CHAPTER 1
*Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or any of its characters*
I'm guilty of watching Prison Break again, which y'all knows means I'm writing another jailhouse romance. On an unrelated note why can't I write anything except crime fics?
Bonnie didn't particularly enjoy being a librarian and teaching at a maximum-security men's penitentiary. Especially not Fox River where the worst of the worst were incarcerated. But it was the best she could do to beef up her resume. Her doctorate in English and her thesis on African literature and folklore had yet to land her a position teaching at a college. These days everyone had a masters or a doctorate and since she had played the political game poorly this was where she had ended up.
But she supposed on some ways it was better than her old job teaching high school. After her first year there she'd never looked back. There was little she liked worse than working under the principal Guiseppe Salvatore. He was a cold son of a bitch, who bullied the staff and students daily. After countless complaints to the school board went unheard she left.
The really ironic part? The jobs paid exactly the same. And the pay sucked.
Bonnie paced the length of the library that was functioning as a classroom. The room wasn't nice by any means and it was probably dirtier than it should have been and the seats were filled with students, who ranged from apathetic to psychotic, which wasn't actually all that different from high school.
"Alright," Bonnie said. "Pencils down and pass your tests to the front of the class. I'll have the results of your practice tests back tomorrow."
The sound of papers shuffling sounded as well as rumblings from the students. Most of the men didn't want to be here, but many found it a better option than janitorial. Others were lifers, who were simply so bored of prison life they were willing to latch onto any distraction. It was the routine that killed them more than the dehumanization. Boredom was a slow death.
"You working late, teach?" a voice drawled.
Bonnie's eyes slid past Damon Salvatore with complete disinterest. She never responded to anything he said when there might be a double meaning to it.
"Are there any questions?" Bonnie asked.
There were murmurs most of them disinterest as well as the occasional lecherous comment. Those too she ignored. She had learned fast not to bother clapping back at every come on. The more she responded the more the men took it as encouragement.
"Alright. If anyone wants to study more before the exam then we're running evening sessions every Tuesday and Thursday."
"Are you worried about our grades, teach?" a heated voice asked. That voice – it was husky and right now it was the perfect combination of playful and seductive. "It's sweet that you care."
She glanced up and her eyes locked with Kai Parker's. Those steely blue eyes were filled with desire and a teasing smirk played on his lips. Whenever he looked at her like that she couldn't decide if he was looking into her soul or just undressing her with his eyes.
Out of all the prisoners Kai unnerved her the most. In spite of her best efforts she could never quite shake him.
She shook her head and forced a bright smile. "Not at all. You've worked hard and I know you're all going to pass."
That much was true. They had made it to the final semester of an English degree and if they'd managed that while serving time then their last exam shouldn't be an issue. There weren't many prisons left with money in the budget for higher education, but they were lucky.
Being lucky didn't stop them from hooting and hollering and just generally catcalling her. One of the guards Jeremy ducked his head inside and she waved him away. He nodded and slipped back outside. Bonnie preferred for the guards to wait outside during lessons and Jeremy was one of the guards, who resented that decision. But she wasn't deterred. It was important that the men felt they were in a real learning environment.
"Alright, alright," Bonnie said shaking her head. "Knock it off and get out of here."
"Yeah, we've got such busy schedules and all," Stefan said.
Bonnie looked at him in exasperation. It would be a relief to have the Salvatore brothers out of her classroom. Between Stefan and Damon it was a challenge to keep things calm. Kai was a chatterbox, but he didn't spend much time disrupting lectures. The reasons for his good behavior were something she was working hard not to examine too closely.
"Get out of here," Bonnie said and nodded to the door.
She picked up the pile of papers and put them neatly on her desk. Then she started collecting the books. Kai stayed behind to stack the chairs for her.
"One of the guards can do that," Bonnie said without looking up, but she knew he was grinning at her.
"I don't mind. I like hanging around you, Bon."
"It's Doctor Bennett," she corrected. "Go on, Kai. I don't need help."
He put the chairs against the wall and crossed the room. She held her ground and put the books back on the shelf.
