Friday rolled in with the city feeling suffocating, as if the air itself refused to circulate. The university corridors were more deserted than usual. It was the last class of the morning, with few professors left on campus.

The motion was almost soundless — perfect for those wishing to remain unnoticed.

The name on the carved wooden plaque still shone on the door:

Prof. Dr. D. A. Moretti — Contemporary Literature

The knock on the door was faint.

"Come in," he said, without lifting his gaze.

She held a small notebook and wore an expression too controlled to be innocent.

"I came to clear up a doubt," she stated simply.

"About what?"

"Let's discuss ambiguous language," she began, a slow smile curving her lips. "And the art of double interpretations."

He motioned towards the chair opposite him. With a serene demeanor, she sat down, crossed her legs, and rested the notebook on her lap.

"Speak," he instructed, maintaining a neutral tone, his body seemingly relaxed.

She glanced around before responding, as if taking in the surroundings, absorbing every detail of the place where they were now alone. The door was shut. No windows visible from the outside.

"In certain texts, some words only reveal their true meaning to those with a discerning eye." She looked at him directly. "Do you believe every text harbors a hidden layer?"

"Only the best ones do."

She nibbled on her lower lip, seemingly processing the response.

"And when the author writes specifically for a certain reader?"

He set down his pen. He was weary of this game of euphemisms and metaphors. Or perhaps he was on the brink of capitulation.

"The author gambles," he finally conceded. "Especially when the reader comprehends too much."

She leaned in slightly. Her neckline now more exposed. The perfume — sweet and overpowering — filled the space between them.

"Sometimes, comprehension is inevitable," she whispered. "Even when it's forbidden."

Silence. Time seemed to stretch out, pressing against the two figures.

He reclined in the chair, his gaze locked on her.

"Do you understand boundaries, Luna?"

She blinked slowly. The question sliced through her like a scalpel.

"It depends on who's setting them," she responded, "and how."

The tension between them had thickened, like storm clouds ready to burst. The hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the room. The table between them seemed symbolic—a physical barrier that no longer maintained the emotional distance.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice now deeper.

"Wondering what you would do... if I crossed some of these boundaries."

She teased him expertly. Nothing sounded desperate or crude. Each word was chosen, calculated, with the grace of a character who knew the author was watching.

He stood up.

He circled the table slowly. His steps echoed like heartbeats.

She followed him with her eyes, but did not move.

He came to a halt beside her. Too close. His breath, warm with a subtle hint of coffee and suppressed longing, was now palpable.

He leaned in slightly, his hand suspended in the air, not making contact.

"You play well. But some games are just too dangerous."

"And too thrilling to resist," she whispered, turning her face towards the sound of his voice.

Their faces were close, mere inches apart. He could see each of her eyelashes, the moist gleam on her lips.

His hand slowly ascended until it reached her chin. With a gentle, yet assertive motion, he lifted her face.

The touch was nearly imperceptible, yet its intensity jolted them both.

"Go," he said, his tone a mix between an order and a plea. "Before I do something irreversible."

She offered no response.

She simply held his gaze for a moment too long. A silence that screamed yes.

And then, she complied.

She stood up gently, adjusted her bag's strap on her shoulder, and walked towards the door.

Before she left, she turned back one last time, leaning against the doorframe:

Just so you know, professor... I don't do things by halves.

He didn't reply. He simply looked at her. Like someone contemplating a line that had already been crossed.

She shut the door behind her. And with it, she seemed to take the entire atmosphere of the office.

That late afternoon, the office seemed to be frozen in time.

The stagnant air, the yellowish lights casting shadows on the walls lined with books. He stood there, hands deep in his dress pants pockets, shoulders tense, jaw set. His gaze was fixed on the chair where, just minutes before, Luna had been sitting, crossing her legs, leaning in, dropping words like bait for something he barely dared to name.

But now, there was no longer any room for disguises.

The gentle fragrance of her perfume still lingered in the air, mingling with the warmth of his own body that he barely noticed perspiring. The skin on his index finger—the same one that lightly grazed her chin—still felt as if it were on fire. Such minimal contact, yet the memory was tangible, vibrant, unforgettable.

The words she had left behind echoed in his mind like a softly spoken enchantment:

"It all depends on who's imposing them."

He mentally replayed it, and with each repetition, it sounded increasingly perilous. More enticing. Was it a submission?

A challenge? Or both? Perhaps she knew precisely what to say.

Perhaps she was gauging just how far he would go.

And he remained like that for several minutes. Thinking. Feeling.

He tried, unsuccessfully, to control his breathing.

The silence was only punctuated by the soft ping of a notification.

Across the campus, Luna leaned against her car. The setting sun cast reddish hues on the vehicle, and she stared at her phone screen as if she were composing not a message, but a second chapter.

Her fingers danced across the screen with certainty, without any hesitation.

"Thank you for the consultation. I feel... inspired to continue the study. See you next class."

No emoticon. No name.

She knew he would recognize it.

They knew there was no need to sign their own wish.

They hit "send" and smiled. A small, controlled smile. But there was a fire behind it.

Then they read it again. Their heart pounded — not from surprise, but from confirmation.

She had grasped the rules of the game. And she was all in.

They switched off the screen, reclined in the chair, and shut their eyes.

No more doubts lingered. The tension between them was now merely a preamble.

Be cause, from that moment forward, neither of them would emerge unscathed.

