Professor Off-Limits

ALEENA'S POV

Professor Lorcan stood at the podium, lecturing the whole class, but my mind was somewhere else-I was studying at him.

He had one hand in his pocket, his other hand gesturing loosely as he spoke. His blonde hair fell across his face, and his grey eyes shimmered under the light like glass. His tattoo was peeking out from under his sleeve-oh God!-I quickly pressed my lips together to make it less obvious that I was gawking at my professor during lectures.

The tattoo made him look hotter and more perfect for the plan that had been I had been working towards. Professor Lorcan Steele-the hottest and youngest professor in Westhaven's history, and the most wanted man by every girl on campus.

I watched the other girls in class-most of them wore extra revealing clothes to charm Professor Lorcan, but he didn't seem to have interest in any of them-he didn't even spare them a glance.

He just delivered the lecture like it was a chore he couldn't wait to finish and disappear from the hungry gazes of the girls in class.

"Good," I thought. "He is cold, and cold means, easily predictable, and that also means he had never been properly challenged."

I was going to make him mine-that was the plan that had been brewing in my head for the last two weeks, and I had been taking baby steps towards it. I dressed provocatively on some days, occasionally bumped into Lorcan some times, and many other incidents disguised as coincidence.

I was going to make him want me, and make my douche ex-Xavier, watch his most idolized Professor fall for the girl he dumped, and he was so going to regret that fucking mistake.

Xavier was going to cry at my feet and beg for mercy after I was done with him. He made me the laughing stock of Westhaven. He made me sit and wait for him, all dressed up in a candle lit dinner, prepared by me for our anniversary, while he was busy drilling another girl.

That wasn't even the worst part-he had let his shameless act leak, and someone had to show me that disgusting video while I was still waiting there for him like a gullible fool.

But now, when he sees his Idol fawning over me he would be so full of regret.

My pen dropped from my hand and it made a noise that turned the whole class' attention to me.

I chuckled nervously and picked up the pen, then I mouthed, "Sorry."

Mirabel gave me a hard glare, and leaned over from her seat beside me. "You're staring again, Allie." She whispered.

"What? No!" I denied it immediately as I opened my notebook without writing anything.

"Oh, come on," She rolled her eyes. "it's pretty obvious that you were staring at Professor Lorcan. Drop the act."

"Okay, fine." I sighed. "I was looking at him though," I leaned closer to her. "But I was also planning."

"Planning what?" Her brows furrowed.

"Something big." I shifted in my seat, closer to her. "You know how Xavier worships him right? Professor Lorcan?" I inclined my head towards the podium slightly. "He's been trying to impress him since freshman year. Now imagine this."

I sat back on my chair and drew a triangle on my note. "This is Lorcan here," I pointed at the tip of the triangle. "And this is Xavier and me." I pointed at the two sides of the triangle. "Xavier wants to be like the peak of the triangle, but he can't, since he's the base, likewise me." I dropped my pen and folded my arm. "Now, think about the blast that would happen if the base meets the top." I smiled and looked at Mirabel, but her brows were knitted together.

"What the hell are you saying?" She asked and shook her head. "Explain this like a normal human, Allie, we're not in mathematics class."

I chuckled. "Okay Mira, what I mean is, if I get Professor Lorcan to want me, do you know what it'll do to Xavier?" I tilted my head. "It'll crush his pride."

Mira's eyes widened instantly. "Allie, he's a professor. Do you know what would happen if you're caught?" she leaned in and whispered.

I smiled. "Of course I know the risk. I am a dangerous girl, and dangerous girls do dangerous things." My smile widened into a grin. "When I am done, Xavier would be the new laughing stock for dumping me, and I'll walk away from both of them-unhurt."

Mira shook her head. "This is insane girl."

I shrugged. "Maybe, but it's the only solid plan I have."

"Miss Marsh," Professor Lorcan's deep voice cut through the room, my head snapped forward immediately.

The class was damn quiet now, and he was looking at me directly now. For the first time since I had bumped into him at the hallway-Professor Lorcan noticed me, and I wasn't going to let it slide.

His grey eyes were flat, and I looked into them directly even though my heart was doing something erratic against my chest.

"Since you're so engaged with the material, perhaps you can tell the class what Foucault argues about the relationship between power and knowledge."

