GAGE

CHAPTER NINE

I blink, then blink once more, surely he must be in my head again. No way was Gage standing on the podium in front of class.

I close my eyes for a full minute before reopening them, hoping to come out of yet another Gage induced fog, and find him still standing there, in all his six feet of sexy glory.

A chorus of good afternoon from the other students, mainly the front row girls, drives home the fact that he is indeed in my class.

Oh no! Please God, no! Chanting desperately, I pray for some kind of mix-up.

"I'm Gage Dagwood, and for you lot, Mr. Dagwood." Gage rumbles in his deep baritone, looking at the front and middle rows.

Sweet mother of God, it's really happening.

Blood drains from my face, as my heart stops beating for a second, dreading his next words.

"I'll be handling Accounting." Gage's dark blue eyes lock on my stunned ones as he says the words I was hoping against hope not to hear.

As reality slams into me, my heart starts thundering in my chest and panic takes root.

Gage is my professor. He's not just any teacher, he's my honours teacher, meaning I'll be spending two hours of every single day with him; with the same man I climbed the thrones of passion a night ago. The man who has kissed me, spanked me and Lord, seen me naked.

How could fate be this cruel? And why didn't he say anything when he asked me about my college? I thought he was genuinely interested in getting to know me but in reality he was just mocking me all this time. Anger quickly wells up, more at my gullibility than at him.

While I was going through the pain of never seeing him again, never discovering where our chemistry could have gone, he knew all along that he would be meeting me again, not at another random club, but as a professor in my college.

All this time I was attempting to clear my mind of him. But now that he's here, back in my life, all my attempts are swept away in his powerful tornado and torn apart into bits and pieces.

I glare at him with all the contempt and deceit ridding my pores. His reaction only ires me further. His lips tips up ever so slightly and his eyes light with amusement. His audacity to find the current predicament entertaining burns my blood like lava.

But what's more irking is the reaction of my traitorous heart. It flutters at his boyish expression. Stupid thing, it didn't know anything. It was the cause for my reckless night with him, while my mind, being the rational one, had blatantly screamed at me to scramble from his room.

It's safe to say that the mess I'm in right now is all due to my swooning heart, yet, it still doesn't understand the message of him being a lying arse.

Gage holds my fuming orbs with his amused ones for a few beats, before looking away and commencing roll call.

And I use the opportunity to ogle him, dammit heart!

He looks his usual self- breathtaking. Dressed in black slacks and a navy blue button down shirt, he's perfection on legs. The addition of the dark gray blazer stretching over his broad shoulders and bunching at his biceps hints at the masculine sculpted body beneath it.

A body I've had the pleasure of viewing. My skin tingles at the reminiscence of the night and I resist the urge to groan. First my heart was putty in his hands, now my mind too!

His dark brown locks though combed back, appear a bit messy, probably from having his long fingers run through their silkiness, the stubble on his chiseled jaw seems rough to the eye and I'm overwhelmed with the need to have them against my skin again, scraping me as we kiss. My eyes are soon drawn to his gorgeous pink lips, forcing me to recall the feel of them against my own, so soft, so sure, so consuming.

Lips that are moving as they form words, "Kiera Carter."

I frown and shake my head. Stop imagining your name on his enticing lips. Stop thinking about said lips. Period.

"Kiera Carter?"

His loud voice penetrates through my Gage dreamland and I jump in my seat, my knees colliding with the underside of the table and rattling them.

"Here," I respond in a shaky voice, embarrassed by the attention of all the other students.

Gage flashes his signature pearly white smile, dimples forming on his stubble covered cheek and trapping me in their dangerous potency again.

I gaze at him icily, rage fighting with desire.

Oh, he thinks this is funny does he? "Everything alright, Ms. Carter?" Gage questions, a hint of laughter in his voice.

My eyes narrow to harsh slits. "Yes, Mr. Royal," I say, spitting out his name.

Not wanting to engage in a battle of wills and gaze into the eyes I've come to admire and now loathe, I look away, trying to find a solution to this mess.

"Are you alright?" A timid voice asks from beside me and only then do I remember Evie sitting beside me.

