Page 37 of Tempt

One of the grad students drops her pen.

“Kat.” Professor Trainor’s voice is soft but there’s an edge beneath the surface.

I snap my mouth shut and go back to taking notes.

Rana comes up to me after to help put away chairs.

“I was out of line,” I say under my breath. “I don’t know you or your dad.”

“It’s okay.”

She offers a small smile and I return it.

Professor Trainor calls me over once I’m done packing up.

She dismisses the grad students, who are disappointed to be asked to leave before hearing whatever she has to say.

“You’re not a therapist yet. This is my group. You aren’t qualified to offer anything except cookies and compassion. Understood?”

“I wasn’t—”

She levels me with a look, and I take a breath. “Got it.”

* * *

When I get back from group and picking up Andy, Daniel’s car is in the driveway and I’m still annoyed about getting chewed out.

I’m barely in the door when there’s a knock. I glance through the peephole and grimace.

Great.

I hang up Andy’s bag by the door, unzipping it to pull out his art project from today.

“Why don’t you go show this to your dad?”

Andy bounds off, and I go to pull the door open to find Adam.

“Hey, Kat.”

“Don’t ‘hey, Kat’ me like we’re friends.”

My gaze narrows on his attractive face. The guy’s more flake than substance, but I never had a problem with him until he screwed around on Liv.

He rubs a hand through his wavy, perfectly styled hair. “We hung out for a year. I’ve bought you drinks.”

“What are you doing here? This is where I work.”

He grimaces, as if he’s suddenly rethinking the idea, too. “I’m trying to get some scouts here to watch me play. If I don’t have interest from a pro team, my dad’s going to make me get a real job. I thought Clay might be able to help me out.”

“Maybe you should’ve decided who your friends were before chasing some stupid chick with her legs wide open.”

“Kat?” I turn to see Andy blinking up at us.

Daniel’s right behind him.

“Ahhh, not just open legs. Open minds, and hearts, and…openness is good,” I ramble, glaring at Adam for not evaporating in a puff of smoke the moment Andy appeared.

Can’t he see he’s corrupting the next generation?

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