Kai stopped when there was less than a foot between them. He leaned down and caught her eye. She gazed calmly back at him. Calm was the only way to behave around the inmates. She wasn't a guard, they weren't scared of her, but she couldn't show fear or weakness either.
And around Kai? She had the feeling weakness was a deadly mistake.
Kai Parker was convicted at the age of twenty-two for the murder of his father. Rumor had it he was now the big boss of the crime family, but he kept his nose clean. On the surface at least, she suspected several of the prison's stranger murders were committed by his hand. He ran gen-pop from what she could tell.
"But I like helping you, Bonster."
She raised a brow. "Doctor Bennett."
"But you're not a real doctor," he said with a teasing smile. "No offence. My sister, she's a doctor. You're professor who's unfortunate enough to work in this hellhole."
"I didn't work my butt off for eight years not to use my title."
He glanced around her to look at her backside and grinned. "It paid off."
"Kai," she snapped completely exasperated, which only made him smile broader.
"But I'm guessing you didn't work that lovely butt off for eight years just to work here as our librarian and professor either," he leaned in closer and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "Are you a do-gooder, Bon?"
"That's none of your business."
"C'mon, my sentence is up in three weeks. Who am I going to tell?"
She eyed him warily as she internally debated whether or not to tell him. Strictly speaking it wasn't his business and she had every right to tell him to get lost.
But she also knew from her time working here one of the things the inmates missed the most was the little things like normal conversations and human interactions. Occasionally one of the men would be alone in the library with her and once there was no audience most of them dropped the pretense around her.
And why wouldn't they? She was no threat to them or their prison rep. So they talked to her about their lives, the weather, anything to have a conversation that wasn't laced with the fear that ran through the walls in here like living a breathing thing. The inescapable terror they lived with twenty-four seven.
Kai had been in prison for nearly twenty-two years now. It wouldn't surprise her if that was all he wanted. And really what was the harm in telling him?
"I like to think I'm helping. An inmate who manages to get his degree while on the inside is five times less likely to return to prison."
"But?" he prodded leaning in closer with an insistent look.
She took a step back.
"But it's not my dream job no. Unfortunately, things have changed since you were on the outside. Everyone has a fancy degree these days."
"And you didn't have the right connections?"
She shook her head and grimaced. "Afraid not."
"Cheer up, teach. At least you get to go home at night."
"Yeah, and so will you soon. I hope you won't be back."
He nodded. "Yup. Can you believe they're letting me out?"
"Is that a trick question?"
"Nope, I'm curious."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Bonnie confessed. "Places like these? They don't help anyone. All they do is make everyone worse than when they went in."
He reached out and squeezed her arm. It was light touch and he let go almost as soon as he touched her. But the feel of his hand lingered. She was surprised by the heat that rushed through her at that one touch.
"That's what I hear."
Again she almost laughed. It was hard to believe Kai was a supposedly stone-cold killer when he was like this. She'd heard that about other crime lords and mobsters. They were just people mostly charming and nice. Except for that other side of them.
"What are you going to do once you get out?"
"Do you mean am I going to kill the rest of my family?"
She gasped. Just like that she remembered why Kai made her uneasy. Sometimes she couldn't tell whether or not he was joking.
"That's not what I meant at all," she said shocked. "Is that what you're planning?"
He scoffed. "Of course not, Bonster. If you're little statistics are right I'm not ever coming back or going to commit crimes."
He moved closer again. It was like a game they played every day after class. He lingered then moved closer as she backpedaled.
"Right, I always forget. This is like what you're fifth degree?" she asked nervously. The desire to call the guard in was starting to come back full force.
"Sounds about right."
"You should go," she said quietly glancing up at him.
"Do I make you uncomfortable, teach?"
"I have tests to grade," Bonnie said sternly.
Kai winked at her.
The door opened and Jeremy walked in. He stared daggers at Kai.
"What's the hold up, Parker?"
"Just helping doctor Bennett put the classroom back in order, boss," Kai said.
Even when he used the word 'boss' there was a sarcastic inflection to it. Bonnie knew he hated Jeremy with every fiber of his being. That wasn't uncommon. The guards and inmates hated each other with a fiery passion. Sometimes, Bonnie wondered if the correctional officers shouldn't be behind bars themselves.
