"No." He crosses to me in three strides, grabs my shoulders. "Don't you dare. I made the choice. I'm an adult. I'm the professional. I knew the consequences and I did it anyway. This is on me."

"But if I hadn't—"

"If you hadn't what? Been you? Been beautiful and smart and completely impossible to resist?" His grip tightens. "I wanted you from the first session, Sloane. Before you ever tried to seduce me. Before you ever crossed a line. I wanted you, and I should've referred you to someone else the moment I realized it. But I didn't. Because I'm selfish. Because I wanted to keep seeing you. So...