All the students turned to look at me, and I felt my pulse hammering in my throat. Even with that, I didn't break eye contact with Lorcan-I knew rhe answer. I had read that topic three times and I could even recite it in my sleep.

I stood up, slightly adjusting tight fitted skirt I wore and I saw Lorcan's gaze follow my hand movement -good. "Foucault argues that power and knowledge are inseparable," I started and I forced my voice to remain steady. "That knowledge isn't neutral-it's produced by systems of power. And power isn't just repression - it's also productive. It creates the frameworks we use to understand the world."

I paused for a while, letting the silence stretch. "Which is why the person controlling the knowledge is always the person controlling the power." I still didn't break eye contact with him.

He looked at me for a second longer than he was supposed to, and my heart did a little flip-flop in my chest. Then he turned back to the podium.

"Correct." He said flatly and moved on with his lecture like nothing happened -but I noticed something.

Before he turned back to the podium I saw him tighten his jaw just for a moment, and it was enough to show me that my plan was already in motion.

-

Twenty minutes later, after Lorcan concluded his lecture, he said he was going to hand out the graded papers for our test, so we had to wait to see our grades.

When he reached my desk, he paused for a second, his eyes moving from my paper to my face, then he finally dropped it, face-down.

I knew I was going to get an A+ on this paper, and that would make Lorcan notice that I was a beauty and brains too.

I picked up the paper and turned it over with a huge smile on my face.

When I saw my grade, my throat went dry instantly.

What the hell!?

ALEENA'S POV

How did I get an F?

I stared at it, wide eyed, blinking repeatedly. But the letter didn't change. The huge red F stared at me, and I even had too look at the name twice to be sure it was mine.

"You got an A right?" Mira tapped my shoulder. "I got a B. Kinda good cause I didn't even try-I wrote it in a hurry, a night before the deadline. I was lucky I didn't fail because-" She nudged me by the elbow. "Why aren't you saying anything, Allie? Did you get a B too?" She said and snatched my paper from my hands.

"What the?!" She exclaimed as she looked at my paper wide eyed. "How did you get an F?" She went through the paper again. "Allie, you spent three weeks on this paper and you got an F?"

"Mira, I don't know how." I shook my head. "I spent so much time on this paper. I triple checked every citation, I rewrote the introduction..." I sighed. "I can't afford to fail this class, because if I do, my scholarship gets revoked and everything I have worked for since freshman year will fall apart."

"You're right Allie," Mira dropped the paper on the desk. "Maybe there was a mix up somewhere, you can-"

"Professor," I said sharply before Mira could finish her sentence, and Lorcan who was at the podium, arranging his notes, didn't even bother to look up.

"Yes, Miss Marsh."

"I think there's been a mistake with my grade."

The class went extremely quiet again, and everyone looked up. Mira even shifted in her seat.

Lorcan finally raised his head, and his cold grey eyes found mine instantly. "There hasn't been a mistake."

"I spent a lot of time preparing this paper." I said, undeterred. "I made sure every thing was correct. I need this credit to graduate-if I fail, my scholarship gets revoked."

"Then you should have written a better paper." He said in a flat voice like he was in a hurry to leave the class.

I frowned and shook my head. "So can you tell me what was wrong with it?"

"It wasn't good enough."

I blinked. "That's not an answer."

"It's the only answer you're going to get, Miss Marsh." He looked back down at his notes. "Class dismissed."

Student started packing up, and I stood there frozen, with the failed paper still in my hand, and somewhere behind me, someone snickered.

I didn't turn around because I didn't need to. I already knew it was Xavier.

I folded the paper and slid it into my bag, picked it up, hung it over my shoulder and started walking out.

"Wait up!" Mira said from behind me, as she hurriedly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor and ran after me.

-

Outside the lecture hall, the corridor was crowded with student heading to their next classes.

Mira had already caught up to me, and she was talking fast. "That was insane, Allie. Why would you do that in front of everyone? Do you kno-"

Before she could finish, Xavier walked into our path.

His new girlfriend was draped in his arm-a pretty blonde he had been parading around since we broke up.

"You actually failed a paper, Marsh." He said with a huge annoying smirk on his face. "Maybe you should have spent less time on your outfit and more time on your citations."

