Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Chapter Four
Ihate him, Kassia thought the next day, her teeth gnashing as all eyes swung towards her at the professor’s words. Hate him, hate him, hate him! And if this was what he meant by wooing, well, he had better take a refresher’s course in English because right now, what he was doing was the exact opposite.
In front of the class, the professor politely called her name. “Ms. Summers, shall I repeat it for you?” He didn’t wait for an answer, speaking in Italian right after, his delicious accent making her toes curl even as she continued to hate him. “Could you please translate it?”
She said unthinkingly, “Zihwik jerfniv acknix.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
Even the professor blinked at her.
“I, umm, translated it to Russian.”
The professor spoke to her, in what seemed like Russian. The real one, and not her own made-up version. The class laughed, and her cheeks turned a dull shade of red.
“You only have to say you need extra lessons, Ms. Summers,” the professor said ever so gently. “You may sit down.”
Dozens of hands shot up.
“I think I need extra lessons too, Professor,” one of the girls seated in front said hopefully.
As Kassia sat down, she heard the girl next to her say sulkily, “You’re such a sly one.”
With a start, she realized that the girl seemed to think she had deliberately played dumb just to score a private lesson with the professor. Looking around and seeing more glares her way, she realized that everyone else seemed to think so as well.
Politely ignoring the clamor for private lessons, the professor resumed his lecture. The other girls resignedly lowered their hands when it became clear he wasn’t going to make another offer. When the bell rang, the professor bid them goodbye. Walking back to his desk, he ruffled through his papers and said without looking up, “Ms. Summers, if you could stay behind?”
Kassia, who had just stood up, sat back down and was again treated to another round of furious glares.
Alessandro lifted his head only when all the other students had left. The sight of Kassia scowling at him made his lips curve. “You are mad?”
Her scowl deepened, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Did she know how tempting she looked when she was mad? Ceasing with the pretense of going through his students’ assignments, he tossed the papers back on his desk. He watched them fall and found himself wondering if he would again earn the right to toss Kassia on to the desk and make wild love to her?
A lightning bolt of lust struck Alessandro at the thought, but he swiftly sought control over his body. He had promised he would woo her, and that was what he would do. It was a small thing to do, after what she had suffered in his hands, but he also knew it was what Kassia would want the most.
Probably.
Insecurity, unfamiliar and irritating, bit at him. He struggled to keep his voice even as he said, “I wanted to have an excuse to spend more time to be with you – just you.” His dark green eyes held hers. “Do you not want this, too?”
“Umm...” Her head was still reeling at the professor admitting to wanting to spend time with her – just her, he had said. Just her!
The professor’s gaze was still on her.
She couldn’t make herself admit he was right, so she changed the subject hastily. “Are you really going to give me a private lesson?”
The professor’s lips suddenly twitched. “It depends,” he deadpanned, “on what kind of lesson you’re thinking about.” His heavy-lidded gaze caressed her as he spoke, and Kassia covered her mouth in case her gasp slipped out. If it had been anyone else, the line would have sounded like a stupid cliché, but somehow the professor made it work. In fact, it worked so wonderfully she was mortified to realize that she could feel herself becoming wet again.
This calls for another change of subject, she thought frantically. “Umm...” She said the first thing that came to her mind. “What are you going to do tonight?”
“Lie in bed,” the professor said promptly, “and think about the exact kind of lesson I want to give you.”
Heat blossomed in her cheeks. “Professor!”
Wickedness gleamed in his eyes. “Next question?”
A question hovered on her lips. What had made him change? He hadn’t been this open at the start, hadn’t said he wanted her even once. She badly wanted to ask the question, but she didn’t have the courage to do it yet, and so she settled for something safer.
“Tell me more about your family.”
Alessandro frowned. He had not expected that at all. “Why do you want to ask?”
She shrugged uneasily.
“You want to know more about me?”
Guilt flashed in her eyes.
He almost laughed at how easy Kassia was to read. “I won’t answer if you don’t tell me why,” he teased huskily.