One Wild Night With My Professor

Chapter Two - Tangled Mornings

~Ariel’s POV~

The first thing I felt was the ache. A deep, delicious soreness that pulsed through every inch of me—the kind that reminded me exactly how reckless I’d been.

The sheets were tangled around my bare legs, still warm with the ghost of his body. The air smelled like whiskey, faint cologne, and something darker, something that was him.

I cracked my eyes open, squinting against the sunlight bleeding through the thin curtains. My throat was dry, my head heavy. But my mind? My mind was painfully clear.

“s**t,” I muttered, pushing myself upright.

The other side of the bed was empty. No note. No number. Not even a trace of him, except the faint dent in the pillow where his head had been.

I brushed my fingers over it and let out a quiet laugh. What had I expected? A romantic goodbye? Breakfast in bed?

Yeah, right.

I swung my legs off the bed and froze when I caught sight of myself in the mirror across the room. My hair was a mess, mascara smudged beneath my eyes, and faint purple marks dotted my collarbone, down to my breasts and areolas, like a trail of secrets.

My lips curled. He’d started off gentle, almost hesitant. But when I teased him, told him he looked like the kind of man who liked control, he’d proved me right, pounding into me over and over again till I was a moaning mess.

Even while riding him, he still managed to take control and f****d the light out of me.

My stomach tightened at the memory. The sound of his low voice in my ear, the way he’d said my name when he asked for it, his breath hot against my skin as he lost himself in me.

The buzzing of my phone ripped me out of the haze. Mom. Of course.

I groaned and answered. “Yeah?”

“Where the hell are you?” she snapped, voice sharp enough to cut glass.

“Good morning to you too,” I said, rubbing my temple.

“Don’t you ‘good morning’ me, Ariel. Do you have any idea what time it is? We’re supposed to be leaving in an hour. You didn’t even come home last night!”

“I’m fine,” I said flatly. “I just crashed at a friend’s place.”

“Liar,” she hissed. “You and your words smell like alcohol every time you pull this crap. You’re just like…”

“Don’t,” I cut in, my tone low. “Don’t you dare say I’m like him.”

Heavy silence followed. I could hear her steady breath through the phone. Then, softer. “Just get home. Now.”

The line went dead.

I dropped the phone onto the bed and let out a long breath. Mom always knew exactly where to dig.

By the time I made it home, we had thirty minutes to spare, thanks to Mr. Sexy Stranger picking a rather far hotel.

Mum was waiting for me—arms crossed, lips pressed tight.

“You look like hell,” she said.

“Thanks,” I muttered, brushing past her. “I worked super hard for it.”

“Ariel.” Her voice cracked through the air.

I stopped halfway up the stairs but didn’t turn.

“You promised you’d try this time. For me. For us.”

I gripped the railing until my knuckles turned white. “I’m trying, Mom. Just not your version of it.”

She sighed. “We’re moving in with Kael today. Please don’t ruin this before it even starts.”

I didn’t answer. I just went to my room, shut the door, and pressed my forehead against it. I hated that she sounded so small when she said things like that.

—

The car ride to Kael Draven’s mansion was torture. The air between us was filled with unspoken words and stale resentment.

Rather than engage in a conversation like Mum would want, I stared out the window, watching the city slip away, all gray blur and noise.

I tried not to think about his mouth on my skin as Mum talked about new beginnings.

When we turned onto a private road lined with towering oaks and iron gates, my stomach sank.

The mansion was huge—modern stone, glass walls, the kind of house that screamed money and silence.

Kael Draven was waiting for us at the door. He was tall, maybe mid-forties, all pressed lines, slightly cold eyes and a domineering presence that reminded me of my sexy stranger.

He looked like the kind of man who didn’t need to raise his voice to be obeyed.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Ariel,” he said with a polite smile as soon as I alighted from the car and turned towards his mansion.

“Likewise,” I said, forcing one back.

Mum circled over to where I stood. She walked past me and went straight into his arms like I wasn’t there and kissed him.

Gawk!

“Come, let us go in.”

Immediately he said that, the line of maids waiting at the stair walked over, passed us and headed for Mum’s car to get our luggages.

“Leave it to them and let’s go,” Mr. Draven ordered.

Smiling, I did as I was told even though I wasn’t used to this. He led us inside. The place smelled like cedar and polish. Too perfect. Too neat. My mother looked impressed, though, and that was all that seemed to matter.

Since we arrived a few minutes before lunch, he ushered us straight to the dining table.