His girlfriend laughed loudly, leaning into his chest, with her red lipstick, slightly touching his jacket, and he didn't complain.

I looked at him closely-the expensive jacket, the gold watch, the smug face, and I wondered what I ever saw in him.

"You shouldn't bother about my failure, Xavier," I tilted my head, maintaining a blank expression through out. "You should rather hope the tutor your daddy pays to help with your grade doesn't slip up, so you can graduate." I stepped closer. "instead of poking your nose into someone else's business, think of how you're going to maneuver the finals."

Mira sucked in breath and held my arm, and all the color drained from Xavier's face. His smirk flickered, and his girlfriend looked at him-with confusion spread all over her face like she just found out that her boyfriend wasn't as smart as he claimed.

I didn't wait for him to say anything, I just walked past him, and Mira scrambled to keep up.

"Allie-"

"Not now." I said without looking back, and I didn't stop walking either. I was heading to the faculty building.

-

I was standing at the corridor of Lorcan's office in the faculty building, and the hallway was empty and quiet.

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest as I was rehearsing what I was going to say to him when I walk into his office. I was jiggling two things at a time, but I needed an explanation for my grade before I think of my revenge plan again.

When I got to the front of his door, it was slightly ajar.

I heard a woman's moan from inside, and then a laugh afterwards.

The moan came again and I had to step back a little.

What the hell was going on in there?

The moan stopped for a while and I stepped forward and peeked through the crack.

Professor Sylvie Bell.

She straightening up her blouse, and her hair was slightly disheveled. Her face was flushed, and her body language was unmistakable-the movement of someone who just had a time of their life.

I should have known. I had seen the way Sylvie looked at Lorcan, always going to his office and always clinging to him like a lost puppy.

I had heard the rumours about Sylvie, and Lorcan's playboy nature but I had just witnessed it first hand. They had been doing-whatever-in his office! Where anyone could walk in at anytime?

I shook my head and raised my hand to knock. My grade was far more important than whatever they were doing in there.

Before my hand could land on the wood, the door swung open, and Sylvie stood at the threshold and her face flushed instantly.

"W-What are you doing here, Miss Marsh?" She said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I'm here to see Professor Lorcan."

Sylvie's eyes narrowed. She looked at me, up and down, her gaze lingering at my short fitted skirt, and then travelled back up to the jacket I wore over my tank top. "Wait outside. I'll inform him you're here."

She closed the door, and half a second later, it opened again. "Why do you want to see him?"

I kept my expression flat. "It's private, ma'am."

Sylvie stared at me for a long moment then she closed the door and went in again.

I stood there waiting. I could hear the low murmurs through the door, then silence.

A minute later, Sylvie stepped out. "You can go in now." She said, wrapping the scarf tightly around her neck, probably hiding marks she didn't want me to see, and I didn't want to examine it further. She walked past me without a word with her heels clicking rhythmically against the floor.

I turned back to the door and pushed it open.

Lorcan was behind his large mahogany desk, his sleeves rolled up and the first two buttons of his shirt undone-making him look extraordinarily hot and he was scrolling on his phone.

I blinked and shook my head. That's not why I'm here.

"Close the door, Miss Marsh." He said in a low and husky voice without looking up.

ALEENA'S POV

I closed the door and the lock clicked, and that was when he finally looked up. His gaze travelled slowly, from my face down to my knees, lingering on my exposed thigh, and then back up.

"My office hours are Tuesdays." he said flatly.

"I'm not here for office hours. I'm here to ask about my paper." I said and stepped closer, and the edge of the desk pressed into my thigh. "I wanted to know why you failed me. My essay was perfect."

He tilted his head. "Was it?"

Then he leaned to the corner of his desk, brought out a copy of my paper and started flipping through it without looking at me.

"I must admit though," he said, still flipping. "This is the best paper I've read this semester. Arguably, the best I've read in three years."

I blinked and shook my head. "Then why-"

"Because I needed you to come here." he set the paper down and finally looked at me.

"You've been trying to get my attention for a very long time, Aleena," a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I noticed that. But I let it happen because I wanted to see how far you'd take it."

My throat went dry instantly. He had noticed?

"And now look," he gestured in the air. "You're here in my office, door locked-after visiting hours."

