Selene adjusted her bag nervously as she rang the doorbell of the mansion. She'd been here before, but something about standing in front of this house always made her heart skip. The door opened with a slow, deliberate motion revealing not Elena, but her mother.
Celestine.
The air left Selene's chest. The woman stood there in a silk robe that looked more like temptation than clothing. It fell just off her shoulder, revealing the graceful line of her collarbone, and parted just enough at her thigh to make Selene's breath hitch. Every curve, every detail screamed elegance wrapped in danger.
"Selene," Celestine said, her tone cool, sharp, and yet unshakably magnetic.
"Uh.....I'm here to tutor Elena," Selene managed, her voice tripping over itself. She hated how flustered she sounded.
Celestine tilted her head, her eyes trailing down Selene in a way that felt less like judgment and more like… possession. "Of course. Come in."
The scent of vanilla and faint jasmine followed Celestine as she stepped aside, and Selene's knees nearly betrayed her.
Moments later, Elena came bouncing down the stairs, her energy like sunlight piercing the cold air. "Serene! Finally! Let's study in the kitchen, it's so much more comfortable." She grabbed Selene's hand and tugged her along.
Selene followed, cheeks warming, and they settled at the wide marble kitchen table. Books opened, pens scattered, and just like that, the lesson began.
At least… it looked like a lesson.
"You're holding it wrong," Selene said softly, reaching across the table to adjust Elena's grip on her pencil. Her fingers lingered against Elena's hand just a little too long.
Elena smirked, biting back a laugh. "You always have an excuse to hold my hand, huh?"
Selene blinked, pulling back slightly, flustered. "I....I'm just helping you write straighter."
"Sure, tutor," Elena teased, leaning in with a mischievous grin. "Keep telling yourself that."
Selene tried to focus, but Elena's laugh was a distraction all on its own. She leaned closer, pointing at the notebook, their shoulders brushing, and whispered, "Pay attention here."
"Hard to pay attention when you're this close," Elena whispered back, her eyes daring.
Selene's cheeks flamed. "Elena…"
"What? I'm just saying." Elena's lips curved into a sly grin. "Maybe I like studying like this."
Selene tried to ignore the warmth creeping up her neck, tried to act unbothered, but her heart was doing somersaults. She adjusted Elena's wrist again, her fingers brushing against soft skin, and Elena giggled softly.
The air grew thick. The room shifted from study session to something entirely else—soft laughter, light touches, the unspoken tension of being just a little too close.
And then—
The sharp click of heels.
Both girls looked up just in time to see Celestine stepping into the kitchen. She was carrying a tray, perfectly balanced, with cookies and two glasses of juice. But her eyes… her eyes weren't on the tray. They were on Selene.
"I thought you might… need a break," Celestine said smoothly, her tone laced with something sharp and unspoken.
Selene froze as Celestine came closer, placing the tray down right in front of her, leaning slightly—close enough that Selene caught the scent of her perfume, warm vanilla laced with something darker. Her robe shifted as she leaned forward, brushing Selene's arm ever so slightly, and Selene's breath caught in her throat.
"Cookies," Celestine said, her voice low. "Still warm."
Selene swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She forced herself to look at the tray, not at the smooth line of Celestine's collarbone, not at the faint glimpse of her thigh just inches away. But her body betrayed her—heat rising, a shiver rolling through her as Celestine lingered too close, too deliberate.
Elena arched a brow, smirking. "Mom… you never bring me cookies during study sessions."
Celestine's gaze flicked to her daughter briefly, then back to Selene. "I thought today might be different," she replied smoothly.
Selene shifted uncomfortably in her chair, trying to refocus on the textbook, but Celestine wasn't moving. She was standing right there, elegant, intoxicating, every movement deliberate—her presence consuming the air itself.
Selene's fingers trembled slightly as she picked up a cookie. "Th....thank you, ma'am."
Celestine's lips curved in the faintest smile, her eyes fixed on Selene. "You're welcome… Selene."
The way she said her name—low, deliberate—sent a spark down her spine. Selene bit into the cookie, but she barely tasted it. Her senses were too consumed by the closeness, the subtle brush of silk against her arm, the weight of Celestine's eyes watching her like she was something fragile… or something claimed.
Elena coughed, cutting through the thick tension. "Okay, let's...uh....get back to math before I fail."
Celestine finally stepped back, her robe swaying with her movement, reclaiming her cool distance. "Don't keep her up too late," she said, her eyes lingering on Selene one last time before she left the kitchen.
Selene exhaled shakily the second she was gone.
Elena smirked. "She was totally jealous."
Selene's eyes widened. "What? No, she was just being..."
"Overly nice?" Elena teased, leaning closer again. "Selene, you should've seen the way she was looking at you."
Selene's throat tightened. She didn't want to admit how it felt. How close Celestine had stood. How the air had nearly suffocated her with heat and tension.
"I....I think we should focus," Selene muttered, flipping a page.
Elena giggled, tapping her pencil against the notebook. "Fine, tutor. But don't think I didn't notice you blushing."
Selene buried her face in the textbook, praying Elena wouldn't notice just how hard her heart was pounding.
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