The dining room was like something out of a lifestyle magazine—long mahogany table polished to a mirror sheen, crystal chandeliers spilling soft golden light across porcelain plates and gleaming silverware.

The air carried the faint scent of roasted herbs and butter. Everything looked too perfect, and almost rehearsed.

I hesitated by the doorway before Kael gestured for us to sit. A maid pulled out my chair, and I caught my reflection in the polished surface of a spoon—messy hair, tired eyes, completely out of place.

Still, I smiled faintly, straightened my back, and reached for the glass of water as lunch began.

Over lunch, Kael said, “My son, Kaiden, lectures at your university. I’ve asked him to look out for you, help you settle in.”

I blinked, half-distracted. “That’s… nice of him.”

“He’s a good man,” Kael said, smiling with quiet pride. “You’ll like him.”

“Professor Draven?” I asked.

“Yes. Professor Kaiden Draven.”

The name hit a soft note in the back of my head. Kaiden. Draven. It sounded domineering, and I found his name rolling on my tongue.

“Thank you sir.”

“Call me, Kael.”

I gave a slow nod before he added, “Your mum tells me you and she are on first name basis. I like that. And I’ll love the same. Sir, sounds distant.”

“Sure.” I cast a glance at Mom where she sat opposite me to his right. She smiled cutely like she didn’t just drag him into our personal stuff.

“Oh and what about Princess?” My Mum’s chirpy voice inquired, forcing me to look at Kael.

“Well, the little highness was at a sleepover at her friend’s. She should be back later today.” He picked his glass of wine, took a sip, placed it down and looked at me. “She’s my youngest and only female child. “Maybe someday, your mum and I will add a few more to the family.”

I felt my stomach tighten. He reached for Mum’s cheek and caressed it softly.

I felt like they were probably moving too fast and the world was changing except for me but seeing how genuinely happy Mum was, I reserved my comment and let lunch drift by.

Later, one of the housekeepers showed me to my room. It was a spacious, bright, big room that looked way too clean. My boxes were already nestled against a door in the room with the tag ‘closet’ written on it.

I dropped onto the bed, too tired to start exploring, and stared at the ceiling until my phone buzzed. Bella.

“Hey, you!” she said cheerfully. “Sorry I ditched you last night. Things got… busy.”

I snorted. “I figured. Don’t worry, I managed just fine on my own.”

“Ooh, that tone. Should I be jealous?”

“Let’s just say,” I said, smirking at my reflection, “it was one hell of a night and he f****d like a s*x god.”

She giggled. “You’re such a menace. Anyway, ready for school tomorrow?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“By the way, I stopped by your place and noticed the house was empty.”

“Yeah we moved.”

“Huh, I thought that wasn’t decided yet.”

“Well, turns out Mum’s love was over the moon and she made an impromptu decision. I’m in my soon to be stepfather’s house. We just arrived and…”

“Ariel!” Mum’s voice rang out from the passageway. “We need to go shopping for your school tomorrow. Come down.”

“Sorry, got to go.”

“Alright, bestie. See you tomorrow.” I sighed and dragged myself downstairs.

—

Morning came too fast. I met Bella outside campus, hugged her, and we split off to different departments—she was the science not-so-nerd, I was the art mess.

My nerves buzzed as I slipped into my first class and took a seat by the window in the front row. It was my little strategy—behave like a nerd while no one suspected my mischief hidden away.

The room filled quickly, the usual first-day chatter bouncing off the walls. I took out my phone, busy chatting Bella about my wild night on my phone when the door opened and he walked in.

Tall, sharp in an all black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, matching black trousers and expensive wristwatch. Calm, composed… but when my gaze drifted up to see his face, my stomach dropped straight through me.

The man staring at me was none other than the Sexy Stranger from my wild night escapade. The man whose hands had been on me. The man who’d kissed me like he was starving.

My pulse hammered as his gaze swept the room, then froze on me. His jaw clenched, a flicker of recognition flashing across his face before he masked it with that same cool, professional calm.

I sat perfectly still, pretending to take notes while heat crawled up my neck.

But deep within me, I knew this was bad.

And God help me, I couldn’t stop the small, wicked smile that tugged at my lips.

But just when I thought my brain had seen it all, he addressed the class and introduced himself.

“Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Aesthetics and Modern Expression,” he said smoothly. So he was an Art lecturer. Figures.

“We’ll be exploring visual interpretation, emotional depth…” His gaze flicked briefly to me, a heartbeat of recognition before vanishing behind his professional mask. “…and I am your Professor, Draven. Kaiden Draven.”