__________________

"I wonder what's taking him so long today."

I kept my eyes situated on my desk as Laura and Damien had their conversation about our teacher.

"Maybe he had a late night?" Damien suggested.

Laura sighed. "On a Tuesday night?" 

"You don't know what he's doing with himself after classes."

Katherine's chuckle brought my gaze toward her. "I could guess."

Kate and I haven't spoken since yesterday, but we made a mental eye contact pact that we'd speak later.

The girls and Damien started a conversation on the book we'd read for class; I, however, had my eyes focussed on the door waiting for that beautiful man to walk in.

And just like that, like I'd conjured him up, he walked in looking casual in his khaki coloured smart jeans and a white t-shirt. He owned a lot of white t-shirts. But I wasn't complaining. He looked teasingly delicious. 

I unconsciously started biting my bottom lip as I watched him smile at the class and drop his satchel on his desk. He looked brighter than usual. Like he'd... Oh. 

No wonder he left early this morning. He'd obviously... Fed. 

His eyes scanned the room quickly and landed on me. He sent me a very discreet wink and I smiled back.

"Right." He started. The class went silent. "Hope you all had a great Halloween." There were a few agreements and a nudge on my side where Kate was sitting. "But now it's back to work. I hope you've all read the book I assigned a few weeks ago. Because now," He sat on the front of his desk picking up one of the books in the process. "Now we're going to talk about it."

Throughout the class discussion, which I totally zoned out of, I started to wonder why I thought this would be extremely awkward. I had just about a year of this which was probably one reason. And I suppose... The very interesting, heated yet very discreet, flicker of the eyes he kept sending me could be another. Even right now... Where he was staring at me. Why was he staring at me? He's making it way too obvious

Someone nudged me again and I blinked back into reality. "What?" I mumbled looking at Damien.

He sent me a warning look and jerked his head to the front.

I turned my head to the front to see a few of the students looking at me and Reeves sitting on his desk with crossed arms and an amused smile.

"Well?" He asked.

I blinked. "Um..."

"Answer my theory."

I could feel my face burning as more students started to turn to me. "C-could you maybe... Elaborate on it a bit more?" I stuttered

A wide cocky smile lit up his face and my embarrassment turned to anger. "I said, The Social Contract is one of the single most important declarations of the natural rights of man in the history of Western political philosophy. Would you agree?"

Think, think! What was the main point of the book...? Awh shit. "Um... Yes?"

A few students giggled or chuckled and I mentally shot myself in the head. The asshole.

"You read the book, yes?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Yes I did."

"Good. Now tell me something about it then. Because I see you've been slightly distracted today and to me it doesn't look like you've been paying attention." 

I'll show him. 

I shut my eyes briefly to mentally skim through some of the pages I'd read since I got it and came up with something. "The author states that the civil society does nothing to enforce the equality and individual liberty that were promised to man when he entered into that society."

Reeves raised a brow challengingly. "Good. Give me something else."

I set my jaw. "Fine. Let's see... I feel that Rousseau's central argument in The Social Contract is that the government attains its right to exist and to govern by 'the consent of the governed.'"

He blinked appreciatively and the students that were facing me had turned to gauge his reaction. 

"I'm impressed... Despite not listening throughout the discussion. But let's carry on."

I let out a frustrated sigh and thought about the ways I could get him back for this. However last night he did say he was going to get me back for kissing and running but I highly doubt that he'd use something like that as a payback. 

The class ended quickly and I scowled when Reeves told me to stay. Kate was the last out making sure to close the door. I sat with my head in my hand and my eyes closed. I was still slightly tired from this weeks events and from the amount of shocking information I had taken in.

"I understand you can't help staring," He mumbled suddenly beside me. I turned my head in my hand and stared up at him. His bright green eyes were glinting with amusement. "I know you've got your best interest at heart."

"Reeves." I huffed.

He laughed. "Okay, on a serious note. Try your best to stay focused, Evie."

"I was just thinking about why I thought it was going to be awkward between us in class. I suppose it won't be if we don't make it to be."

He nodded his head slowly as I spoke. "It doesn't have to be awkward at all. But, Miss O'Shea, if you continue to day dream in my class I'll be sure to make it awkward."

I smiled light heartedly at him and stood up. "Is that it then? Can I leave?"

Before he could answer, I grabbed my bag and ran down the steps to the door. And just like that, he popped up in front of me with his vampire like speed and grabbed my waist. "That's not all."

He backed up and I let out an excited gasp when he lifted me to put me on the side of his desk dropping my bag in the process "I do have to punish you for outsmarting me however."

"I didn't." I simply replied as he stepped in between my legs. "I answered your questions like you told me to."

His large hands gripped my thighs. "I wasn't expecting you to actually answer them. And to such a degree as well. I was impressed."