"It's fine, Jeremy," Bonnie said smiling tensely. "I asked for a volunteer."
"And why's that volunteer always Parker?"
"Because I'm the only one that volunteers," Kai said.
Bonnie nodded. The last thing she wanted was to get Kai in trouble with the guards. The inmates were helpless when it came to the guards anything they tried to retaliate or protect themselves only made the situation worse. She had seen enough in her time here to know there was a reason fear permeated the prison.
"Either way, move it."
Bonnie sat down at her desk and started grading test papers. She watched them go out of the corner of her eye. It wouldn't do if she seemed too interested in Kai. Jeremy liked to linger around her almost as much as Kai and as leery as she was of Kai, she really didn't want to get him in trouble with any of the guards.
Kai didn't look back at her as he shuffled off with Jeremy on his heels.
Good, she told herself. It was the smart move. And that little stab of disappointment low in her stomach was insanity. She pushed it down further to where she couldn't even feel it.
Kai would be out soon and she would never have to see him again. Never have to deal with his unique blend of flirtation and danger. It was messed up and a part of her was seriously considering going back to teaching high school. Preferably one where the principal wasn't a madman.
Bonnie turned her attention back to the papers. It was where her energy needed to be spent.
XXX
Kai shuffled back to his cell. The inmates didn't have much power even for a guy like him, who ran the game on the inside and the outside thanks to his sister Jo safekeeping his throne for twenty-two years, couldn't do much against the correctional officers. Except for the ones on the take. Jeremy wasn't. But the one thing Kai could do was walk as slowly as he could get away with. It was a small power, but on the inside these little displays of power were all any of them had most days.
Jeremy waited until they turned down a deserted corridor just like Kai had known he would. Then he grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the stomach once hard. Kai doubled over. These beatings from the guards usually ended faster if he pretended he was more injured than he was. After all, the guards didn't actually want to kill him. That would mean a lot of paperwork and covering their asses.
Kai grit his teeth when Jeremy pulled out his baton and went to work on his ribs. It hurt like a motherfucker, but he'd taken worse beatings over the years. You didn't survive in Fox River for two decades without learning how to take a beating from the guards. And even if he hadn't, his father had schooled him in pain every day of his life. Until Kai taught him the final lesson.
Eventually, Jeremy stopped and Kai shuffled to his feet. He walked tall refusing to show an ounce of pain or weakness when he returned to the common area. Weakness was sniffed out in a heartbeat around here.
Kai greeted his crew and sat down at the card table. One of his boys, Tyler moved aside for him. Tyler Lockwood was recruited by Kai's younger sister Liv. He'd been sentenced for gun running. It wasn't much of a loss. Kai wasn't entirely sure why Liv had seen potential in Tyler. He didn't have the stomach for their business, not really. Neither did Matt, which was how the police caught him for dealing.
He itched to get out of here so he could take over the business for real. Jo had been running the business under his watchful eyes for twenty-two years. She'd kept them afloat, but not much more. His dear sissy didn't have quite have the killer instincts needed to get the job done.
"Get a message to my sister," Kai said shuffling the deck of cards. "Tell her we need a new supply."
Matt nodded. "Who do we put in the infirmary?"
"You," Kai said grinning from ear to ear.
Matt paled.
Kai jerked his head and Tyler punched Matt. He went down hard. Blood sprayed.
The guards were on them in seconds dragging Tyler toward solitary. He would be out in a few days. Two weeks tops. Matt was escorted to the infirmary.
Kai gestured for his brother Luke and Jake to join the game.
XXX
Jo couldn't wait for Kai to get out of here. She prayed daily he managed to stay out of trouble for just three more weeks. She was sick to death of running the family business on his behalf. She had spent the last twelve years of her medical career working in the infirmary just to stay close. It was difficult to see him locked up and unable to help him. And she hated working with inmates almost as much as she hated running the business for him.
She spent her days here pretending to be a kind mother hen and ignoring come-ons from the patients. Most of which made her want to beat the ever-living shit out of them. Only to go home at night and pretend to be a stone-cold crime lord. If it wasn't for Kai getting himself locked up, she could be a surgeon with a vacation home.
