Chapter 21
Chiamaka walked briskly across campus, her bag swinging at her side, mind focused on classes and exams. She had spent the past few days consciously keeping her distance from Professor Eze, determined to resist the temptation that had consumed her. She replayed his messages and their past meetings in her mind, reminding herself that giving in again would risk everything—Tunde, her reputation, and her sense of self.
She felt a brief sense of victory as she entered the lecture hall, taking a seat far from where he typically stood. The room buzzed with chatter, but she ignored it, forcing her focus entirely onto the lecturer's words.
But she couldn't ignore the familiar intensity that swept over her as the door opened.
Professor Eze entered, his usual commanding presence filling the room. His dark eyes scanned the students, and Chiamaka felt her stomach twist when he paused, his gaze lingering on her—though this time, he didn't approach. The intensity was enough. Even at a distance, she felt seen, observed, and wanted.
After the lecture, Chiamaka hurried out, determined to stick to her resolve. She avoided the usual lingering in the corridors and made a beeline toward her hostel.
"Chia."
The voice made her freeze mid-step. She turned slowly. There he was, standing just a few feet away, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"I thought I might find you avoiding me," he said, his tone teasing but edged with intensity. "You've been distant… but I know you better than you know yourself."
Chiamaka's chest tightened. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came. Her mind screamed at her to walk away, yet something in the way he looked at her made it impossible.
"You don't have to fight it," he continued softly. "Distance only makes desire stronger. It doesn't disappear. And you… you want it just as much as I do."
Her pulse raced. The guilt, the fear, the desire—they collided in her chest, leaving her breathless. "I… I can't," she whispered, trying to summon the strength to step back.
"Try?" he challenged, stepping closer. His presence was magnetic, overwhelming, and irresistible. "You've fought this long enough. Let yourself feel. Let yourself surrender… just for a moment."
Chiamaka's knees weakened, but she shook her head, forcing herself to take a step back. "I can't," she repeated, though her voice wavered.
"Then I'll make you want it," he murmured, his gaze locking with hers. "In ways you won't be able to resist. And you'll thank me for it."
The air between them thickened, charged with unspoken tension. Chiamaka felt every nerve ending alight, the pull of temptation almost unbearable. She knew she should turn away, run back to the safety of Tunde's arms—but a part of her longed to see how far this dangerous desire could take her.
Suddenly, a shout from the far corridor broke the moment. "Chia! Are you coming?"
It was Nneka, oblivious to the charged scene playing out. Chiamaka stepped back, heart pounding, and nodded toward her friend. "I'll be there," she called, her voice trembling slightly.
Professor Eze's eyes lingered on her a moment longer, a mixture of amusement, challenge, and desire. "Soon," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. "We'll continue where we left off. You can't resist forever."
Chiamaka hurried after Nneka, every step heavy with the memory of his words. Her resolve wavered, and her heart raced with the knowledge that she was already ensnared in a web of desire she could no longer control completely.
That evening, she sat in her hostel, textbooks spread out before her, but she could barely focus. The warmth of Professor Eze's gaze, the memory of his touch, and the electric tension between them replayed in her mind like a relentless storm. Every attempt at concentration was interrupted by the pull of forbidden longing.
Her phone buzzed. A message appeared from him:
"Distance is temporary. Desire… is permanent. I'll see you soon, Chia."
Chiamaka's fingers trembled. She wanted to delete it, to ignore it, to run back into Tunde's safe embrace—but she didn't. The pull was too strong. The temptation too intense. She knew, deep down, that the next meeting would change everything. Again.
---
Cliffhanger: Despite her efforts to resist, Professor Eze pursues Chiamaka relentlessly, testing her resolve and increasing the tension between loyalty, desire, and danger. Readers are left desperate to see if she will finally give in—or if she can truly resist.
---