Page 62 of A Dusk Of Stars

His eyebrows shoot up. “Is thatreallywhat you’re so worked up about?” To my surprise, he shrugs. “So you blew up some gym equipment. I think we’ll all find it in ourselves to move on.”

I throw him a suspicious look.

He laughs. “Come on, show me where I can get one of those,” he says, pointing at the glass in my hand again. “Or better yet, help me find some good scotch.”

Now it’s making me angry, that he’s choosing to be so casual with me after everything.

“Let me rephrase,” I start in a noticeably colder voice, “it doesn’t matterwhyyou came to talk to me.” My jaw clenches remembering the way he threw me over his shoulder. “I don’t want to talk to you, period.”

He quirks an eyebrow at me. “And with so much passion at that. I can be nothing but flattered.”

I just stare at him, gritting my teeth.

“What?” he asks.

I let out a scoff. “Don’t play dumb,” I tell him. I stop myself before saying anything too specific. “You’re my professor, you’re an alpha, and you took advantage of my moment of vulnerability.”

Something flashes through his eyes. “You know,” he says as he takes a step closer, “I’d definitely getseriouslyoffended… if it weren’t for the fact you don’t even believe that yourself.”

For a second, I just stare at him. Then I fold my arms and say, “You have no insight whatsoever into what I do or don’t believe. You don’t know me.”

“Come on,” he sneers as he throws a glance around the hall, “I’m barely two years older than you, I’m as much an authority figure to you asyouare to fuckingMacArthur, and I think it’s pretty obvious by now — alpha or not — I couldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to even if I tried.” His eyes narrow. “But Idoknow what thisisabout.”

“What?” I ask with a roll of my eyes, surprised that I’m secretly fearing he’ll accuse me of havingfeelingsfor him.

He gets in my face, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You just can’t stand that you’re attracted to me.”

I blow out a laugh. “You can saythatagain.”

“So you admit that you are,” he insists, his voice low and his eyes diving into mine in that way that makes me feel completely naked.

But this, I could’ve admitted this on day one, no problem. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” I snap. “Oh…” My lips tug into a smile. “Because my having a hard time admitting that, it would mean I’m playing hard to get or something, right? When in fact…” I lean a little forward, the smile sliding off my face. “I justseeyou.”

There’s a split second during which he stays serious. Then he lets out a laugh. “Yeah yeah,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “And you don’t like what you see, you’ve made that abundantly clear, Novak.”

It all makes me frown, but he goes and takes me even more by surprise, a spark in his eyes as he says, “But that doesn’t mean you can’t ditch this stuffy party with me.”

Frowning, I let out a scoff. “Ditch the second biggest event of the year to spend time with the number one asshole?” I pretend to consider it, but it’s in an obviously mocking voice that I say, “Let me get back to you on that.”

“Sorry,” he starts before I can push past him, throwing me a grin, “I stopped listening after you said ‘number one’.”

“The only shocking thing about that is you saying ‘sorry’.”

He blows a laugh and leans to whisper in my ear, “But it does seem to be a unique moment, don’t you think? Everyone at the Academy is gathered in a single place, right?”

“Right,” I say a little breathlessly as his proximity keeps me pinned in place.

When he pulls away to look at me, there’s that spark in his eyes and this contagious mysteriousness in his voice that I’ve never heard before. “Which means there’s probably not a soul on the entire grounds.”

When I just keep looking at him, feeling torn because I actually want to go… “Come on, help the asshole out,” he says with a grin. “No one’s ever given me an actual tour.”

My eyebrows pull down, but I find myself unable to resist. “Alright,” I say, “but we’re going out separately.”

***

By the time I’ve shown Bane everything I find interesting in the gardens, we’re stopping near the Dame Gothel statue and I’m finding the whole thing — spending time with him in a way that’s a little strained but definitely pleasant — so strange that it’s keeping me feeling disoriented.

“I knew you were a giant nerd, Novak,” he snaps me out of it, “but how exactly have you come to knowthismuch about the Academy?”

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