Page 32 of Give In

Moving on instinct, I dipped so my breasts pressed against him. They skimmed along his torso as I ran my nose up his shirt, breathing in his scent. When I reached his neck, I let my lips graze his skin.

His sharp inhale was harsh in my ear, another sound echoing it. It cut through the fog that’d surrounded me.

Like someone had flipped a switch, all the raucous laughter, thumping bass, and rumbled conversations unmuted, roaring to life around me. I became painfully aware of where I was, who I was with, and what I’d just done.

I hadn’t won the battle.

In fact, based on the fire that blazed in my veins, I may have just handed him the whole war.

As the song tapered off, I dropped my eyes to the cushion, unable to face what I’d done. My eyes zeroed in on a large tear where the cushion connected to the back of the couch.

Charlie had been trying to convince Ted to replace the couches, but Ted was frugal with unnecessary upgrades.

Looks like Charlie wins.

Wonder what that feels like.

Standing to dress, I worked to shake off the mental weight that pushed down on me. I kept my emotions to myself and hid my dejection behind a blank mask. Only when I was to the door did I look over my shoulder to give Professor Caine a small smile before heading out.

We were supposed to smile wide, like we were happy about what we’d done, but I couldn’t muster up phony emotion.

“You’ve got three more waiting, sweetie. Gonna be a busy night for you!” Mia yelled to me.

By the time I collapsed in bed that night, both physical and mental exhaustion made me ache.

But sleep wouldn’t come.

I tossed and turned, my brain trying to replay a certain dance. I did my best to focus on something—anything—else. It was my crap luck that the thing my brain decided to shift to was the full bank deposit envelope that sat in my purse, instantly tensing the muscles that’d just begun to relax.

He didn’t tip me again.

Damn.

For a brief moment, I wondered if my dance had called his bluff. If he’d leave me alone, taking the confusing feelings he elicited with him.

Even as I thought it, I knew it wouldn’t happen.

Double damn.

*******

Damien

Eden would be the death of me.

No, that wasn’t quite true.

She’d be the death and damnation of me.

Sitting in my office, I leaned back and looked at the number I’d punched into my phone. A better man would delete it and let things be.

A better man wouldn’t do half the things I’d done where Eden Wilder was concerned.

When I’d left Sinners the night before, I’d been shaking.

Fucking shaking.

I’d pulled over to take some calming breaths and had instead taken my dick in hand. A few pumps and the image of Eden on my lap were all that was needed to make me explode. When I’d started driving again, I’d passed a couple other cars pulled over. My fists had clenched the steering wheel as I’d thought about what they’d been doing. Or who they’d been thinking of.