Chapter 4：Four

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Rowen flicked through all the messages on his phone and leaned against the desk in his office. It was already half past ten and most of the teachers had gone home, leaving him alone in the building.

With a sigh, he slipped the phone back in his pocket. It was always either him or K.M. who was in the lead every year. Out of all the players who participated in Teacher's Pet, only a handful of them had actually managed to score it with a student. It was a sad fact, but it didn't stop the rest of them from trying.

With no progress on his end, K.M. was naturally in the lead. K never had a problem leading the ladies on, but he also had a penchant for being careless. It was this very behavior that Rowen considered his only advantage against him. Last he heard K had gotten into a little fight with his pet, and if he kept up with the act, Rowen could still have a chance.

No, selecting Hayleigh Sullivan could not have been a mistake. A scholar with an impressive GPA who was unfazed no matter how many times he'd embarrassed her in class... Someone smart, serious, but who might do anything for a grade, especially if her education depended on it. Perhaps that was the reason she said yes to going out with him in the first place. Otherwise she was just as gullible as every girl her age, which he would be more than happy to take advantage of.

Still, she seemed the kind of girl that had to be approached with caution. The only challenge was how to win her over fast enough to keep him in the running. It was a gamble he could've avoided had he gone with any other student, but if this was to be his third win, might as well make things a little more challenging.

Rowen drummed his fingers on the desk before rising up to leave the room. It was time to play serious.

Hayleigh played with her pen and tried to concentrate on her test paper. It was to no avail, since all the numbers on the page just swam in her head. Around the room the rest of the class kept their heads lowered, all busy with the exam. Up front, Professor Henderson was busy checking papers.

It had already been two weeks since that eventful first date, but she was still reeling from the fact that she had kissed her own teacher. She'd kept it all in, unable to tell a single soul, not even to her roommate Tara. While she hadn't spoken privately with Professor Henderson since that day, they'd been in constant communication via text.

It was almost surreal the way he seemed so detached in class and yet so engaging in his messages. Naturally, things had to be low-key given their situation, and yet it was their very setup that complicated things. She was inviting trouble into her life when it was the last thing she needed. With a scholarship to maintain, she needed to keep her nose clean and avoid any distractions.

Instead, there was Professor Henderson—handsome, smart, enigmatic, and way out of her league. He was no awkward high school boy. He was a full-grown man, and she didn't know how to deal with one. It was a risk she couldn't afford to take, not when there was so much at stake.

'So why are you still entertaining him?' the voice in her head asked.

She nearly flinched in her seat when Professor Henderson averted his bespectacled gaze back at her. She immediately lowered her head and gripped her pen tight. This was ridiculous.

Twenty minutes later, the bell finally rang. Students rose from their seats and started passing their papers. Hayleigh managed to finish her test on time as she grabbed her bag and followed the queue of students up front. She kept her gaze on her paper the whole time as she passed her test to Professor Henderson.

"Miss Sullivan, may I have a word?"

His expression in front of the other students gave away nothing. She could only nod, fighting not to rock on her heels as she waited for everyone else to file out of the room.

"When are you free again?" he asked while stacking test papers. "Do you want to have dinner with me sometime?"

'Say you're busy,' her conscience demanded. 'Say you have to study. SAY NO.'

"I'm okay any time."

"How about tonight?"

"Tonight?" Her voice sounded higher than usual. "Sure. Where?"

"I'll make dinner, put on a movie. My place?" His steel grey eyes searched hers. "Unless you want somewhere more... public, of course."

"No, I don't think public's a very good idea." She uneasily laughed. "Tonight at your place it is."

A small smile formed on his lips. "Great. I'll pick you up later then."

Hayleigh numbly nodded. "Okay, see you later."

She mentally slapped herself as she left the room. What the hell had she just done?

"For someone who's about to go on a date, you look more mortified than excited."

Hayleigh ignored Tara as she kept pacing back and forth in their dorm.

"Why are you so nervous? It's the same Tinder dude, right?" Tara's lips rounded with curiosity. "Unless it's a new one?"

