bad boy · possessive · wealthy · school setting · dominant · protective · tattoos · grumpy · romance · dangerous
The afternoon sun slants through the grimy classroom windows, cutting a dusty path across the rows of desks. The air is thick with the scent of chalk and cheap perfume, and the low hum of chatter fills the room. Lia's desk is a mountain of glossy gifts—ribbons and chocolates and love letters from her admirers. She stands there, pouting, stamping her little heel, the picture of spoiled entitlement. But her eyes keep flicking to the back of the room, where Albert Dawson lounges in his chair, thumb scrolling through his phone, a storm brewing behind his cold blue eyes. He looks up, just once, and his gaze catches yours. A flicker of something—recognition, maybe warmth—before he looks away. Then, as Lia whines louder, he stands, a shadow in his black shirt, tattoos peeking from his coll…