But Kai had promised her that life was within reach. It would all be hers as soon as he was out. She could move away with her fiancé Alaric and start the life they'd been planning for a decade now. All she had to do was hang in there for another couple of months.
"What happened, Matt?" Jo asked glancing at his journal.
"I got hit."
Jo sighed and examined his nose. It was bruised and he was bleeding, but nothing looked out of place. She slammed an ice pack on his face.
"What does my brother want this time?"
"We need a new supply."
"Already?" Jo arched her brows. "Don't the inmates do anything except drugs in here?"
Matt scoffed. "'Course not. Life on the inside sucks. All we've got is time and drugs, doc."
"He'll have it by the end of the week," Jo said losing patience. "If that isn't fast enough. Tell him to go fuck himself."
"Mind if I leave the cursing off? I don't wanna get punched again."
In spite of herself, Jo patted his shoulder.
"Sure thing. You can stay here tonight. It'll give you a break from the cells."
Matt smiled. "With you?"
"Watch it," Jo growled. "You know, who I am."
"Thanks, doc. I appreciate it."
Jo patted his shoulder again and walked away. It was ironic in this place weakness wasn't permitted, but small gestures of kindness went a long way. A lot further than they did on the outside.
XXX
The library door opened and Bonnie looked up. She knew they must be closing in on count so it couldn't be an inmate. Unless it was an inmate, who was up to no good. A shiver ran down her spine.
This job really wasn't for her. She was counting the seconds until she had enough experience to get a decent job. Preferably one that wasn't teaching students, but that kind of a job was decades off. If she would ever get here. Bonnie had long since lowered her expectations to much more realistic dreams. A few more years here and maybe she'd get lucky and get to teach community college. Still anything had to be better than working in Fox River.
It was just Jeremy. She suppressed a sigh. Even more so when he approached to sit on her desk.
"Care for a coffee break?" Jeremy asked and the hopeful note in his voice didn't escape her notice.
Bonnie smiled tensely. It was hard to be nice to Jeremy and the other guards most days. Most of the time she wanted to tell them to leave her the fuck alone. It took a lot of effort to remind herself they were usually as bad as the prisoners and she didn't need enemies.
"I really should get these done. Then I need to get going. My husband's taking me out to dinner."
"Enzo, right?"
She nodded. "That's him."
"I thought the two of you were separated."
"We're trying to work things out," Bonnie said. It wasn't exactly true, but if it kept Jeremy away from her, she didn't see the harm in a white lie.
"You are?" Jeremy said and his smile faltered before righting itself again. "Well that's good, right? That's good."
Bonnie nodded and managed a wobbly smile. "Yeah, it is. How are you and Anna?"
"Great, we're great," Jeremy said and it was painfully obvious he was painfully lying. "We should double date sometime."
Bonnie's brows shot up. "Sure. Why not?"
All the while as she smiled tensely at him, she kept asking herself why the fuck she would ever want to socialize with her coworkers? Especially a prison guard with a crush on her. At the moment, she had no idea, which was worse his crush or his chosen vocation.
Bonnie couldn't say she thought the men in here deserved to be free. Maybe some of them, but she also didn't believe in stripping away basic human rights. Which were the daily conditions on the inside of a maximum-security penitentiary. As far as she was concerned there had to be some kind of middle ground between letting the inmates walk and treating them like crap.
"Yeah, Anna would love that."
Anna had been Jeremy's girlfriend until a few weeks ago when she'd wised up and packed her bags.
The problem with working in a prison? It was like a smalltown, everyone knew everyone's business, which was why Bonnie was notoriously tight-lipped about her personal life. She didn't talk at lunch she rarely stopped for coffee in the breakroom, but even so she had been forced to share some things about herself otherwise she risked being rude.
The upside to being the wallflower? She heard everything. The staff and prisoners all talked around her and she knew so many secrets and rumors it was like she was back in high school.
