Page 25 of Elemental Affections

“Oh, fuck off.”

Ezzyn threw his hands up. “Is it so unthinkable? You’ve spent the last decade cooped up in Central in an unrequited whatever-the-fuck-your-deal-with-Avenor-was. Am I to believe you lived the life of a maiden?”

She made a disgusted noise. “I had a rather public engagement.”

His expression soured. “Of course. How could I forget? Anadae Helm would never bring such scandal down upon her family name.”

There it was. That contempt, the old anger. She’d seen a flash of it before, when they’d run into each other on her first day in the Valley. Again when he’d challenged her reluctance to take the seminar. He might’ve been willing to sleep with her, but to know her? Admit that maybe he didn’t know her as well as he thought? That five years later she could outgrow whatever box he still kept the memory of her in? No, Ezzyn still dug in his heels at that.

And yet he’d kissed her. Done it with a fervor that left her stunned. He’dstayed,and irrespective of his claims that she held onto him in her sleep—a claim about which she held doubts—that had come after. Later. When she’d asked, she’d seen him hesitate. Because the bastard had known what was coming. Even if he’d planned to run out in the night, he must have known there was a chance that the charade would blow up in his face. A chance he’d decided to take with her.

Dae looked at her hands and curled them into soft fists. “Why, Ezzyn? Really, why?”

He inhaled, held the breath as he looked up at the ceiling. He sighed, head tilting as he met her gaze. “I guess I just thought I needed to get it out of my system.”

Dae threw her pillow at him. “You think I’m something you need to ‘get out of your system?’ You bastard.”

“Hold—hold on!” He caught the second pillow before it hit him in the face. “Poor choice of words.”

“Does that even work?”

A wry laugh in response. “I’ll let you know.”

“Get out.”

“I’m going.” He placed the pillow back on her bed.

Before he opened the door, Dae blew out a frustrated breath and put her head in her hand.

Ezzyn glanced back, a question in the set of his brow.

Dae briefly looked at him, then away. “Do I need to worry about this?”

“About what, precisely?” Ezzyn said, tone neutral.

“People finding out,” she snapped. “About last night.”

He stared at her in silence. It was only a moment, yet multiple emotions flashed across his face before settling into something cold and stiff. Tainted with wry disappointment. “Of courseyouwould be concerned about appearances. No need for damage control.” He gave her a flat smile.

“You’re practically a professor,” she said. “My concern isn’t unwarranted.”

He inclined his head in the smallest of concessions. “You’ve nothing to worry about from me.”

The door closed firmly behind him.

Chapter 10

Mostdays,Daeconsideredherself a patient person. Today wasn’t one such day as she waited for Eunny to thumb back through the same section of Sylveren University’s student handbook. For the fourth time.

“It’s a short section,” Dae said.

Eunny’s gaze flicked toward her, unimpressed, then back to the thin folio Dae had brought. “It says ‘real or perceived’ conflict of interest.Perceived.That could come back to bite you.”

Dae put her head in her hands and groaned.

Eunny nibbled on a teacake. “I can’t believe you didn’t recognize him.” The teacake didn’t hide her sly smile.

“It was dark. He was wearing a mask. A glamoured mask!” Dae whisper-shouted, mindful of their surroundings. It was quiet in the Mighty Leaf, and their corner table offered some privacy, but Dae’s jumpiness remained. Irrational as the thought was, she’d half-expected everyone she encountered as she made her way to town to stare. To see her and know, to point at the student who’d gleefully fallen into bed with her ex-tutor and supposed-to-be new boss. Guest lecturer for the eco resto seminar. Godscursed prince of Rhell. Any minute now, she dreaded someone coming into the teashop and handing her a notice of her scholarship being rescinded, her admittance to the university revoked. The vague wording in the handbook with regard to student-faculty dealings coupled with Ezzyn’s murky status as more of a fellow student than staff did little to set her mind at ease. She’d trekked into town hoping for clarification or, barring that, at least some commiseration from her best friend. Such compassion had been rather spare in coming. If Dae didn’t know better, she would suspect her dear childhood sister-in-all-but-blood was rather enjoying the predicament.

---