Shades of Desire

Ivy

After the party, I dragged myself back to the dorm with Jess and Mia. I didn't even have the energy to say anything. I just went straight to my room, stripped off my clothes, wiped off the makeup, and crashed. That kiss with Ethan had left my mind spinning, but I was too exhausted to think about it any further.

My alarm blared way too early. Groaning, I smacked it off and saw I was already late as fuck.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, scrambling to throw on whatever clothes I could grab. No way was I starting my first day being that girl who strolls in late. As I hurried out the door, I caught Mia and Jess rushing too. Guess we all underestimated the drinks last night.

I made it to class just in time, sliding into a seat at the back. Professor Anderson was already halfway into his lecture. The guy didn't waste a second—mid-fifties, serious as hell, with that strict 'don't-mess-with-me' vibe.

"We're diving into Jane Eyre today," he announced. "A story not just about love but about power, independence, and self-respect. Take notes on these themes—they'll matter when you're writing your essays."

I scribbled down the points. Honestly, his class was going to be intense, but I couldn't deny the topics were kind of interesting. Female independence, social norms, all that heavy stuff. It had my brain buzzing, though I couldn't help but still be distracted by flashes of last night.

After class, I was at my locker, grabbing my stuff when suddenly—bam—I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Hey, beautiful," Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts, that smug grin on his face.

I turned around, my heart still racing from the jump scare. "God, you scared the fuck out of me."

"Sorry, I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, acting way too casual as if we hadn't just made out in front of a bunch of people last night. "English major, huh?" He leaned against the lockers, all dramatic.

"Yeah, why were you looking for me?" I raised an eyebrow at him, but before I could really process, he stepped closer—way closer. My back hit the lockers, and suddenly his face was just inches from mine.

"What are you doing?" I tried to sound chill, but my heart was hammering in my chest.

"Shh. You ask too many questions," he whispered, eyes glinting.

Before I knew it, his lips brushed against my cheek. My breath hitched. Fuck. Then his lips moved to mine, slow at first, teasing. My hands gripped the edge of my locker, but I wasn't pulling away. Nope, not even close.

I pulled him closer, my fingers tangled in his shirt, feeling the heat between us rise as the kiss deepened. His tongue slid against mine, making me forget where the hell I even was. His lips moved down to my neck, then even lower, planting a kiss between my breasts.

"No one to stop us today," he muttered, sounding almost cocky about it.

"Hmm," I hummed back, not trusting my words at this point.

I knew I was running late for class, but fuck it. His hands gripped my waist tighter, and for a second, I thought about just skipping entirely. But then he pulled back, looking at me with that same playful smile.

"Do you wanna go out sometime?" he asked, still holding me close.

"I'll think about it," I teased, trying to act like I wasn't completely losing it over him.

"Oh yeah?" He smirked, brushing his fingers across my lips. "Think about it and let me know."

He leaned in for one last kiss, and damn, it felt good. Too good.

"I should probably stop kissing you," he said, still not really letting go. "We've both got class, remember?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, not really wanting him to stop either, but eventually, we pulled apart, and I headed to my next class, feeling his eyes on me the whole way.