The Biker's Teacher

Old ties

CLAIRE

Three days passed in an agonizing, silent stalemate.

I hadn’t reached out to Max, and he hadn’t made a single move to approach me at school. We passed each other once in the main courtyard, his dark, calculating eyes tracking me over the handle of his broom while Sarah chattered happily beside me.

By Thursday afternoon, the school parking lot was emptying fast. Levi’s massive dark SUV purred to a halt right at the bottom of the stairs, completely blocking my path.

"Get in, Claire," he murmured.

"I have my own car today, Levi," I replied smoothly, crossing my arms and stepping around the bumper. "And I have plans."

A slow, wicked smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he leaned down his breath brushing warm against my ear.

"I missed you, Claire," he whispered.

The contrast between his soft words and the unyielding grip on my skin made my breath hitch.

"Let go of me, Hilton," I hissed, my voice a fierce whisper. "You don't get to dictate my schedule. Let go."

"Is he disturbing you, ma'am?"

The cool, steady voice sliced through the banter.

Levi’s grip didn't loosen, but his entire frame went completely rigid. Slowly, his dark eyes shifted past my shoulder.

Max was standing less than three feet away. He was holding a large plastic recycling bin. His cold, dark eyes weren't looking at me; they were locked onto Levi’s hand wrapped around my wrist.

Levi let out a low, dangerous chuckle that vibrated right through the air between us. He didn't release my wrist.

"You must be the new help," Levi murmured, his voice dripping with pure, arrogant venom. "I suggest you take your bin and walk away before you find out exactly how short life expectancy is in this territory."

Max didn't blink. He set the bin down with a deliberate click against the asphalt, his eyes narrowing as he took a single step closer, directly invading Levi’s space.

"I asked the lady a question," Max repeated. "Is he disturbing you?"

Levi’s grip on my wrist remained an iron band, his thumb pressing deeply into my pulse point as his obsidian gaze stayed locked on Max.

"It's fine," I said.

I forced a soft, slightly resigned sigh to slip past my lips.

"I'll go with you, Levi," I murmured.

Max’s left eyebrow twitched—a microscopic, split-second fracture in his composure. Levi, however, didn't hide his reaction at all.

A heavy, smug wave of pure ego radiated off his massive frame. His shoulders relaxed slightly as a slow, wicked smirk spread across his lips.

"Smart choice, little teacher," Levi muttered. He used his grip to smoothly guide me towards the open passenger side of the massive dark SUV, his movements lazy and dripping with an agonizing confidence.

"You heard the lady, janitor," Levi growled smoothly. "Pick up your trash and get out of my sight. She’s exactly where she belongs."

Max stood perfectly still by his recycling bin, his expression an unreadable block of stone as he watched us.

The silence inside the moving SUV was thick. I needed to push his buttons.

"If I didn't know any better, Doctor," I started. "I would actually say you're being possessive of me."

"Is that so?" he murmured.

"Yes, it is," I countered, leaning forward slightly. "Because last time I checked, we are nothing. We are basically two strangers, and one of us seems to be forcing themselves on the other."

I watched him closely, waiting for the sudden flash of anger, the clenching of his fists, or the predatory growl.

Slowly, he turned his head, those dark eyes locking onto mine with a heavy, unblinking intensity.

"You think we're strangers, Claire?" he whispered.

A wicked smile spread across his lips—a look of agonizing confidence that sent a sudden, chilling spike of adrenaline straight down my spine.

"You can call it whatever you want, little teacher," he murmured, turning his gaze back to the road. "But we both know you didn't crawl into this car because I forced you."

"So, where exactly are you planning to take me, Levi?" I asked.

"We're going to dinner, Claire," he murmured, his deep voice maddeningly calm.

"Dinner?" I repeated.

"A date," he clarified smoothly. The sheer arrogance radiating off him was suffocating. "I know, right? A date."

The neon lights of the city's affluent dining district eventually gave way to a secluded, tree-lined street, pulling up to the valet of an upscale, dimly lit restaurant that bled quiet luxury.

Inside, the atmosphere was soft, filled with the low hum of jazz and the delicate clinking of crystal. For a while, the sharp edge of our usual friction seemed to melt into the background. Levi ordered for both of us without asking, his choices flawless.

"Well, well. Long time no see, Hilton."

A sophisticated, velvety voice cut straight through our private bubble.I paused, my glass halfway to my lips, as a woman stepped into the amber light of our booth. She was stunning—radiating a classic, dangerous elegance in a tailored cream suit, her sharp eyes scanning the two of us with an icy, knowing amusement.

"I didn't think I'd find you hiding out in a place like this," she purred, her tone smooth but carrying an undercurrent of history. She slowly turned her eyes to me, her smile widening into something entirely mocking. "And with a pal, no less."

The casual, deliberate use of the word pal felt less like a greeting and more like a carefully aimed weapon.

Levi’s posture didn't change, his hand remaining relaxed around his own glass, but the air around our table instantly dropped ten degrees. The lazy, satisfied contentment in his face vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating mask as his eyes narrowed at the intruder.

"Veronica," Levi murmured, his deep voice dropping into a lethal octave. "You're a long way from your territory."

"Territory is a flexible concept, Levi. You of all people should remember that," she murmured, leaning down just enough to bridge the distance between them.

"After all, it wasn't that long ago that you were calling me your Vixen. Or have you completely erased the scars we gave each other?"