CHAPTER 49: MOVIE NIGHT

Marcus stood in front of Dr. Tisha Wells in her office, his stance loose but charged, his eyes gleaming with the untouchable confidence only a Steele could wear.

Tisha didn’t budge. Her auburn hair caught the sunlight spilling through the blinds, her posture rigid, her voice sharp enough to slice through his arrogance.

"Marcus, this has to stop," she said. Her voice carried a low, controlled purr, but beneath it, steel. "Your temper, these fights... it’s reckless. More than that, it’s a liability. Are you really so eager to get yourself expelled?"

Her words didn’t land the way she intended. He leaned forward, brash laughter spilling out like a dare. "Ms. Wells, I respect you, but I don’t think you have what it takes to expel me. Nobody does. Not even the president." His smirk was practiced, perfected from years of knowing his father’s shadow stretched further than any teacher’s authority.

Tisha’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t need to. "Very cocky, aren’t we? You’re right, I can’t expel you. But you think nobody can?" She stepped closer, her heels clicking like punctuation. Each word came out clipped, deliberate, a scalpel peeling away his certainty. "You’re not very up to date, are you?"

Marcus tilted his head, mocking curiosity, but a twitch betrayed his unease.

"Go ask the president," Tisha said, her voice now a blade drawn across his ego. "He’ll make you understand. Just this morning, he received a call from James Blackwood, instructing him to ’take care of Alexander Hale.’ From now on."

The name detonated between them.

Marcus’s smirk froze. The blood drained from his face. James Blackwood... an untouchable titan, the kind of man even his father measured words around... backing a nobody scholarship kid? His mind raced. Sophia didn’t warn me. What the hell does Alex have on Blackwood?

He barked out laughter, too loud, too sharp, the sound cracking under strain. "Impossible. Blackwood calling for that nobody? Do you think I’m an idiot?" His voice rose with every word, but the tremor in it betrayed him.

Tisha didn’t flinch. She leaned in, her eyes locking on his, calm as a noose tightening. "My job was to inform you. What you do next? That’s on you."

His bravado crumbled. The smug mask slipped into a scowl, his shoulders stiff. "This is bullshit," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He shoved away from her desk, his footsteps hard against the floor as he stormed out.

Tisha didn’t move until the echo of his exit faded. A spark of triumph flickered in her chest.

Her gaze dropped to the desk. The very edge where, not long ago, Alex had pressed her down, his mouth fierce and hungry against hers, stealing every breath she thought belonged to herself. The memory hit her with startling force, his cedarwood scent clinging to her senses, the grip of her hand around him, the reckless thrum of danger as a knock on the door could’ve shattered them both.

Heat coursed through her at the thought, pooling low and insistent, unraveling the tight knot of discipline she wore like armor.

She caught herself pressing her thighs together under the desk, betraying just how much power that single memory still held over her.

She’d already bent her schedule around him, rearranging lectures and office hours with careful precision. Tonight, there would be no interruptions, no excuses. Tonight, she wanted all of him and she wanted the night to be theirs alone.

The door creaked.

"Speak of the devil," she murmured, straightening, masking her racing heart.

Alex slipped inside, the door closing with a click behind him. His tailored jacket hugged his frame, his dark eyes gleaming with that predatory grin that undid her more than Marcus’s arrogance ever could.

"Well, well," she said, her voice softening into a sultry tease, the echo of their ballroom dance. "My dark horse returns." She stepped toward him, her lips curving in a smirk. "Here to cause more trouble or finally behaving?"

Alex’s grin tilted, boyish and daring all at once. He leaned in just enough for her to catch his scent, his voice brushing her ear like a secret.

"Behaving’s overrated," he murmured, then let the smirk deepen. "But I’m not here to stir up trouble, I brought you a gift."

Her brow arched, suspicion threading with intrigue. "A gift?"

"For standing up for me back there," he said, eyes glinting with mischief. "Not that I needed saving. I could’ve handled Marcus myself. But... things could’ve turned into a mess."

His tone lingered between playful gratitude and intimate promise, leaving her breath caught somewhere between a laugh and a gasp.

He closed the distance, before she could reply, his hand cupped her face, and he pulled her into a kiss.

It wasn’t cautious. It wasn’t tentative.

Her lips parted instantly, a quiet moan slipping free as his mouth claimed hers. She melted, fisting his shirt, pulling him closer until his firm chest pressed firm against her curves.

Heat coiled in her stomach, a slow burn stoked into fire with every drag of his lips against hers.

When they broke apart, her breath came uneven, her eyes clouded with desire and something softer. "Are you free tonight?" she whispered, her fingers tracing his chest, lingering where she’d explored before. "I haven’t stopped thinking about you."

For a moment, his eyes softened. Then regret flickered across his face. "I wish I was. But I’ve got a movie with Danny, Sarah, and Mike. Been planned already.

Her smile faltered. Disappointment sharpened her words. "A movie?" She stepped closer, seizing his hand and guiding it under her skirt. Her breath hitched as his fingers brushed damp lace. "Feel that, Alex? That’s how wet I am just thinking about you. And you’re ditching me for a movie?"

