Oh fuck.
“Ms.Montgomery, Ms.Chamberlain, what are you doing outsidethisparticular building?”
Wait, did that mean he knew about this place?Lizzie’s sex club?Okay, that wasn’t totally impossible.It was more than likely that word about a place like this got around town.Hell, he might have even needed to keep students away in the past.
“What areyoudoing by it, teach?”
I turned over my shoulder to glare at Lizzie.I could kill her right now, and all she did was just smirk at me before focusing on our professor again.
Harkert cleared his throat, and when I looked back at him, he shook his head, his jaw tight.“I assure you both that I am not entering.I am on my way to the carnival.And you?”
“I couldn’t convince Temps to go, so yeah, we’re headed to the carnival, too.”
“Lizzie!”Rushing up to her, I glared, wishing that for once my stepsister would actually listen to my chastising, but that was as likely as it raining gold.
“I see.”
I couldn’t keep myself from turning toward Harkert again, shaking my head as I raised a hand, feeling like I needed to defend myself.But as I fumbled all over myself, I noticed our professor look over my outfit, and it wasn’t utter disapproval that lingered in his eyes.Was that—Nope, absolutely not.Don’t even kid yourself, Temps.
I also noticed that he wasn’t wearing his glasses at the moment, his body covered by a black suit jacket and matching pants.A deep maroon shirt poked out from underneath, the top buttons undone.He was gorgeous anyway, that had been the entire problem, but like this, with this air of confidence and ease about him, my core was practically weeping for him.
Kill me.Just end it now.I can’t take this.
“Well, if you’re going to the carnival, why don’t we all go in together.We can sit as a group and chat before things get started?”
Was Lizzie’s plan to mortify me into an early grave?Because she was doing an excellent job.
“You don’t have to say yes,” I blurted out.“Lizzie has a habit of making herself right at home with anyone.You know, inviting herself intoeverything.”
The last few words were spoken through gritted teeth, and Lizzie shot me a withering look.I nearly buckled under the weight of it, but she wiped it off quickly, flicking her attention to Harkert as she reached for my hand and squeezed tightly.
“I know how to makeanygathering more fun is all.So how ‘bout it?”
Harkert stared at us, his eyes only briefly flicking toward the sign over our heads, like he didn’t believe for a moment that we had been planning to go to the carnival.His narrowed eyes were accompanied by rolling his lips into a stern line, and I felt so stupid for eyeballing his mouth way more than I should have.
Sucking in a deep breath through his nose, Professor Harkert turned sideways and gestured down the street toward the sounds of music and bright lights filling up the otherwise quiet part of Rockport.
“After you.”
Six-Secrets Are Shrouded In A Bit Of Smoke & Mirrors
Caleb
Whatwerethefuckingodds?Had someone cursed me?Hexed me for the evening?Was this some godsdamn prank Elaina was pulling?Because what in the ever-loving hell could explain how I’d run into the only two people in town I was desperately trying to avoid on my way to a fucking sex club?
I fought back the urge to groan as I followed behind the two of them—Temps and Lizzie—as we made our way the few more blocks to the carnival.I hadn’t wanted to go to the stupid thing from the moment it was announced, and now Ireallydidn’t want to go.Being shut in the dark with those girls was going to kill me.
Plus, explosions and I had a bad relationship, and gods knew the place was sure to have fireworks or some shit.
“Oooh!Look how fun!”Lizzie shouted ahead of me, yanking on Temps’ arm as she pointed off to the side.“There’s a house of horrors!Let’s go in after the show!”
“Lizzie, you know I hate that kind of thing.I don’t like being jump-scared.”
I hated to admit it, in fact, I wasn’t going to at all, but I knew somewhere in the back of my head I’d imagined being the scare actor chasing them both down through the haunted house.And that was way too appealing for my liking.Just picturing Temps screaming as she ran away, and I was ready to—
“Oh, come on.It was hilarious to watch you punch that one guy right in the face.”Lizzie snorted, laughing as she pulled Temps along as we closed in on the front entrance of the carnival’s circus tent, faded red and white stripes illuminated by glowing string lights.
Oh, well, that was not what I was expecting.“You punched someone?”
