Page 10 of Not Quite Perfect

“You going to fill me in on your late-night rendezvous?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered same as with Alex, attempting to tune him out. We were supposed to be relaxing.

He chuckled. “That’s what Alex said you’d say. So, who is he?”

Fucking Alex.

Except … maybe not.

I plucked the cucumbers off my eyes and set them aside. Pulling my legs up under me, I twisted to face the brother. He was a senior at Thackeray College where David taught. “Have you taken any literature courses lately?”

Drew might be a pain in my ass sometimes, but of my three siblings, he was the one I was closest with. If he had any dirt on the handsome Professor Carstairs, he wouldn’t hesitate to share it with me. An economics major, hemightnot know anything, but I thought it was worth asking.

He nodded and emptied his glass, the ice rattling and his straw making a loud sucking noise. “It’s a prerequisite for graduation. Well-rounded students and all that. Why the sudden interest in my education?” And then it hit him. “Wait! You’re banging a professor, aren’t you?”

“Shhh,” I admonished, looking around to make sure no one was listening.

First, I wasn’t a fan of strangers knowing my business, but more than that, David had grown up around here. If someonewaslistening, I didn’t want it getting back to him that I’d been gossiping about our night together. I really liked him and was looking forward to seeing where things might go between us. Finding out the girl you’d had sex with was broadcasting the details in the middle of the spa would not be a good start to a relationship.

Drew leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Please, please, please tell me it’s Professor Carstairs.”

Myeyes went wide. “How’d you guess?” I asked, trying to recapture some of my earlier chill.

While I’d known it was possible for Drew to knowofDavid, I hadn’t expected him to guess that’s who I’d been with the night before quite so easily.

“Everyone knows who he is. We call him Professor Cockstairs.” Drew cackled and waggled his eyebrows. “You know, because he has a—”

I held my hand up to stop him from saying it.

Ididknow.

I’d been shocked when David had gotten undressed, and then I’d immediately wondered how something that big was going to fit inside me. Unbidden, the space between my thighs throbbed … almost like it missed its new plaything. The plaything that was apparently famous among the students of the college where he taught.

What had I been thinking?

You’d been thinking that if you’d had a professor who looked like him, you would have stayed after class for some extra tutoringmy subconscious tittered.

I groaned and set my palm to my forehead, forgetting all about the goopy mask. “Fuck,” I muttered, pulling my hand away and glancing around for a towel to wipe it off on. When I didn’t see one, I swiped it down the front of my robe instead.

They had to wash it anyway, and I was certain I wasn’t the first person to get some slimy concoction on the black terrycloth. “Of course it turns out he’s a manwhore. What was I thinking?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Drew rushed to assure me. “It’s just those suits he wears. You know the ones. They don’t leave much to the imagination.”

My eyes found his, and I prepared to admit the truth. “I’ve never actually seen him in a suit. I only met him yesterday.” I grimaced, waiting for my brother’s censure.

I loved my siblings, but they could be a bit hypocritical when it came to gender equality. What was good for the goose wasn’t always good for the gander. While I’d bet good money they’d all had more than their fair shares of hookups and one-night stands, I was a woman, and as far as they were concerned, we simply didn’t do that.

But instead of judging me, Drew surprised me by raising his palm for a high five. “Way to go!”

I glanced down, making sure I’d gotten all the avocado off, and then smacked our palms together. “You’re not going to slut shame me?” I asked, reaching for my mimosa.

“Fuck no,” he laughed. “That man is gorgeous. Like a younger, handsomer Jude Law. I’m tempted to ask if his dick is as impressive as I hope it is, but—” Drew gasped, realizing what he’d just revealed. His cheeks flushed crimson, and his eyes turned wild and then plaintive. “Oh Christ. Fuck.”

Without a word, I dropped the footrest on my chair and went to my baby brother’s side. I’d wondered for a couple of years if he might be gay, but had kept my questions to myself. I loved him, and it didn’t matter to me whether he liked men or women. Or both.

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him into me.

He pushed against my middle. “Your mask.”

---