Page 294 of In Love with a Cruel Billionaire

Diana:I know. :(

The sad face at the end was cute. It shouldn't be, but that was how he found it, and the realization had him cursing under his breath. Goddamn it to hell, but he really had it fucking bad for this girl.

And then a thought occurred to him, and his face hardened.

Matthijs:Out partying late?

He had never fished for information his entire life. Not fucking once. And if she let it slip that she was out partying with another guy and she was stupid enough to come to his class tomorrow hung over, he just might kill her. Then kill himself afterwards because he had never had a thing for girls who lived to club, and Diana had him so blind with lust that he had failed to see the truth about her.

A moment later, her answer in text arrived, and his tension slightly eased as her words dispelled his worst fears.

Diana:I'm working on V2.0 of my proposal. I have a scary professor to impress. I don't want him mad at me again.

Matthijs:Only a heartless bastard could be mad at you.

Diana:Oh, I don't think so. He can get mean and cruel, and he has a way with words that can rip you into pieces, but I don't think he's heartless. TBH...I think he's rather hot.

Matthijs:And I think you're a masochist.

Diana:*blush* If anyone else had said that, I'd totally find it creepy. But when it's you...

The professor scowled.Don't say it. Don't fucking say it. Don't.But he was already reaching for his iPhone, and as he hitSendon his message—-

Matthijs:It turns you on?

Her reply had arrived at the same fucking time.

Diana:It turns me on.

And upon seeing it, the professor was back to cursing in seven languages. He drove his fingers through his hair in a fit of frustration and clenched and unclenched his fist. But neither helped, and his body, which far from cooling down had instead turned into a tightly coiled mass of sexual need.

Diana:Oh. Wow.

Matthijs:This doesn't change things.

Diana:But it does. Because whether you like it or not...You're already close to choosing me.

The professor, being no idiot, knew when to pick his battles.

Matthijs:I'll see you tomorrow.

Diana:But I want to talk some more. :(

Matthijs somehow found the strength to turn his iPhone off for the night. If he didn't, those cute emojis of her would end up getting him to do fucking anything.

Leaning back against his seat, he closed his eyes wearily and thought to himself,What the fuck am I doing?Hadn't he told her - and himself - that nothing could happen between them? So why the hell were they still playing this game and acting like they had a fucking future?

He briefly considered finishing the rest of his work, but burning the midnight oil - once a favorite hobby of his - had lost its appeal, and he eventually ended up lying in bed, staring sightlessly at the skylight above him as sleep continued to evade his clutches.

His mood remained black and destructive the next morning, and he had to take several deep breaths before entering his class, not wanting to risk fucking up and taking his anger out on her again.

But as soon as he entered the room, his gaze found hers, and he realized right away he had been worrying for nothing. A single glimpse of the shy but eager look in her sweet doe eyes, and the professor was done for. He was an animal in heat and mindless slave all rolled into one fucked-up mess, and even knowing this - he didn't give a damn.

God, how he wanted her.

And then he noticed the way his students were staring at him oddly, and the professor let out a cough.

Dammit.

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