Page 53 of Broken Pact

My phone vibrates in my back pocket, literally saving me right now. It’s a persistent buzzing, which means it’s a phone call. Even if it’s a telemarketer, I’m going to bake them a cake or something because I’ve never been so tongue-tied in front of this man in my whole goddamn life.

The only people who ever call me are my mom and Evangeline. And lately, Eve doesn’t call. She sends random three a.m. texts when she’s awake feeding her baby.

“Let me help you, baby,” Jagger whispers against my lips. His fingers dip into my back pocket and pluck the phone out just as it starts vibrating again.

I expect him to hand me the phone or show me who’s calling, but he takes one look at the screen and then pockets my phone. He crowds me against the wall again, reclaiming any of the space he put between us when he stole my phone.

I arch a brow and ignore the way my heart thumps against my ribcage. “Is there a reason you did that?”

He leans his forearms against the wall on either side of my head, dipping his face low. “Is there something going on between you and Hawke?” His words are curious, pleasant enough, but the tone is what takes me out.

He sounds jealous.

But wait, that can’t be right. Time to test that theory.

I lift a shoulder and aim for casual and coy. “Why? Would you be jealous if you knew Hawke was crawling into my bed every night?” I keep my tone light, teasing.

He growls this low noise of frustration. “Are you not mine, baby?”

I glance to either side of us and lean in, keeping my voice low. “We’re pretending, Jasper.”

He steps into me further, sliding his palm from the wall to the front of my throat. His fingertips rest over my pulse point, but his hand is all but forgotten when I feel his cock press against me. Jesus Christ, how am I still surprised by the size of him? He was just grinding me against his door.

“Does this feel fake to you, baby?” he murmurs against my lips.

He slides his thumb underneath my jaw and tilts my face toward his. I don’t know what I’m thinking except that he’s everywhere. His mouth-watering scent surrounds me, his warm breath ghosting over my lips.

I shake my head, slow enough to drag my lips against his. His quick inhale is lush. I feel like I could get drunk off these kinds of feelings. They’re the most dangerous things I’ve ever faced.

“Fuck it,” I murmur, leaning in and sealing my lips to his.

Later, when I’m replaying this moment while I’m in the shower, I’m going to tell myself that I had to. That I was simply playing the role of the smitten girlfriend.

Might as well sell the lie.

26

JASPER

The loud crack of a metal door hitting the wall breaks us apart. I’m flattening Cora to the wall in a split second, my instincts overriding everything else.

“Jasper?” her voice is muffled against my chest, her hands gripping my shirt.

“Shh, baby. I heard something.”

I look from the left to the right, squinting to see in the dim lighting. Both doors are closed, but there are endless shadows along the far wall of the poolroom. Deep wells of darkness engulf the corners, and I don’t like the possibilities of someone lying in wait for us.

She taps my side with her index finger a few times. I ease off of her, enough for her to talk, but not so much that she’s unprotected.

“It’s probably the tour guide. We should go before they lock us in here or something.” She shudders, like the thought of spending the night in here is terrifying.

“You know it’s not real, right? They’re just stories, baby.” I glance around again, looking for any movement. It’s probably nothing, but my gut has never led me astray before, so I’m not about to ignore it now.

“Everything is a story until it’s not.”

My brows wrinkle in confusion but I don’t ask her to clarify. “Alright, time to go, baby.”

I take a small step back and link her fingers in mine before she has time to protest. I’ll cite PDA—one of her silly rules if I have to. I’m not above a little stretching of the rules, at least for now. Eventually, I’ll break all of her rules.

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