Page 109 of Her Devils

“You care about me.”

It isn’t a question. His voice is soft, and he takes my hand again, but this time he pulls me onto his lap.

I circle his neck with my arms, hyperaware of the fact that he’s wearing just a towel around his hips. “You care about me,” I repeat.

He nods, the intensity in his dark blue eyes holding me captive. “I care about you more than I’ve ever cared about anyone before, Snow. I know this just started as a deal, and I know when we met, your heart had been broken.”

I don’t know what he’s trying to say, but I don’t dare interrupt him. I don’t dare hope.

“I know you care about J and Chan, and I don’t blame you, they are the best guys in the entire world, but I care about you too. More than just a fuck buddy, more than my new stepsister.”

He’s so handsome as he stares at me, his eyes leaving mine to focus on my lips.

I want to kiss him, but there’s something that has been bothering me since the last time Peyton and I were together before nationals. “You care about me?” I ask.

He drags his thumb over my bottom lip, locking eyes with me again. “Of course I do. How can you doubt that? I think about you all the time.”

I want to believe him. “Then why did you say I should kiss Darrius? You told me to kiss him and even make out with him. If you really cared—”

“I told you to do that because I care,” he interrupts me. “I knew from the moment we met that your heart belonged to someone else. It was perfect because I wasn’t looking for a relationship.”

I snort. “Yeah. A fuck buddy to help you guys stay away from the groupies with the added bonus of pissing off Darrius.”

He nods, tracing my jaw with his fingers. “I think we’ve established that I’m a dumbass. I thought this would be perfect, no chance for anyone to get hurt. I didn’t predict how much I would like you. How much I would care. That’s why I told you to kiss Penn. You were in love with him when we met. Our deal worked, and now he wants you. If he’s who you want, I’m going to have to accept it and step aside, but if not...”

Oh.

“If not?”

He brushes my lips with his. “If not, then I hope to have a chance at your heart. I’m not perfect, and I have zero boyfriend experience. I might suck at it, but I’m going to try to learn if you’ll teach me.”

I can’t stifle the giggle that bubbles to the surface. “You want me to teach you?”

Peyton grins, and it reaches his eyes. “Yeah. It could be a new part of our deal. I keep teaching you all the sexy stuff, and you teach me this love thing. How not to fuck up.”

He didn’t say “I love you,” but that’s what he means. Right?

“And for us to do this, I had to kiss Darrius?”

“I’m not fighting for your heart if it belongs to someone else. If you want Penn, then I won’t stand in your way. If not, we need to figure out what happens with J and Chan. I know they care about you, and I care about them too. But first, I need to know that Penn is out of the picture for good.”

Shit.

It makes sense. Kind of.

“I don’t know how... Darrius isn’t who I thought he was, but—”

He nods. “Talk to him. Find out if he’s who you want.”

“I’m going to. I need to talk to him today anyway and punch him in the balls for getting you drunk last night.”

Peyton chuckles. “Fuck. I never thought I’d want you to go near Penn’s balls, but can I watch?”

“Idiot.” I snort. “But he won’t get away with what he did to you, and I’m tired of his games, so I’m going to confront him tonight after the invitational.”

Peyton cups my jaw with his big, slightly rough hand. “After you talk to him and you know your answer, come to my room at JeanLuc’s house tonight. There’s going to be a party downstairs, but I’d rather spend the night with you. If you come to my room, though, no more Penn. That part of our deal is over, and we’ll figure out our relationship. If you don’t come to my room, I’ll know that you made your choice and Penn is the one.”

I swallow slowly.

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