"I won't let my guard down for anyone but you." —Corinne Bailey Rae.

••

Kelly wakes up to the scent of sautéed onions and peppers and the sizzling sound of fermenting oil.

A tired groan exudes from her as she stirs on her stomach, the cool morning air brushing against her bare thighs. Nikolai's shirt has ridden up a fair inch, revealing her shorts that slid up due to her bad sleeping habits.

Reaching a hand around herself, she tugs the fabric over her behind, grimacing at the piercing pain in her skull. Her eyes are filmy as she opens them, immediately squinting from the harsh sun rays pouring through the grey curtains.

Grey and Black. Everything around her is, immediately informing her whose bedroom this is.

Mr. Todd.

"Shit!" She scrambles upright quickly, groping her messy hair while she scours her surroundings. He is nowhere in sight, and the room is meticulously clean as usual, except for the disheveled bedsheets surrounding her.

It is not a surprise. Kelly is an awful sleeper and would occupy the entire bed though she is small in size. Her most famous sleeping position would be sprawling out on her back with all her limbs away from each other. She prays she hadn't slept that way last night as the sight would have been severely unattractive.

Instantly, Celia hops up onto the mattress, almost startling the teen as she snuggles her head against her arm.

Kelly chuckles. "Good morning, Celia." She trails her fingers through the mutt's furs, but her lips quickly set into a line as she tries to recall the happenings of yesterday.

She cannot remember anything. She knows this is Nikolai's dwelling, but she cannot recall what had occurred after she drunk at that bar last night.

Celia hops from the bed and begins to wander around the bedroom, sniffing aimlessly. Kelly looks down at the shirt covering her body. Her short arms got lost in the sleeves, and her legs are exposed from the mid-thighs, down.

Feeling insecure about the stretch marks along her body, she drags the fabric further down, the rough material grazing against her nipples.

Her eyes widen. Her bra. Her bra is missing.

She pats her palms over her chest, then lifts her shirt, sighing when she finds that her underwear and biker shorts are still present.

She shakes her head at how ridiculous her thoughts are. As if Nikolai Todd would try to take advantage of her in a drunken state. The man is way too confident for that and does not need to force himself onto a woman when they readily present themselves to him.

Determined to retrieve what happened, she stares ahead of her while rattling her cloudy brain for every piece of mental tape.

And then it all comes rushing back to her, bit by bit.

She drank too much, called the man, blabbered a ton of nonsense, and then he came just in time to save her from that pervert. The fact that he beat the sicko to a pulp is another level of attractiveness.

But as her stomach floats with butterflies, another thought arises and stills them in an instant.

The moment she walked in on Niko and saw his most sacred area. The place that bears his entire manhood and the magnitude of his testosterone.

"Oh. Fuck."

She brings the covers up to her face as her cheeks burn a blazing red.

Her vision hadn't been clear as she was intoxicated, but she did see a bit of it. It hung away from his toned thighs with a width and length that could have her running for the hills.

He is a stallion; that much is true.

"Oh my God..." She puts her face in her hands, the image reappearing vividly. She has never seen anything like that in her whole life, and she's sure the picture will remain with her for a lifetime. The memory is blurry, but her imagination easily fills in the rest.

And if that is not enough to have her hanging herself with his bedsheet, the fact that she hugged him half-naked would surely suffice it. She was topless, her 'unattractive' tits pressing into the man's chest. He was probably traumatized after undergoing such an assault.

Embarrassment is an insufficient word to describe how she's feeling. Perhaps it's a good day for the world to end; it wouldn't bother her. Just end and take her away from this ordeal.

The delectable aroma seeps through her senses again, causing her stomach to roar with appetite. She climbs down from the bed, finding a note on Nikolai's nightstand.

She itches her foot with the other while she stares at his handwriting. Everything about this man is flawless; it's just not real. He's just not real.

She puts back the paper and moves toward his adjoined bathroom.

The lavatory displays one word: manliness. Aftershave, body wash, masculine deodorant. There is no sign of femininity in this room—the true abode of a single man who takes the utmost pride in his appearance.

As her eyes wander over to the shower section, her mind roams back to when she walked in on him last night. The thing she saw...

She flashes her head, a pang of fear settling in.

"That was too huge..." She whispers to herself, tipping on her toes and opening the black cabinet. She finds several sealed toothbrushes and grabs a white one from the collection.

She cleans her teeth quickly, eyeing the hygienic products neatly outlined on his sink. They are all arranged in order of colors and sizes, their labels facing the front. His towels are accurately folded, reflecting the tendencies of a true perfectionist.

She rinses her mouth and leaves the washroom, closing the door behind her. Celia brushes against her leg as she walks over to make the bed.

She has no idea where her clothes are, and Nikolai detests when people wear shoes in his house, so when she's through tidying, she abandons her sneakers and leaves the room barefooted.

