Page 29 of Fragile

His large biceps flexed, drawing my eyes to that area and without thinking, I raised a hand and ran my fingertips over one of his tattoos. It was wording of some kind and I was suddenly intrigued.

“What does it mean?”

Max glanced down. “Audere est faucere?”

I smiled up at him, he was easy on the eye and my nervousness suddenly left me which was a surprise, considering the size of the beast.

“Yes.”

“It means, to dare is to do.”

Lowering my arm, I digested the saying, realising it was Latin.

“I see. So, you’re one of those guys who thrive on impulse?”

“Fuck yeah, this is the city baby. Competition is fierce, if you don’t have guts, this place will chew you up quickly,” Max said, his expression now hooded.

I thought about my struggles to get noticed as a dancer. “Tell me about it. What do the others mean?” I asked innocently.

Max’s expression turned hungry, his eyes roaming over me. Sexual aggression poured from him as he lowered his arms.

“How about I tell you in the morning?”

The come on was blatant, slap you in the face and I felt a fizz of heat. He was attractive at the end of the day and I wasn’t dead. Just sexually inexperienced. I could count the number of kisses I’d had on one hand. Not due to boys not trying it on of course. I’d been batting the attention of boys off since I turned thirteen.

“Does that line usually work?” I said, feeling amused.

“Fuck yeah,” he said again. His signature response it appeared.

We stared at each other for a moment longer before that hungry mask he was wearing lowered.

He shrugged. “We could just chill out in your room and talk? It would be worth it anyway, just to fuck with him,” Max said under his breath.

Again, I knew he was talking about Gabriel. “Why would that mess with him? We’ve only been living together for a couple of weeks. Why would he care who I talk to?”

Max’s voice then deepened and he spoke against the cuff of my ear as Asher came to stand by us again with a distant expression.

“Oh, he cares alright, he just doesn’t know it yet.”

Suddenly Ash reappeared by our sides, the corners of his mouth and his tongue were blue.

“What the fuck have you been drinking?” Max snorted with a grimace.

Unfazed, Ash shot him a huge smile. “Blue Curacao, it’s fucking delicious.”

“You look like you’ve gone down on a Smurf.” The big guy’s response forced both Ash and I to exchange a look. Surely Max didn’t know Asher’s secret. We then burst out laughing, but Max just shook his head in distaste.

“I’ll be seeing you around little Leonie. Asher, go wash you’re fucking mouth before your brother sees you.” He then straightened, rolled his shoulders, and walked away. The space his absence created allowed me a direct line of sight to the sofas where Gabriel had been. He wasn’t there.

“So, what did I miss?” Asher questioned.

“Nothing much but Max is right. You need to look in the mirror,” I giggled.

Rolling his eyes, Ash tramped off towards the bathroom and I leaned back against the counter and searched for Gabriel.

He was moving across the room, the crowd of partygoers easily parting for him. He had his arms around the brunette and he was walking her in the direction of the bedrooms.

As he got to where the corridor narrowed and disappeared, he spun her around so her back was flush with his chest and pulled her back against him. His arms snuggly under her breasts. I saw her laugh, excited by the rough movement as he lifted her off her feet and they swept into the corridor. Gabriel was taking her to his room to have sex. And it bothered me.

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