"You know," Bonnie said slowly trying to think of a way to make Jeremy leave. It was like their daily routine. She tried to get rid of him and he tried to make excuses to stay. Some days it was a toss up, who was worse Jeremy or Kai. "I don't think I've ever actually met Anna."
"I don't think I've ever met your husband either. What's his name again? Ezio?"
"Enzo," Bonnie corrected. "He's a lawyer. Works a lot."
There was a glimmer of something in Jeremy's eyes. Anger? Jealousy? Bitterness that life hadn't turned out as promised? All of the above maybe. Yeah, all of the above, Bonnie decided.
"What's he think about you working in a place like this?"
"He hates it," Bonnie said both because it was true and because it was what was expected of her. She knew the questions and answer by heart now.
Why do you work there if your husband is a well to do lawyer?
Can't you just stay home while he works?
When are you having kids?
Do you really need your brain?
All of these expectations and for what? To please who? Bonnie had done the right thing her whole life and look where she'd ended up. Working as a librarian in Fox River while she was in the midst of a messy divorce from a loveless marriage.
Enzo wanted a divorce because he hated her job. Bonnie wanted a divorce – well she wasn't sure why. It was like she woke up one day just to discover she no longer loved Enzo. Maybe she never had. If she had it couldn't just fade away overnight, could it?
"Can't say I blame him," Jeremy said bringing her out of her thoughts and back to their conversation. "Fox River is a dangerous place. Good thing I'm looking out for you, teach."
That sounded too much like a threat for her liking. Bonnie's smile dropped entirely and her eyes hardened as she stared him down.
"I can take care of myself."
"I bet you can. You'd have to. Have you noticed how class attendance has doubled since you took over teaching?" Jeremy asked and something insinuating had come into his.
Whatever he meant by that, she didn't care for it.
"I need to get back to work. Thanks for the coffee."
"Sure thing."
Jeremy said walking away whistling.
Asshole, Bonnie thought.
XXX
Kai finished the last of the cleaning in the kitchen. He ran the place and it was how he smuggled in the drugs. Jo's one condition when she'd agreed to help him keep power was simple, she didn't want to do anything on the clock that could implicate her. As infuriating as it was, he understood. Jo didn't have what it took to survive behind bars. And since Jo was the only person he might actually care about, he acquiesced.
"Anything else, boss?" Matt asked.
Kai shook his head. "Nope. We're good to go. The day is ours."
Matt grinned. He hated working the kitchen. It reminded him of his days as a busboy, but he was good at it so Kai kept him there. There wasn't much else Matt exceled at. He was little use in violence and intimidation. But he was good in the kitchen and he knew how to keep the guards off their backs so Kai kept him around, kept him alive and kept him from becoming anyone's bitch.
"What should we do with all this time we have to kill?" Tyler asked.
"I hope we don't actually have to kill someone today," Matt grumbled. "Is one quiet day too much to ask for?"
Kai snorted. "Things are getting plenty tense around here without us adding to it. The Latinos and the skinheads are about to erupt like a powder keg."
"We've got the shivs ready to go," Tyler said.
Kai shoved his hands in his pockets. Normally, he was all for a bloodbath, but he was too close to his release to fuck it all up now.
"Good. Until that shit pops off we stay out of it," Kai said. "Why don't we go kill some time in the library?"
"The library?" Matt visibly perked up.
"Yeah, I love the library," Tyler said grinning.
Kai glanced at him. "You better not love it too much."
"The teach is all yours," Tyler said. "Not that it does you much good locked up in here."
Kai sauntered off and they followed. Damon and Stefan joined them too, which was fine. Kai didn't particularly care for the Salvatore brothers. In fact, he hated them. Damon especially. But he had to admit they had their uses. They were always more than willing to get their hands dirty when someone needed killing or roughing up. It was partly why Kai's record on the inside was unblemished. There was always someone else to take the rap for him, but the other inmates all knew. Kai Parker was never to be crossed.
Occasionally he liked to remind people of this by getting in the ring. He was the kickboxing champion for ten years running now. It worked and now he was finally going to get out of here in just three weeks and he was hoping he could finally pursue Bonnie freely.
