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)
“Don’t let me see you too close to another man again, Kassia. It’s too...dangerous.”
Her heart slammed even harder against her chest as Kassia heard the words the professor hadn’t spoken. “I promise, Professor, but not because you might hurt me.” Her voice turned fierce. “I’m promising it because I don’t want to hurt you again.”
Silence.
And then the professor was gracefully coming to his feet, his mouth on hers while his arms wrapped around her.
When he raised his head, he gave her a promise that had her toes curling and her stomach tightening in fear.
“I will make you trust me again, Kassia.”
Chapter Eight
“You lied to me,” Kassia accused the professor the next night.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did!” The two of them were walking inside a magnificently vast hallway, and with every second that passed, the urge to turn back and run away became stronger. “You said this was going to be an ordinary party!”
“It is.” Beside her, the professor was a picture of urbane sophistication in his expensive tux, and even now the sight of him made Kassia gulp. Even though she was wearing a gown that the professor had bought for her, she wasn’t sure it was enough to give her the right to stand next to him.
Sensing Kassia’s troubled gaze on him, Alessandro looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What is—-” To his surprise, Kassia quickly squeezed her eyes shut. “What are you doing?” Did she plan on walking with her eyes closed?
Only opening her eyes when she had turned her head away from the professor, she said, “Self-defense.”
Only Kassia could leave him even more bemused with an answer. “Excuse me?”
“You think I don’t know what you’re doing, but I do.” She resolutely kept her gaze straight ahead as she spoke. “I’m on to you, Professor. You’re using your sexy look on me again, and next thing I know, you’re going to give me that devastating smile—-”
The professor was suddenly standing in front of her, his Lyccan speed leaving her defenseless, and oh God there it was!
That smoldering look!
That devastating smile!
Her knees knocked against each other. “You’re too beautiful for your own good, Professor.”
His laugh was dark and sexy. “And you are too fucking cute for my senses.”
The words destroyed what was left of her defenses against him, and she sighed. “You win. I forgive you for lying.” She paused then added militantly, “But you did lie.”
“I did not lie.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “You just failed to consider that we might have different perspectives about what an ordinary party is. This is ordinary for me.”
And that, Kassia thought, perfectly summed up how different they were from each other. The professor’s idea of an ordinary party was one that took place in a palatial hall, attended by thousands of Lyccans, most of whom Kassia was shocked to recognize as numbering among the world’s rich and famous. How could all these people lead such public lives without humans like her catching on to the fact that they weren’t, well, humans?
Upon entering the ballroom, the first thing Kassia noticed was the odd way most of the guests reacted to them. She was well used to Alessandro being fawned over, but tonight it was the opposite. Most of the other Lyccans gazed at him with either contempt or disgust, and she couldn’t understand it at all. How could someone like Alessandro be contemptuous or disgusting?
The professor suddenly looked down at her, saying quietly, “Later.”
His gaze told her he knew exactly what she was feeling, and Kassia nodded. If the professor wanted her to wait for answers, she would.
He guided her all the way to the opposite side of the hall, where she saw the rest of his family was waiting. Kassia frowned when she realized that the Moretti family appeared isolated from the other Lyccans, and she bit her lip hard. She was angry on their behalf, but she knew she couldn’t exactly bite anyone’s head off for it. This wasn’t her battle, even if she wanted it to be.
Beside her, the professor chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, startled.
“Everyone here can smell your anger, little chick.”
Oh.
Her cheeks flushed in mortification, but even so she lifted her chin. “Good. I think it’s not nice to be so rude.”
The professor didn’t answer, but the way he squeezed her hand spoke of his approval.
When they reached his family, the professor’s sisters surged forward in unison, showering Kassia with kisses and hugs. After, the professor introduced the two other men in the group. “This is my twin Alejandro.”
Alejandro’s smile was all wicked flirtation. “Hello, beautiful.”
Alessandro’s arm went around her waist. “Do not flirt with her.”
Alejandro laughed. “Relax, brother. I only wanted to see how possessive you are with her.”
The professor ignored this. “Kassia, this is our older brother, Domenico. He’s the heir apparent of our pack.”