Page 122 of Give In

“Wait, what?”

How the hell does he know everything? I really thought I’d finally be able to surprise him.

He climbed the few steps to close the distance between us, his warmth at my back and his voice in my ear. “I told you, Eden, no one sees what’s mine. You’re not giving notice. Not working your two weeks. You’re done.”

His assumption that I’d quit because we were sleeping together irrationally ticked me off. Technically, he was right because Ihadquit. But he didn’t know that, he was just being bossy.

I whipped around and put my hands on my hips. “That’s not your decision.”

“Yes, it fucking is.” He dropped his head back and inhaled deeply. “You haven’t been to work in a week.”

“I used some vacation days.”

When he met my eyes again, his whole demeanor was different. “Go to class, Eden.”

“No.”

His jaw clenched. “Swear to Christ, you’re not going to be able to sit for a week.”

The fire that’d fueled my anger extinguished, switching to stoke a different blaze. Before I knew what I was saying, I whispered, “Promise?”

Damien’s head went back, his brows shooting up. Anger still glimmered in his gaze, but so did a heat that matched my own.

Try as I might, I couldn’t muster any semblance of my previous attitude. Unbeknownst to him, he’d already won the fight I was trying to pick. My dragging it out wasn’t any better than his bossiness. We needed to talk and set some boundaries, but not right then.

Not when I wanted—no,craved— his reaction to my news.

I’m an idiot to give in. Weak. The very thing I loathed to become.

Or maybe I’d be an idiot to give up something so good just because I think it’s so wrong.

Pushing aside the messy jumble of emotions that twisted inside me, I inhaled deeply.

Before I could share my good news, however, a smattering of voices grew louder as they approached.

“I better go,” I said.

“Text me what you want for dinner,” he called quietly. My stomach fluttered at the intimate domesticity of it until he added, “You’ll need your energy.”

Filthy-sweet.

I was almost to the door when I heard talking outside and stopped dead in my tracks.

That voice.

I know that voice.

Spinning toward Damien, everything I wanted to say stuck in my throat, choking me. He took one look at my panicked, pleading eyes and went alert, but it was too late.

He couldn’t save me.

Chapter Twenty-four

An Awesome Mic-Drop Exit

Damien

Promise?