"I tend to do that." I rested my forearms on his shoulders.

He raised a perfect brown eyebrow and smiled. "When's your next class?"

"I don't have anymore classes today."

He made a humming noise from the middle of his chest that made my inside bubble and warm with excitement. "One moment."

He stepped away from me and moved to his door to lock it. He was back within a heartbeat and moving some of his stuff off his desk onto his chair. "What are you planning?" I wondered.

"Nothing special," He replied with a slight shrug. "Just planning to lay you down on the table and kiss you senseless. Not a big deal."

I smiled and grabbed the edge of his t-shirt to pull him around the desk back in front of me. "What if someone comes to the door?"

"I'd know." He slid me toward him and wrapped his fingers underneath my knee. "And anyway... Payback's a bitch."

My eyes widened. "Say what?"

His soft lips made a bee line to my lips and devoured them. His velvet tongue scraped across my lip and I was literally about to open up for him when he tugged my bottom lip into his mouth.

I released a small moan and slid my fingers into his hair to bring his mouth fully on top of mine. His tongue swept in letting me taste his sweetness. I pulled him down with me until my back hit the table and he was hovering over me. But I didn't want him hovering. I wanted him pressed to me. I wanted to feel him.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and felt his weight against me. He moved his lips to the side of my throat. 

"At which point," I started breathlessly. "Were you starting your payback?"

I jumped a little when I felt his hand snake its way underneath my 'Rolling Stones' t-shirt. "Pretty soon."

"Michael... What if--"

He brought the skin into his mouth which silenced me. "Stop worrying, Evangeline." I shuddered at his voice. I loved it when he was like this. He always liked to be in charge. And whenever he was this aroused his voice went husky and alluring. He pressed his hardening lower half into me and I gasped. I hated when he teased me. 

"I'd rather you get it over and done with now. I'm dying with anticipation." I muttered trying my best to concentrate.

He chuckled darkly and skimmed his thumb against my ribcage. "I changed my mind. I may not do it now."

"Oh for--!"

"Shh." He lifted his head from my neck and turned toward the door. We sat motionless and I watched his face as he stared at the closed door. "Lucas is looking for you. Katherine's decoying him but he'll be here in two minutes."

Before sitting up he purposefully ground his hips into mine for a split second. 

"Tease." I moaned.

He winked and helped me up. I went to unlock the door. Michael moved his stuff off his chair back onto the desk in record time. He sat down awkwardly, his large package still prominent through his jeans. He rolled his chair into the desk and shut his eyes just as there was a knock on the door.

I picked up my bag as Michael called for them to come in. 

Lucas poked his head in with a wide grin. "There you are, gorgeous." He walked in with his smile and grabbed my hand. "I thought you'd left by now." He glanced at Michael. "Everything okay?"

I nodded swiftly and ran my free hand through my tangled hair. "Everything's great. Mr. Reeves was helping me with some of the class work I'd missed when I wasn't really paying attention."

His chuckle brought both Lucas and my attention to him. "She needs to learn."

Luke raised a questioning brow but dismissed it. "Ready?"

I waited for him to continue and smiled when he didn't. "For...?"

"You, me and Laura are going to lunch. Now, come on. We need to talk to you." Luke sent Michael a smile. "Bye Professor Reeves."

"Goodbye you two." He sent us both a warm smile but it didn't reach his eyes which made me wary.

We were walking out of the door when Reeves called me back to take my so called homework.  

Luke waited outside the half open door while I walked back to his desk and smirked. "Yes?"

The smile immediately wiped from my face when I saw his serious one. "Please be careful." He said quietly. 

"You know it's still daylight out there. I'll be fine." I said so low that only his inhuman hearing could catch what I said. 

He nodded slowly. "I don't know what we're up against so we'll never know."

"I'll call you later." I glanced at the half open door before pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

As I moved back he grabbed the edge of my shirt and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. "You better."

I smirked before picking up my bag and walking out of the room. That man... Unbelievable.

**

"What." I replied in a monotone. "Why didn't any of you think to tell me he called for me?"

Laura glanced at Lucas and sighed. "We thought he was calling for Kate but... Then he said he wanted you."

"When?" I demanded as I crossed my arms on the table. "When did Samuel call?" 

"This morning. Luke picked up and then he called me to tell you but I wasn't sure."

"How do you know Kate's brother?" 

I opened my mouth to answer but stopped myself. Everything involving how I knew him and how we met was completely wrong for me to say and stupid if I did. I opened my mouth to make something up when Laura gasped.

"Is he the guy you're meeting? Is he the one you're..." She made a circle with her finger and thumb on one hand and used her index finger on her other hand to--

"No!" I almost yelled. "God, no! Kate's my friend I wouldn't do that."

"Then...?" Laura played with the crumbs on her plate from the biscuit she'd eaten. 

