LOGINAria pushed off the door, the wood cool against her spine for one last steadying breath before climbing the stairs to the apartment and unlocking the front door.It was empty. The only sound was the faint hum of the fridgeLena wasn’t home. Probably still on her shift at the cafe.This was good.She needed the space to breathe. To scrub away the evidence clinging to her skin.It was a miracle Tyler didn’t smell sex on her.In the bathroom, the steam quickly fogged the mirror as the warm water hit her shoulders.She lathered soap over her thighs, her neck, anywhere Jason's hands had claimed, but the clean scent couldn't eras
She had just reached into her bag to fish her keys out with her clumsy fingers when she heard her name.“Aria?”She froze, heart slamming in her ribs.Slowly, she turned around.Tyler stood a few steps behind her, his hands inside his hoodie, his face unreadable.Oh shit! How long has he been there? Did he see her get out of Jason’s car?Her heart fell to her stomach.She had told him that she had gotten home earlier, so she had to think of a bette
Aria slid into the back seat, the leather cool against her thighs as her dress rode up slightly.Jason followed, ducking in after her and pulling the door closed with a soft thud.The tinted windows sealed them in the dim, confined space, amplying every breath, every shift of fabric.Her pulse raced as the air thickened with the scent of his cologne, woody and commanding, mingling with her own arousal.His presence dominated the space, making her squirm in her seat.Jason cupped her chin firmly, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His blue eyes burned with hunger and raw desire.“You made me break my rules, kitten,” he murmured, thumb brushing her lower lip. “Now, all I think about when I’m in my office is you sprawled across my desk calling me daddy while I fuck your dripping cunt.”She shivered, her lips parting under his touch. “B…but you were ignoring me,” she said. “No texts. Nothing. I thought you regretted—”“Regret?” he cut in, a low chuckle escaping him. “You walked into my
“So if you frame it through Butler instead of Foucault,” Aria said, tapping the open article on the table, “the focus shifts from surveillance to performance. The power’s still there, it’s just… enacted differently.”The students around her nodded, scribbling notes.“Ohhh,” one said. “That makes more sense. Thanks.”“Anytime,” she said. “If you want, you can email me your draft, and I’ll take a look before you submit.”They all cheered.Suddenly, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up like she was being watched.When she glanced up, Jason was standing by the corridor with Hera beside him, but he was looking straight at her.Her breath hitched.Since that day in his office and after what happened in the classroom, it felt like he’d been avoiding her.Could he be regretting it? Ugh! She knew this would happen.She looked away and bit her lips, trying to focus her attention back to the students.“Does anyone else have any more questions?” she asked the group.No one did.The
The next Monday, Jason stood at the dresser mirror with two different ties, wondering which would go with his suit.Victoria sat on the bed with her laptop, her glasses on as she skimmed a document.“Can you stop?” she said absently, her fingers still on her trackpad.He turned around. “What?!”“You’re whistling,” she said. “It’s distracting.”“Oh!”Jason didn’t realize he was doing that. “What’s got you in a good mood?” she asked, her eyes still on the screen.Aria.He shrugged, turning back to the mirror. “I’m just glad Saturday went well,” he lied. “That’s one less thing circling my neck.”“Mmm,” She made a non‑committal sound, already half‑absorbed in an email.Her phone lit up on the nightstand a moment later.She glanced at it and picked up the call.Jason took that as his cue.He smoothed his vest, grabbed his watch from the dresser, and headed downstairs.In the kitchen, he made himself a cup of coffee, added a splash of milk, and mentally laid out the day.The usual routine
At the end of the school day, Jason’s brain was still half on Aria sprawled across his desk.Hera sat across from him, showing him something on her laptop. “I’ve arranged the numbers to align perfectly.”He looked at the spreadsheet and nodded. “That works.”She hesitated. “We could also—”“No, no need,” he said. “This is fine.”Her brows pinched. “We’re going to have to cut this meeting short, Hera,” he said, sitting upright. “I have to leave early.”,“Oh,” she said, surprised. “Alright. I can finish the grade entries on my own.”“Good,” he said. “Finalize the rubric we drafted, update the LMS, and email me the revised distribution chart by tonight.”“Got it,” Hera said, closing her laptop. “I’ll… see you tomorrow, then.”He nodded, his mind already half out of the conversation.The door closed behind her.He exhaled and leaned back in his chair.He wasn’t leaving early. He just needed the space to think properly.Closing his eyes, he let his mind fill with what happened in the morn
Aria moved on autopilot.She went home, changed, and headed to the café for her shift. There, she wiped the table, reset the sugar caddy, smiled at customers, got their order, and repeated the same cycle.Lena was working the register with speed while Mia hovered near a table, laughing at something
“First, it started as a rumor,” Sofia said. “Then, it got messy. People chose sides before anyone knew the full story. The girl was the one who got eaten alive by it. Online, in class, everywhere. As for him, all he got was a stern talking to and a new posting. The end.”Aria’s stomach dipped, the
Aria loved the third floor of the main library at this hour. It was late afternoon as the light came through the tall curtains, making it look like the dust motes were glowing. Downstairs, the open study tables were packed with students and their half-eaten snacks, but up here among the literature
There was a tiny hitch in his controlled facade, but she felt it like a shockwave. His pupils flared, then narrowed. His jaw clenched, flexing a muscle near his cheek. “Professor Anderson,” the Dean continued, oblivious to the tension between them. “This is Miss Aria Jenkins. One of our most p







