became two weeks, then three, then the first month of school had come and gone. By now, most of the students had settled into their daily routine, and many of them had found their place in the school—socially and academically. There were those who practically lived in the study halls and library, and there were those who never went to class and partied all day, flunking class after class.

Although Kristen liked to believe she was one of the better students, she’d found herself drawn to the party lifestyle more than she wanted to admit. No matter how hard she tried, she fell further and further behind in class, and her grades reflected it.

It was to the point she was afraid to check online when grades were posted. Each time her overall average dropped more and more. She wasn’t worried about losing scholarships or anything like that. Her parents paid for it, but she didn’t want them to find out how poor she was doing. Not so much because of the money, that wouldn’t matter to them, but she didn’t want to disappoint them. She knew she had to make some changes to her lifestyle.

She’d call home all the time, but always avoided the topic of grades. It wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have over the phone, and she knew there’d be some serious words exchanged when it happened.

“You’re up early.” Stefani stretched her arms over her head.

It was the first time all semester Kristen had been up before her. “Thought I’d get in some study time before class. I really need to pass this test, or I’m fucked.” Kristen yawned. She reached forward and grabbed her book, not bothering to dress herself before she opened it to the page she needed.

“Why don’t you ask someone for help?” Stefani was being tutored for two other classes.

“This shit is one of the easiest classes, and I can barely keep up.” Kristen sighed and shook her head, staring at the page in front of her.

“Yeah, you didn’t get off to a great start.”

Kristen could hear a half-joking tone in Stefani’s words, and she sighed. She hated the fact she’d been late on her first day. It felt like a curse.

“I was good at this stuff in high school. I don’t know what happened. I don’t even know where to look for a tutor.” Kristen knew what happened, and so did Stefani, but neither would ever address the problem in a conversation. She’d partied and been lazy, and as a consequence, she fell behind. Now, it felt impossible to save her grades.

“Why don’t you go talk to the professor?”

“What?” She didn’t bother to mask the shocked tone in her voice.

Stefani stopped what she was doing and gave Kristen a strange look, and Kristen quickly angled her gaze back down to the book.

She’d told her she thought Professor Wiseman was hot, but she hadn’t told her anything about the feelings she’d had for him—or what she wanted to do to him.

“It would be the logical first choice. Students can talk to professors, you know?”

“Yeah, yeah. I just—”

“Do you know another journalism professor or TA? It’s normal to ask a professor for help.”

Her eyes lingered on her friend for a few seconds, then she turned her attention to her breakfast. She hadn’t considered it, but now that the possibility was in front of her, butterflies swarmed into the pit of her stomach. What would she say to him?

It would be embarrassing. Over the course of the month, she’d done everything she could to flirt with him without it being obvious, and he’d been nothing but rude to her.

Still, she’d noticed, after the first day, he looked perfectly put together every morning after that. The few occasions she’d seen him at other times on campus, he wasn’t dressed nearly as sharp. She could’ve sworn he was doing it because of her.

“I don’t know. The whole class is subjective. I don’t want him to fail me if I ask for help. He’ll know I’ve been behind.” Kristen kept her head down as she spoke. She didn’t want Stef to be able to read her expressions and figure out the real issue she faced. She wasn’t worried about him failing her. She just didn’t want him to think she was stupid. Which wasn’t true at all. She retained every word he’d spoken and the way he’d said it.

Sure, she might have daydreamed about what she wanted him to do to her too, but that was different. She made an effort to learn everything she could. She wanted to impress him. She’d fallen behind on her assignments because she didn’t want to turn in subpar work. She’d only turned in one in the beginning, and the result had been horrible. She hadn’t given him anything since.

She had zero confidence in the test she was about to take. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t be good enough.

She was convinced she was going to bomb.

* * *

“Anyone have questions?” Professor Wiseman glanced around the classroom with raised eyebrows as he spoke. He had a way of simultaneously staring at everyone and no one. Every time he did it, Kristen pretended they were the only two people in the room. That his gaze was intently fixed on her, but her eyes always dropped if he lingered in her direction.

“Nobody? Okay then, class is dismissed. Don’t forget about the test coming up Friday.” Professor Wiseman spoke loud enough that his voice carried over the din created as students gathered their things and prepared to leave the class. Kristen’s heart kicked into overdrive, pounding in her chest, and a lump formed in her throat. She wiped her sweaty palms down her skirt.

She’d decided to ask for help, but she couldn’t think of the right thing to say. How would she open the conversation? What would he say back to her? So many thoughts whirled through her brain that it went blank.

As she walked up to his desk, the smell of his cologne landed in her nose, and she just wanted to breathe him in. A sudden wave of adrenaline coursed through her limbs when he looked up at her with his cold, blue eyes sitting behind his glasses.

