CHAPTER 6 THE KISS

He hugs me back without hesitation and strokes my arm. "Come, I'll take you home," he says and slowly leads me toward a luxurious black car. He opens the passenger door for me and helps me put on my seat belt. He turns around and gets into the driver's seat.

"What were you doing there?" I ask, and he laughs. "Robin's dad and I have known each other for a long time, and he invited me out for a drink," he says and starts driving. I nod and gasp a little.

I feel Mr. Gray's gaze from time to time.

"Did he hurt you?" he asks, and I deny it.

"He didn't touch you, right?"

He asks again, and I deny it again. He sighs.

"Did you know him?"

I deny again. "As soon as I got there, danced with him for a while," I confess, and Alexander nods, then just keeps going.

"Could you drop me off at the first motel you see?" I ask, and he looks at me, confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asks, and I sigh.

"I told my mother that I would stay at Emily's house, and every time I say that, she locks the whole house, and I don't have a key. I can't go to Emily's house because they'll ask me about her, and I don't want to ruin her night," I answer, and he nods.

"You know I can't leave you in a motel, right? It's very dangerous," he says, and I shake my head.

"Please, it's the only option I have," I murmur, and he shakes his head.

"I'll take you to a safer place," he says, and I sigh.

Then it hit me: I was almost raped if it wasn't for Mr. Gray intervention.

gasp, and tears well in my eyes. I sniffle and wipe my tears with my jacket before Mr. Gray sees me.

"You can cry, Nina," he murmurs. "I'm not going to judge you," he whispers, and I let go.

I start crying as quietly as possible, but my chest actually hurts. I'm scared; the left side of my face and my wrists hurt.

A guy touched my bare ass and was about to fuck me against my permission.

What a night!

Then Mr. Gray pulls into the driveway of a big, beautiful house. He gets out, opens the passenger door, helps me out, and hugs me by the shoulders until we reach the door, which he opens with his key.

"Where are we?" I ask, seeing the elegant decor everywhere.

"In my house, he murmurs, and I gulp nervously.

"You don't have to do this, Mr. Gray, I murmur, and he shakes his head.

"There are more than five rooms in this house and only one person. Trust me, it's not a bother," he says, and I laugh softly.

I sigh and look at him. He comes closer to me and wipes my cheeks.

"I'II go get some clothes so you can get dressed," he whispers, and I nod. Then he quickly goes up the stairs.

"Oh, the kitchen is on the right; you can grab something to eat. Don't be ashamed," he exclaims, and I nod.

I walk to the kitchen, open the refrigerator, grab a bottle of water, and my stomach growls at the sight of so much food.

But I wouldn't take anything that Mr. Gray didn't give me. I start drinking my water and close the refrigerator.

" don't have any women's clothes, but maybe they would look good on you to sleep in," says Alexander with two clothes in his hands: one white and one black. I smile and thank him for taking it.

"If you want, you can go take a shower while I cook you something for dinner," he whispers. I tilt my head, then nod.

"The first door on the right," he adds.

I thank him quietly and walk as he told me until I reach a large bathroom. I go inside and close the door. I take off my heels and all my clothes and turn on the tap to warm water. Then I take a bath.

As soon as I finish, I dry my body with a towel I find in one of the drawers and put on my red underwear, a pair of boxers, and a T-shirt that I could swear were Mr. Gray's because of the smell they have.

put them on, and the boxers, thank God, are adjustable, but the shirt is huge. I fold my clothes, hang up the towel, and rinse my face.

I quickly grab my clothes and return to the kitchen, where I find Mr. Gray cooking and humming to himself. He smiles as he seems to hear my approach.

He turns, gives me a brief once-over, and swallows hard. "I'm making pizza- is that okay?" he asks, and I nod in agreement.

Itake a seat at the bar and watch him prepare two pizzas: a small one and a medium one, both topped with marinara, mozzarella, pepperoni, and more cheese.

