Page 66 of Theirs to Ruin

Alex made a big show of swinging his hips as he walked to the chair and sat down.

“Any volunteers to seduce? No?” She looked around before her eyes landed on me. “Alright, the person seducing Alex will be Camille.”

No.No, no, no.

“Camille is going to seduce you?” Chuck Malvoy said, loud enough for the whole class to hear. He threw his head back and laughed hysterically. “Now this I gotta see.”

Professor Santiago shot Chuck a dirty look then waved me up. “Come now, Camille. We don’t have all night,” she said, a hint of impatience in her voice.

The whole class turned to watch as I stood up and made my way to the front of the room. With each step I took, the dread inside me increased. This was going to be a disaster, I just knew it. If I couldn’t manage to get it right in private, how the hell was I going to do it in front of thirty pairs of eyes, and with Alex, of all people?

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I reached the front of the room but not before tripping over my feet and nearly toppling to the floor. The class erupted into laughter as my face burned. I had never been so embarrassed in my life.

“She can’t even walk,” someone shouted.

“Yeah, well, we all know she can swim!”

“I feel like I’m watching a whatnotto do video.”

The professor silenced the class, but it was too late. My confidence was shot.

Alex had been sprawled out in his chair and grinning when I’d first started walking toward him, but now he was sitting upright, his expression serious. Then he gave me an encouraging smile, which I hadn’t been expecting. This was the same guy who’d called me a bitch. Why the nice act now? Was it because of Kage?

I sucked in a breath when I realized he probably felt sorry for me, which made me feel even worse.

“Camille, when you’re ready,” Professor Santiago said.

I nodded, determined to get this over with. I walked over to Alex, ignoring the stifled laughter from around the classroom. I pictured it in my head. Walking up to Alex, smiling and batting my lashes as I ran my hand through my hair, maybe even running my fingers throughhishair as I murmured something sexy.

Plan formed, I stepped closer to him. My heart racing, I smiled, cocked my head to the side and ran my fingers through my hair.

“Hey,” I attempted to purr, batting my eyelashes at him. “Mind if I join you?”

“Sure.” Alex motioned to the empty seat next to him, but I shook my head.

“I was thinking I could sit somewhere a little closer…”

I sat on his lap but my movements felt stiff and awkward. Damn it, why was I improvising? I put my arm around him and forced a smile, but inside, I was dying.

“You need to touch me more and make eye contact,” he muttered softly in my ear.

Surprised he’d help me, I froze then suddenly reached out to run my fingers through his hair. At the same time, he moved his head and my finger ended up in his eye.

Alex yelped in pain.

Someone just shoot me already.

“Shit, Camille,” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, mortified.

“It’s fine, keep going,” he urged.

I tried throwing out some sexy lines, but with every word I said, my voice shook. I was being anything but sexy. By the end of my performance, students were laughing again and Professor Santiago was shaking her head and staring at me like I was a lost cause.

“Alright, let’s get someone up there who can show us how it’s done. Crystal?” the professor said.

I stood up, feeling humiliated and defeated.

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