He knows the rules. He’s the one enforcing them. Kade Holloway doesn’t get involved. Doesn’t blur lines. Doesn’t lose control. Especially not with his students. And then there’s her. New. Watching him like she’s trying to figure him out instead of avoid him. It should be easy to ignore. It isn’t. Because she doesn’t look away. Doesn’t back down. Doesn’t react the way she’s supposed to. And Kade notices. Immediately. At first, it’s nothing. Just another student. Until she stays after class. Talks back. Stands a little too close. And suddenly— it’s not nothing anymore. He tells himself it’s control. Distance. Boundaries. But the way he looks at her says otherwise. She falls first. He lets her. Because he knows he won’t fall. He never does. But when Kade Holloway finally loses control— it’s not quiet. And it’s definitely not safe.