Page 33 of See Me After Class

Struggling seemed futile. His strength was overwhelming. Reluctantly, I went limp, my efforts to resist fading.

"Good," he approved, his tone slightly easing as I ceased my struggles. "Turn around."

As he released his hold, I jerked away, nearly dislocating my shoulder in my haste to escape his touch.

"Wait," he commanded sharply. "Hold still!"

But I couldn't. Panic surged through me, intensifying when his hand neared my throat, constricting my breath.

Desperately, I fought, trying to pry his fingers from my skin, but he only tightened his grip, capturing my other wrist.

"I said, hold still!"

In the midst of our scuffle, my knees gave way, and we both tumbled to the floor, entangled in a frantic struggle.

This is bad. The thought flashed through my mind amid the chaos.This is a disaster.

I continued to thrash, driven by a primal urge to escape. Crawling, running, anything to get away.

But Galbraith's face hovered above mine, his features darkened by the shadows. A gust of wind whipped my hair across my face, momentarily blinding me. The room was intermittently illuminated by the stark flashes of lightning outside.

"Stop!" he bellowed, his voice barely audible over the roar of thunder.

I pushed against him with all my might, palms against his chest, but he was unyielding, pinning my arms firmly above my head.

"You asked for it," he hissed, teeth clenched in frustration.

Then, unexpectedly, he lowered his head and kissed me.

13

John

Desdemona writhed beneath me, her movements frantic in her effort to escape. My resolve was firm. I couldn't let her go, but the thought of causing her harm was the last thing I wanted.

That's why I kissed her, or at least that's what I told myself. The idea had been lingering in my mind, and perhaps, I hoped, it might distract her from her attempts to flee.

She resisted at first, her protest muffled against my lips, pushing back with a fierce determination. I had to secure her wrists with one hand while using the other to steady her head until she slowly yielded.

However, my own composure was far from steady. From the moment our lips met, I was in turmoil, lost in the forbidden allure of her kiss that I'd secretly longed for.

Initially, her lips parted hesitantly under mine. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't resist delving deeper, tilting her chin toexplore the depths of her mouth, marking her in a way that felt like an invisible brand on her being.

She whimpered softly, her body squirming beneath me. My hand moved to her waist, tracing a gentle path up her side, intensifying the kiss.

Her resistance faded. Her head tilted back, her legs yielding beneath mine. Desdemona's response shifted from resistance to a surprising softness, an unexpected willingness for someone caught in such a compromising situation.

I continued to kiss her, deeply, slowly. Her response was tentative at first, but gradually, her lips began to mirror mine, tentatively exploring the new terrain. It was like feeling a wildflower cautiously return a kiss.

Outside, thunder rumbled, and the wind's howl intensified. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and stared down at her, my expression troubled. "What the hell were you doing here?" I demanded, my voice rough.

In the dim light, her gray eyes seemed to shimmer like molten silver, filled with a mixture of surprise and confusion—whether at her actions or mine, I couldn't tell.

"I was looking for something," she murmured, her voice distant, her hands now resting on my shoulders, mine tangled in her hair.

"What? No, wait," I cut her off as she leaned toward me again. "Tell me what you were looking for first."

"I don't know," she replied with a hint of defiance. "It doesn't matter. I didn't find anything, anyway."

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