His Favorite Student

Leah downed the last of her second drink, she scrunched her face as the drink burned her throat. After a week-long thesi

ance floor. "No talking about school, deadlines, or em

essed? That man's whole existen

about bad decisions

d, lips curved in a tipsy grin. The alcohol hummed in her veins. She danced with stran

s the

adn't planned

place wasn't his usual scene. It was too loud, too reckless, too young. He hated places where the lighting hid intenti

e was something else entirely, radiant, chaotic, and alive. Her short black dress hugged her frame and made her curves visible. U

talking about some campus goss

ulian said. "I

ed himself a different drink, something more lig

ar again, flushed and breathless. She tried

ght her el

dance. Immediately, she froze, retreating he

acked in disbelief. "Wh

eeves still rolled as if he'd walked right out of her lecture and into her night. His j

you the same,

oo loudly. "Please don't call

id no

e teased, still ridin

. "Or fate, depending

said with a grin. "So you better

r professor," Julian

t him, her flirtatious smile faltering as so

and trying to wrap an arm around her waist. Julian stepped forward i

terested," he

d off, mutter

Julian. "Wow. P

her. "You're dru

a knight in shining armour? Isn't

You're not my stud

name slowly sent a s

e laughed. "I

the sign a moment ago" Jullian said,

e, I'm alone

music was quieter and the view of the city stretched endlessly under a velve

the breeze cooling her flushed sk

Julian said quietl

. "And you

n't sa

't deny i

ok over fo

that smug off campus," she s

allowed to get that drunk when yo

talking my liver

d my star pupil will lose brain cells

closer than necessary. "You're kind of

briefly to her mouth "You're drunk

thing happens... that would be on you." her i

d. He stepped c

he said. "And you are. But th

gaze. "Then wh

e and electric. He took a slow step forward, invading her space. She could smell

king to me like this,

now. "Because I'm your student,

se enough now that she could feel his heartbeat against her ribs. For one second

and pulled away, lett

oarse. "Not like this.

sted, equal parts

g to let you,"

n her a moment longer, then f