Chapter 128: First Day of College

Eloise rode beside Massimo in comfortable silence while Enzo drove through the busy streets of New York.

The leather seat was cool beneath her thighs as the city blurred past the tinted windows.

Eloise barely noticed any of it. Her stomach was tied into knots from excitement. The sleek black SUV slowed before the sprawling entrance of New York College before coming to a stop.

Massimo turned toward her, those piercing blue eyes latching onto every detail of her face—her lips, the curve of her cheek, the excited flush blooming across her skin. The intensity of his gaze sent heat spiraling low in her belly.

Eloise couldn't help noticing how unfairly handsome he looked.

The black suit fit him perfectly, fabric tailored to his powerful frame. His dark hair looked as though he'd run his fingers through it a dozen times already that morning.

And his cologne—

God. That cologne should have been illegal.

“No boys,” he said grumpily after a long, charged silence.

Eloise raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to have male friends.”

One moment she was teasing him, the next Massimo’s large hand shot out, dragging her across the seat and onto his lap in one powerful motion.

She gasped as she felt the hard, unmistakable ridge of his erection pressing insistently against her ass. His arms banded around her like steel, possessive and hungry.

He leaned in, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, stubble scraping deliciously against her sensitive skin.

“I’ll know if anyone so much as breathes too close to you,” he growled, his voice low and rough with dark promise. “If anyone touches what’s mine…” His fingers traced her bottom lip with agonizing slowness, thumb pressing gently until her mouth parted. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten, Cara. Your punishment is still waiting for you in the playroom.”

Eloise melted against him, a soft whimper escaping her throat. How could she forget? Fantasies of it had haunted her for days.

She felt herself growing wet, her panties damp with sudden, aching need. Her hips shifted involuntarily, grinding subtly against his hardness, drawing a low, dangerous groan from deep in his chest.

“You’ll be late,” Massimo murmured, his voice thick with barely leashed desire. His hands tightened on her waist for one final, possessive squeeze before he released her.

Breathless and flushed, Eloise slid off his lap and straightened her clothes. “Enzo will come get you later,” he added, his eyes still devouring her.

She stepped out of the car on slightly unsteady legs, the cool morning air a welcome shock against her heated skin. “Bye, Enzo,” she called, waving at the big man.

Enzo offered a rare, warm smile and waved back. “See you later, Signora.”

Eloise turned and waved at Massimo one last time. He didn’t wave back. Typical.

He simply stared at her with that intense, unwavering gaze until she disappeared through the college gates, as if committing every second of her departure to memory.

The moment Eloise crossed the threshold into New York University’s bustling campus, it felt like a fresh breath of pure oxygen after years underwater. Finally.

After countless nights spent fantasizing about this exact moment. It was here. Surreal and breathtaking.

Students milled about normally, laughing, chatting, rushing between buildings.

Three minutes in and she already spotted a couple locked in a passionate kiss on a sunny bench, hands roaming boldly, completely lost in each other.

“Holy hell,” Eloise giggled under her breath, a giddy laugh bubbling up as she walked past. Ahead, a group of students argued intensely about something—probably politics or a professor—only to burst into loud, infectious laughter moments later, teasing one another mercilessly.

Her heart soared. It raced with endless possibilities. This was life. Messy, vibrant, wonderfully ordinary life.

She was so busy drinking in the sprawling campus—the majestic old stone buildings covered in ivy, the crowds of bright-eyed students, the colorful orientation banners fluttering in the breeze—that she forgot to watch where she was going. Her foot caught the sharp edge of a curb.

“Oh!”

She stumbled forward, arms flailing, and lost her balance completely. Several nearby students glanced over. A few giggles followed.

Eloise closed her eyes in pained embarrassment. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. First day and already making a fool of herself.

"Stupid," she muttered.

Her bag had flown from her shoulder during the fall. Papers scattered across the pavement. Pens rolled away. A notebook slid several feet from reach.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

She was reaching for a runaway folder when another hand got there first. Eloise blinked. A tall guy with a buzz cut had crouched beside her.

He was already gathering the loose papers before the wind could carry them away. Wire-rimmed glasses sat slightly crooked on his nose.

"You okay?" he asked.

Eloise immediately felt heat crawl into her cheeks.

"Uhh..." Brilliant answer. Absolutely brilliant. She pushed herself awkwardly upright.

"Silly me. I should've been watching where I was going."

The guy smiled kindly. Like falling flat on her face happened every day. Which somehow made it less embarrassing.

"That curb claims victims regularly."

Eloise laughed despite herself. "Good to know I'm not special."

"Sorry to disappoint you." The smile widened slightly. Together they gathered the remaining papers.

Then he handed her bag back and Eloise accepted it gratefully.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

He rose to his feet, offering his hand. After a brief hesitation, Eloise took it. He then pulled her upright effortlessly.

"Ryan Miller," he said in a dry, friendly voice. "Pleasure to meet you."

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Hello Readers,

Sorry about the inconsistent updates lately. The best is yet to come, I promise.

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