His jaw clenched, a groan slipping out as his fingers pressed instinctively against her heat. His eyes darkened, torn. "Tisha, you’re killing me. But I can’t. If I ditch, they’ll be disappointed and i dont want to do that again."

Her lips curved into a smirk, her disappointment morphing into mischief. She leaned in, her breath ghosting his ear. "What if I come with you?"

He pulled back, blinking. "You’re serious? My friends’ll be there. They’ll know what this means."

Tisha’s lips curved in a knowing smile. "It’s just your friends, Alex. I don’t care if they know. You can handle them, can’t you? Just make sure it doesn’t spread beyond them." Her tone dropped, husky with amusement. "In fact... I think it’ll be fun. Watching their faces when they realize their perfect professor isn’t as untouchable as they thought."

Her eyes flicked down, lingering on his hard length pressing against his pants. "Besides, it’ll be fun. Playing innocent while I’m thinking about everything I want you to do to me."

His laugh was half-nerves, half-excitement. "You’re insane."

"I’m irresistible," she corrected, her tone husky, daring.

______

The Grand Lumière Cinema shimmered with neon against marble, alive with the hum of nightlife and the buttery pull of popcorn from the lobby.

Alex’s heart thudded beneath his jacket. He’d told Tisha to meet him here. The thought of her, striding toward his friends as more than a professor, made his blood buzz.

"Alright, let’s go," Mike said, tossing a popcorn kernel into his mouth. "This place is insane. You’re spoiling us, Alex."

Alex smirked, pocketing his wallet. "Hold up. We’re waiting on someone."

Danny arched a brow. "Someone?"

Sarah leaned in, playful. "Secret girlfriend, huh? That’s why you’re dressed like you’re about to walk a runway."

Mike barked a laugh. "Bet she’s a total baddy. You’ve been acting all mysterious. Spill it, man."

"You’ll see," Alex said, his grin sharp with mischief.

And then she appeared.

Tisha Wells stepped out of the crowd, dress clinging to her curves, each stride a slow, deliberate claim on the street. Loose waves framed her face, her hazel eyes sparking under neon glow, her lips set in a smile that was equal parts warmth and sin.

Heads turned without meaning to. She didn’t just walk, she owned the ground beneath her heels.

Mike’s popcorn hit the pavement. "Holy shit."

Sarah froze mid-breath. "Wait... she looks familiar..."

Danny’s face went pale. His arm slipped from Sarah’s shoulder. "No way. Ms. Wells? That’s who you meant?"

By the time she reached them, silence had swallowed their teasing.

"Hello, everyone," Tisha said, her voice smooth, carrying the same sultry note she’d used with Alex earlier. Her eyes found his, the spark private, electric. "Hope I’m not too late."

"Uh, hi," Mike stammered, bravado gone. "Wow. You’re... here."

Sarah forced a polite smile. "Yeah, welcome, Ms. Wells."

Danny just stared, suspicion twisting behind his shock.

Tisha chuckled softly, sliding an arm around Alex’s as if to claim the moment. "I’m sorry, boys," she said smoothly, her tone warm but laced with confidence. "I didn’t mean to crash your night."

They shuffled awkwardly, whispering half-formed greetings, sitting a little straighter, suddenly too aware of every word they might say.

"Don’t look so frightened," she teased, her gaze sweeping over them. "We’re not on campus, are we? Out here, I’m just another woman enjoying a night out. So treat me like a normal person... unless you’d rather sit here sweating through the whole movie."

That earned a nervous ripple of laughter, but none of them relaxed fully. Their eyes kept darting between her hand on Alex’s arm and her easy smile, disbelief written all over their faces.

She tilted her head, her lips curving. "And I’m Alex’s girlfriend. Aren’t I, darling?"

The word detonated.

Mike’s jaw dropped. "Girlfriend? Alex, you’re a legend."

Sarah gasped, then broke into giggles. "Oh my God. That’s... wow. Ms.Tisha, you’re amazing."

Danny shook his head slowly, muttering, "Didn’t see that coming."

Alex leaned close, his voice low, meant for her but loud enough for them. "You’re gonna make this night wild, aren’t you?"

Her smirk was wicked. "I told you, darling... I don’t make it easy."

Sarah laughed, the tension easing. "This is actually kinda awesome."

Danny, still unsettled, muttered, "Yeah... wild."

Tisha caught his eye, her smile edged with challenge. "Surprised, Danny? Alex can be persuasive."

"Their heads were still buzzing, trying to process the impossible, the moment their world tilted and refused to tilt back."

Alex smirked, his confidence surging. "Come on. Before Mike eats the snack bar dry."

Laughter broke the tension as they moved inside. Tisha stayed at Alex’s side, her thigh brushing his, her perfume a whisper of promises. As the private theater dimmed, her hand hovered near his, not quite touching, but close enough that his pulse roared in his ears.

The forbidden game wasn’t just alive. It was thriving in plain sight.

_____

Author’s Note:

Dear Readers,

I just want to take a moment to thank each of you for your incredible support. Every Powerstone you gift and every Golden Ticket you vote with means the world to me.

Your encouragement keeps this story alive, pushing me to write with even more passion and bring you Chapters filled with twists, emotions, and the forbidden thrill you’ve come to love.

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