Page 58 of Devilry

My rebuttal sounds harsher and more dismissive than I intended, but Aiden doesn’t even balk, continuing with his inquisition.

“You mean speaking about sex.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m going out to study,” I lie.

“Fine, take all the fun out of it.” I roll my eyes at him. “But just so you know, I just wanted to fuck you. Dating isn’t my thing, so if you’re worried about hurting my feelings or some shit like that, don’t.”

Grasping at the lifeline Aiden has unknowingly thrown at me, I run with his thought process to try and take the spotlight off myself. “Thanks. Not that I think we need to worry about me dating anyone, but I’m glad I’ll be able to talk to my friend if I need to.”

He smiles. Genuinely. And I feel like shit for lying to him. There’s no way I would talk to anyone about this. Especially Aiden.

“I got to get going before I’m late,” I announce.

I head to the door, swinging it open.

“Eli,” Aiden calls out.

“Yeah.”

“If you were meeting someone tonight? You look perfect.”

I give him a small smile, grateful for the confidence boost. “Thank you.”

* * *

Cole textedme an address with the instructions to meet him at seven pm. When I googled the location, it was a beautiful brownstone in the middle of Georgetown. I replied to his text asking if it was his place, but he evaded the question and told me to hurry up. He didn’t want me to be late.

Standing in front of a set of steps that lead up to a large, black front door, I’m grateful for the lingering sunset, offering a warm, orange hue. Giving me enough light, I feel less creepy about standing alone outside of someone’s house.

Should I go home?

Just as I’m about to pull up my Uber app and see how long it would take for one to drive me back to the dorms, a black sedan drives up to the curb.

Effortlessly, Cole steps out, his eyes honed in on mine with every move he makes. Expecting to see the same impeccably dressed man I saw earlier, I’m surprised to see Professor Huxley has retired for the evening. No longer wearing his mask of authority, he’s dressed down, out of his suit, and looking sexier than I ever thought possible.

Even if he’s older than me, he still looks younger than his profession makes him out to be. He’s in black jeans and a casual, black, linen button-down. Rolled up at the sleeves, his thick forearms are on display, giving me a glimpse of how built and sturdy he is underneath his clothes.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I rock on the heels of my feet, thoroughly enjoying the view. The freedom of beingableto enjoy the view.

Finally reaching me, he stretches out his hand. “Hi, I’m Cole.”

Finding it impossible to stop the smile from stretching across my face, I take his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Cole. I’m Elijah.”

“Are you looking to rent this house too?”

I can play along with this.

“Actually, I’m checking it out for a friend,” I respond, slipping into character. “Seeing if it’s fit enough for him to live in.”

“What do you think so far?”

“I’m not really one to judge a book by its cover.” I drag my eyes up and down his body, “Even if it does look perfect on the outside. I’d like to get a good look inside before I made any final decisions.”

“That’s probably for the best.” He pulls keys out of his pockets and rattles them in front of me. “Shall we go inside?”

I gesture my arm up the stairs, signaling for him to take the lead. As he walks up to the door, my brain short circuits, watching the denim stretch across his firm ass.

Noticing I’m not behind him, he stops and turns. “What are you doing?”

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