Chapter 2 Seduction 101 (Sin #1)

The metal tray hit the cafeteria table with a loud clang, making Natalia and Lizzie jump. “I swear, if my dad makes me sit through one more lecture about Dimitri Volkov, I’m going to—” I let the sentence hang, rolling my eyes so hard I saw my own brain.

Natalia blew a pink bubble of gum and popped it. “Amelia, calm down. You’re literally vibrating.”

“Calm down?” I scoffed, dropping into the seat. “He’s the smartest guy in school, he doesn’t talk to anyone, and now he’s supposed to babysit me? Like I’m some kid who can’t be trusted alone? I can’t even believe my dad.”

“He’s a bad boy, though,” Lizzie said, already checking her reflection in her phone screen and fussing with her false lashes. “Cold, broody, totally irresistible. You could totally get him—”

“Excuse me?” I interrupted, a laugh bursting out of me.

“Yes,” Natalia said, waving a hand like she was stating a simple fact. “You could totally get a piece. Seriously, Amelia, hop on that dick. I bet it must be humongous.”

I snorted. “Hop on what? He’s horrid and you two are insane.”

They both just looked at me and shrugged in unison. “Trust me. He’s perfect bad boy material,” Lizzie insisted.

“I have a boyfriend,” I said quickly, hoping that would end the conversation.

Natalia laughed, a sharp, knowing sound. “Boyfriend? You mean Brad, who has slept with the entire cheerleading team? That’s not a boyfriend, that’s a public vibrator. Does it even work for you?”

I blinked, my cheeks getting warm. “Excuse me?”

“She isn’t wrong,” Lizzie added, not looking up from her phone. “Anyway, Dimitri’s stuck with you, so you might as well get some benefit out of it. I mean, look at him. He is so sexy.”

I threw my head back and groaned. “You two are ridiculous. He’s literally the smartest person in school. He doesn’t talk to people. And he gets stuck with me? The queen of blabbing? Good luck to him.”

“Hey, you’re just his opposite and they say opposites attract,” Natalia said, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Show him you’re worth it, then maybe he’ll give you a piece of it. Or devour you whole.”

I paused, their words sinking in. Without meaning to, I found myself scanning the crowded cafeteria. And there he was. Dimitri. Sitting alone at a small table in the corner, his laptop open, headphones in, completely shut off from the noise around him. My stomach did a funny little flip as I looked at him.

I kept staring. My eyes traced the thick veins bulging on his neck, the clear outline of hard muscle under his tight black t-shirt, the way his dark eyes were fixed on his screen with an intense focus. My gaze dropped to his lips, full and surprisingly soft-looking, and I couldn’t help but swallow hard. Then, as if he felt the weight of my stare, he looked up. Directly at me. My face turned instantly hot, and I quickly looked down at my tray, closing my eyes for a second. A low, warm pulse started between my legs.

Within seconds, I saw him from the corner of my eye. He packed his things with efficient, sharp movements and left, walking out of the cafeteria like he hadn’t just set my entire body on alert.

I turned back to my friends. “I’m going to be right back.”

Before they could argue or ask questions, I was up and moving.

I found him at his locker, alone in the quiet hallway. I approached, forcing my breathing to stay even. “Hi,” I said.

He shut his locker door and looked at me like I was a strange insect. “You should not annoy me.”

“Why?” I asked, tilting my head to the side, challenging him. “What are we going to do about it?”

He rubbed his temple, a sign of clear irritation. “Technically, it’s not my responsibility. Let’s be clear. I’m just your tutor. Not your babysitter.”

I took a step closer, closing the distance between us. I could smell his clean, soapy scent. “Just a tutor?” I whispered. “Are you sure about it?”

Then a loud, obnoxious voice cut through the tension. “Babe! How are you?”

I rolled my eyes as Brad shoved his way between me and Dimitri, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug and trying to plant a sloppy kiss on my cheek. He blinked at Dimitri. “What’s going on here?”

I shrugged and took a step back, creating space. “Natalia has a crush on him. I was just asking him about it. That’s all,” I lied smoothly.

Brad, standing nearby, laughed, a harsh, ugly sound. “A crush? On that freak? No way.”

Dimitri didn’t even look at him. He just rolled his eyes, turned, and walked away without a single word. The action obviously irked Brad because his face tightened with anger.

“Let go of me, Brad,” I said, trying to fight against his hold on my waist.

He leaned in closer, his voice low, and grossly direct. “You haven’t been with me in a while. You should come over. I really wanna plow your pussy with my monster.”