Music Recommendation: Too Good - Troye Sivan.

  On seeing the door shut, Julie's heartbeat quickened. Since she had arrived in the room, she had kept her mind occupied by cleaning everything in her room so that her thoughts would not return to the dare Roman had performed on her near the bonfire.

  But here he was, like a ghost that wasn't going to stop haunting her. Along with the nervousness that she felt on seeing him, it also sent a delicious feeling from her heart to the tip of her toes.

  Like many other times, Roman hadn't entered the dorm through the window, but the door, as he didn't care of being caught by anyone standing in front of her dorm. Only the study lamp in her room was lit, which filled the room with a soft golden glow.

  "What are you doing here?" Julie asked, her heart pounding in her chest while staring back at him.

  Roman took a step towards her, and she softly gulped. He said, "Didn't I tell you that you are forgetting something."

  She tried hard to focus on what he was saying, distracted by his very presence in the room. His eyes looked untamed, his hair messy as ever that only made him look wild.

  Julie stepped backwards and asked, "What is it about?"

  "Don't you already know?" Roman's words were quick to escape from his lips, keenly watching her like a predator as he stepped forward, making his way to where she was. Julie's feet continued to walk backwards until her back hit the wall, and she stared back at him with her heart racing. He brought his hand up and near her face, tucking the piece of her hair behind her ear.

  And even though she didn't feel his touch on her skin, she felt him play with her hair as it escaped between his fingers.

  "I don't want to beat around the bush, and I doubt I have the patience to wait anymore," stated Roman, placing one hand on the wall. She felt his eyes drink her face, looking at her eyes then her nose before it came to settle on her lips. He asked her, "Did you like what happened back there at the bonfire? What I did to you."

  Julie was not dumb to not know what Roman was questioning her about. But his question caught her off guard.

  "That…"

  "Yes or no," Roman made it simpler for her, noticing the way her body hummed along with her heartbeat that skipped now and then when he spoke to her. "I have never felt like this with anyone before. While I waited for you to arrive today, I was annoyed. Irritated until I saw you. It's as if everything has multiplied tenfold more than usual."

  "Isn't it bad?" asked Julie, feeling him move closer to her.

  "No," remarked Roman, the grip of his hand on the wall turning firm. "Not in this situation. So tell me, did you like what I did to you?"

  Julie's head lightly spun, and thankfully the wall behind her supported her. None of the boys had ever given her this kind of attention, and what Roman had done back in the forest, it was dangerous for her heart and mind.

  She closed her eyes, trying to calm her beating heart that seemed impossible to do right now. She breathed in his expensive cologne, and it only drove her senses high. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting his eyes that watched her. She said,

  "Yes."

  "Yes, what?" questioned Roman, as if he wasn't satisfied with the initial option he had given her.

  Her cheeks burned brighter than the lamp, her body turning warm, not knowing what her answer would lead to. Julie had seen Roman with multiple girls at the unpopular book racks in the library or the lonely corridors of the buildings on rare occasions. This evening, he had been too sweet to her without teasing or bullying her. And when it came to the dare, out of everyone, he had chosen her.

  "Don't make me wait, pretty girl," Roman's eyes turned darker and intense as if he was trying to control his emotions. The compliment in his words made her toes curl and her heart clench. "The truth," he tried to sway her.

  "I… I liked what you did," Julie breathed the words, and Roman let go of his hand from the wall.

  Julie wondered if he was going to leave her dorm, now that he had got his answer. But his hands went to place on both sides of her waist, feeling her curves. His head moved closer to hers before he pulled her towards him so that she wasn't leaning against the wall anymore. A gasp escaped her lips.

  Roman noticed how Julie perfectly fit in his arms.

  Two hours ago, in the forest, he had found it hard to catch hold of the reins of control as he had found it slowly slipping from him.

  Though the dare had been to seduce Julie, he didn't want to bring out too much emotion from her for other's display. Knowing how easily she was to fluster over simple things, he had only increased the tension in her, which had only backfired on him and the already controlled feelings spilt.

  He didn't want to do anything to her that would make her uncomfortable, which was why it was important that they were on the same page. Of course, he had slyly prepared her, letting her know about his intentions which finally seemed to hit the right spot in her.

  On the other hand, Julie felt Roman circle his hands around her waist. She stared back at him, hearing him say the words,

  "I am not done with what I started."

