★JANIE★

To say I was stunned to see Luciano here in my department, of all places, was an understatement. And not just that, as my professor.

Throughout his lecture, I couldn't concentrate because my mind was occupied with other things. But I noticed that he didn't spare me a glance for once which somehow hurt my feelings.

I had no idea why I was bothered that Luciano paid me no attention. He even went ahead to snub me when he asked a question and I raised my hand to answer.

But immediately after his class ended and he left, I rose from my seat to go after him.

"Please look after my bag, I'll be right back," I said to Felix and he nodded in response.

Chasing after Luciano through the corridor, I forced myself to a halt when I saw him hug a woman. She was pretty, tall with a curvy figure.

A pang of pain tugged my heart and I rubbed my chest, wondering why I was feeling this way. Maybe because it was the first time I saw him hugging another woman, I convinced myself and tried to dismiss the weird feeling.

But when my eyes drifted back to them, my stomach tightened into a knot this time. They seemed pretty cozy. She made Luciano smile and I watched how she flirted with him, touching his shoulders and trying to lean into him.

Yet, Luciano didn't push her away or step back and that rendered my mind racing. Were they dating? Was she the reason why he never made any effort to visit me again?

'Goodness, Janie. Stop being stupid, he owes you nothing! I mentally shut those scrambled thoughts away from my mind.

Luciano began to walk away and the woman turned on occasion to glance at his retreating figure. When we walked by each other, the sudden urge to yank her hair for touching him like that overwhelmed me but I tried to maintain my poise and kept following Luciano.

He rounded up a corner, stopped by a door, pressed his card on the lock and the door beeped open. Just as he entered and was about to close the door shut, I squeezed myself in.

On seeing me, his gaze narrowed into mere slits and he shut the door behind him before turning to face me again. "What are you doing in my office?" His voice was stern, strict with no hint of politeness whatsoever.

He was back to the point when we first met and I didn't know why my stomach seemed unsettled on that feeling.

"I just asked you a question, young lady." His daunting eyes burrowed into my timid ones. "What are you doing in my office? You know how much I hate to repeat myself."

He called me young lady instead of Janie! My brain implied.

Tears rushed to my eyes and I felt pathetic with the way he was addressing me.

"I—I" My voice cracked. Clearing my throat, I managed to bring myself to say. "I know you are angry with me."

Luciano perched on the edge of the large oak table in his office. "That doesn't answer my question."

Feeling extremely miserable, my eyes lowered to the ground and I was starting to scold myself for following him into his office. Maybe I shouldn't have. Maybe I should have acted casual and let bygones be bygones.

And now, it felt too uneasy to look at his face.

Gathering my wits some seconds later, I eventually brought myself to mutter. "I don't even know what I'm doing, but I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize for what?" He demanded. His deep voice resonated across the wall of his office and I shakily raised my head and met his icy, blank stare.

"For the way, I spoke to you the last time we met," I added quickly, hoping to get this over with and leave his office, so I'd get the steam out of my body.

He folded his arms on his chest, and I couldn't help but notice his bulging muscles beneath the exquisite fabric European suit he had on. "There is no need to apologize. You've already made your point and I'm willing to let you go since I've given you back everything I took from you and more. Though, I'm sorry I couldn't give you back your disloyal father!" He seethed.

My heart shattered into a million fragments at the tone of his voice. "Don't be mean, Luciano."

"The last time I checked, we were heading to mean town. Plus, it's Professor Lucien for you." He fired back.

Right now, my mind was riling with so many indescribable emotions. I was on the verge of breaking into tears, but I tried my best to hold myself together and not break down in front of him.

"Fine, Professor Lucien. I —"

He raised a finger in the air to stop me. "Don't get ahead of yourself thinking I became a professor in your department, just because I want to see you. If you have that in mind, you are wrong. I've always had this job because apart from being a cold-blooded killing machine, I'm also an intelligent one at that. I went to Harvard to study pharmacology just so I could continue dealing in drugs and then anatomy, just so I'd know where to attack when I'm ready to plunge a dagger into my victim's body." He spat.

I narrowed my gaze at his face, wondering why he was acting so cold. True, my actions warranted this, but since I was here to apologize, there was no need for him to keep making me regret it.

"You are an ass." I blurted all of a sudden and to my utmost dismay.

Furrowing his brows, he straightened to his feet at once. "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to—"

"If you are here to insult me more, then it's best you get the hell out of my office!" He raised his tone at me, pointing towards the door.

With tears in my eyes, I swallowed hard, sniffled back the tears threatening to fall then asserted. "Fine, I'm going to leave. But I came to apologize and also let you know that I won't be taking the apartment you got for me. Because I didn't know I'd see you here, I intend to send it back through a dispatch."

His large body towered above mine and I felt intimidated. But still, I remained in my spot trying to seem unfazed.

"Keep the apartment. And if you don't want it, toss the keys away or give it to the less privileged. Whatever you choose, I don't care." He sneered.

Staring at his face with tears in my eyes, I stepped closer to him. To be honest, I don't know what I was doing at the moment, but I did it anyway.

I took another step closer.

"Back away, Janie!" He barked but I didn't listen to him, instead I took another step forward.

"Okay, I'm going to count to three for you to leave my office. I don't know what I'll do if you disobey me, but don't dare me!" His dark eyes feasted on mine as he stated.

"One."

I stood there, unmoved.

"Two."

I still didn't make any attempt to leave.

"Three—"

Before he could think of anything else, I threw my arms around his neck, went on my toes, and crashed my lips on his. And I heard his breath hitched.

He seemed distorted for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, he kissed me back.

His lips began to move against mine as he whisked me into his arms, then placed me on his office table without breaking the kiss.

I moaned when his hands caressed my ear lobes, grazed my neck, and then lingered on my left breast. His raspy breath fanned against my face as his fingers slipped beneath my cotton blouse and trailed on my stomach, making me feel giddy before getting into my bra, and teasing my nipple.

Another moan escaped my lips as his other hand slipped into my panties, rubbing on my wet fold.

Just as he was about to slip his fingers into my vagina, I broke the kiss, my breathing pace was irregular as I said. "You can't. That will hurt me because I'm still a virgin."

By now, Luciano's eyes no longer held resentment towards me. Instead, they flickered with lust, desires, and affection.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have gone that far." He whispered. His hot, raspy breath against my face made me wet down there all over again.

"It's fine," I said to him. My hands were laced around his neck and he stared deep into my eyes.

"What are you doing to me, Janie? I promise not to have anything to do with you again and I'm a man of my word but you just made me go back on them." He revealed before placing a kiss on my forehead.

His head against mine.

The both of us lingered that way for a moment, breathing heavily.

We were still trying to catch our breaths as we stayed in each other's arms.

"Do you still want me out of your office?" I found myself asking and Luciano chuckled.

The sound of that melodic rumble made my stomach flutter.

"Oh, Janie." He kissed me one more time and then added. "How can you be the only one capable of pushing my buttons and I mean all of them?"