There were a few other inmates in the prison when they rolled into the library. His men spread out grabbing books and generally doing what they did best, which was appear menacing.
Kai sauntered up to the inmates because they were two older men talking to Bonnie about reading recommendations. Since this was Fox River and everyone was constantly on alert, he didn't need to get close before they noticed his presence. One look at him and they disappeared.
Bonnie scowled at him as the other inmates ran away.
"What do you want, Kai?"
"A book. Maybe more than one."
She didn't look impressed or like she believed him.
"And to find this book you have to scare away anyone else who wants books?"
"Not on purpose," Kai said smiling teasingly.
Her eyes followed his men and if he hadn't been so close he would have missed the flicker of fear there, but he didn't. His crew making her uneasy and if he'd been a different kind of man, he might have felt bad.
But that wasn't his intention. He glanced at them and nodded. They spread out. Matt and Tyler grabbed each their book at random and sat down to read. Damon flung himself down in front of the computer. Probably trying to get past the porn filters on the computer again. Meanwhile Stefan kicked back against a shelf, still standing and scribbling in his ever-present notebook. He was on lookout.
When his men relaxed so did she and the tension running through her body eased somewhat. Not entirely relaxed, but better.
"What are you looking for? Anything in particular or are you like most of the inmates just looking for something in the hopes of finding that one book with pictures of naked women in it?"
Now he was smiling for real. Bonnie was feisty even more so than usual today. He wondered what had her all riled up.
XXX
Bonnie glanced down at the unmistakable heat she saw in Kai's eyes. What had she gone and said that for? She wasn't interested in flirting with Kai.
She was just in a bad mood after Jeremy stopped by yesterday and tried to ask her to lunch again today. It was making her short-tempered with everyone she came across today. And Kai was on the short list of people that could easily rile her up.
Yet she wished she'd chosen her words more carefully when she saw the unmistakable light of heat in Kai's eyes. His blue eyes had gone so wide with lust they were almost black. She swallowed, glancing down at her feet in embarrassment. The last thing she wanted was for him to get any ideas and become even more relentless than he already was.
"No, I was thinking maybe something on history."
"History books are in the back," Bonnie said pointing. "Right next to the one shelf on art."
He tilted his head down and caught her eye.
"That's a crime. Just one shelf? Like this place isn't ugly enough they deny us art?"
Bonnie shrugged. "Government funding is limited. I do what I can with the donations, I get, Kai."
"I know, teach. You do everything you can for us," he said with heat in his voice.
She stared at him in shock before gathering her composure. She raised her chin defiantly.
"Like I said, the books on history are at the back. After twenty-two years, I think you know the library better than I do."
He snorted. "You'd think so, but I'm crap at directions. Maybe you could show me?"
She looked over at his men again.
"You aren't planning something? Because if I even think you're dealing in my library I'll have you all thrown in the hole, Kai."
He held his hands up and smiled playfully at her. His expression was a little too angelic for her to believe he didn't have an angle, but most of the inmates seemed to respect the no dealing and no violence in the library rules she did her best to enforce.
Sometimes she felt it couldn't possibly be that easy, but as long as her library didn't become a war zone she wasn't going to look too closely. All the staff survived here the same way the inmates did. By not looking too closely at things that didn't concern them.
"Nothing except the pleasure of your conversation."
She eyed him levelly. "As long as you take the book and go along with your -" she cleared her throat. "Friends."
"Friends, huh?"
"This way," Bonnie said more exasperated than afraid at this particular moment. Kai didn't scare her, not the way she knew he should logically. He was dangerous and he unnerved her to be sure, but frightened her? Not so much, but maybe that was because he'd never shown her the beast within. "What kind of history are you interested in?"
"Your love life?" he suggested trailing after her.
"That's none of your business."
Bonnie realized then he was too close and she couldn't see him. She stepped aside and let him go ahead of her. He followed her unspoken request, but not before flashing a mischievous smile her way.
"You aren't scared of me, are you teach?"
Bonnie shook her head. "Just cautious."
"You know, I'm not about to fuck up my release."
"I've worked here long enough to be leery of most of the inmates."
