Chapter 132: A Dangerous Combination

Emerald’s POV

By the time I returned to my dorm that evening, I felt pleasantly exhausted.

It had been a long day, but it was the kind of exhaustion that came from knowing I had actually accomplished something.

I had spent hours studying with Michael, worked through material that had been giving me trouble, and managed to make progress that would have taken me much longer on my own.

Michael had also refused to let me leave without eating dinner.

I had protested that I could eat when I returned to the dorm, but he had ignored me completely and ordered enough food for three of us.

By the time I finally left his condo, I was full, tired, and ready for nothing more complicated than a shower and my bed.

I unlocked my dorm room, stepped inside, and dropped my handbag onto the small table near the entrance. My laptop bag followed.

I took out my phone almost immediately. There was something I wanted to tell him before I went to sleep, so I opened WhatsApp and typed a message.

"I’m back at the dorm. Thank you for today. I really appreciate you giving me so much of your time."

I read it once before sending it. His reply came almost immediately.

"Good. Get some rest. You earned it."

I smiled at the screen.

"Goodnight, Michael."

His response appeared almost immediately.

"Goodnight, Emerald."

I placed the phone on the table and walked toward my bedroom. That should have been the end of my thoughts about him for the night.

But it wasn’t.

As soon as I stepped into my room, my thoughts shifted back to the kiss. I paused by my bed, vividly recalling the moment with uncomfortable clarity.

His lips had been soft and warm against mine. I recalled freezing initially, not out of dislike, but because I hadn’t anticipated such a strong response from myself.

Then I had kissed him back. And after that, I had actually kissed him again.

I had even bitten his lower lip because I wanted to punish him for catching me off guard.

I placed my hand over my face. What was I thinking?

I already knew what it meant to love someone, to be attracted to someone, and to want physical closeness with someone. None of those feelings was new to me.

But Michael was new. And that was what made this so difficult.

I stripped my clothes off and walked into the bathroom, determined to wash away the day’s exhaustion.

The shower was warm against my skin, but it did nothing to quiet my thoughts.

I closed my eyes, and instantly, his face came into view. I remembered his voice, his hands, and the way he looked at me after I kissed him again.

I remembered something else, too. He had given me space afterwards and had returned to tutoring me as if it were the most natural action in the world.

When I asked why he stopped teasing me, he simply said he was respecting my preference.

That had affected me more than I wanted to admit.

There was something deeply attractive about a man who could be confident enough to pursue me and still know when to step back.

I rested my palm against the tiled wall. Why did I have to notice things like that?

I turned my face toward the falling water and tried to clear my mind. It did not work. I remembered the feeling of Michael’s lips against mine again.

My breathing changed.

I hated that my body could betray me so easily. I was attracted to him, and I had already accepted that much. But attraction was supposed to be manageable.

This did not feel manageable.

My thoughts kept wandering past the kiss. I pictured his arms wrapping around me, close enough to feel his heat against my skin. I envisioned kissing him again, this time without pretending it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.

I shut my eyes.

The thought sent a warm shiver through me. I immediately tried to stop it. No. I won’t go there.

Michael was my professor. He was also the man who had somehow become my fake boyfriend because of an absurd financial arrangement.

There were rules. I made those rules for a reason, and none of them included kissing. Yet I had kissed him anyway.

I opened my eyes and stared at the water.

Perhaps the real problem was that I had started forgetting that our relationship was supposed to be temporary.

I turned off the shower and reached for my towel. After drying myself, I changed into comfortable sleepwear and climbed into bed.

I pulled the blanket over myself and turned onto my side. I should have fallen asleep, but my mind returned to Michael. Again.

I remembered the way he had looked at me when he asked whether I was a soft woman.

I remembered his voice when he told me that perhaps he needed someone stubborn enough to argue with him.

I remembered the way he had said, I know, when I accused him of describing me.

Then came the kiss.

I pressed my lips together. I could still remember the sensation. I wanted to kiss him again.

The thought came so naturally that I did not even try to deny it.

I wanted his warmth. I wanted his hands around me. I wanted to feel that same rush I had felt when he pulled me closer.

I wanted him.

The realisation made me sit upright. I stared across the dark room. This was not supposed to happen.

I had spent months rebuilding myself after Kelvin’s betrayal. I had promised myself that I would be careful with my heart. I told myself I wouldn’t let another man become important to me just because he made me feel good.

Yet Michael was already becoming important.

It wasn’t because of his wealth, attractiveness, or his role as my professor. Instead, it was due to how he treated me.

He challenged me. He irritated me. He teased me. He listened to me. He noticed things I did not realise I was doing.

He took care of me without making me feel helpless. And when I needed space, he gave it to me.

That combination was dangerous.

I gently settled back onto the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. Perhaps I was rushing things, or maybe I was still vulnerable after what happened with Kelvin.

But I knew myself well enough not to confuse what I was feeling.

I was not in love with Michael yet.

I was not ready to call it anything beyond attraction. But I could no longer pretend that it was harmless curiosity.

I wanted to kiss him again.

I wanted to know what it would feel like to be held by him without either of us pretending that it was part of some game.

And admitting that to myself frightened me far more than the kiss ever had.

I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer.

Tomorrow, I would behave normally. I would attend class, study, and continue working towards my MBA and the goals I had promised Grandfather I would achieve.

I would treat Michael the same way I always had. At least, that was what I told myself.

But as I finally closed my eyes, one thought remained stubbornly clear.

I wanted Michael.

And I had a feeling pretending otherwise was going to become much harder from now on.