The lecture was a blur. I sat in the front row, my back straight and my legs crossed in my new heels, trying to look like the mature woman I thought Alex wanted. But I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. They weren't the eyes of a teacher. They were dark, heavy, and full of a heat that made my skin prickle under my tight dress.
"Miss Jones. A word in my office," Alex said as the bell rang. His voice was like a low growl of thunder.
I walked into his office, the click of my heels echoing against the walls. As soon as I stepped inside, the door clicked shut behind me. Alex didn't stay behind his desk. He walked toward me, his presence filling the room until I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"Why are you acting like this, Luna?" he asked. He sounded angry, but there was something else in his voice—something hungry. "Why are you dressed like this?"
"I thought... I thought a student should look more professional," I stammered, my "mature" mask starting to crack. "Like Professor Elena."
Alex didn't wait for another word. He reached out, his large hands grabbing my waist with a force that made me gasp. He pulled me flush against his hard chest, his grip so tight I could feel the heat of his body through my thin dress.
He leaned down, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. The warmth of his breath sent a violent shiver through my entire body.
"You don't need to be mature to grab my attention, Luna," he whispered, his voice vibrating deep in my soul. "You had my attention the second you stepped into my life. Do you think I want you to look like her?"
One hand moved from my waist, his long fingers trailing up my neck to tilt my head back. He looked at my mouth, his grey eyes turning almost black.
"You don't need to put on lipstick. Your lips are far more attractive when they are raw and bare... when they are mine to bite. And this dress..." His hand slid down my back, pulling me even closer until there was no space left between us. "It's too short. It's too tight. It makes me lose my control, Luna. It makes it impossible for me to remember that I am your professor."
He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against mine.
"I don't like it when other men look at you. I don't like them seeing your body, your curves, your beauty. Everything about you—your body, your soul, your heart—is mine. Only mine."
I felt like I was melting into him. The "mature woman" I was trying to be was gone, replaced by a girl who was drowning in the intensity of his obsession.
"Got it?" he asked, his voice a dark command. "Next time, dress like you always do. Wear your soft sweaters and your simple clothes for the world. But this dress... these clothes that make me want to tear them off you... you only wear them when we are alone in our apartment. Do you understand?"
I could only nod, my breath hitching as his grip tightened one last time. I had wanted his attention, but I realized now that once you have the attention of a man like Alex, there is no going back. I wasn't just his student anymore. I was his prize.