Chapter 14 14
Sofía hesitated outside his office, torn between lifting her hand to knock or turning on her heel and fleeing the academy altogether.
But the memory of his command on Friday sharp, unquestionable anchored her feet in place. He had ordered her to be there. On time.
Lucía had trailed her relentlessly all day, hovering like a shadow, determined to keep Sofía from ever crossing paths with Mr. Ruiz. Yet here she was, standing alone, about to confront the very man everyone feared.
It’s fine, Sofía. Be calm. Be direct. Say your reason and get out. Escape his darkness.
Easy.
She inhaled deeply and knocked.
A full minute dragged by before a harsh “Come in” echoed from inside. Her fingers tightened around the doorknob. Eyes closed, she turned it, the door creaking as it opened.
Sofía stepped inside, gaze fixed on the floor. She hadn’t even fully crossed the threshold when his voice filled the room.
“Close the door.”
Cold swept down her spine at his tone. Silently, she obeyed, shutting the door behind her. Her heart screamed that it wasn’t too late she could still run but her mind forced calm, urged normalcy.
Normal.
How was she supposed to act normal in the presence of a man who looked more like a predator than a math teacher?
She turned toward him, stealing a brief glance. He stood near the window, his back to her. Relief slipped from her in a quiet sigh, and she allowed herself to observe him.
His hands were buried in the pockets of his tailored slacks. His shoulders broad, muscular were rigid with tension, his posture coiled like a restrained storm.
“Good evening, Mr. Ruiz,” she said softly, careful, polite.
Her voice didn’t shake. That alone felt like a victory.
A low hum answered her. Nothing more.
The dismissal stung.
“Sir, I can’t continue these classes anymore,” Sofía said, forcing confidence into her tone.
Silence.
He neither turned nor spoke.
Confusion rooted her to the spot. Two long minutes passed before she decided she was done being ignored. She shifted, preparing to leave.
That was when he moved.
Slowly, deliberately, he turned around.
Sofía caught only a fragment of his face before her eyes dropped again.
“Were you the one who asked for these private lessons?” he asked. His voice was calm but glacial, stripping away her confidence piece by piece.
“N-no,” she answered weakly, bewildered. He knew the truth. He was the one who had ordered her into them.
He stepped toward her.
One step.
Predatory.
“Then how do you presume you can stop them,” he said quietly, “on your own, and without my approval?”
His voice dropped lower, carrying a soundless snarl that wasn’t heard it was felt.
Her throat went dry. Sweat prickled at her skin.
She’d angered him.
If he hadn’t been furious before, he was now.
And Lucía what if she ever saw Sofía leaving this office? Lucía would lose her mind. In her imagination, Mr. Ruiz already belonged to her.
“What’s troubling you so much?” he asked, advancing again, his presence overwhelming, beastlike.
You.
The word burned on her tongue, but she swallowed it down.
She retreated as he advanced, step for step, until her back met the wall. Panic fluttered violently in her chest.
“H-h-home tutoring,” she stammered. “F-from my a-aunt. She’s a m-math teacher.”
The lie shattered as soon as it left her mouth.
He loomed over her now, completely eclipsing her 5’4” frame with his towering 6’2” build. Far too close. Dangerously close.
Sofía stared at his chest, unable unwilling to meet his eyes.
“I hate liars,” he growled.
She flinched, clutching her hands to her chest.
How did he know?
“M-Mr. Ruiz,” she whispered, fingers tightening around her pendant like a lifeline. “Y-you’re too c-close.”
A low, guttural sound rumbled from his chest restrained, animalistic.
What had she walked into?
“Am I?” he murmured darkly, stepping closer still.
Her eyes flew upward, shock colliding with fear as she met his dark green gaze. His cologne enveloped her sharp, intoxicating. Her breath vanished.
This wasn’t right.
This wasn’t how teachers behaved.
She pressed herself flatter against the wall, desperate to avoid contact. One wrong movement and their bodies would touch.
“T-this is i-inappropriate,” she whispered, fear cracking her voice.
“Is it?” he rasped.
His voice deepened, thickened. He bent slightly until they were face to face, breath to breath.
Sofía couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked away, but his presence was inescapable. His hot, mint-tinged breath brushed her skin.
Her chest tightened.
This was wrong.
She noticed the rigid muscles of his neck, strained as though he were fighting something powerful something violent.
Instinct screamed at her to push him away, but his dominance smothered her thoughts. Fear rooted her feet in place, her body betraying her as terror turned her legs to stone.
Then
Bang.
His hand slammed into the wall beside her head.
She cried out, terror ripping through her.
“You smell so fucking delicious,” he growled.