Page 84 of Teacher's Pet

Noah stays there for a moment, his eyes scanning me, searching for compliance.

Then, slowly, he leans back.

His weight shifts off me, giving us both a few inches of space.

And yet, he lingers.

The tension still thick between us.

I pull my knees to my chest, my body aching, my skin flushed with pain and exhaustion.

Noah rubs the back of his neck, rolling his shoulders, something unreadable flickering behind his gaze.

And that’s when I see them.

The scars.

Not just the ones I brushed against before.

But new ones.

Deep. Jagged.

Etched across his lower stomach, half-hidden in the dim light, as if they were never meant to be seen.

My heart pounds.

"Did someone hurt you, Noah?" I whisper, my voice barely audible.

His entire body tenses.

He doesn’t look at me.

Doesn’t move.

For a second, I think he won’t answer.

Then, finally, his jaw flexes as his eyes flicker to me, his expression unreadable.

"No matter what happens between us," he murmurs, his voice low, firm, "you will never find the answer to that."

A sharp breath leaves me.

"You're mine to fuck." His voice is quieter now, almost detached, "The last thing we need is for you to start looking for my humanity."

The words cut deeper than they should.

Because I already have.

I see it, hidden beneath the cruelty, beneath the dominance, beneath the walls he’s so desperate to keep in place.

And it terrifies him.

The silence stretches.

Noah shifts, rubbing a hand over his face, exhaling deeply.

His touch returns, but this time, it’s different.

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