“I’m done bailing that kid out,” Bryant said to someone at his side. “How many checks do I have to write to that school?”

Bryant went into his office and Zilla stepped out of the shadows only to have a hand clap over her mouth and she was dragged into the bedroom behind her.

Yes! All her reflexes fired. Her brain lit up with adrenaline.

She fought the way Jacob had taught her. Dirty. Elbows to the solar plexus, fists to the throat. But whomever was behind her, knew the same rule book and evaded all her jabs. She twisted against him, only to be lifted up off her feet. One of her shoes fell off and she was thrown facedown on the bed.

It was a man who had her. His hard cock was pressed up against her ass.

Try it, asshole. See what happens.

She jerked her head back as hard as she could, hoping to break the guy’s nose, or at least make him see enough stars, but he loosened the hand he had over her mouth.

“Zilla. Stop.”

Her whole body went still and her heart broke wide open.

Jacob.

Chapter Two

Zilla went soft against the bed. She wasn’t interested in fighting Jacob. She’d done that enough and she never won. Not once.

“This is what’s going to happen—” he said.

“Fuck you.”

“We could do that.”

His hand slid from the back of her neck over her ass.

Zilla refused to react. Though it was hard. Nearly impossible. They had two years under their belt together. Maybe a little more. Though she couldn’t say what they were exactly. Student/teacher? Friends? Friends with rare and strange benefits? He showed up. He vanished. He kept her safe. They fought. He broke her heart. She swore never again. And then he came back and they did it all over again.

And now look at her. Wet and trembling on the bed because he offered to fuck her.

The one thing they hadn’t done.

So now, of course, just when she’d said no more and meant it. He showed up promising this. The one thing she’d give anything for. Him in her arms. Vulnerable and hers for as long as she could make it last.

“Get off me,” she said. Wishing she was even half as tired of him as she was pretending. An eighth. She’d settle for an eighth.

“You look beautiful. This dress…” His hand hit the very high hem of her red-sequined dress. It was short, with a scoop back and long sleeves. Sexy and a little classy. She bought it thinking of him. Because she did everything thinking of him.

“Get off me.”

“I don’t think I will.”

“How about if I make you?”

“You can’t, Zilla. And you know that. Right now, I can do whatever I want to you.”