Page 75 of Rejected By My Shifter Billionaire

Unable to resist the professor when he spoke to her like that, she took a deep breath and gave him what they both wanted. “Alessandro.”

Both of them stilled as his name slipped past her lips. It was almost too much, the intimacy and the power her saying his name contained. To call the professor by his name symbolized a connection. It spoke of love...and trust, and the realization hurt.

“Alessandro.” More tears fell, and when the professor pulled her into his arms, the tears fell faster. “I really want to trust you, Professor, but I j-just d-don’t know if I can.”

Her pain wrenched at his heart, and Alessandro struggled with self-loathing, knowing that he was the only reason for all the suffering he heard in her voice. Pulling her tighter into his embrace, he kissed the top of her head and said fiercely, “I’ll earn it back.”

She shook her head wildly, his words seeming to distress her more. “But that’s the thing,” she protested, raising her head. “You shouldn’t have to earn it—-”

“Of course I have to,” Alessandro growled.

Still, she shook her head. “Even now, I know I’m the lucky one, to have someone like you love me—-”

With a groan, he cupped her face and kissed Kassia deep and hard. “Don’t you ever say those words again,” he gritted against her lips. “Don’t you even fucking think it.” Lifting his head, he stared into her eyes, the command in his words mirrored by his gaze as he said, “I’m the one who’s lucky to have you love me. You saved me from a lifetime of hating my brother for all the wrong reasons. You helped make my family a little less broken, and you made me strong again. Knowing that, how can you still say I’m not lucky to have you?”

Kassia wanted to believe the professor, but old hurts held her back, preventing her from completely trusting him.

And the professor seemed to know it, exhibited by the quiet conviction in his tone when he said, “Iwillwin your trust back, Kassia.”

“But what if you don’t?” This time, she didn’t bother trying to hide her greatest fear. She wanted a life with the professor, but she hated how she kept thinking of the worst things possible whenever she wasn’t talking to him, wasn’t able to see him. She was being a paranoid, jealous bitch, and she hated it.

The professor didn’t answer.

“Professor?” Her voice shook.

He said simply, “Then I’ll die.”

A cry was torn out from her. “Don’t make jokes like that!” Kassia made the Sign of the Cross several times, and when it didn’t feel enough, she took his own hand and made him do it for himself, too. “I’m serious, Professor! Don’t make jokes like that.”

“I’m sorry,” Alessandro soothed. Pressing a swift, tender kiss on her forehead, he murmured, “Let’s talk about something else, yes?” The change of subject was deliberate, Alessandro not wanting to lie to his beloved.

Kassia allowed the professor to pull her back into his arms, her head against his chest. “Were you punishing me,” she whispered, “by not talking to me the past three days?”

Kassia felt the professor smile against her hair as he answered, “Yes.”

Gasping at his audacious honesty, she hit his chest with her fist. “Jerk.”

“But as you can see now, I’m back with you, and letting you wrap me around your finger.” His voice was dry. “I realized that staying away from you was hurting me, too, so what was the point?”

She raised her head, asking hopefully, “It did?”

He rolled his eyes. “Bloodthirsty chick.”

Taking the words as a yes, she said with undisguised pleasure, “Good.” Kassia scowled at the professor. “If you do it again—-”

He cut her off, drawling, “Do I look like the masochist type to you?”

She grinned. “If you want me to be completely honest, I’d say you’re more of a sybarite—-”

“I’m impressed,” he said sarcastically, but the tender gleam in his eyes belied his tone. “You seem to have picked up big words just to insult me.”

Her grin widened even as she answered with shy honesty, “Only for the man I love.”

Alessandro froze and a second later, Kassia did, too. Panic flared in her gaze, and he knew right away she hadn’t meant to say the words at all. When she started to speak, he shook his head. “You can’t take it back, little chick.” Before she could protest, he continued quietly,

“I love you.”

Kassia paled even more.