Page 145 of Teacher's Pet

I quirk a brow, setting the glass down with a soft clink. “Antonov?” I echo, my lips curling at the edges. “You in the mafia or did you just get blessed with one of the most menacing-sounding last names I’ve ever heard?”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Mafia.” He exhales a short laugh, shaking his head. “I prefer the term family business.”

Cute.

“So tell me, Jake.” I lean in slightly, dragging a finger along the rim of his glass, watching as his eyes flicker down to the movement. “Why is a man in Louis Vuitton sitting in some sleazy college bar on a Friday night?”

His gaze sweeps the room lazily before returning to mine, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. Then, without hesitation, his hand lands on my thigh.

“I liked what I saw in the window,” he murmurs, fingers pressing just slightly into my skin.

Normally, this kind of flirting would make me roll my eyes. I’d shut it down with a sarcastic remark, brush him off before he got too comfortable.

But after what happened with Noah?

I need a distraction.

And right now, Jake Antonov looks like the perfect one.

“Did you now?” I tease, fingers toying with the collar of his shirt, letting my nails drag lightly against the fabric. “Liked what you saw enough to lose a few of these layers for me?”

Jake leans in, his breath warm and laced with bourbon, the scent rich and intoxicating.

“I sure wouldn’t mind seeing what all the buzz is about-”

But before he can finish, a sharp voice cuts through the thick tension between us.

“Jake, man. Why the fuck are we in this place? You said we were going to a good bar, not my students’ fucking hangout spot.”

My heart drops.

Slowly, I lean away from Jake, pulse hammering as I shift my gaze past him, past the expensive suit and easy confidence, until my eyes land on the last person I ever expected to see tonight.

Noah.

And he’s not alone.

There’s a woman clinging to him, her drunken hands roaming beneath his shirt, fingers mapping the ridges of his stomach like she has any right to. A cold weight settles in my stomach, the expensive tequila suddenly less smooth, more acidic.

For a moment, we just stare at each other.

Noah looks as shocked to see me as I am to see him. His grip tightens on the brim of his ball cap, tugging it lower, as if that flimsy attempt at hiding his face is going to work.

Jake, oblivious to the sudden shift in atmosphere, grins. “I was just speaking to Ana here,” he says smoothly. “Is she one of your students?”

Noah’s gaze snaps to Jake, the tension between them sharpening into something unspoken, unreadable. His jaw tightens. His fingers flex at his sides.

I smile, forcing myself to keep my expression light despite the storm brewing beneath the surface.

“Mr. Ackerman,” I purr, tilting my head, letting just enough venom slip into my tone. “Funny seeing you here. I wasn’t aware you had friends.” My eyes flick to the woman still draped over him, barely standing upright. “Or… whatever that is.”

Jake lets out a low laugh, shaking his head.

“Her?” He scoffs. “I just dropped five hundred bucks on her for my big brother-”

Hold on.

Big fucking brother?

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