I sighed and scooped up his textbooks, putting them on the coffee table, then I settled into the opposite corner of the couch and stared at the enigmatic man watching us from across the room.
“So,” King said as he crossed one of his silk-clad legs over the other. “What’s on your mind, James?”
Up until now, my curiosity had been laser focused on one thing—whowasKing, and how had he gotten the money to afford all the things he had? But now I found myself wanting to know about this other “someone” that he’d brought here.Another student? An ex-workmate?
“Who’d you used to bring down here before us?”
“East.”
“What?” I glanced at Zac, who looked like he wanted to strangle me. “Were you not supposed to tell me that?”
“I—”
“It’s okay, Zac,” King said. “It’s not a secret.”
“No?” I cocked my head. “Then why didn’t I find anything about it online?”
“Because it’s private. There’s a difference.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, that my relationship with him wouldn’t have gotten me fired or him expelled.”
“Unlike us.”
King inclined his head. “Despite what you might think, I don’t usually sleep with my students.”
My lips quirked up at the edges. “You haven’t exactly beensleepingwith us, either.”
“Touché.”
“So, okay, he wasn’t a student. Someone you worked with?”
“Why does it matter?” King steepled his hands over his ripped abs, and for a second I lost my train of thought. “James?”
“Because you’re so…mysterious.”
“That drives you crazy, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
King smirked, obviously enjoying holding information over my head.
But I was determined. If Zac wouldn’t ask the hard questions, I would. He may call it nosy. I called it getting to know someone.
“How long were you with him?”
“Long enough that it hurt when it was over.”
“So it ended badly?”
“East,” Zac said, and shook his head at King. “You don’t have to answer that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh come on, this is basic getting-to-know-you 101. And you know you’re dying for him to spill his secrets.”
Zac started to refute that, but then shrugged. “Maybe I am a little curious.”
“See?” I turned back to King. “You’ve got your TA admitting he doesn’t know shit about you. Does that make you feel guilty enough to give us the goods?”