  And with those words, Roman lowered his head towards her before capturing her lips with his. Julie's heart pumped faster, blood coursing through her veins, and her body started to turn weak. She felt him taste her, capturing her upper lip. He sucked and nibbled it playfully until it was tender under his touch.

  Not knowing what to do with her hands, Julie placed it on Roman's chest, feeling not only the fabric of his shirt but also the firmness of his muscular chest. It felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs, where he continued to kiss her.

  One of Roman's hands left her waist, and it moved to the side of her face, holding it as he angled her face for him. Julie's eyes that had momentarily closed opened when he pulled his lips away from her.

  Her eyes fell on Roman's eyes that gauged her expression and listened to her laboured breathing. He said, "Part your lips," his words falling not too far from her lips.

  When Julie did as he asked her to, her lips slightly trembled at the emotions and feelings that Roman was letting her experience right now. And though he had asked her, he didn't dive right back into kissing her and instead, he took his own sweet time in looking at her, dragging the time to torture her just the way he had felt before coming here.

  There was anxiousness in those brown eyes, a hint of curiosity. He didn't want to end it too soon, and he wanted it to last.

  Roman's hand slid down towards her neck, curling his fingers. The look in his eyes weakened her body and mind. He ran his thumb to feel her soft skin under his touch, and along with it, he felt her pulse. Somewhere his thirst to taste and have more started to wake. But the thirst to consume Julie's very being from her heart to her soul rode higher in his mind.

  The more time Roman took, the more Julie's knees turned weaker and ready to melt on the ground.

  Strangely his hand around her didn't feel alarming, and instead, it felt assuring. Safe in his hands, and she wondered why. Was it because they had spent a lot of time together?

  Julie then saw him part his lips. Before it touched hers, she noticed the way his tongue peeked out and slipped into her own for another kiss, this time much deeper than the last one. The sight alone sent a shiver down her spine.

  She had never drunk too much alcohol, but she wondered if this was how it felt to be intoxicated because that's what Roman was doing to her. She could barely reason between right or wrong, not questioning their actions as if it didn't matter.

  Gasps escaped from her lips, heavy breathing filling up the quiet room. He tasted warm, and the kiss turned fiery like burning charcoal. His other hand traced from her waist to move towards her back, moving it upwards in a sultry motion while he kept her busy. Her lips felt numb until she felt him nip, and a moan slipped past her lips.

  "You bit me," Julie murmured, and Roman whispered on her lips.

  "I couldn't help myself. Here, let me make it better," and she felt him capture her bottom lip before running his tongue across the length.

  One of his hands tangled in the back of her hair.

  It was the first time he had tasted her blood, and it tasted sweeter than anything he had tasted before. He sucked on her lips, bringing out a soft gasp from her lips, her heart thrumming.

  Roman didn't stop there, and his lips traced across her jaw, this time in a much slower motion. His lips brushed across her tender skin until it reached below her neck, and he pressed his lips there, making her tremble in his arms.

  "Roman—"

  "Stay like this," Roman's voice sounded slightly deeper. He circled his arms around Julie, with his head next to her ear as he hugged her closely. His emotions had spilt, his fangs had appeared, and his eyes had turned red. His senses had turned high, as if waiting for him to lose control and become the person he had been turned into.

  Julie's head was next to Roman's chest, and she could hear his heart beating. She was wrapped in his cologne. The scent somehow soothed her. Even though his lips were not on hers anymore, she could still feel them. She felt his nose run from top to bottom of her neck, and her heart skipped a beat.

  When he finally pulled back, Julie met his black eyes that now stared at her with a hint of fascination in them, which looked darker than usual.

  Realizing Roman had stolen her first kiss, and now that the intoxication slowly started to lower, she cleared her throat. Maybe she would have felt less embarrassed if it weren't for him looking at her the way he was doing right now.

  "Don't let anyone else kiss you," Roman's words were serious. He brushed his thumb across her plump bottom lip, and he heard the way her heart skipped a beat. It brought satisfaction, knowing how responsive Julie was to him.

  "I wouldn't do that. I don't go kissing people," Julie reminded him, and one corner of Roman's lips tugged.

  "It bothers you," it wasn't a question but more of a statement, and he seemed pleased with her reaction. But on the other hand, Julie didn't know what and how their dynamics were going to change. As if sensing her emotions, he said, "Ignore others. All you need to focus on is me."

