“Oh, hello, Mrs. Eden.”
She ignored her and instead looked at me, crossing her arms. “Isn’t the class over?”
“Yes, it is. Mia needed help with the paint and I couldn’t resist helping her.” I smiled, tilting my head and matched Eden’s glare. “I always loved playing with colors.”
Sensing the tension brimming between the two of us, Mia cleared her throat and packed up her bag, clutching the sketchbook to her chest. “I’ll see you later.”
“Wait.” I stood up and slid the lunch I had prepared for her that morning. Even though she was mad, I didn’t want her to miss a meal. “Your lunch.”
Mia’s cheeks flushed red as she took the Tupperware and murmured a quick, ‘Thank you’ before rushing out of the room.
As much as I wanted to keep her with me in a locked room, the art classroom wasn’t the best place. Especially when it was a school, and it was forbidden to have any sort of teacher-student relationship.
“You seem close to the Miller girl,” the dean noted.
I shrugged, sliding my hands in my pockets, thankful that one look from her had made my boner wilt away. “I told you before, she’s Clyde’s daughter.”
I had chosen to teach during Mia’s year for a specific reason, to look after her. Especially when she was hell bent on trying to get admission in Saint Helena Academy because her mother wanted the best for her daughter.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked, knowing full well where the conversation was going.
“I know you’re living together, James.” Her voice was soft, but her tone wasn’t. “You’d be in a serious position if something happened between the two of you.”
“Is that so?” I hummed and walked around the desk, closing the distance between us until I whispered in her ear, “If I were you, Eden, I’d invest in a gag ball.” I pulled away when she gasped at me. “You’re pretty loud when one of your students fucks you in your office after school.”
“Y-you…” she sputtered, her cheeks turning into an angry shade of red.
“I teach an art class, Eden. Not to mention, I am the owner of a billion dollar company, so you should have put a little more thought into who you’re threatening.” I checked my watch. “I’ll catch you later, dean. Oh, don’t forget to get the silicone one. I’ve heard they can be used for a longer time.”
Smirking at her scowled-flushed face, I walked out of the classroom and exhaled the breath I was holding. If I didn’t have the upper hand with her, things could have gone drastically wrong.
My classes for the day were over and I had a few designs to look through, so I locked myself in my office in the other building. I could drive to Fox Constructs, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk to my employees or face my personal assistant just yet. I wanted to wait for Mia so I could drive us home together and maybe even get pizza on the way if she wanted.
Before I knew it, the school was over and there was a sharp knock on my office door.
“Enter,” I said, not bothering to look up from my laptop. I knew who it was just by the cherry scent of her perfume.
“Are you busy?” Her voice was small, and she seemed nervous.
Looking up from the screen, I found Mia was nibbling on her bottom lip and fidgeting with her fingers. Removing my glasses, I pulled my chair back and patted my thigh.
“Come here, Princess.”
Her legs moved, and I welcomed her warm body onto my lap, seating her comfortably on my thighs. I raked my fingers through her hair, feeling much more relaxed than before as her cherry scent engulfed me.
“Why are you nervous?” I asked, tilting her chin to look at me.
Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips and my hand tightened on her thigh. “You don’t regret it, right?”
Regret?
I frowned and pulled her closer, cupping her cheek. “If you’re talking about kissing you, no, Mia, I don’t fucking regret kissing you, even though I should. Do you regret it?”
I stayed still, and I wasn’t sure if I was even breathing to hear her answer.
Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around me. “I don’t. I-I want to do more than kiss you, James.”
Thank fuck.