"No... it's the same one," Hayleigh muttered, unable to lie coherently when she was too busy trying not to throw up.

"So what's there to worry about then?"

Hayleigh wrung her hands together and sat on the edge of her bed. Surely she could afford to slip out a truth or two. "He's invited me over at his place tonight."

Tara perked up in her seat. "Oh my God! He has his own place? That's so hot."

Hayleigh massaged her temples. Her friend's excitement was not helping at all.

"Oh okay, I get it." Tara grabbed a pillow and hugged it. "You're worried about being alone with him."

Hayleigh shakily sighed. "I'm not used to this dating thing. Besides, isn't it a bit too soon for me to go to his place?"

"Yeah, we all know what 'Netflix and chill' really means." Tara shrugged. "But hey, at the end of the day it's entirely up to you. If you get too uncomfortable, just let him know."

And that was the problem. She was having the hardest time saying no where Professor Henderson was concerned.

"But come on, surely you've gone at least second base before, right? There's no harm in a little making out."

The mere thought of it nearly made Hayleigh's head explode. Tara laughed. It must've shown on her face.

Hayleigh nearly jumped when something vibrated in her lap. Her heart leapt at Rowen's message, letting her know he was already downstairs.

"Well, looks like it's show time," she muttered, standing up. "See you later."

"Condoms, okay?"

Hayleigh chucked a pillow at Tara's grinning face before leaving.

She flashed him an uneasy smile. "Hey."

The moment she stepped inside, it was like being transported back to that night two weeks ago. The memory of kissing him flashed before her eyes again, and it was all she could do not to bolt back upstairs.

"You ready?" he asked as she barely managed to lock her seatbelt in place. She nodded as he drove the car forward and out of campus.

"So." She cleared her throat to break the silence. "What are you making tonight?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"Oh? Drumming up a little suspense, aren't we?"

He merely chuckled as the car turned left at the next stoplight.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at a brick apartment only a few blocks from the town center. He parked underground, and as soon as they stepped inside the elevator, Hayleigh's pulse began to escalate again.

"Did you grow up in this town?" he asked, pressing on the button to the 9th floor.

"I'm from upstate. You?"

"No, I used to live in Cambridge."

"Really? I took you more for a city guy," she mused as the doors dinged open.

"Well, my family's originally from Boston." He fished the keys out of his pocket as they walked down the hallway.

They stopped in front of a door that read 903. "Why Cambridge then?"

"I went to MIT." He swung the door open. "After you."

"Are you serious?" Her eyes widened, and even more so upon entering his apartment.

His walls were lined with brick, with everything else in shades of black and grey. From his kitchen shelves and counters to the steel bars hanging overhead, everything was in monochrome. The dining room comprised of a single, long table with ghost chairs, where plates were already set up.

"Make yourself comfortable," he said while she gawked at the rest of his apartment. He headed to the kitchen while she observed the living room. A widescreen TV faced a plush couch and suede rug, while a short flight of stairs led to a loft where the bedroom was.

"What the hell?" She turned around in disbelief. "This is one hell of an apartment."

"Thank you." He turned on the stove. "Have a seat. Let me just reheat this sauce. I hope you like pasta."

"Can't say no to pasta," she muttered, removing her bag and uneasily taking a seat. Hot professor from MIT with a nice pad and cooks? Jesus, who did he sell his soul to?

He briefly returned to pour a modest amount of red wine. He lifted his glass to a toast, to which she followed.

"Wait, you can drink, can't you?"

"Technically, not for another two years."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that then." He winked.

Hayleigh ended up swallowing more of the wine than she expected. It was strong and potent, and she nearly choked on it. Good thing he had already turned around before she made a face.

"Do you need help with anything?" she offered as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Don't worry about it," he said, returning to carry two plates. Carefully, he settled a plate of Bolognese pasta before her, garnished with parsley.

"Apologies as this was all I could come up with at the last minute." He took his seat next to her. "Bon appétit."

"Are you kidding? Thank you for making dinner." She lifted her fork. "You didn't have to."