  Julie gulped down the ball of bubbling emotions that had raised in her throat, and she took a step backwards, and she noticed the way Roman's eyes narrowed.

  "Do you regret it?" Roman questioned her, his already dark eyes dangerously looking at her.

  How could she, thought Julie. She had dreamt of having her first kiss to be special, and it had turned out to be more than that. She shook her head, "I don't. But… I am not clear about your intentions," she confessed.

  "Be mine, Julianne Winters."

  Julie's eyes widened in surprise. H-his?

  Roman Moltenore, a senior year student of Veteris, was the reputed bad boy who damaged people's bodies and had broken many hearts without his knowledge or ignorance. Since the time they last shared their time on the stage, it was evident that there was attraction. But what would it lead to? Julie asked herself.

  Romance had never been on her cards when she had been admitted to Veteris. She had suppressed any possible romantic thoughts so that she could focus on her studies and avoid any trouble. And even if she hadn't, Roman had been out of the question. With his unruly hair and his sinful looking lips, and his personality, she believed she would have never had a chance with him. How did this happen?

  He had made it hard for her. Especially in today's bonfire, he had poured gasoline to the spark of fire in her, which felt like it had now set itself ablaze.

  She had been kissed by the Devil, who was going to raise havoc in her life.

  Now that she had tasted the forbidden fruit from the dark side where Roman was, she wondered if she would be able to step out of it. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't scared, but it somewhere did tickle her curiosity.

  Roman noticed doubt swirl in her brown eyes.

  To make sure she didn't mistake his words, where he didn't want to go round and round to make his point, Roman said, "When I met you, I thought you were going to be just another person. To bully and amuse me over these mundane days. But you bring out these emotions that I have never felt before, the restlessness feels never ending. As good as the game of hide and seek is, I want to have you for myself. Not as a friend, but as my woman."

  Roman stretched his hand towards her, his head tilted to the side, and she looked at his open palm,

  "Won't you let me steal you, Julianne?"

  Her heart trembled at his words. It was as if Roman had his hands on the strings of her heart, and he tugged on them with every word that left his lips. He put her in a trance-like spell, something that was hard to break free from. The feeling of his wicked lips didn't leave her thoughts, giving her very little space to think things right now.

  Julie's lips parted, but no words came out of it. It was because she hadn't expected Roman to say anything close to it. The hand that he had raised in front of her hadn't lowered down.

  "T-that's too fast. You have others," the thoughts in Julie's head tumbled one after another.

  As arrogant as Roman appeared to be with an unbothered look on his face, he didn't taunt or mock her.

  Instead, his face was calm, and he said, "You don't have to answer it right away. The other girls are not important." Silence filled the room while Julie tried to absorb his words. "You don't have to think about others. Like I said, I am all you need to focus… because I have my eyes only for you."

  Holycrap thought Julie to herself.

  Not in her wildest dreams, Julie had imagined that one day she would have this kind of conversation with Roman. She was slightly awkward and shy to place her hand in his, her eyes then fell on her phone, and she quickly picked it up and placed it in his hand.

  "The number is in there," said Julie, and Roman unlocked the phone with ease.

  "No password?" he inquired. Walking towards her bed, he sat down at the edge.

  Julie followed him, her hands holding in front of her, "I never felt a need for one. There was nothing to hide." Her life wasn't exciting like the others and was rather quiet.

  Roman opened the message application before going through the short conversation that she had with the stranger. He took out his phone from his pocket, opening it with a complex pattern which Julie couldn't memorize even if she wanted to in one go. He noted the number on his phone before handing the phone back to her.

  "I will try to see if I can trace the number back to the person, but there are chances that it is a burner phone. The disposable one," stated Roman, and Julie nodded her head. To ease down the sexual tension in the room, he questioned her, "Do you remember your parents having any odd conversation, or behaviour that caught your eye. That is before the days your mother was killed?"

  Julie shook her head, "I don't think so. I was always under the assumption that they both loved each other and were happy."

  "Okay," responded Roman, crossing one leg over his other leg and patting the left side of the bed. "Are you scared of me now?"

  "No, there's no such thing," replied Julie, a shyness in her eyes while she came to sit next to Roman with a good gap between them.

