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I don’t say any of this aloud — ever — because I know how insane It'll sound. I fell completely in love with her. What I feel for her now isn’t love. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s unhealthy as fuck. I also know she’s the only antidote, so I need her to agree to this.
We all have private offices, which is pretty cool and makes Wade “feel like a real adult.” I guess paying bills and showing up to work on time isn’t enough proof for him.
I’m pretty sure everyone here has a wager on it, since “there’s no way I won’t fall for him.” I wish they were right. Even Marissa is kind of rooting for it to happen.
He was the only one who was able to
pull me out of the dark and give me light.
“I don’t understand why you’re not one of them. Why can’t you date me?” he asks, pulling me from my paranoia. “I just can’t,” I say, looking over my shoulder. “You cold?” “Yep.”
“Put your lips on her and I’ll make you swallow your fucking teeth.” The voice is so unexpected, so low and raw, that every cell in my body goes on high alert.
Lachlan James Duke is here. Here. And he’s looking at me like he wants to murder me.
I swear, even pissed off, he’s hotter than he used to be. I can’t seem to form words. I can’t speak, can’t think. “Dude, seriously, what do you want?” Wade asks after a few seconds. Lachlan’s jaw tenses. “You have something that belongs to me and I need it back.” Something that belongs to me. OhmygodImgonnafuckingdie. “What the f—” Wade starts.
“You said you don’t kiss,” Wade says. He’s definitely still a little tipsy. “Holy shit. You’re the guy.” “Yeah.” Lach doesn’t take his gaze off me. “I’m the guy.”
“Don’t you dare,” he seethes under his breath. “Lach,” I breathe. “Don’t fucking look at him.”
“Are you going to be okay?” he asks, frowning. “She’ll be more than okay. Do you need another demonstration?” Lachlan charges forward but stops beside me when I throw an arm out. “Should I fuck her against the wall? Is that what it’ll take for you to understand?” “Lachlan!” I shoot him a glare, heat rising to my cheeks.
“Pack a bag,” I say again. She blinks. “I can’t just leave because you demand it.” “No?” I close the distance between us. “I think you owe it to me.” “I owe it to you to leave with you?” “You owe me for a lot of things.”
at myself for allowing him to do this to me. No one can break you unless you give them the power to do so, and I gave him all of mine. It's
“Looking for me?” She screams, scrambling back and hitting the headboard with a hand on her heart. “Jesus Christ, Lachlan! What the hell?”
The little blonde girl I saw in the pictures runs over when the boys are done and throws herself at Lyla, knocking her on her ass. Lyla laughs. I’m standing far but I hear it, and fuck, I miss that laugh.
“Another one for your collection,” Lyla says as she stands up, brushing her shorts. “I don’t mind having you on my phone.” He winks. If she notices, it doesn’t show.
“I fucking know, okay?” I remove the baseball cap from my head and quickly rake my fingers through my hair before putting it back on. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” he spits, overlapping my words. I pause, midstep. “Is that a serious question?” “Jesus, Lach,” he says, exasperated. “Did you tell her why you’re there?” “Of course.” “What did she say?” “She agreed to leave with me.” I lean my back against the trunk of the tree and close my eyes. “So, she’s cool with marrying you after all this time of not seeing you?”
“You mean the one the bride-to-be probably doesn’t even know about yet? Yes, I'll be there.” He hangs up the phone. Asshole.
“You have got to be kidding me,” a familiar voice says behind me. “Marissa.” I smile and turn around slowly. “It’s been a while.”
“I was so grateful for you, but now it’s clear that you’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to her.”
“God, Lachlan. You’re so fucking stupid sometimes.” Marissa laughs, shaking her head. “She’s not happy. She’s just gotten very good at pretending.”
“If you want me to be an asshole. . .” I bite back a laugh. “Wade, you wouldn’t even know how to be an asshole, and I like that about you.” He exhales. Lachlan shoots daggers at me. “So. . .?” “It’s complicated.” “Look, we’ll both be out of town the next few days. Just. . .when we get back here, go on a date with me. A real one. . .” “Not gonna happen,” Lach says, his voice menacing.
“You know what, asshole?” Wade says. “If it weren’t for you, she’d be dating me.” Lach’s lips twitch. “But she’s not.” “I can wait,” Wade says with a shrug. “She’ll get tired of the way you treat her, sooner or later.” “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“If you want to believe that, that’s on you, but I’m telling you right now, she’s never going to fucking date you.” “Just because I’m a nice guy. . .” “It has nothing to do with you being a nice guy,”
“She won’t date you because you’re not me. It’s that fucking simple.”
“Mark my words, ‘Lachlan Duke,’” Wade says, as if Lach isn’t real and sitting right here. I glance over again. “Sooner or later, you’ll lose her again, and I’ll be here, waiting to pick up the pieces.”
I’ve been fine here. I’ve missed him so fucking much, but I’ve been fine.
“Thank you,” I say, my eyes on the pitch. “You’re welcome.” God, his voice. His freaking voice still slays me.
I want him to kiss me again, but I don’t. I want him to fuck me, but I don’t. I want to show him this part of my life, but I can’t.
