Page 73 of Give In

I turned the lock and put my back to the cool wood of the door. Dropping my head back, I slid to the floor and wrapped my arms around my bent legs.

Well…

Tonight could’ve gone better.

I choked out a laugh even as I blinked back tears.

Chapter Seventeen

Marionette Strings

Eden

“My sister,” I heard as I closed the curtain.

I turned and looked at Professor Caine. “Either I missed the first part of that sentence, or you just said the creepiest thing I’ve heard during a dance. And that would be saying something.”

“Yesterday. That was my sister.”

“Sure it was.” I stood with my arms crossed, not bothering to undress.

“Her name’s Stephanie. We have the same hair color, but she gets her brown eyes from my dad. She’s two years older. When I was born, she couldn’t say my name, that’s why she calls me Damey. Well, that and she knows it annoys me. She’s a lawyer—”

I held my hand up. “Okay, okay, I believe you.”

My tone was casual, but I couldn’t ignore the relief flowing through me, loosening my shoulders.

“And while I’m clarifying things, I never got a lap dance from that… jewelry woman.”

“Platinum?” I waved my hand. “I know.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, she wouldn’t shut up about the sexy man who just wanted totalk,” I emphasized with more than a little snark.

“Come home with me, and we’ll talk now,” he said, more order than request. His strong jaw was clenched, his muscles tight. He watched me with eyes that were neither dull nor disinterested.

Gesturing around us, I shook my head. “I can’t.”

He stood and approached, stopping before we touched. “You can.”

That hidden part of me—dark and wrong—flared to life at his unyielding tone. It pulled at me, begging me to obey.

Which was why I turned and walked from the room, leaving before I could make a mistake.

I’d barely made it three steps when a regular stopped me and pulled me into conversation.

There was a rustle behind me followed by a wave of heat and anger and danger when Damien hit my back. He barely touched me, but just the graze of his fingertips along my skin was enough to steal my breath.

Although I had no clue what he was saying, I continued smiling and nodding at my regular as I watched Professor Caine out of the corner of my eye. Only when he’d slammed out the exit did I subtly reach back to feel the crisp, folded bill in my waistband.

A tip for a dance I hadn’t given.

But I wasn’t stupid enough to think it was free money. Everything had strings attached—including me.

Especiallyme.

Because I was a marionette…