Page 84 of Spearcrest Knight

“You’ll have to learn sooner or later that this isn’t the way the world works,” she says coldly. “You get whatever money buys you, but it doesn’t mean you get whatever you want.”

“In this case it does.”

Her nostrils flare as she inhales sharply. “Haven’t you already gotten what you want?”

Her anger is almost a presence in the room, a monster rearing itself—but the monster of my jealousy and desire is far more powerful.

“I want you to resume tutoring me. Starting this week.”

“I’m not coming to your house,” she bites out.

“Why? Because you’re afraid you’re going to have to run away from it if you kiss me by accident again? Because you’re going to beg me to fuck you and then pretend you did it because you hate me?”

She can’t quite stop her shock and embarrassment at my words from registering, but she recovers quickly, straightening herself up. “I’ve already apologised for what happened on Christmas Eve.”

So she wants to pretend yesterday didn’t happen? I shouldn’t even be surprised. She reallyisa fucking coward.

“I don’t give a shit. I neither want nor need your apologies.”

She glares at me. “Then what do you need?”

“I need you to get over what happened and just do what you’re supposed to do, which istutor me.”

“You don’t need tutoring sessions!” she exclaims, her hoarse voice even hoarser in her anger. “You don’t evenwanttutoring sessions!”

“Mr Houghton says that he was impressed with my effort in the exam and that the sessions are clearly helping. I have an essay already overdue and more mock exams coming up next month. So yes, I do need those sessions, and even if I didn’t, I stillwantthem.”

EvenIcan hear the arrogance in my voice. But the way she thinks so low of me makes me want to double down on everything she hates about me. No matter how little she thinks of me, I can always be worse. If she treats me like a dog then I’ll become a wolf. If she treats me like I’m evil then I’ll become the devil himself.

Her eyes glitter as she glares at me. She’s breathing hard, her cheeks are flushed with fury—she looks in her anger almost exactly the same way she looks when she’s turned on.

Blood rushes to my cock.

“Why are you doing this?” She speaks lower now, not just angry, but strangled with frustration. “You know I need this job.”

I know only too well. The memory of that cupcake, her laughter, her gaze lingering after that stupid goddamn guy has been playing in an infuriating loop in my head since last Tuesday.

“Fuck your job. I’ll pay you for the sessions if that’s what you want.”

She recoils. “I don’t want your money.”

Her voice is icy, and pure hatred is on her face. I know I’ve offended her, possibly hurt her. But at this point, it doesn’t feel like I’m attacking her. It just feels like I’m retaliating.

“Isn’t that the reason you need that stupid job?" I sneer. "For themoney? Because that’s the one thing your nice uniform and clever brains can never get you? Well, I have money, I can pay you. I can pay you far more than you make at that place, too. It can be our new deal. You need the money, so I help you with that, and I need to pass the class, so you teach me.”

We stare at each other across the room. She’s completely silent for a moment, and I can’t help but wonder what’s going through her mind. Is she tempted? I’m sure she would be tempted if her job was only for the money. But I’m not making her choose between her job and me.

I’m making her choose between that guy and me.

“Let me tell you something,” she says finally, her voice deathly quiet.

She picks up the books she dropped earlier, holding the pile closer to her chest, and crosses the room to stand in front of me. She gathers herself up with unshakable dignity and looks me straight in the eyes.

“I would rather jump from the top of the clock tower than ever take a penny from you.”

I shrug. “This is exactly why poor people stay poor: they don’t know a good deal when they see one. So since you won’t tutor me for money, Sutton, then I guess you’re just going to tutor me for free.”

Her nostrils flare and her jaw twitches. Her anger and hatred are palpable, like waves of liquid heat pulsing out of her and brushing against me. Now she’s closer, I can smell that addictive fragrance, the sweetness of warm caramel. I clench my fists, glad my hands are in my pockets so she can’t see how much she’s affecting me.

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