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“How is it not? I’m the Head of School. It’s in my interest to protect all members of the staff and faculty.”

“Not always,” Elia replied, taking Kamryn by the shoulders and shifting them awkwardly around each other so that Kamryn was now under the water. “Sometimes hard decisions have to be made.”

“I know that.” Kamryn wrinkled her nose. “But you’re not someone who is doing anything inappropriate with anyone.”

“And what would you call last night?” Elia’s tone was still light, teasing almost, but there was an undercurrent of sincerity that Kamryn didn’t like.

“Consensual,” Kamryn replied. “Besides, it’ll fall more on me than you.”

“You were my student. You think that there won’t be questions about impropriety then?”

Is that what all of this was about? Kamryn dipped her head fully under the water to get it wet and then stepped out to look Elia dead in the eye. “Nothing happened twenty years ago.”

“I know that, and you know that. But rumors can and will ruin lives.” Elia said nothing else as she stepped out of the shower and snagged a towel and wrapped it around her middle. “I’ll start some coffee and breakfast while you finish up.”

Before she knew it, Kamryn was alone in the shower. The cold hadn’t left her body, despite the hot water covering her skin.Something in the way Elia seemed to have just given up didn’t settle right with her.

Finishing her shower quickly, Kamryn wrapped herself in a towel and followed the sounds of Elia’s movements back into her bedroom. “I was upset last night because I couldn’t stop them from trying to take you down.”

“You won’t be able to.” Elia looked up as she pulled a white oxford shirt on and started doing the buttons. “And it’s not your responsibility to, either. But I do appreciate the sentiment.”

“Is that…” How was Kamryn going to ask this without sounding pathetic? She’d just have to come right out and say it. “Is that what last night was about?”

Elia paused, her movements stilling. “Kam…”

“I need to know if this was just a thank you, or a whim or…I don’t know, something.” Kamryn’s nerves were at the edge, and she just needed someone to tell her that everything was going to be all right. “Because you told me no the other week, and then last night… that was definitely not a no.”

“It was a yes,” Elia agreed, walking right up to Kamryn and cupping her cheeks. “Last night was a yes, absolutely.” Elia pressed their mouths together quickly. “And if you were to ask again today, it would also be a yes.”

Kamryn sighed, relief flooding through her. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d needed to hear those words, to have confirmation that what happened wasn’t just a fluke but was something so much more—to both of them.

Elia kissed her again, this time lingering in the contact. “Last night showed me that I can trust you.”

Kamryn melted, and all the tensions that had risen since she’d woken up vanished. “Elia.”

“Iwilltrust you,” Elia whispered. This time when their lips touched, Elia became Kamryn’s entire world. Her scent, hertouch, her taste, the intake of her breaths and the exhalations on sweet, satisfied sighs. “I promise I’ll trust you.”

eighteen

“You look…” Abagail studied Elia carefully, her cup just at her lips, but she didn’t take a sip of the steaming coffee. “…I’m not even sure how to describe it.”

Elia’s cheeks burned. She hadn’t thought that breakfast with Abagail would turn into this. She’d intended to come and talk about Abagail’s trip, but not much else. She hadn’t thought that she would end up as the subject matter, and certainly not so close to the beginning of their meal. “I had a good week, that’s all.”

“Hmm… you lie, but I’ll let it slide for right now.”

Elia winced. “How was Italy?”

“Wonderful. Excellent.”

“And your traveling companion?” Elia hated asking that question. It felt so odd in some ways, but she did always want to make sure that Abagail got what she needed out of the trips she took, including on the emotional and sexual front. Details she definitely didn’t need, and thankfully, Abagail didn’t typically share those, but she would usually talk about whoever went with her.

“Katelyn was stunning, as always.” Abagail finally took a sip of the coffee she’d been holding and smiled in Elia’s direction.“You really should try it some time. The no strings attached. You might actually end up liking it—and maybe yourself—better.”

Elia’s cheeks burned. Abagail certainly couldn’t know, could she?

The pause was filled with tension, and surely Abagail would pick up on that.

Elia had to say something to distract them, to change the topic, to move it back to Abagail’s exploits rather than her own. “Would you go back? With Katelyn?”