“Something I can help you with?” He looked up at her. His words were harsh and uninviting, and his tone suggested no bullshit.

Why was he so mean to her?

The knot in her throat swelled. “Y-yes.”

Her hand trembled when she held out the one assignment she’d turned in. She quickly sat it on the desk in front of him, trying to hide her shaky fingers. Despite being nervous, she walked around his desk so she could stand next to him. He was like a magnet, the force yanking her closer, despite the fact her brain screamed for her to keep a safe distance.

A vein popped out on his neck, and she could practically feel his heartbeat on it as she neared. His entire body tensed for a quick second, and his hands balled into fists before returning to a relaxed state.

I’m making him nervous too.

Calm washed over her, and her anxiety melted away, knowing she affected him the same way he did her.

Kristen leaned over his desk and pointed at a few sentences she remembered working hard on but was still ashamed to admit were her own.

“I don’t understand the grading on these.”

He glanced over at her and gulped. His eyes darted back to the paper. “What do you not understand?”

He was back to using his asshole tone. What was his deal? If he liked her, why was he being a dick? Two could play at this game.

“Everything. I worked hard on those. Is it my form?” She arched her back and stretched like a cat, as if she were sore and needed a massage. Kristen grinned on the inside, knowing the words would stir him even more.

He tried to control himself, but she noticed every little detail about him. His breathing sped up, and she wondered if his heart beat in his chest as hard as hers.

She pointed at a semi-colon on the page and breathed him in once more. Her pussy was already wet just because of the close proximity. She could easily grab him by his hair and pull his head down to where she needed it. Her clit swelled and throbbed just at the sound of him breathing. Goosebumps pebbled along the backs of her arms thinking about his rough fingers digging into her hips.

Her eyes followed from the paper up to his face where he studied what she’d written.

He didn’t say anything for a few moments, then handed her the paper.

“It’s not terrible. Just not great.”

She stood there, staring nervously.

He sighed. “What would you like me to do? You’ve only turned in one assignment. Maybe you’re not putting forth enough effort.”

She should’ve felt embarrassed at what he’d said, but all she could think was that he’d paid enough attention to realize she’d only turned in one paper. The class was huge. There was no way he could keep track of everyone personally, but he had for her.

Her hands were clammy once more. Why was it so hard to just fucking breathe around him? And he’d asked her a simple question that heated her up even more.

“What would you like me to do?”

Everything. Do anything you want to me.

She wasn’t sure how to actually answer. Her brain was nothing but a giant mass of exposed wires.

“Umm, is there—I mean, maybe you know a tutor?”

He let out another exasperated sigh. “Well, did you go to student services?”

“No.”

“You’re aware there’s a department for helping out with problems like these, right?” He glanced up at her and seared her with those eyes. “So that you don’t bother your professor with it.”

Of course, she knew that. But she didn’t want to go to student services. She wanted to be in the room with him. She wanted any opportunity she could get to ask him questions.

“S-sorry. I didn’t know.”

He smirked as if to say, we both know damn well what’s happening here.

She rose and smoothed down the front of her skirt.

She caught his eyes glancing to her legs and then back up to her face as quickly as possible.

God, there was something about this man that made her ramble like an idiot. Part of her worried he’d think of her as some kind of helpless airhead.

They both sat there, staring at one another for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity. His eyes raked up and down her body, this time without any attempts to avert his stare.

His gaze moved up to her face, still perfectly framed in his hot-as-all-fuck glasses. He let out a breathy sigh. “I normally don’t do this. But I can help you with a few things.”

Houston, we have lift off.

A wave of delicious tension swam through her body and funneled straight down into her pussy. It was like floating on air. Everything became bright and more radiant. Colors were vivid.

“You would do that?” She blinked. “For me?” Her face had to be pink with excitement.

He smiled. Not a warm, happy smile. It was more like a devilish grin. But it was still the first time he’d ever smiled at her. “Stop by after class tomorrow. We can go over a few things.”

She nodded, unable to even think of classes she had the next day. It didn’t matter. She would clear her schedule for him.

“Thank you. I really appreciate this.” She scurried away as fast as she could.

What had she just done? What had he just done?

It had to be nothing. He was just being nice, showing her some kind of mercy. But the way his eyes seared into her flesh and warmed her all over. The tone of his voice. She hadn’t seen this coming at all, him offering to help her personally.

“I expect you to work, Miss Monroe.”

She whipped back around to face him.

His face was tense, and his eyes narrowed. “Do not waste my time.”

She nodded. “I promise.”

She turned on her heel and pushed through the door.

Holy fuck, he was so intense. And she was going to be given time with him, alone.

She had him entirely to herself.

The thought ran through her mind once more.

Alone. Tomorrow.