Jace Marino has mastered control. By day, he’s the brilliant, untouchable criminal law professor at Brooklyn Law. By night, he’s the eldest son of New York’s most powerful crime family — a man whose word still commands the streets, even if he claims to have left that life behind.

Julian Pole never wanted law school. Sensitive and artistic, he’s far more comfortable with a sketchpad than statutes. But with a detective father and a nurse mother pushing him, quitting isn’t an option — even as his grades begin to slip.

When Jace calls on him unexpectedly in class, Julian’s stammered answer and shy, uncertain eyes spark something Jace doesn’t want to name. He should look away. Instead, he finds himself watching.

As rivals close in on Marino territory, Jace’s two worlds are on a collision course — and the quiet, blue-eyed student might be the one thing he can’t protect from the fallout.

On getting to college, it's oddly quiet. 


Normally, there'd be students lurking around, chatting, laughing, but today feels different. My friends have already gone to their classes, so I head toward the bleachers to kill time. I've got about twenty minutes before class begins—Jace's class, of course.


I smiled—so hard my cheeks hurt, but he turned away like I wasn't even there. Not a glance, not a smirk, not a damn thing. I know what we have is complicated, but he could've at least smiled back. Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I just need… affection.


Come to think of it, he actually called me this morning. On the train.


The almighty Professor Jace called me—because he missed me, because he can't stop seeing me in his dreams.


Chapter 18 - The Weekend 2