Tempting her professor

CHAPTER TWO

“I'm not a prude, I'm not tasteless and unwanted.” Carla muttered to herself severally as she stood before the mirror in her bathroom. William's palm print was still visible on her face and there were streaks of dried tears on her face. She might have acted strong as if the taunts were nothing, but they actually struck where it hurt the most, targeting her vulnerabilities.

“William, I will make you see what you lost, you will regret it. As for you Arlene, you bit the hands that fed you. That teeth must fall off for me. It's not how, but when.” She muttered, her eyes reflecting a broken woman trying to keep her sanity together. Carla Beaumont was an orphan, found by the nuns in a forest during a prayer retreat at the monastery. They had taken her back to the orphanage and raised her. When she turned sixteen, she didn't wait to be sent off at eighteen, she requested to leave right away because she got admitted to the university. It was not easy at first, the nuns and children loved her, supporting her with prayers and sending food. But in the end, it was money that pays bills not good wishes.

Her talent in crafting captivating novels soon gave her a big break, gathering a huge fan base of loyal readers. Slowly but surely, things began to look up for her. From working multiple side jobs at the local store, and staying awake at night, she had single handedly risen to her current position in life. Winning a competition added to her huge financial break, enabling her to invest in stocks. That was the reason an orphaned college student like her could live in one of the biggest and most secure apartment complexes in Halisburg. It wasn't so expensive that only billionaires could afford them, but it wasn't cheap either. Working long hours on multiple jobs became a norm for Carla. Perhaps that was the reason she never bothered with looking pretty, she was too busy surviving.

“I can't find a man? Just watch me snag one better than the trash you stole.” She said, and turned into the bathroom.

******

Carla nearly fell flat on her face the moment she opened the door to her apartment to go on her man hunt mission. The painful fall she expected didn't come, making her frown. She took a deep breath, enjoying the sweet smell that suddenly hit her nose before she looked up.

Carla gasped and reached up to touch the man's face. In all her twenty years of life, she had never seen a man as handsome as the one before her. His eyes were a strange violet-blue. But rather than make him weird, it made him hotter and unique.

“I must have died and gone to heaven. Do they still make men like this?” She said aloud, her eyes traveling from the man's succulent lips, to his high nose, and jet black hair. She noticed an even better fact, his rock hard abs were solid against her side.

The man immediately pushed her away, making her stumble and grab the wall for support.

“You're shameless, ogling a stranger in broad daylight.” His cold magnetic voice said, sending shivers across her body.

She turned to him angrily.

“You, how dare you throw me like a sack of potatoes?”

The rest of her words trailed off as she finally got a full view of the man. He was truly tall, his abs and muscles were visible through the material of his white shirt. He was at least six feet tall. Every part of him was in perfect proportions, his muscles were not bulky, but lean perfection. No single ounce of fat could be found.

He was dressed in a navy blue suit, which looked very expensive. However, his suit jacket was missing, leaving him only in his white shirt. His watch was studded with diamonds. Carla didn't know much about shoes but she was sure they cost a lot.

“I should have just allowed you to break your foolish neck.” The man spat and turned to the apartment opposite hers.

Just then, two men in black suits who had been silent all along moved forward with boxes. The moment he keyed in the password and opened his door, it dawned on Carla, making her giggle.

“So you're the owner of unit 10B that has always been empty. Welcome, as you already know, I'm your neighbor. Let's…” Carla said excitedly and rushed to him, offering her hand.

The man's cold halting glare had the rest of her words trailing off. He looked at her derisively, his eyes mercilessly judging her. Although they just met, Carla was quickly learning that this disciplined man before her was ice cold and arrogant, the type that believed he was above all others.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She stuttered, unable to take it anymore.

“Before you try to seduce a man, look in the mirror and see how ugly you look. Pathetic.”

The stranger's words made Carla freeze up. How could such a thing happen twice in the same day? He said exactly what those cheating duo said, pouring cold water on her enthusiasm. Was she that undesirable? Tears came to her eyes but she quickly forced them back. Cry because of a stranger's taunts? No. She took a deep breath and looked at him.

“You will be eating your words soon.”

One of the men who carried his load inside chuckled, making Carla turn to him in anger.

“Ridiculous.” The other said and rolled his eyes. She felt like a clown at their subtle mockery, and she gritted her teeth filled with resentment. Left with no other words, she turned to go back to her unit.

The neighbor frowned. Wasn't she about to go out? Did she change her mind just because of a few poorly delivered jabs?

Carla smirked slightly as she unlocked her door. Who wants to go to a club to find men when there's a perfect specimen at home? Right next door. Without warning, Carla's mission went from ‘make William regret’ to ‘operation seduce the neighbor’.