••

♡♡

Shirtless. Completely shirtless, with just black sweatpants covering his loins. His back is positioned to her as he stirs something on the stove, his bicep flexing from the action.

Kelly's cheeks become as hot as the smoke emitting from the pot as she takes in the sight of Nikolai. The muscles in his back are ripped and toned, and his hair is messy and damp, giving the impression that he has just taken a shower.

He's captivating when you admire him from the front, but his back view is just as appealing. There are dimples on both sides of his lower back.

She has never met a man as attractive as he in all her eighteen years of existence, and if it weren't for the barriers restricting her, how lucky she would have been to be with someone this desirable.

She clears her throat and looks down at her feet, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

He looks around at the signal, and his eyes automatically drink her in.

Her thick thighs are even more attractive with his shirt on. He finds it cute how her small feet are slightly twisted inwards, a quality he had no idea he liked until now. Her legs are going to be the death of him, and it is too early to have an erection, so he turns toward the stove.

...please stop; it makes me uncomfortable.

He frowns at the memory. "You can have a seat at the island, Kelly. Breakfast is almost finished."

His voice is a tad deeper, something that usually happens in the mornings.

"Thank you, sir." She climbs up onto a barstool, pulling the shirt down a little. "I couldn't find my clothes..."

"It's in the laundry room; you know where that is?"

"No, sir."

"I know. I will get it for you after you eat."

She nods. "Thank you..."

He turns around, and unconsciously, Kelly's eyes slide down to the front of his sweats. The image of his length resurfaces, and she looks up to find him already staring at her, his brows raised.

Fuck. She quickly looks down.

He brings the mug he's holding up to his lips. "So, what do you remember about last night?"

She stiffens. Is he talking about what she saw?

"Um, I-as in..."

"What do you remember?" He leans his back against the counter, staring directly at her.

When it comes to eye contact, it is a battle she will never be able to win. Not against Nikolai Todd, at least.

She shakes her head. "N-nothing much. J-just what happened at the bar..."

"Oh?"

Oh? Why does it sound like a question?

"And how are you feeling this morning?" He takes a sip of his coffee again.

"Just a slight headache." She says nervously, rubbing her thighs in anxiety.

Nikolai's gaze slumps to them. "Mm. Would you like me to tell you what happened last night?"

"No, it's okay." She quickly reaches for a glass of clear liquid from the table, lifting it to her mouth. It's a nervous reaction.

Nikolai's cup freezes in front of his lips. "Kelly..."

She screws her face up, sticking her tongue out of her head. "Sir..."

"That was vinegar." He sighs.

Her eyes widen in horror. She keeps her tongue hanging from her mouth as she hops off the stool, hurrying to the sink. Nikolai scoots over as she puts her mouth under the tap.

He shakes his head and smiles softly, but it slowly fades as his eyes travel down her body.

She is bending over, his shirt bunched up just above her butt. The thin fabric of her biker shorts is doing a measly job at concealing everything underneath. It's black, but her white lace undies can easily be seen.

Lucky for her, she mustered up the courage to wear those mature underwear Caroline picked out for her. It took everything within her to say goodbye to her cotton panties as they are a lot more comfortable, in her opinion.

It surely doesn't aid that she's jerking her thighs whilst splashing the water into her mouth, either. Her butt moves with every action.

The sight is too much, and Nikolai shifts in his stance, looking away.

"Fuck..." He breathes inaudibly.

The sound of his door's passcode resonates in the home, and his brows furrow in confusion as light footsteps intrude his dwelling.

His mother, along with Ikaya, enters his living room, looking into the kitchen where he stands awestricken.

"Good morning, honey." Mrs. Todd smiles.

He squints his eyes, more offended than confused. "Hold on, how did you both get inside here?" He rests his cup behind him.

"I know your passcode." Ikaya shrugs proudly. "I caught it after watching you only once."

His jaw tightens. She surely could not be expecting applauses after doing something this disrespectful. She might be his childhood friend, but not even Nik's parents are allowed to enter his home without notice.

"And you felt it was appropriate to just let yourself into my house?" He blinks his eyes.

"Relax, Nik." She frowns, jutting her lips. "We thought you were still asleep, so I thought letting ourselves in would save you the hassle."

He shakes his head. "Please don't do that. I don't like it; don't do it."

"Oh, relax, Niko." His mother fans him off. "She's your future wife, so it doesn't matter."

Ikaya reddens, touching her arm. "Mom..."

"No need to be shy, Kaya. Soon you both will share one home, and Noah and I would have to call before..." She trails off when Kelly lifts her head from the sink, switching the tap off.

The teen heard their entrance and was trying to stay down for as long as she could, but now her back has started to hurt. She will take their criticisms and rebukes, but she won't damage her spine. She's a flexible girl with a gift for gymnastics; hence, she won't allow them to ruin the only talent she has. If she fails school, that's what she'll need to rock back on.

She turns to the two shocked people, rubbing her wet palms together. "Good morning."