"It's a little light, but I did make some tiramisu in the fridge."

"Wow, this is delicious." She brought a hand to her mouth. "Did you make this sauce?"

He idly swirled his wine. "I did."

"Now I'm embarrassed." She shook her head. "I can make like cup noodles at best."

"It's never too late to take up cooking lessons. I just learned online."

"I'll add that to my list. For now, my priority is to pass your class first."

Rowen unfolded his napkin with a smirk and a shake of his head.

After a just as delicious dessert, they decided to plug in a classic horror movie from the 70s. Hayleigh accepted the bowl of popcorn from Rowen as he dimmed the lights in the room and sat down beside her.

The bowl of popcorn kept them apart on the couch, though he was at least a full arm's length from her. She was in a cardigan and jeans with her legs folded, sitting a good distance away. She was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

Still, she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the movie. She'd already seen The Exorcist at least three times, but she couldn't keep track of what was happening anymore. All she could do was to keep eating popcorn, even though she was already bursting from all the food she ate earlier.

She dug her hand through the bowl, only to feel Rowen's fingers brush against hers. She jerked her gaze away from the TV to find they'd reached for the popcorn at the same time.

"Sorry," she sheepishly said, retracting her hand. "I'm being a pig."

"No, you're not." He quietly laughed. "Besides, I like a girl who eats."

It was a good thing it was dark, otherwise he would see how red her face was right now.

"Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Yeah." She cleared her throat. "Why do you ask?"

"You look like you've got something on your mind."

Hayleigh tried to school her face to look neutral, but it was pointless now. Was she really that transparent?

Slowly, he reached for the remote and lowered the volume. "It's because I'm your teacher, right?"

Shadows danced on Rowen's face as he intently eyed her. Words refused to form as Hayleigh felt her heart in her throat.

"If this makes you uncomfortable, you can tell me," he said. "I don't want to force things between us."

She uneasily licked her lips and nodded. "No, I know that. It's just more... complicated because of how things are. I'm just a little scared, I guess."

He shifted to fully face her on the couch. "I understand. I could get fired, and you have your studies to worry about. I just can't help but be attracted to you, I guess."

Hayleigh lowered her head in embarrassment. "But I'm nobody special. I mean, you're smart, good-looking, and you have a really nice apartment…"

He softly chuckled before reaching out to gently clasp her hand. His palm was large and warm against hers.

"All those things don't make me special either," he said. "Besides, for a very pretty girl like you, I'm surprised you don't already have a boyfriend."

She could only shrug in growing embarrassment. God, her face felt like it was on fire.

Carefully, he cupped her cheek and tilted her face up. "Have a little more confidence in yourself. We're on the same boat—well, minus the apartment. But you can work on that in a few years' time."

She laughed. "I guess so."

His thumb lightly brushed over her cheek. His eyes briefly locked on her mouth before their gazes met again.

Slowly, Rowen pulled her close and sealed her lips with his. His mouth felt warm and full as he kissed her gently, until his hand moved to her nape to deepen the kiss. A short gasp escaped her, but he quickly stifled it as he kissed her with a growing ardency that was impossible to pull away from. God, he was such a good kisser...

He began to lean forward, and she ended up on her back at the edge of the couch. She could feel the sturdy muscles of his torso as he went on top of her and put a hand up her shirt. His fingers were almost feverish to the touch as his lips trailed down to her neck and began to leave a mark.

Her body began to feel tight with a frustration she hadn't felt before. It was clear Rowen was far from all the awkward high school boys she'd made out with. He was a man who knew what he was doing, and was now doing things to her body that made her feel hot and strange...

Her back slightly arched as his lips moved to her stomach. It took nearly all of her willpower to place her hands on his shoulders and gently push him away.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "Can we stop here?"

His head remained low and close to her stomach for a few seconds longer before he slowly extricated himself from her. "Of course. I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"It's fine," she said in a small voice as she sat upright and fixed her top.

"It's getting late." He stood up with a sigh. "Let's get you home."

Hayleigh quickly grabbed her things with a mute nod.