Hothouse Flower (Calloway Sisters #2)

by Krista Ritchie

“Eat your fucking cereal,” he says roughly. I do. Four spoonfuls later, Ryke looks pleased. I like when he’s satisfied. I like when I do right by all people, but it’s just hard when my mom stands at one end and my sisters, Ryke, Connor and Lo stand at the other. They outnumber her, but my mom raised me. Isn’t that a trump card? He watches me eat, making sure that I’m not fibbing. “This cereal sucks,” I tell him on the tenth bite. “It’s healthy, but if you want chocolate, there’s ice cream in the freezer.” I practically moan. “Don’t tempt me.” He almost smiles. “After Fashion Week, you promise you’ll talk to her?” I nod. “Yeah, yeah.” “Don’t yeah me twice,” he retorts. “Why, because it’s redundant?” He leans close, his arms on either side of the counter, on either side of me. “Because it sounds fake, sweetheart.” “So if I moan twice—” He covers my mouth with his large hand, enveloping my cheeks and jaw. “Don’t go there, not tonight.” I do ride that line a little too much. We tempt and tease each other with knowledge that nothing more can happen. It’s our dynamic.

THE ANGST