Semua Bab LUST AND ECSTASY; SPICY EROTICA COLLECTIONS : Bab 31 - Bab 40

A Sterling Gets What A Sterling WantsIVY'S POV I stood in front of the portrait frozen to my core. I knew he was oddly rigid and disciplined but I just assumed that came with his profession, to think the strict and feared Professor Blake is actually a rich young master. Everything began to click in place. From what Ava had deduced to him owning a penthouse. It all made sense now. He had changed his name, moved to a different city, and lived a life of academic rigor all to escape the "Sterling" shadow. His entire identity at the university was a lie—a far more sophisticated and successful one than mine."You have a habit of looking where you aren't invited, Ivy."I spun around. Nathan was standing at the end of the hallway, his expression unreadable. He didn't look angry, but there was a new edge to his gaze—a flicker of the Sterling power he tried so hard to hide."You're a Sterling," I whispered, the name feeling heavy on my tongue. "Professor Blake... it’s a fake."Nathan walked t

The City Of LightsIVY'S POV The transition from the freezing grey slush of the university to the honey-hued limestone of Paris was just the thing I needed. One moment, I was shivering in a black car at the south gate; the next, I was waking up as our private jet descended over a city that looked like it had been sketched in charcoal and gold.By the time we reached the Hotel Plaza Athénée, my head was spinning. Everything was too much—the scent of lilies in the lobby, the red silk awnings, the effortless elegance of the staff who bowed slightly as we passed. I felt like a counterfeit coin being passed off as pure gold. I was dressed in a tailored wool coat Nathan had bought me, my chestnut hair pinned up in a sophisticated twist, but beneath the luxury, I was still Ivy Carter from a town with one stoplight.Nathan, however, was in his element. He moved through the splendor with a terrifying grace, his "Professor Blake" persona shifting into something far more regal."The suite is on

Preparing For The BallIVY'S POV The Avenue Montaigne was a Fool’s paradise of haute couture and impossible standards. The snow from the university felt like a lifetime ago as I stood in the center of a boutique that was anything I had been before.Nathan had arranged for the shop to be closed. The "Closed for Private Event" sign on the glass door reminded me of the difference in our status. I couldn't even afford to be in this sort of boutique, talk more of having it closed."Stand straight, Ivy. A Sterling woman doesn't slouch as if she’s apologizing for the space she occupies," Nathan’s voice drawled.He was sitting in a velvet armchair, a glass of mineral water in his hand, his legs crossed with an effortless elegance that made me feel like a clumsy child. Three French seamstresses hovered around me, their mouths full of pins, their eyes judging every curve of my petite frame.I was currently draped in a gown the color of midnight—a heavy silk that clung to my hips and pooled at

The SouvenirIVY'S POVThe central heating in the girls' dormitory hummed with a familiar, mechanical wheeze that sounded like home—or at least, the home I was stuck with. I stood in the doorway of my room, my designer suitcase feeling like an alien object against the scuffed linoleum floor. I had been back from Paris for less than four hours, and already the air of the university felt suffocating and relaxing at the same time. I was free from all the elite problems and judgemental looks here at least.I reached into my bag and pulled out a small, elegantly wrapped box from a boutique on Rue de Rivoli. It was a silk scarf, more expensive than anything Ava had ever owned. It was a peace offering—or a bribe. I wasn't sure which."You're back."I jumped, clutching the box to my chest. Ava was sitting on her bed, her laptop open, but she wasn't typing. She was staring at me with an expression that made the Parisian sun feel like a distant memory."Hey," I said, forcing a smile that felt b

All The Proof You NeedIVY'S POV Tuesday at seven o'clock came quicker than other days. I was nervous but I had no choice but to trust him with every bit of me. The faculty wing was quiet as I walked down the corridor, the only sound being my heels clicking against the floor of the hallway. I knew she was there. I didn't have to see her to feel the weight of her gaze. Ava was tucked into the recessed archway of the philosophy alcove, twenty feet from Nathan’s door, trying to blend into the darkness. She was silent but not quiet enough for me not to notice her. I didn't look at her. I kept my chin high, clutching my research binder to my chest as if it actually contained anything. I reached the door, turned the brass handle, and stepped inside.The office was stiflingly warm. Nathan was sitting behind his desk, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, the top buttons undone. "You're on time, Miss Carter," he said, his voice carrying a professional edge that I knew was for the benefi