Chapter 5

For Iris, talking like this about men was normal, and Emerald was always her go-to conversation partner, since she was the only single one among them. But Emerald never expected Iris would bring this up now, especially with the man in question right in front of her! How was she supposed to respond to these questions?

“Emerald?” Iris called out when she didn’t get a response, knocking on the door. “What do you think?”

At that moment, Emerald was locked in Alaric’s embrace, and the temperature in the small changing room steadily rose. Alaric started kissing her neck while slowly slipping the strap of her dress off, revealing her smooth, bright shoulders. Emerald’s eyes fluttered closed, her head tilting back as the sensations from Alaric’s touch overwhelmed her.

Her breath came in shaky gasps under the intensity of his kiss and caress.

“I’m not really… sure,” Emerald managed to say.

Alaric chuckled softly in her ear, taking her trembling hands and guiding them around his waist.

“You can count how many abs I have, baby,” Alaric whispered again.

She gasped, the fear of being caught by Iris leaving her speechless. She had no room to resist and could only follow Alaric’s lead. Her smooth palms pressed against his warm, firm abs, feeling feverish from the heat. The heat seemed to intensify as her hands explored his skin, moving from top to bottom, touching piece by piece. Each caress was scorching, every touch searing.

“You have to guess it, Emerald. Six or eight?” Iris continued to tease from outside.

Emerald squeezed her eyes shut, her voice trembling. “Eight…” she murmured with certainty, her fingers still exploring Alaric's chiseled abs beneath his shirt.

“I thought so. He looks slim when dressed, but I bet his body is jaw-dropping when he's shirtless. Don’t you like that kind of thing, Ru? His sex appeal is so intense, it’s like your knees would buckle automatically. Unlike your ex, who was just a jerk.”

Emerald blushed, recalling Iris’s support when she found out she had been cheated on by a scumbag.

“Stop mentioning him. I’ve moved on. There’s no point in crying over someone who’s a total loser,” she replied.

“So, what’s your type? Maybe I can introduce you to someone later.”

Shaking, Emerald grabbed her phone and quickly played a video of a male vlogger flaunting his six-pack abs. She slipped the phone under the door, so Iris could see it.

“I like this, full of sexual tension and energy.”

With old topics being discussed in front of Alaric, Emerald felt like she was on the verge of escaping. She quickly came up with an excuse to get Iris to leave.

“Go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Iris didn’t reply, but they heard her footsteps fading away. Emerald exhaled heavily, feeling like she had been holding her breath for too long.

Alaric leaned in, his eyes dark with desire. “Baby, come on, you like me like this. You prefer my eight-pack abs over six, right?”

Before Emerald could respond, Alaric swiftly grabbed her hand, and in an instant, it was resting on his belt buckle.

The back of his hand was hot, while the metal buckle felt cold against her palm. Emerald’s lips quivered, her face flushed, and even her neck had a faint blush, adding to her allure.

Alaric’s grip tightened around her waist, pulling her closer with a possessive intensity. His fingers brushed gently over the inside of her delicate wrist. Emerald’s heart raced uncontrollably, her knees trembling.

“Unbuckle my belt for me, Ms. Greene,” Alaric commanded firmly and seductively.

For the first time, Emerald realized that even someone as tough and muscular as Alaric could have a voice that made people’s legs go weak. But not her, not at this point. Her concerns for her future and career outweighed the temporary allure of his touch.

Before she could give in to Alaric’s advances, she pushed him away and steeled her expression.

“I’m sorry, but I never dreamed of being a mistress,” she said firmly, surprising him.

Alaric’s jaw tightened, and his eyes turned sharp as he stared at Emerald. “So, do you want me to marry you then?”

Emerald furrowed her brow, irritation surfacing. “I think you’ve misunderstood our agreement, Mr. Corrigan. I made it clear from the start that our relationship was strictly physical. Whether you want to marry me or not doesn’t matter. I’ve never considered marrying you. Not now, and never will I think of marrying someone like you,” Emerald declared decisively, quickly removing her dress and changing into another outfit for her departure.

“Goodbye, Mr. Corrigan,” she said, leaving without looking back.

Emerald chastised her heart and quickly retrieved her phone, which Iris had left on the table. She was about to block Alaric’s number to cut off contact, but then she remembered James. Her favorite student. Alaric was James' father.

Instead of blocking his number, she simply changed the contact name. From now on, she would maintain a clear boundary with Alaric and avoid any further involvement.

But fate seemed to taunt her as she realized her home-visit day was the next day, and James’s name was at the top of her list of visits. The child’s family was in a unique situation, and she hadn’t had a proper conversation with his guardian, so she had decided to visit them first. Little did Emerald know at that time that Alaric was James's father.

Emerald let out a frustrated sigh. She knew Alaric was a busy man, so she was confident she wouldn't see him at the house she was about to visit. There was a good chance they wouldn’t cross paths.