Page 30 of Wicked Ends
“We can’t do this. I won’t do it,” I whispered.
“Yes, you will,” he murmured back confidently. “You will… or life here might get very uncomfortable for you.” He stepped back and swiped my phone off my desk.
I reached for it. It suddenly felt dangerous for this volatile young man to have my number.
He held it effortlessly above my head. I reached for it again, colliding with his hard chest, and he chuckled.
“Stop. It’s embarrassing, unless you like shoving those magnificent tits into my chest, then by all means, go ahead.”
My patience snapped at those words. They were so inappropriate, so shocking and infuriating, and I had no one to blame but myself for walking into this. Still, I couldn’t stop my hand from flying and hitting his cheek.
I gasped after and stepped back, holding my hands over my mouth.
Marcus stilled and dropped his hands to his sides.
“Wow, Professor… adding assault to inappropriate sexual conduct. My, my, the list keeps growing.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
He shrugged and started typed on my phone. “No passcode? This is more like a brick than a cell. Be a good girl, and I’ll buy you a new one.”
I retreated farther, folding my arms and trying to look as stern as I could.
“Give it back.” I held my hand out.
“Keep your panties on, beautiful… until later, at least.” He held my phone to his ear. His vibrated in his pocket.
Great.Now, he had my number.
The doorknob rattled as someone tried it.
“It’s locked!” a muffled voice came from outside.
I sprang away from Marcus like he’d been the one who’d slapped me and clapped a hand over my mouth.
He smiled easily and moved closer to me. He slid my cell into my jacket pocket and then sauntered up the stairs toward the door. He put a hand on the knob and turned to stare at me.
“I trust we understand each other, Ari. I’ll see you later tonight. Text me your address.”
I shook my head faintly, and he tutted.
“We’re playing by my rules now, remember? So be good and follow them… or else.”
“Or else what?” I found the courage to ask.
He smirked, tapped the side of his nose, then flipped the lock, opening the door and disappearing into the crush beyond.
I didn’t have a lot of time to worry about Marcus and how the hell he planned to torture me with the reminder that he held my future and reputation in his hands, as I had back-to-back classes the rest of the day.
“You need to pick up the tempo in the later passages. The whole thing ends on a positive note,” I told a student who was struggling with an especially tricky Chopin piece for the piano.
“Like this?” she asked and tried again.
“No, more like… Let me sit for a second,” I offered.
She quickly moved off the stool and stood beside me. I sat. The room was full of the sounds of different instruments being played. Some students were practicing their solos; others wereworking on music theory. In my head, there was a comforting kaleidoscope of colors.
I raised my hands over the keys and froze. The colors stopped shifting in my head, my mind sliding to the past.
