He flashes a food bag from a burger joint in town, then sits across from me, sliding a takeout box toward me while unwrapping his chicken sandwich and fries.
I cock my eyebrow. “Do you know there’s a rule about no eating in the library?”
“My father donates a shit ton of money to this university,” he says between bites. “I can eat wherever the fuck I want. Eat your food, beauty. Your food’s going to get cold.”
He’s just as bossy as Irvin. I roll my eyes and sink my teeth into a huge chunk of the juicy burger. The cheese melts in my mouth.
He wipes his hands on a napkin. “You wanted to see me, beauty?”
I nod. “Does Irvin know we’re meeting?”
He shakes his head. “No. As long as you’re not trying to fuck me, he doesn’t need to know we’re hanging out.” His eyes flick to mine, dark with lust. “Unless you want to—then I’ll have to turn you down.” His gaze lands on my blouse, and he licks the corner of his mouth. “You’re tempting, though. But bros before hoes.”
I roll my eyes. “You know if I weren’t married to Irvin, we wouldn’t work.”
He straightens his spine. “You don’t know that, Lilac. You turned me down last year, remember?”
I remember. He asked me to fuck a few times. Followed me around campus wearing a mask. I’m not going to lie—it was hot. I’m into mask play. But I wasn’t going to fuck him and his friend. That’s whorish… well, maybe not. The thought of fucking them both makes my face flush. But Irvin wouldn’t go for that. I’m sure he wouldn’t go for a threesome either. Now that he’s engaged to Raven—and we’re not close friends but the idea is out the window. I technically chose Irvin over Jameson. I wanted Irvin last year, which is why I pursued him.
I smile. “I’m aware. Did I bruise your ego?”
After he finishes his sandwich, he places his hand on his chest, chuckling. “Yes, I’m still deeply wounded. How would I move on?”
“You’ll live.” I smile.
He clears his throat. “So, what do you need, beauty?”
“I don’t think Raven will appreciate you calling me beauty.”
“Who the fuck cares what my butterfly says?”
I pop a fry into my mouth. “You moved to cute pet names? I thought you hated her.”
He pauses, folding his arms across his chest. “I can’t simply move on with my life because I’m stuck on Bailey.”
I frown. “How can you be stuck on someone you’ve never been with?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Who said I was never with Bailey?”
I tap my finger against my chin. “Well, from what I heard, she was dating a college professor.”
He balls his fist. “I’m well aware, but we did have a relationship before the piece of shit.” He shakes his head. “Enough about that. Why did you ask me here?”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table. “I want intel on Irvin. Since you didn’t tell anyone about your relationshipwith Bailey, I won’t blackmail you with it. I won’t go to Snow about what you disclosed.”
He laughs like a hyena. “How do you know that Snow doesn’t know?”
I eye him up and down. “You’re still standing here.”
He drums his fingers on the table. “Irvin is rubbing off on you. Manipulation isn’t your finest suit, though. You need to step your game up. What do you want to know about him?”
Yeah, right, I know I’m nothing like that bastard.
I smile. “What’s his weakness?”
He crinkles his nose. “Weakness?”
I nod, tapping my foot on the carpet. My eyes track a student peeking at the romance aisle.
