Reed's Sex Academy 2: Hush Hush

REYNA

On the third row in Professor Hardigam’s business class, alone and nonchalant, sat Iris Reed.

I recognized her from the picture Arthur had sent me this morning.

Chestnut hair curled loosely along her rose-tinged ivory skin, which matched her amber, almost honey-like eyes.

When she saw me approach from the side, her plump lips pressed into a thin line, and she dusted her ironed shirt with a slow, mindless gesture.

“Hi.” I smiled, taking the empty seat next to her.

“Hey,” she muttered, as if being here, in this classroom, was the last place she wanted to be.

I fixed my voice, trying to think of something to say to her. To bond with her.

“Heard this class was a banger—I just signed up. Had to give up my economics class in exchange. That shit was bo-ring,” I laughed.

But other than flashing me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, Iris started toying with a pen, ignoring me.

Great. This was going just great.

“I haven’t seen you around,” I pressed on. “You new?”

A nod, followed by a flip of her hair. “Just moved here from Tokyo.”

“Fuck, really? How come? Tokyo looks amazing—from the pictures, I mean.”

Fox—I was a cunning, vicious fox. For what I was going to do to her. To Calvin. To their entire family.

“Just…family drama.” She shrugged.

I wasn’t going to ask about it, of course. But a few more minutes of chatting would’ve been perfect, had we not been interrupted by Professor Hardigam, who just started his lecture.

Iris leaned forward in her seat and propped her arms on the desk, as if she didn’t want to miss any minute of this class. Or as if she desperately wanted to get out of our conversation. I couldn’t tell for sure.

It wasn’t until right after class when I followed her out, not too close so I didn’t seem creepy, but also not too far so I wouldn’t lose her in the crowd.

“Hey, Iris, wait up!”

To my surprise, she turned back to face me, her beauty hitting me like a brick in the face as the morning light seeped through the windows and brushed her skin.

I asked if she wanted to go shopping later today. From the sophisticated way in which she dressed herself, I assumed she’d want to.

And maybe because she felt lonely in this huge, new city or maybe because she really wanted to spend as little time with her family as possible, she said yes.

Bingo.

“I have two older brothers,” she told me later that day as we were strolling through campus. “We haven’t been in contact that much since I moved. And even now that I’m here, they’re always working anyway.”

“Yeah, New York does that to people.” I thinned my lips. “What do they do? Let me guess. Lawyers? Doctors?”

“Levi, the oldest, took over my father’s bank,” she said, and I didn’t dare ask which bank it was. “And Calvin…well, he's more of a wild spirit.”

I grinned.

“What do you mean?”

“He runs one of those escort academies in the city.” She shrugged. “But don’t ask me details about his work. The thought of him getting freaky with a bunch of girls isn’t an image I want in my head, thank you very much.”

“Noted,” I laughed.

I clicked my tongue and then, without even realizing it, I made my request, the words rolling off my tongue shamelessly.

“Hey, do you think I could shadow him sometime? For Professor Hardigam’s class assignment, I mean. I don’t know anyone else who has a business, and your brother’s sounds…well…not boring.”

Iris studied me for a moment, and I held my breath in anticipation for her answer. An answer that did not come. Because what—or who— came next was much, ~much~ more appealing.

“If it isn’t my favorite sister!” Calvin Reed smirked, approaching us as he got out of his black Bentley.

A silent gasp left my throat at the sight of him walking toward us—sly and cunning, and ready to strike when you least expected him, like a graceful feline.

My guard instantly went up.

His dark suit drew attention to his forest-green eyes that sparked with something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And the more I looked to figure him out, the more I felt my skin pebble with goosebumps.

Fuck.

Calvin stopped in front of us, hands in his pockets as a few dark strands of hair swayed occasionally with the soft breeze.

“Hello to you too.” Iris rolled her eyes but flashed him a smile as she went to hug him. “Reyna, this is Calvin, the brother I was just telling you about.”

“Have I just interrupted a conversation about me?” Calvin said with false regret, placing a hand on his chest. “By all means, please, continue. Pretend I’m not here!”

His voice was low, flowing like the ebb of a far-away river in the middle of a rainy forest. It was also crystal clear, as if he never wanted to hide who he was or what he stood for. I felt my body lean forward against my will, wanting to hear more of it.

“Wish we could,” Iris scoffed.

“It’s…um…it’s nice to meet you,” I said, my own voice coming out way softer than intended.

Calvin’s eyes slid over to me, and I froze, a trail of smoky bergamot wafting over to me with the breeze from where he was standing.

I gulped, noticing that one corner of his lips went up into a subtle smile.

A rush of heat took over my body, my pulse hiking up to my throat as I fumbled for any other words to say to him. His lips moved again, but my mind refused to register his words.

This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t lose myself in front of this man. Not when everything I cared for was on the line.

Oh God. Why is he still looking? Do I have something on my face?

“Reyna?” Iris asked.

“Hm? I’m sorry, what?”

“I was just telling Calvin about how you’d like to shadow him at work. But he’s kind of making a fuss about it,” she poked his ribs with her elbow.

“Oh, right!” I said. “If it’s not too much to ask, I’d just follow you around for a while.”

“Like a pet.” He dipped his chin, never leaving my gaze.

I, on the other hand, forced myself to stop looking and focused my attention on Iris instead.

She frowned, an apologetic smile blooming on her face. “He’s a wild spirit, Reyna. Remember that. “

“R-right.” I forced a laugh.

“Come to the Academy on Monday morning,” he said, wrapping an arm around his sister’s shoulders and directing her back to his car. “Don’t be late. We punish disobedience.” He threw the words at me and walked away, my mouth hanging open behind the two of them.

“I’ll text you the details!” Iris’s voice loomed in the distance as she waved goodbye.

Not even a moment later, my phone vibrated in my bag, and I picked it up with shaky hands.

More nerves surged in my veins as Arthur’s name popped on the screen.

I let out a long sigh and pulled myself together, texting him back.