Kai stopped in the history section and started carelessly perusing the books. She looked around and realized the real reason he wanted to come here. This part of the stacks was the most isolated in the library. It was also one of the few parts of the prison where there were no cameras. Shit, she'd walked into a blind spot with Kai Parker of all people.
She took a step back, keeping an eye out for the others. There was a guard right outside the library, but things could and did happen in a split-second around here.
A slow lazy grin parted his lips as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, teach."
"Never said you were going too."
"Yet you keep inching away like you think I'm going to," he said giving her another one of those heated looks. In spite of her better judgement, she felt herself flush. "And I don't plan to. Unless that's what you're into."
She rolled her eyes. "Do the men in here ever think about anything else?"
"Nope," he said grinning. "Is this good?"
He held up a book forcing her to move closer until there was less than a foot of space between them to read the cover. It was a history book on the French revolution.
She knew she should step back if only because some deep animal instinct within her knew Kai was the definition of sexy.
"You know," she said slowly glancing up at him and her breath caught when she realized just how closely they were standing. She could feel the warmth radiating off him. From this vantage point she could see how truly blue his eyes were and the stubble on his jaw. God that jawline on any other man would have driven her crazy. Even in his prison blues it was a temptation. "I haven't actually read it. History was never really my thing," she said and she was embarrassed by how breathy her voice was.
His eyes darted to her lips and back.
"I didn't think there was much you weren't interested in."
"Well you were wrong."
He laughed. "That doesn't happen much."
"It's good for you. Kind of a humbling experience."
He inched closer and she inched backwards.
"Kai, don't," she said giving him a warning look.
"Tell you a secret," he leaned in to whisper in her ear. She scrambled backwards and ended up pressed against the shelf. "The reason there's never any dealing or violence in the library is because I banned it."
She stared up at him refusing to budge. It was like they were playing chicken and whoever broke eye contact first would lose. But that was stupid and childish. What she needed was to get him out of her personal space before she got into trouble.
She tried to move to the side and his arms caged her in. Hand on either side of her shoulders. Not touching her, but not so far off either. She glanced at his hands. He had lean strong hands. She tried to convince herself the warmth coursing through her and the butterflies in her stomach was because getting divorced was lonely and driving her more than a little crazy.
"Why would you do that?"
"Cause I like you, Bon."
Bonnie blushed and it was on the tip of her tongue to correct him for calling her 'Bon'. But she hesitated. Kai was so often like a dog with a bone that arguing with him about little things would lead them in circles. Instead, she found the best way to handle him in class was much the same as how best to handle him outside the classroom. By distracting him.
"You know, Kai," she said slowly putting one hand on his shoulder and trying to push him back. It didn't work, but she kept trying. Which was a mistake. It was hardly an intimate touch, but it led her imagination to other places. "If you're just trying to lineup a date for when you get outside there are easier ways. We have these things called dating apps now."
His eyes sparkled with interest.
"What are those?"
She shook her head. "You'll find out. Now back up before you get me fired."
"No cameras back here, Bonster."
In a horrified flash she realized that was why he was in the library every day. He came to harass her and look for a blind spot in the prison security. A place where he could corner her and do just this. She barely dared breathe as she contemplated whether or not some part of her had wanted this all along. If maybe she and Kai hadn't been playing this cat and mouse game for almost a year now because she returned his interest.
He dipped his head lower and his lips were a hairsbreadth away from hers. His warm breath fanned her face. A shiver ran down her spine. Unbidden her hand slipped lower to his chest, she was still trying to push him away, but even she had to admit the attempt was half-hearted at best.
He inched closer and just before their lips met she came to her senses. She snapped her head to the side.
"Stop it," she said in a whisper. "I'm married."
If she was caught in this position with an inmate she would lose her job for sure. She might even spend time in prison.
She glanced at him to see his reaction.
Thank you for reading! Leave me a review to know what you thought. I'm leaning towards dark bonkai with some light BDSM in later chapters. I'm thinking this fic will be fairly short and smut-heavy, but I might do a little follow up fic once Kai goes free. Let me know your thoughts on that and also do we want Kai to be a sociopath? Because I kinda think I want him to be.
- Izzy