He places them in the preheated oven and sets a timer. I smile at him, and he smiles back.

"Thanks," I murmur, and he rolls his eyes playfully.

"It's nothing," he chuckles, prompting a sigh from me.

"Your house is really beautiful-it's a lot of space for a teacher," I admit, and he stutters in response.

"It belonged to my grandfather, he tells me, and I nod, noticing how handsome he

is.

"You have tattoos!" | exclaim upon seeing them, and he laughs, revealing two charming dimples. I realize I'm noticing more details about him than I had before.

"Not too many, but yes," he replies, and I rise to examine them more closely, touching his arm in awe.

"They look painful," I whisper, and he lets out a sigh. I turn my gaze to his chest and peek slightly, then look at him for confirmation.

He lifts his shirt slightly. "That wasn't necessary," I tease, and he shrugs.

I trace the designs of his tattoos with my fingers, fascinated by the black ink on his skin.

"Did they hurt?" l ask.

"Some, he answers, and I keep stroking his chest. Looking into his eyes, I ask, "Do they have any meaning?"

He stumbles over his words. "One or two do," he admits, and I continue exploring his other arm, which has even more tattoos.

"They're amazing," I whisper, continuing to caress his skin. I return to his chest and run my hands over his tattoos while gazing directly into his eyes.

Our breaths sync, and before long, I feel his lips brush against mine.

He takes the lead and kisses me again.

Suddenly, his hands find their way to my waist.

I wrap my arms around his neck and, with his help, wrap my legs around him. He lifts me onto the bar, caressing my thighs as I moan softly when his tongue finds its way into my mouth.

We break apart at the sound of the oven timer.

"What have I just done?"

Alexander steps back, puts on his shirt, and retrieves the pizzas from the oven.

I feel embarrassed as he places the food onto plates.

"Bon appétit," he says, settling onto one of the benches.

I hop down and sit in a chair.

The atmosphere is calm, not tense, as we just enjoy a meal together.

"This is delicious," | compliment him, and he returns a sideways smile.

We finish our plates, and silence envelops us.

"I'm sorry, Miss Moore, Mr. Gray suddenly speaks, and I look at him, puzzled.

"Why?" l ask, and he chuckles softly.

"About what just happened," he replies, and I bite the inside of my cheek.

"I think I got carried away, and I promise it won't happen again. I know it was wrong," he admits, and I gaze at him thoughtfully.

I stand up, walk over, and kiss him again.

He takes a moment before responding, but eventually, he kisses me back, making me smile.

"Now we're even, right?" I ask playfully.

He looks at me, confused.

I bite my lip and meet his gaze.

"Shit," he swears, then gets out of his chair and kisses me again.

I eagerly reciprocate. He lifts me up by my waist, and I wrap my legs around him as we continue kissing.

His hands explore my thighs. "Can I touch your backside?" he asks, which makes me laugh internally, and I nod.

He gives my backside a gentle squeeze. I laugh again, and he grins back at me.

Mr. Gray carries me upstairs into the first room he finds. He lays us both on the bed, continuing to kiss me. His kisses trail down to my neck, and he starts to push my shirt up, but I stop him. He looks confused.

"Can we just stick to kissing?" I ask, and he nods in understanding.

He kisses me again, this time more slowly, while I run my hands down his neck and tangle my fingers in his hair.

"Can I touch your breast through your shirt and over your bra?" he asks between kisses. I find his politeness amusing and appreciate it, responding with a nod.

He slides a hand under my shirt and begins to gently caress my breast. I moan softly as I kiss his neck, which makes him growl and stop.

I bite my lip and look into his eyes.

"Do you regret this?" he asks, and I quickly shake my head.

He smiles in relief. "Good." Then he stands and heads to the bathroom, leaving me sitting on the bed, rubbing my eyes.

"Wow, Nina, you just hooked up with your ethics teacher-how ironic!"