"Sam is a friend. Kate and I bumped into him a few days ago when we went out after class." Which could be the truth because they weren't with us that day.

"Alright, well, Sam's at the house." Lucas mumbled before taking a sip of his drink.

"Please tell me you're joking." I groaned.

Luke looked to Laura for this one. She shifted in her spot. "Well, he said he'd be at the house by three..." She looked at the time on her phone which was highlighted as 2.44pm. 

"I hate you."

"I don't blame you." She murmured. "Whatever the reason for him being there is, just go sort it out. It's too late to back out now."

"I hate you." 

"Alright, alright!" She waved it away. "Now get going before he gets there."

I stood up and glared at them both. "Is Damien at the house?" 

They shook their heads.

"Fine. Just so you know, I hope you both burn your tongues on your upcoming soups." I grabbed the cookie Lucas was going for and bit into it. "This is mine now."

He frowned like baby just before I walked out of the on-campus restaurant. 

As I neared the house I was becoming worried. I didn't know whether I should be seeing Samuel without Michael. I didn't know him well enough to see him. Hell, I didn't know him at all. All I knew was that he couldn't touch me and I couldn't touch him.

As I rounded the corner to my road, I saw a black Range Rover parked beside my car. 

Sam stepped out wearing black combat boots, jeans and a black v-neck. He smirked that familiar smirk that reminded me of Kate and met me at door. "Afternoon, m'lady."

I ignored him until we were in the house. I made sure to have no contact with him as he brushed past me into the living room.

"Sam,"

He stood dead in the middle and flattened the dark brown curls on his head. "Yes?"

"Why are you here?" 

"The one million dollar question." He faced me with a challenging smile. "I'm here to speak with you about this situation."

"You mean the rogue vampires?"

He nodded and gestured for me to sit.

I sat on the armchair hesitantly and watched him carefully as he sat down. "It's nothing big, Evie. Just some precautions are necessary."

"Michael has already told me what to be careful of."

He chuckled. "I'm sure he has. But here's my take. Do not, and I repeat, not go out after six o'clock. No minute after-"

"I hate demands." I interrupted. "Especially by someone I don't even know. I understand Michael's point but you have no say with me."

He leant back as if he'd just been slapped square in the jaw and widened his eyes. "Look, I'm here to help. I don't have to be here right now."

I stared at him a moment before letting out a small sigh. "Fine. I was slightly harsh. Carry on."

He inhaled deeply. "Okay. I'm sure you know to stay out of dark secluded areas and forests?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Even in the university. Don't be in that building, by yourself. Okay?"

I nodded my head.

"Whoever this is has an objective. What it is, I'm not sure and neither does Katherine. So please, Evie, don't leave your boyfriend's side. Stick with him no matter what. Stick with Kate or John if need be and if there is a last resort get hold of me. Okay?"

I let out a small breath and put my head in my hands. "Damn." I muttered. "This is going to get so complicated."

"I would come over there and comfort you but."

"Yeah, don't touch me."

"I thought so. Plus, Michael would know I did."

I lifted my head from my hands. "Oh yeah? How?"

He crossed his arms over his chest with a smile. "I tend to leave a great impression on the people I touch. Women wise."

I scowled. "I don't want you touching me at all."

"You might change your mind... Later on." He stood up and stretched. "I should get going. Katherine gave me twenty minutes before your roommate got back and now it's been twenty-three minutes. So if you'll excuse me." He stood up and I followed.

The door opened and I froze. Damien walked in with a raised brow. "Hello there."

Sam slyly lifted his hand. "Hi, I'm Katherine's brother, Samuel."

I grabbed Damien's hand in mine just as he was lifting it. "Goodbye, Sam."

He chuckled. "Alright. Catch you later, Evie. Hey, nice meeting you Damien."

Damien narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say my name."

Sam fake gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry!" And then he lightly put his hand on Damien's bare arm. It was like I could see the exchange actually happening. Damien shivered softly but I don't think he even noticed. "Must have heard Kate say it in passing. But hey great meeting you!"

Damien nodded dazed and waddled into the kitchen.

I trailed behind Sam and watched him as he walked to his car with a small bounce. I shook my head in slight disgust. I found it morally wrong for him to take information and feelings that didn't belong to him.

"Sam being an ass?"

I jumped at Kate standing right in front of me with a raised brow. "Yeah. Make sure to kick his butt for touching Damien? Thanks."

"Oh, no he touched Damien? Sigh, he's going to be a bit funny for a while."

We walked back into the house and poked our heads around the corner to watch Damien staring at a spoon. He glanced at the yoghourt in his other hand and then back at the spoon.

Kate and I stifled giggles and burst right out laughing when he dropped the spoon onto the floor and used his tongue to start licking.

"Priceless moment." I mumbled.

_______________