Page 68 of Give In

Inhaling deeply, I admitted, “She’s a student.”

The look on Steph’s face made it abundantly clear she was still confused and concerned, but mostly she thought I was a fucking idiot.

She wasn’t wrong.

“Damey,no,” she drawled, the one syllable stretching to five. “You could lose everything.”

My gaze went to the door. “I just did.”

“Shit, I don’t… I don’t even know what to say. You’re torn up, and I get that, but you’ve got to think this through. What if she tells people?”

“She wouldn’t.” Steph opened her mouth, an argument already twisting her features, but I held up my hand. “I’m an idiot, but I’m notstupid. Eden wouldn’t tell anyone.” She didn’t look convinced, so I gave her a reassurance neither of us wanted to discuss. “We’ve never slept together.”

Her shoulders slumped in relief, but she turned a little green at the conversation. “Okay. I mean, that still leaves a lot of gray area, but okay.”

I held her eye-contact and didn’t hesitate or waver. “I don’t give a damn about rules and policy and whatever other bullshit is in place. Idogive a damn about her. Her future. Her happiness. I was fucking with both, so I backed off and it’s been appropriate professionalism since.”

“I want to make a joke about how shocking it is that you put someone else’s needs before your own, but I’ll refrain.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, but there was no indignation in my words because there was no untruth in hers.

I’d always been a selfish bastard, and she only knew a fraction of it.

Taking a sip of wine, she set the glass down and asked, “If things are on the up-and-up now, why was she here?”

“No clue. And she won’t pick up her phone to tell me.”

“At the risk of you throwing something else, where do you think she went?”

“There’s a kid in class she’s close with.”

“Close, as in…”

Clenching my jaw, I shook my head.

“So, to recap the night... She saw me, thinks you and I are…” She grimaced and shuddered, a sentiment I echoed. “And now you’re worried she and him will…?”

“Yes,” I gritted out.

“And, obviously, you can’t show up at his place to correct her because he’s a student, too. Hmm.” Steph’s fingers drummed on her wine glass as she looked to the side. “Well, if she’s willing to turn around and hop into bed with someone else—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Steph. There’s more.” I shook my head. “Shit, I’m not getting into the details of my sex life with my sister.”

“Well, thank God for that. This is a mess as it is, I don’t need mental scarring.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “She’s pretty. Her hair was a little big and her makeup was a bit much, but if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“She works at a bar,” I half-lied.

“Oh, that explains it.” She grabbed another crab rangoon from the bag and ripped at it, popping the pieces in her mouth as she stared off. After a minute, with a full mouth, her eyes darted to mine and she mumbled something. She held up a finger and downed some wine before trying again. “Was this the girl you were mooning over months ago when we were at dinner?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I outright lied, though I had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting away with it.

“Yes, you do. She was on a date! Was it with this same kid? You growled when he kissed her.”

“Have I told you lately that having a lawyer for a sister is annoying?”

“Yeah, you said that when I called you out on lying to mom a couple weeks ago about why you couldn’t make dinner. And I’ll remember that next time you have a speeding ticket that needs to disappear.” Her glare softened. “Still, Damey, that girl is pretty but clearly young. Which, you obviously know, being her professor and all. It doesn’t matter why she was here because nothing’s changed. You backed off to protect her. Maybe her and him are for the best.”

All Steph’s points were valid.