Chapter 1 — "Why Are You Hard?"

Liam's POV

"I will take whatever you got." He whispered softly into my ears.

"Take me." I couldn't even open my eyes as I bit my lips to stop the moan from escaping my throat. You know, that was completely embarrassing — accepting that fate.

"Say that again." His playful voice teased as he nibbled on my earlobe while his fingers gently caressed my nipple before he kissed me, and I was left with no choice but to admit wholeheartedly this time, "take me."

He licked down from my ear to my throat as his wet tongue settled on my Adam's apple. In that moment, I couldn't hold back my moan and lost it completely as my toes curled up on the bed.

"Do you feel how bad I have been waiting for this? So please don't stop." I moaned shamelessly and I could feel him smirking without having to meet my gaze.

"I don't plan on stopping either." He teased once more and I felt like my hard dick could explode any moment from all the teasing he was doing to my body.

I cussed in rage and he bit my neck, causing me to wince in that sweet kind of pain before using his tongue to soothe the ache. "You are mine tonight. Every inch of you is mine to explore."

In no time, I gripped the bedsheets, gritted my teeth and buried my face into the soft foam — feeling Ken's sweat falling on my back and soft moans escaping his lips while he continued thrusting with more strength than necessary.

At this point, I couldn't even believe the words coming out of my own mouth — because one minute, this same arrogant guy was one person I could bet I would never have to deal with, and now I am f*cking down with him.

It all felt like the wrong that felt right.

Now, let's get back to how it all started.

*****

I was moving toward Ms. Lucia Scott's office — the dean of student academics. My chest was tight the whole walk there and I kept running the same words over and over in my head like rehearsing lines before stepping on stage.

‘Please. Just let me pay later. Until the tutoring money comes in.’

That was the only plan I had.

Getting to the student bookshelf locker, one of the students stopped me in my tracks. "Oh Liam, what are you still doing here? School is over."

I paused and turned to face him. "I just gotta talk to Ms. Scott." Then I turned back around and kept moving — not because I was being rude, but because whatever he had to say after that wasn't something I had the headspace for right now.

"Okay," he called after me.

I didn't look back as I was already lost in my little world of thought.

‘This is my only shot at finishing high school. Getting into college and finally giving my mum a way out of everything we've been stuck in.’ I kept turning those words over as I climbed the stairs leading to Ms. Scott's office, half praying to whatever supernatural force was out there — if any of that even existed — that she would hear me out without making it a whole thing.

What I was not prepared for was what I saw when I got there.

I hadn't even knocked yet. I was still outside with my hand raised, when I noticed the door wasn't fully closed. And through the gap, I could see Ms. Scott at her desk…and Ken.

Ken.

I paused for a while.

Now, everyone at Pathways knew Ken. You couldn't not know him. His dad threw money at this school consistently without being asked. The only reason Ken's name ever appeared on any academic list was because someone behind the scenes always made sure it did. The guy had charm that could probably talk a judge out of a verdict, and the audacity to match it. Honestly, that was indeed a dangerous combination.

I leaned slightly to the side, just enough to see clearly. I told myself I wasn't snooping — I was just trying to figure out if Ms. Scott was busy before I knocked and that was all.

Ken had his school report pressed flat on her desk and even from where I was standing, I could see the bold red letter ‘F’ and circled in the middle of the page like it was being celebrated.

"Come on, Ms. Scott. It's just a little change." He slid the pen toward her, trying to ease it into her palm. "Nobody needs to know. It can simply be a secret between us."

"I could help you but…" Ms. Scott started.

And then Ken shifted.

Something about the way he moved made my stomach drop. It was slow and deliberate which felt like the kind of move that knew exactly what it was doing. He gave her this look, the type that probably had a success rate he was very proud of. Then he came around to her side of the desk, licked his lips, reached over and turned her chair so she was facing him directly. His fingers traced her hairline down to her jaw like he had all the time in the world. Then he started loosening the fancy bow tie at her collar.

That was where I lost it.

I didn't mean to make a sound. Honestly, I genuinely did not mean to but something between a gasp and a strangled noise escaped my throat, "ahhhh," and the books I had been holding slipped straight out of my hands and hit the floor loud enough to echo down the hallway.

‘Oh no.’

I didn't wait for the fallout. I turned and moved real fast.

"Hey. Stop." Ken's voice shot out behind me and I heard his footsteps hit the floor hard, closing in quick.

I kept going while my heart was slamming against my ribs and my brain was already calculating — if I can just get to the next hallway, maybe he will never catch up with me.

"Shit!" He barked when I made a sharp turn.

But my luck ran out at the bookshelf locker.

I felt his hand close around my arm first, and then my back hit the shelf before I even processed what was happening. Ken had both my wrists pinned above my head, one hand holding them together like it was nothing, the other pressed flat against my chest keeping me against the shelf.

For a second, neither of us said anything. We were both catching our breath — him from the chase and as for me…from the sheer shock of being caught.

Then he smiled and I could bet this wasn't a nice smile either. It was like the kind of smile that meant he found this far more entertaining than he should.

"I know you." His eyes ran over my face like he was confirming something he'd already filed away. "Valedictorian. Top of the class." The smile widened. "Who knew the teacher's pet was a little peeping Tom?"

I struggled against his grip but he barely moved. He just tightened his hold and kept that stupid smile going. My wrists were pressed into the edge of the shelf and I could feel the corner of it digging into my skin, but I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of saying so.

"And I thought the star of the hockey team would be busy chasing cheerleaders." I shot back, still working to get my hands free. "Or are teachers more your type?"

Something shifted across his face — not offense exactly, more like mild amusement at the fact that I was still talking. He shifted his weight and used one knee to edge closer, pressing my chest harder against the shelf. "You need to learn when to look away." His voice dropped just enough. "Some doors are not meant for you."

"Funny." I kept my chin up even though my pulse was embarrassingly loud in my own ears. "Didn't look like you minded the audience."

"You didn't see anything."

"Then don't run after me."

He went quiet for a second and just looked at me in a way that made me want to check if something was written on my face. Then he lifted one hand and dragged his fingers slowly along my jaw, not roughly though. It was just… deliberate. "Careful." He leaned in until his mouth was close to my ear. "Nothing happened." 

He paused but then his grip tightened on my jaw — not painful, just firm. "And you — better keep your mouth shut." His breath was warm against the side of my face. "Got it?"

The shelf was digging into my back. His chest was close enough that I could feel the heat coming off him. And that was the exact moment I felt it — something pressing against me that had no business being there given the circumstances.

My eyes dropped down before I could stop them, and then back up.

He caught where my gaze had just been. His jaw tightened just slightly and this was actually the first real crack in that whole unbothered act he'd been performing since he pinned me here.

I held his stare and let the smile come slow, because honestly, I had earned this one. "Right. Nothing happened and I will keep my mouth shut like you want." I tilted my head just a little. "So why are you hard?"