Chapter 1- The Private Lesson
Adeline’s POV
Moving to Edinburgh had been a whirlwind. The city’s foggy streets and gothic architecture made everything feel like a dream—or a dark fairy tale. I still remembered the first day I stepped into the University of Edinburgh: the grand lecture halls, the quiet, precise way professors commanded attention, and the curious looks of students sizing up the new transfer student from Russia.
Alexander.
I hadn’t expected to notice him at first. Thirty-four, dark-haired, cold eyes that seemed to see through everything, his posture rigid and impeccably professional. Yet there was something about the way he moved—slow, deliberate, controlled—that made the air around him feel heavier. I didn’t realize how often my eyes wandered to him until he cleared his throat sharply one morning in the biology lab.
“Adeline, step forward,” he said, voice calm, precise, yet with a subtle edge that made my pulse stutter.
I obeyed instinctively, clutching my notebook.
“You’ll be my private student for this term,” he continued. “I expect focus, obedience, and no distractions.”
My stomach fluttered. Private tutoring? Alone with him? My mind swirled with curiosity and a strange, unnameable fear.
“Yes, Professor Alexander,” I said, my voice steady despite my racing heart.
He glanced at me briefly, an unreadable expression in his eyes, then returned to his papers. But I caught the subtle curl at the corner of his mouth, and something inside me shivered.
Alexander’s POV
The new transfer student had caught my attention immediately. Adeline—22, intelligent, curious, beautiful. Her hair fell in soft waves, framing a pale face that seemed delicate, yet her eyes held a quiet fire.
I made the decision quickly: she would be my private student. Not because I was a strict teacher—though I was—but because I wanted her entirely in my focus. I would allow no distractions. No one else could have her attention.
I was cold with the other students. Harsh, even. But with her… everything changed. My voice softened, my gestures careful, my eyes lingering longer than I should allow. I wanted her to know, without question, that she belonged in my presence alone.
During the first tutoring session, I watched her take notes diligently, the faint flush on her cheeks when our hands brushed over a diagram making me clench my jaw.
“Focus,” I said softly.
Her eyes lifted to mine, wide, obedient. But I could see the subtle curiosity in them, the little tremble of excitement.
I felt my chest tighten, my obsession already taking hold. She was mine, and I would make her understand it.
Adeline’s POV
The first tutoring sessions were intense. Alexander was meticulous, demanding, yet unlike any professor I had known, he was gentle with me alone. His hand would brush mine over the microscope slide or when pointing to my notes. Every touch lingered slightly too long, and I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
It was intoxicating—and terrifying.
One evening, after class, he asked me to stay back for an extra session. My stomach twisted. The lab was empty, the windows foggy. He stood close behind me as I adjusted a specimen slide.
“Adeline,” he murmured, his voice low, almost reverent. “Look at me.”
I turned, startled. His gaze was intense, unreadable. My pulse raced.
“You’re too careful with them,” he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I want to feel you… fully engaged.”
My breath hitched when his hand ghosted over my jaw, tilting my face so his lips hovered over my neck. He pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss along the sensitive skin just below my ear, leaving a mark. I shivered, unable to move, yet unwilling to pull away.
“Alexander…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“Do not speak yet,” he murmured, pressing another soft kiss along my neck, lips leaving warmth and a trace of possession. “You belong here, Adeline. With me. Only me.”
I swallowed hard. His hand settled on the small of my back, pulling me closer. Every nerve in my body was alert. His eyes searched mine, fierce and obsessive.
“And no one else,” he added, his gaze darkening when a shadow passed in the hallway. “Do not let them distract you from me. I will not tolerate it.”
I realized then—I was completely his.