The book felt heavy in her hands, an aged edition of Crime and Punishment with page edges yellowed by time. The campus library was nearly deserted, the silence punctuated only by the distant hum of a projector in a classroom. As she thumbed through the pages, the note fell into her lap, a folded piece of paper with handwriting she instantly recognized.

Today, room 204. Lock the door. Don't utter a word.

His heart was pounding before his brain could even comprehend the meaning. He was certain she would come. He knew she would take that book.

She glanced around, as if someone might be spying, but the hallways were vacant. Even so, her hands shook as she slipped the note into her denim pocket.

Room 204 was situated on the second floor of the college's oldest edifice, where the fluorescent lights flickered and the aroma of chalk and polished wood filled the air. She climbed the stairs gradually, each step echoing like a magnified heartbeat. When she nudged the door open, she discovered the room was vacant, the partially drawn curtains filtering the late afternoon sun, casting a warm amber hue on the walls.

Her heart throbbed in her chest as she twisted the key in the lock. The click was definitive.

There was no moment to ponder.

The door creaked open behind her, and before she could pivot, a warm figure pressed her against the icy surface of the chalkboard. Her wrist was seized, her fingers intertwined with his as he immobilized her. His breath, hot and ragged, seared the nape of her neck.

"You came," he rasped, his voice raw, as if he had already discerned her lack of resistance.

She remained silent. Not a word.

His lips traced her neck, sharp teeth grazing her soft skin, and she arched against him with a suppressed moan. His hands explored her body possessively, gripping her hips, drawing her back until she felt his desires.

"You were already drenched before you even stepped in here, weren't you?" he whispered, his hand sliding down her pants, pressing against the moist fabric.

She bit her lip, but a shiver gave her away.

He chuckled, the sound low and ominous.

"Respond."

"Yes."

The word slipped out as if it were a confession.

It was sufficient.

He spun her around, his hands firmly on her waist, and lifted her as if she were weightless. Her back slammed against the blackboard, the impact softened by his body fitting between her legs. Their lips met with intensity, their tongues entwining, teeth colliding.

He controlled every move, every breath, and she yielded, allowing his hands to explore, his mouth to claim.

"Kneel."

She complied, sliding from the blackboard to the floor, amidst the rows of vacant chairs. He unfastened his belt with slow, calculated movements, before unzipping. He was already aroused, impatient, when he emerged from his pants.

"Open your mouth."

She did so, her tongue extended in offering, and he groaned as he enveloped her lips with his. His hands clenched in her hair, setting the rhythm, and she allowed it, allowed him to use her mouth, to fill her, to reduce her to this—just this—just him.

But he craved more.

He hoisted her back up, rotated her to face the chalkboard, and bent her torso forward.

"Hang on."

She clung to the edge of the chalkboard, her fingers turning white from the pressure, as he entered her in one swift motion. She let out a muffled scream into her own arm as he filled her entirely, every inch, every curve.

— Each time — he growled, his hands on her hips, pulling her back with each thrust — you feel tighter.

She couldn't think, only feel—the heat, the pressure, the way he stretched her, as if aiming to reach even deeper. Her legs were quivering, but he kept her upright, holding her firmly, leaving marks on her skin that would later turn into bruises.

When his fingers found her clitoris, she let out a moan, her body tensing.

"You're going to climax", he commanded, his voice gruff. "Now."

And she complied, as she always did, pleasure washing over her in waves, plunging her into an abyss of pure fire. He held her as she trembled, but did not stop, continued to move within her, each thrust more intense, deeper, until his own body tensed. He buried his face in her neck, a muffled growl against her skin as he reached climax.

For a moment, there was only the sound of heavy breathing and distant footsteps echoing down the hallway.

He was the first to pull away, adjusting his clothes with deliberate movements, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. She remained leaning against the chalkboard, her legs weak, her skin marked.

It was then that he picked up her underwear from the floor, folded them with care, and tucked them into his shirt pocket.

"Do you want this back?" he asked, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.

She knew the answer. She knew it was no.

When she exited the room, her body still trembling, the note in her pocket felt as if it were searing against her thigh.

Don't utter a word.

She didn't have to.

He was already aware.

The corridor was deserted when she left, the late afternoon light now a golden hue, almost melancholic. Her footsteps echoed in the silence, and she squeezed her thighs together, still feeling him inside her, like a stain that couldn't be wiped away.

He had departed already.

It was always the same—he would vanish afterward, as if nothing had transpired, as if she were merely a secret confined within four walls.

She drew in a deep breath, straightened her blouse, and traced her fingers over her swollen lips. His taste, salty and intense, still lingered in her mouth.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.

She hesitated before checking it, already knowing too well who it would be from.

"Library. Now."

The message had no signature, but she didn't need one. Her stomach twisted in knots, yet her legs were already guiding her back, almost without her realizing it.

The library was even more deserted now, with most students having already left for home or the local bars. The towering shelves cast lengthy shadows, and the air was scented with the smell of old paper and dust.

He was seated at one of the rear tables, a book spread open before him, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as though he were engrossed in study. But she recognized that expression—cool, analytical—and she knew he wasn't reading a thing.

She approached silently, halting just a few inches away from the table.

He didn't raise his eyes.

"Have a seat."

She complied, sliding into the chair opposite him. Their knees brushed under the table, and she caught a glimpse of his mouth twitching slightly upwards.

"Did you enjoy it?" he inquired, his voice soft, almost scholarly, as though discussing a philosophical quandary.

She swallowed hard.

"You know I did."