  The things she had experienced today had overflowed in her mind, and her body was too alert and wary, knowing how it felt to be touched and teased by Roman. Of how it felt to open up to him and let him take her to another place where it was just the two of them.

  But Julie's effort of keeping distance went in vain because Roman uncrossed his legs and moved from his place to sit next to her. He placed one hand on the surface of the bed, and his body leaned towards her.

  "Don't try to make me chase you, Winters," Roman's words were like honey, smooth but rich. Julie noticed the way his eyes moved from her eyes to look at her lips. It made it that much difficult for her to get her lips to move to say anything.

  Her words were a whisper as she said, "I am sitting here."

  His eyes subtly narrowed, and she noticed it, like many other things she had failed to pick on about him. It was as if everything seemed non-existent in his presence. He remarked, "You know what I mean. I know you are still trying to catch up with how you feel so we'll take it slow. But don't think I will sit quietly if you try to make me chase you, because I will and the chase will leave you with more than what you can handle."

  "That sounds like a warning," said Julie, her breathing turning uneven, and her eyes moved from his eyes to look at his lips.

  "No, that's good advice," Roman took a deep breath, and his eyes looked sharper and intense as he noticed every detail of emotion and flicker that passed by her eyes. With a pause to let her sink in his words, he then said, "I won't lie to you, but I am trying hard not to bite you.

  Julie was quick to turn red and flustered, "You already did," she doubted she could keep her mind and thoughts and her soul from melting.

  The look in Roman's eyes didn't quiver, and his words held confidence. The usual detached look and arrogance in his eyes had disappeared. "A better bite than the one that had been earlier delivered," his words held a sinful promise that didn't reveal the truth that she wasn't aware of.

  Julie gulped at Roman's forthness when it came to letting his thoughts known loud and clear.

  Roman didn't want Julie to faint over his little ministrations. He was aware that she had never been in a boy's company like his before. The thought alone felt like she was a precious present that had been untouched, and he wanted to take his own time to unwrap it.

  "So what was this sexual dream about?" questioned Roman, and Julie's eyes quickly moved to look at her study table.

  "It was just a dream," muttered Julie. Did he figure out that it was him, whom she had dreamt of? She asked in her mind.

  "I am very interested in hearing about it until the very last detail. I am not leaving the dorm until you tell me what it was about. If it is to your liking, maybe we can try it in the future," suggested Roman, pulling away from Julie while not taking his eyes off of her.

  Julie wanted to hide inside her blanket, and it wasn't too hard because it was right on the bed. The only problem was that it was on the other side of the bed and not where she was sitting.

  She brought her hand up to cover part of her face before looking at Roman, who diligently waited for her to speak. "I don't think it is something I would like to happen. Your face changed into the crow alien."

  "When?"

  "When you were going to kiss me," Julie cleared her throat once more because it seemed like there was something stuck in there.

  Roman stared at her, wondering why the bird faced person had appeared in Julie's dream. The dream might have meant nothing, and it had appeared because she had overthought about it. "How boring," he commented.

  "Not everyone has frisky dreams. Do you have them?" Julie asked him in curiosity.

  He shook his head, "No."

  "See," she pointed out.

  Roman then said, "I don't wait for things to happen in dreams with my eyes closed, when I can make them happen with open eyes. Unfortunately I have somewhere to be, and I have to cut our time short." He stood up from the bed, ready to leave her room.

  Julie felt her heart tug when he stood up, and she stood up too. He looked at the door and then at the window as if he was trying to decide which was a better option.

  Roman then walked towards the window, opening it. He leaned forward and looked left and right to make sure the ground around the Dormitorium was clear. The hands of the clock had moved past the curfew time of the university.

  With one swift movement, he jumped out and caught hold of his balance on the ground.

  "Where are you headed to?" asked Julie, her voice sounding slightly anxious.

  "Out of Veteris and in the forest," Roman might have given her vague answers, but they had always been true.

  "Isn't anyone going to stop you? The watchman at the gates?" This time, Julie's voice was lower as she climbed the bed and stood near the window to look at him.

  "We know our way out without getting into trouble. Years of practice," said Roman, watching her, while she stared back at him. Julie was going to wish him goodnight when she heard him declare, "I will steal you, Winters."

  Julie's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "I never answered yes."

  The corner of Roman's lips pulled, "I never asked."