nd of my alarm blaring. My head throb

I groaned, rolling

e tall stranger. The car. The hotel. Everything was not clear

mas. Had I walked home? I couldn't remember. I stumb

base of my neck, was a mark. It wasn't a purple bruise like a normal hickey.

this, it's called a hickey not a wound" I muttered,

itting headache. I covered it with concealer and a turtleneck, grabbed my bag

ping my head down as I found a seat

s, Miss Vance," a voic

e. Tha

ed up. Standing at the podium, wearing a crisp white shirt and glasses

mine with zero recognition, only cold authority. "And in this cl

looked as handsome as that night, but he looked at me

down at my book, trying t

back row, my hands shaking so hard I couldn't even take notes. Every time Prof

't blame them. He paced the front of the room as he spoke, but he never looked at me. Not once. It was like the night

d to pack my bag. I just needed to get

ance. A

udents filed out, whispering and casting curious glances my way.

sk, looking through a fo

ast," he said, his voice clipped. "You didn't contr

me, right? You were there. Last night. You chased Marcus away. You took me to your

dea what you're talking about. I spent my evening reviewing case files at the estat

actually lying to my face. I have the bloody hickey on my neck

walked around the desk, his presence filling the room until I

pping low. "Perhaps you should be more careful with

s. "Why are you doing this? Why are you making everything di

plit second before snapping back to my eyes. " I don't know what y

onse immediately, my brain shut down because I

tering shut. I expected him to pull away, to keep up the act. Instead

n inch, his skin making contact

a moan slipped out of my mouth immediat

his breath hot agains

still hur

at him staring at his eyes as they turned dark, he looked exactly like last night. Before I

s voice suddenly ice-cold again as he

and bolted, my skin still scre