Chapter 11 Sep 17, 2025 Aiden's hands remained on the bar, knuckles white, muscles coiled but frozen. A drop of sweat rolled down his temple, and I tracked its path with an intensity that made my chest tight. Neither of us moved. Neither of us looked away. I broke first, noticing the sheen of exertion on his skin, the way his chest rose and fell with barely controlled breathing. No water bottle in sight, nothing to ease the obvious strain. "You don't have water," I said, the observation tumbling out to fill the dangerous quiet. I fumbled for my bottle, extending it toward him with hands that weren't quite steady. "Here. You need it more than I do." He tipped his head, studying me with that analytical gaze that made my pulse skip. "Planning to poison me, Ruby? Eliminate the evidence of your indiscretions?" Confusion must have shown on my face because his mouth curved into that crooked smile that had haunted my dreams. "It's a joke. Though technically, I am the only real evidence of what happened between us. Me, alive and breathing and remembering every second of it." "I have no wish to forget," I said, the admission escaping before I could censor it. I extended the bottle again, holding his gaze steady. "Despite what common sense might suggest." He took the bottle and drank deeply, his eyes never leaving mine. A bead of water escaped, sliding down his cheek and along his jaw, and I caught myself licking my lips unconsciously, remembering the taste of his skin. The gesture didn't escape his notice-nothing ever did with him. "Is that what you've been thinking about all this time?" he asked, voice dropping to that dangerous register that made my stomach tighten. "A repeat performance? Because I've seen the way you look at me in lectures, Ruby. Like you're undressing me with your eyes while I discuss market volatility." "All the girls look at you that way," I countered, trying to reclaim some ground. "Half the class fantasizes about you during those thrilling PowerPoint presentations. Somehow though, you only seemed to notice me watching." "Maybe because you're the only one who's had me," he said simply, the words landing between us like a live wire. "Makes your particular brand of staring more... intense." I forced myself to maintain eye contact even as heat flooded through me. "If I wanted a repeat, I would text. But I need to think first, to figure out what this is, what I actually want from-" Something shifted in his expression, sharpened into that predatory focus I recognized from moments before he'd kissed me in his office. His entire body language changed, from casual athlete to hunter sensing opportunity. "I need my water back," I said, the words coming out breathier than intended. He offered the bottle but when I reached for it, his hand closed over mine, using the connection to draw me closer until our bodies aligned, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him despite the morning chill. His mouth found my ear, his voice a low murmur that seemed to vibrate through my entire body. "I miss our sparring in messages," he said, his breath hot against my skin. "The way you challenge me, provoke me, make me think inappropriate thoughts during faculty meetings. Write to me, Ruby. Even if you don't want me-" He put particular emphasis on those last words, made them sound like both a challenge and impossibility. "-even then, write to me." The tremor that ran through me was involuntary, primal, and he definitely felt it because his grip tightened for just a moment before he let me go completely, stepping back with his face resetting to that friendly, professional mask he wore so well. "Have a good day, Miss Pearson," he said, cheerful and distant, as if he hadn't just dismantled my composure with a few words. I made it back to my apartment on legs that felt disconnected from my body, my skin still burning where he'd been close. The shower did nothing to cool the heat he'd ignited, and I found myself bracing one hand against the tile wall while the other traveled between my legs, Aiden's voice still echoing in my head. The way he'd said my name, the memory of his hands from that night in his office-it all crashed together until I came with a gasp that echoed off the bathroom walls, his name almost escaping my lips. The rest of the day felt like penance. Alex arrived with takeout and suggestions for a new series, settling into my couch with the easy familiarity of someone who belonged there. We fell into our rhythm-my feet in his lap, his hand absently rubbing circles on my ankle, casual touches and easier laughter that should have felt simple. Should have felt like enough. "You're quiet today," Alex observed, pulling me closer during a particularly dramatic scene. "Everything okay? You seem distracted." "Just thinking about that Strategic Management paper," I lied smoothly, the guilt threading through me like poison. "It's more complex than I expected." "You'll figure it out," he said, pressing a kiss to my temple with such casual affection it made my chest ache. "You always do. You're brilliant at that stuff." What was meant to be a single act of revenge, one night to balance the scales of his betrayal, had mutated into something else entirely. I still loved Alex-loved his easy affection, his predictable sweetness. But my body hummed with want for something else, someone else, and the contradiction was tearing me apart. After Alex left, kissing me goodbye with promises about tomorrow's plans, I grabbed my phone before I could think better of it. Me: What are you doing right now? The response came quickly-a selfie that made my breath catch. Aiden lounged in what looked like his living room, a book propped against his chest, sweatpants sitting low on his hips in a way that revealed those muscles I'd admired this morning. The photo was casual but the mischief in his eyes suggested he knew exactly what he was doing. Aiden: Reading about business development strategies. Fascinating stuff. You? I considered my options, then arranged myself on my bed, capturing a photo that showed my pajama shorts and tank top, making no effort to hide what this conversation was doing to me-the flush on my chest, the way my body had already started responding to just his picture. Me: Also doing some research. Different kind though. Aiden: You look like you're conducting very thorough research. Beautiful. The compliment was spare, simple, but it hit harder than Alex's elaborate praise ever did. Me: Should you be writing that to a student? Seems professionally questionable. Aiden: The line has already been crossed, Ruby. We both know that. The question is what we do about it. He was right, and we both knew it. That line hadn't just been crossed-it had been obliterated, burned to ash in his office that night. That night I dreamed of hands-ones I knew too well and ones I wanted to know better. Alex's familiar touch mixed with Aiden's commanding grip, both men's voices in my ear asking for things I gave freely in the safety of sleep. I woke with their names on my lips, my body aching with a need that seemed to pull me in two directions at once, both paths leading somewhere I wasn't sure I could return from.