47

Oakley.
I’m not a skilled cook, but people have often complimented me on my lasagne, so that’s what I’ve made for Eva, as well as a large helping of cheesy garlic bread.
It’s crazy that I’m nervous.
This is the first time I’ll be spending time with Eva, outside of a classroom setting or fucking her, even if that’s where I want this night to end. I need to learn more about her, learn if she could want to ruin her parents as badly as I do.
It’s quite clear that I can’t keep my hands to myself when it comes to her. Instead of fighting it, it’s about time I found out if we could become partners in crime and complete my quest for revenge with her by my side.
The only issue is that it means I need to reveal my true intent for her. Before I knew Eva, I had every intention of destroying her, along with her family. It’s not a subject I wish to broach tonight, but over the two-week break with her, I’ll have to come clean.
I glance at the clock, noticing that it’s a quarter past eight. My jaw clenches. Either Eva’s just running late, or they have caught her trying to sneak out of the school. Considering she was often late for discipline class, I’m going to assume it’s the former.
There’s a soft knock at my door sounds and the tension coils through my body. My hands are shaking as I reach for the door handle. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, but it doesn’t work.
I open the door, and there she is, wearing a beautiful, flowing pale blue dress that ends just below her knees. “You look stunning,” I say before she can speak.
I glance around the vicinity, making sure no one is lurking around. “Come in.” I stand to the side and allow her to sweep past me.
“Whatever you are cooking smells amazing,” Eva says, smiling as she glances at me.
I clench my jaw as a stupid, fleeting notion enters my mind.
I could get used to this.
“I’m making lasagne.” I tip my head toward the sofa. “Have a seat. What would you like to drink?”
She tilts her head slightly. “Whatever you are having.”
I raise a brow. “I’m not sure you’d be too happy with scotch.” I walk to my fridge and pull out a bottle of white wine. “How about chardonnay?”
Eva smiles and then nods. “Sounds great.”
I shouldn’t be offering an underage pupil a drink, but then I shouldn’t have her here in my cottage either. With Eva, I do everything I’m not supposed to do. I pour her a large glass and take it to her, placing it down on the coffee table.
“Food is in the oven. I’ll join you in a moment,” I say, heading to grab myself a glass of scotch.
When I return from my study, where I keep the scotch, Eva is standing by the bookcase in my living room, her fingers gently running over the spines of the first edition books. She startles when she hears me behind her. “I didn’t hear you return,” she says, looking a little sheepish. “You have a lot of ancient books.”
I smile and nod. “Yes, I collect them.” My brow furrows. “I have done since I was young.”
She brings her glass up to her lips and takes a small sip before walking back to the sofa. “Do you like to read?”
I move toward her, struggling to keep the mental picture of her on her knees with my cock in her mouth out of the forefront of my mind. “Yes, but not as much as I like collecting rare books.” I glance toward one painting on the wall. “As well as paintings, too.” I tilt my glass to the wall, and Eva’s eyes widen.
“Is it original?” She asks, gawking at the starry night painting by Van Gogh.
I nod and lift my glass to my lips, knocking back my whiskey. “Yes, although the museum of modern art believe they have the original.”
She raises a brow. “I don’t think I want to know how you got this painting.”
I laugh. “No, I don’t think you do.”
She smiles as she lifts her glass of wine to her lips and takes a sip. “Where are your paintings?”
I grind my teeth, remembering that I told her I liked to paint. No one ever sees my paintings, and the thought of showing Eva them makes me anxious in ways I’ve never felt before. “Hidden in the attic somewhere,” I say, waving my hand.
Her brow furrows. “Why? I’d like to see them.”
I move toward her and sit next to her on the sofa. “I’ve never shown them to anyone.”
“Oh,” she says, twisting her fingers in her lap. “Perhaps you can paint me now, since you’ve already seen me in the nude.”
I groan, shaking my head. “The chance of me ever finishing that painting would be slim.” I set my whiskey tumbler down on the coffee table, moving her flowing golden hair away from her neck and pressing my lips to her skin. “I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from fucking you.”
Eva giggles, shaking her head. “You could try.”
I can tell she’s eager for me to paint her, but I know it won’t work out. Instead, I change the subject. “Tell me, Eva. You know my passion. What is yours?”
“Animals,” she says.
My brow furrows. “That’s why you want to be a vet?” I run a hand across the back of my neck. “But what makes you so passionate about animals?”
“Taking care of them brings me joy.” She smiles widely and reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone. “Where we live in Atlanta, we’re right by a woodland nature reserve.” She flicks through photos that are mostly of animals. “These two squirrels were injured, and I nursed them back to health.” Eva smiles proudly, handing me the phone. “There is no better feeling in this world than helping those less fortunate than you.”