Ikaya's face morphs into the evilest expression as she takes in the younger girl, clad in Nikolai's shirt. Hardly wearing anything.

"What is this, Nik?" His mother asks.

Nikolai is composed despite the stunned faces in front of him. "I am sure you know her. I took her here as she wasn't feeling well last night."

His mother's eyes grow so huge that Kelly fears they'll pop out and roll onto the floor.

"Have you lost your mind, Nikolai Todd?" She looks from him to his student, displeasure crossing her countenance. "This is a little girl, for Christ's sake."

"She's not a 'little girl,' she's eighteen, and what does that have to do with anything? I said I took her here because she was not feeling well last night."

"What the—" The lady holds her forehead. "Hold on, you do realize that you can lose your job for this, right? You could lose your damn job for this. She's your student; she should not be at your house wearing your shirt, Nikolai."

"I am twenty-five, and I am sure I can make that decision for myself."

"As your mother, it is my right to point out where you're going wrong. This is beyond inappropriate, and I won't sit back and watch you ruin your career."

And here's the reason Kelly preferred to stay far away from him. She feels awful that he's fighting with his mother because of her. Maybe it is time she leaves.

She swallows and moves off to find the laundry room when his mother steps into her path.

"No, hold on, ma'am."

Nik rolls his eyes. "Leave her alone."

"Young lady, you should be ashamed of yourself. This man is your teacher." The lady glares at her with distaste. "Is this what your parents taught you? Do your parents know you're here? Sleeping at your teacher's house?"

Kelly gulps down the burn in her throat, and Nikolai pulls her behind him.

"I already told you the reason she is here. Why are you making a big deal out of this?"

Ikaya stares at Kelly with blood in her eyes.

Nik looks back at his student. "Kelly, the laundry room is the third room down the hall." He points, and she nods and hurries away to find it.

Ikaya watches her leave, then she looks back to Nik as his mother finds a seat at the island, holding her forehead.

"Nikolai, you can't be doing this. Your mother is right."

"Not you too. I am already upset that you entered my house without my permission."

She holds her hands up, hurt flashing in her eyes.

Kelly returns fully clothed, pushing her sneakers on. "I am leaving. Have a good day." She begins to move to the door as Nik steps forward.

"Wait, I will take you."

"No, you will not." His mother stands up, stepping into his pathway. "Ikaya, take that girl back."

"I'll be fine walking," Kelly grumbles, quickly leaving the living room.

Nikolai glares at his mother, exhausted. "What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with you. Are you trying to disgrace me, Nikolai Todd?!"

Kelly shuts her eyes at the lady's yelling as she steps out of the house, the morning breeze blowing her curls around her. The door opens behind, and Ikaya calls out to her from the threshold.

"Kelly."

She stops and takes a deep breath before turning around. "Yes?"

The older girl walks up to her, trying to hide her anger.

"I didn't want it to have to come to this...but I think you should stay away from Nikolai outside of school," Ikaya begins, and Kelly tilts her head to the side, beyond annoyed.

"His parents won't get off his case about this and seeing you around him will only trigger their anger and suspicions even more. You should stay away from him. Niko is my friend, and I care about him, so I hate to see him this stressed. If you care about him as well, you should take some time away from him. You'll get to see him at school anyway. But coming to his house...that's a little inappropriate."

Kelly decides not to say anything, turning away to leave the premises before she sputters a series of curse words.

"Need a ride?"

"No." She walks down the street, leaving all the humiliation behind.

Fuck them.

••

♡♡

Outraged, she storms into her house and slams the door behind her. Kevin looks over from the game system in front of him, his face laced with bewilderment.

"Wow, wow. Who pissed you off?" He splays his arm over the couch. "By the way, did you sleep at Derrick's?!"

His question remains unanswered, and his two friends, Noah and Mike, exchange looks as Kelly storms up the stairs.

She plods into her bedroom and shuts the door after her, throwing herself on her stomach. She buries her face in her pillow, screaming at the top of her lungs. Had her voice not been muffled, the entire vicinity would have heard her.

She is beyond livid and has no idea what to do with this emotion. And so she does what she would usually do whenever this happens.

She cries.

Warm tears of bitterness saturate her pillow as she sobs her resentment away. She is so fed up. Fed up with the rules, the expectations...she is tired of it all.

She wants to love who she wants, be with who she wants, but why would following her own heart make her a selfish person? It's not her who's regardless but the people who keep hindering her from pursuing her heart's desire.

It is just not fair.

Her door knocks and Kevin's voice travels through the crevices. "Kelly?"

"Leave me the fuck alone." She grumbles to herself, grabbing a pillow and pressing it over her head.

She prefers not to speak to anyone at this moment. Luckily, her brother gets the message, and soon, his footsteps fade away from the doorway.

Her phone buzzes from her skirt, and she grabs it and slides it open to find a message from Jagger.

😏