Page 64 of Beautifully Complicated

“Eyes off, Damien.” Bennet locks his jaw.

“So possessive.” Damien rolls his eyes, but his coy smirk suggests he likes Bennet that way. “So—” he turns to me “—how’d you snag that one?”

“I—”

“What do you mean how’d you snag him? Are you taking notes?” Bennet looks ready to snap a tooth.

“I’m asking what Aiden did to make a guy risk his career,” Damien says. “Is he a great employee? Is the guy into his brilliant mind? Does he give great head? That sort of thing.”

“You can’t ask that,” Bennet tells him.

“Why not? He can ask me how I snagged you.” Damien holds a hand up in front of his mouth like he’s whispering to me, even though his volume doesn’t change. “I amuse him. He hates to admit it, but I do. And I give great head.”

“Jesus,” Bennet mutters.

“Uh, TMI Damien,” I tell my newest roommate.

“We’re all friends here.” Damien shrugs. “Plus, you’ve probably heard me blowing him so it’s not like I’m telling you something you don’t already know.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not telling you about my sex life,” I tell Damien.

“What sex life?” Bennet snorts, most unhelpfully.

“You’re dating someone you aren’t sleeping with?” Damien’s jaw hits the floor.

“There’s a conflict of interest,” I point out. “And I have slept with him, I’m just not currently sleeping with him.”

“Still not sure what rule favoritism is breaking,” Bennet says. “Besides, your boyfriend is an expert in the field, if he says you know your shit won’t other people listen?”

“Maybe?” I shrug. “But right now he’s the most qualified person at this school to speak to my knowledge, and he doesn’t want to jeopardize my future opportunities by giving people a reason to think his judgment is clouded.”

“But you’re still dating?” Damien scrunches his nose.

“No one knows that. Except you two,” I tell them.

“Oh, you’re a secret boyfriend too? I remember that phase,” Damien recalls, since he was Bennet’s secret until Bennet was ready to come out. “It’s kinda fun in anI know something you don’tway.”

“His boyfriend is out, babe,” Bennet tells Damien. “But for the purpose of Aiden’s future, they’re both secret.”

“I know,” Damien says as he takes the stool next to Bennet. “I’m just saying I remember what that’s like. And here I thought you were actually working all those times you said you were working.” Damien winks at me conspiratorially.

“They were working,” Bennet says.

“Seriously? You mean you’re really not sneaking off to his place to fuck? I thought you were just sticking to your story.”

“We’re not sneaking off to his place,” I tell Damien.

“Why not?” He looks at me like I’m crazy. “No one would know.”

“I—” I snap my mouth shut before I can answer.Why aren’t we doing that? Damien’s right, no one would know.

“Looks like you just gave him something to think about.” Bennet wraps an arm around Damien’s waist and pulls him in for a side hug.

Yes, you did.

Chapter nineteen

Kier

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