Taking a deep breath, I keep my emotions in check, before turning to her and giving her a small smile. "Yeah," I whisper, touched by the concern in her ocean blue eyes.

Smiling back she nods at Gage, "He's every girl's dream isn't he?"

Pondering over her question I rake my eyes over the female population in class and find their eyes glued on Gage, ogling him and giving him their undivided attention.

Anger takes root in my stomach, swift and strong, that it leaves me stunned by its intensity.

It's official. I'm going insane. Why else would I feel annoyance towards them? It doesn't make any sense.

"Is he?" I ask steadily, trying to sound bored even though I want to find out as much as I could about him.

Evie's cheeks take on a bright pink shade as she blushes. "Oh Kiera, he's every girl's wildest fantasy."

I gape at her, not believing that the shy, timid girl from before said those words.

Guess Gage has an effect on everyone. "Is he famous around here?" I prod, trying to get information without appearing interested.

"Absolutely. I guess with his good looks its expected but he's also-"

"Alright class, why don't we get to know each other before commencing with the lessons?" Gage's alluring voice draws our attention back to him, as his eyes land on mine, I avert my eyes and stare at my table instead, not wanting him to see the torrent of emotions in my eyes.

One by one students start to introduce themselves, their voice loud and clear, yet I'm unable to hear them, my mind focused on the degree of damage to my college life.

No one knows about the time we shared. I hadn't said a word about meeting Gage to Ava. I don't recall seeing any of the students faces in the club.

Yes! I have nothing to worry about. Everything will be alright. I just have to endure his presence during lectures and after class, I will avoid him like the plague. Yup, problem solved.

I feel electricity pulsing in the air beside me, pulling my focus away from the table. My eyes land on hard abdominal muscles encased in a navy blue t-shirt, hiding spectacular six packs but insinuating its presence.

Gulping, I drag my eyes over his strong torso, sturdy neck, dark whiskers, unforgettable lips, straight nose and stop on stern dark blue eyes.

"Care to introduce yourself, Ms. Carter." Gage's cold tone sends an artic chill down my spine. His sudden change in demeanor taking me off guard.

Averting my eyes from his displeased ones, I face the front of the class and find everyone's eyes on me again.

Clearing my throat, I speak nervously, "I'm Kiera Carter and I'm from Moonrock."

Evie starts to introduce herself next but I can't make out a single word. The electricity sizzling between Gage and I is too much, and even though he's a feet away, I can still feel him. His scent of pine, earth and something solely Gage washes over me. His heat skims my body, erupting goose pimples on my skin.

After Evie completes her introduction Gage heads to the front again and I sag in relief. The tension in the air between us was reaching unbearable heights.

"Alright class, now that that's out of the way, let's commence with the syllabus." His voice is gravelly hard and his eyes are spheres of fire.

What in the world is he furious about? I'm the who was deceived, who was kept from the truth.

"Ms. Carter can you please repeat what I just said?" Gage's voice cuts through me like a whip.

Startled, I sit straighter in my seat, having no idea how much time passed or what all topics he covered during my lamenting.

"Uh ... the ... um, definition of accounting." My face heats with embarrassment when it comes out more like a question than a statement.

The whole class roars in laughter and I unsuccessfully fight the flush that starts from my neck, travels north and ends on my cheeks.

"Yes, that would have been right thirty minutes back. Stay back after class Ms. Carter." Gage's dark eyes promise retribution, a very pissed off alpha male vibes pouring off of him.

My mouth goes dry. That was not the plan. The plan was to run after class, to evade him at all costs. Not to stay back and have a one on one session with him. Dammit! Can't anything go right today?!

I glare daggers at him through the reminder of the class, his jaw ticking in response to my outrage.

After what seems like forever he finally dismisses the class and I watch as students file out, boys nodding at him and girls peering at him from under their lashes while passing him on their way out.

Evie waves at me before leaving me to face the vexed beast on my own.

As soon as the last person leaves, Gage covers the distance to the door in three ground-eating strides and closes it, before locking it with an audible click.

My heart skips a beat, recollecting a similar scene in his room.

Standing in the centre of class again, he commands, "Come here, love."