He wraps his hand over mine as he grabs the bottle. Fireworks go off in my head, the remnants zipping through the rest of my body. Somehow, I manage to hold back the gasp in my throat and not react outwardly. “There’s only ever been one choice,” he says, his voice a low rumble that vibrates against my hand. Oh. My. God. Why does he do this? I glare up at him and find that cocky-ass smirk on his face.
“You’d lose that bet.” I shoot him a quick glance. “I don’t usually train co-ed.” “Good,” he says. “That last fucker who got here is already on my nerves.” “Why?” I raise an eyebrow. “Does he remind you of someone?” He scowls. “Does he remind you of someone?” “A little, yeah.”
“Yeah? You still get off on bitchy attitudes?” I keep my eyes on the group. He lets out a surprised laugh. “No comment.” No comment. Asshole. I look up at him. It’s so sunny that I have to bring the clipboard up to shield my face. “Did you come out here to tell me you’re leaving?” “No.” “Did you come over here because you want me to add you to the line?”
“No offense, Asher, but one.” I put up my finger. “That doesn’t work on me. And two,” I put up another finger. “I have too much baggage that I would never dump on you.” “And three, she’s taken,”
“You can’t just scare off every man who comes near me.” “No?” He raises an eyebrow. “Watch me.” “You’re being ridiculous,” I say. “I said no to him way before you came over.” “You said no and he heard maybe.” His green eyes are hard on mine. “I can’t deal with you, right now.” I turn around and ignore him.
My mind is screaming that, but he starts touching me, his fingers leisurely going up and down my folds, and I lose all sense. His lips leave mine, and he puts his face in the crook of my neck, nibbling me there. I moan deeply. He presses his thumb against my clit and slips two of his big fingers inside me. I throw my head back with another loud moan. I wouldn’t be surprised if the force gives me a concussion. He moves his fingers so deftly that I whimper and dig my nails into his back.
“F-f-f-f-uck. Oh my goooooood,” I gasp, moving my hips to ride his hand. “Please, Lach, make me come.”
“Look at me,” he growls, biting my lower lip and sucking it into his mouth. When he pulls away, he starts fucking me with his fingers and my brain explodes. I can’t take my eyes off him even if I wanted to. “You’re mine, Lyla James.” He adds a third finger, and I scream when he does something with it that sets me off. “Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.” My entire body shakes.
“Fucking mine,” he growls again, as he takes his fingers out of me and sets me on the ground. I immediately bend over, panting with my shaky hands on shaky knees like I just ran a marathon. What the hell was that? It takes me a moment to compose myself, but when I do, he’s serious again, his eyes still burning as his jaw twitches. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Am I supposed to touch him? Kiss him? I’ve never been uneasy around him. I hate feeling this way. “Why did you do that?” I ask quietly, to gauge his response. “To remind you.”
She turns and walks out. An ache settles in my chest, the minute she’s gone. I look at the pictures again. I have to go through with my plan. I will go through with it, but fuck, this is more difficult than I thought.
I check Lyla out for the fifth time. She’s wearing a short black romper. A really short black romper. Jesus. She can wear whatever she wants, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep myself in check. As it is, I haven’t been able to stop replaying how she looked when she came on my fingers. How she felt. “What’s the plan?” I ask as I comb my fingers through my damp hair.
I almost pick her up and kiss her right there.
I put on my sneakers and follow her out, staring at her ass the entire walk to the elevator, and picturing all the things I want to do to her. “How’d you find this place?” I ask as we walk down the block.
“Well technically, Marissa fell in love with it,” she says. “I just went along with it.” “So Marissa chose where she wanted to live, and you just agreed?” I ask.
lead her there, instinctively moving my hand back and reaching for hers as we walk. Hers is the only hand I’ve ever
I regretted not being able to hold her hand in public. I expect her to ignore me, but she surprises me by not only putting her hand in mine, but lacing our fingers together.
The fucker shrugs and smiles like he remembers everyone's order. Yeah, right. Jesus Christ. Does everyone in this city want to fuck her? I can’t blame them, but damn. Give me a fucking break here. “Oh, I see you brought a friend,” he says, smiling wide as he sets two napkins in front of us. “What can I get for you?”
“Is every man in this city in love with you?” “No.” She rolls her eyes. “It just so happens that the ones you’ve met like me.” Like her. Sure. Would like to get in her pants, maybe. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she says, nodding toward the bartender. “But Pat’s gay and definitely not interested in me that way.” Huh. I know that it shouldn’t matter, but I take him off my shit list anyway. He’s officially the only person on the nice list for now. “Besides,” she says when I say nothing. “Look who’s talking, Mr. I just smile at a girl and her panties drop.” “Jealous?”
“Do you even know the definition of boundaries?” She laughs. A real laugh. The one I’ve missed. I feel my lips hitch. For a moment, her eyes soften, and I feel like I’m staring at the puck and my heart is about to leap out of my throat. I forget what we’re talking about. The bartender comes back with two yellowish drinks in martini glasses. I’m already wary. We pick up the glasses at the same time and bring them to our lips.
“I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing it for you. If I wanted to, I’d tell you who attacked you and let whatever happens to you happen,” she says, moving closer so she’s only inches away from my face. “But for some stupid fucking reason, I can’t do that, because despite what a piece of shit you’ve been to me, I can’t bear anything happening to you and I feel like going with you might somehow save you from harm. So, fuck you, Lachlan Duke.”