He stood up slowly, and started walking. He came around the desk and finally stopped a few feet away from me.

"So, Aleena. I'd ask you once. What do you actually want from me?"

I didn't answer because I definitely couldn't tell him that I had been trying to get his attention, so I could get revenge on my ex who embarrassed me publicly.

"Because I know if it were only about the grade, you would have appealed it through the department, not coming straight to my office after I had already given you an answer in class."

I still couldn't say anything because my throat felt too tight to push any words out. How did he-

"That's what I thought." He said and nodded slowly. "Hold on." He reached into his desk drawer from across, pulled out a file, flipped it open to a particular page and set it on the down on the desk.

"Read this." He pointed at a paragraph on the opened page.

I frowned. "What's that?"

"Something you'll find interesting." He smiled again. "Now go on, read it."

I swallowed the huge lump that formed in my throat and picked up the file, my eyes sweeping across the paragraph that Lorcan had pointed, and my heart sank. I knew that clause quite too well.

"Any scholarship student found in a compromising situation woth a member of faculty or senior staff would have no other choice than to forfeit all scholarship fund, be subjected to immediate academic review and would have no other choice than to leave Westhaven."

I pressed my lips together, and my eyes remained glued to the paragraph.

A smirk appeared on Lorcan's face. "I think you know what that means."

I closed the file and dropped it on the desk. "Nothing has happened between us."

"Not yet," his lips curved downwards as he picked up the file again. "But I want you to understand what you're walking to." He picked up his phone from the desk and clicked a button-he had been recording our conversation?!

"If I wanted to hurt you, I could do that right now." He turned the phone over in his hands. "I could walk to the Dean's office with this recorder and tell him you came to my office after school hours without a valid reason-which means you wanted to offer yourself in exchange for your grade."

My blood ran cold. "That's not what happened!" I protested.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter what actually happened, Aleena." He said quietly. "What matters is what I say, backed up with proper proof." He set his phone down. "I'm a tenured professor, and you are a scholarship student who didn't deny that you were trying to get my attention." He crossed his arm. "Now tell me, who do you think the board is going to believe?"

I stared at him, and my heart had already started pounding hard. I had to fist my hands to stop them from shaking. "You wouldn't do that."

His expression flickered, just for a moment before it slipped back into place. "I wouldn't have to. I could just leave my phone unlocked on my desk, and let someone else find it." He tilted his head. "Accidentally."

"So here's my offer instead." He settled down on the desk. "We'll have detentions-three times a week." He smiled coldly. "I hope you're not expecting me to actually tutor you. You know quite well what this detention means."

"That's unethical!" I snapped. "It's against the rules, and you showed me the damn clause yourself!"

"You will follow my rules, and won't ask unnecessary questions." He said and ignored what I said totally. "When it's over, you get your A, your scholarship stays intact, and I'd pretend this sad seduction attempt never happened."

"Hell no!" I said through gritted teeth, the seduction plan that had been in my head, slowly fading away because I couldn't imagine- "I'm not doing this" I said and turned around, my hand already reaching for the handle.

"No?"

"No!" I said sharpy and turned around. "I'll appeal the grade, I'd do something else-find an alternative. Because you don't expect me to be your new plaything."

"Fine," he picked up his phone and walked to his seat. "If you walk out that door, I would fail you, and report to the dean about your conduct in my office today. If you agree to my offer, I'd give you an A. But if you refuse-" his hand scrolled on his phone nonchalantly.

My eyes curved into slits."You have nothing to file."

"I have a recording with your voice on it, and I can make this look like whatever I want it to look like, and you know what it can do."

I looked at him closely-he wasn't bluffing, and it made a cold knot of dread form in my stomach. He is doing this not because he wanted me-because he was probably getting bored with Sylvie, and he knew that I was a scholarship student with a very thin line of protection.

I clenched my fists together, anger bubbling over. "You're a monster."

"No." He picked up the file, put it back in his drawer, and closed it. "I'm a man who knows what he wants. And I want you to stay."

I stood there staring daggers at him, my chest heaving.

"So what's it going to be, Aleena?" His voice was soft-almost gentle.

I thought about the recording-the one thing that Lorcan could use against me, against everything I had worked for since freshman year, and how all these would just slide if I said yes to Lorcan's offer.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"No!"