Page 117 of Possess Me! (I Want You To)

This was almost…caring.

What the hell.

I was touched.

Prudence’s fingers were icy cold but soft as they brushed the bare, battered skin peeking beneath the hem of my pants. He gingerly pulled both my shoes off, movements uncharacteristically gentle. Standing there, I was a little dazed by his kindness as I stared down at the cowlick on the top of his head and my heart skipped a beat. When he rose to his feet, all kindness was forgotten as his eyes narrowed challengingly and his nostrils flared. Because apparently—for him—there was a strict niceness limit, he ruined his gentility by promising, “I’ll make you pay for that later.” I shuddered, a tingle racing through my body like his words had pretty much electrocuted me.

Shit.

And now I was hungry—with a boner.

“Promises, promises.” I rolled my eyes.

“That’s two.”

“I don’t know what we’re counting, but cool.” I stumbled into the kitchen, my socked feet skidding, the cold tile bleeding through the holes in them. My mother’s pantry practically sang “Hallelujah” as I pulled it open with a delighted hum, and began hunting.

“That’s three.”

I tossed a grin over my shoulder at Prudence, only to discover he was right fucking next to me. My heart skipped a beat, and a nervous laugh escaped as he watched every movement I made, a predatory gleam in his eye.

We’d moved into the house after Mom had gotten married, and while it was familiar, it still always floored me how different things were now.

When I’d been a kid we’d never had anything like this. Our cupboards had been mostly bare, and when they had been full, it’d been with expired cans Mom got with a discount at the grocery store she worked part-time at. I’d grown up shoveling cold SpaghettiOs in my mouth, and coveting boxes of off-brand mac and cheese.

This pantry was a testament to how different her life was now. Floor to ceiling options. Name brand.

I dug through the shelves again, wiggling happily when I discovered a bag of my favorite bagels hidden on the top shelf.

Fuck you, Adam. He thought because he was the tallest now, no one would find his hiding spots.

Ha!

Some things never changed.

I shoved a bagel in my mouth because I’d run out of hands—chips, peanut butter, and a gallon of chocolate milk mix tucked into my arms as I turned around only to—to—

Come face to face with my mother.

The bagel dropped, and Prudence’s hand zapped out liquid quick to rescue it before it hit the floor.

“Mom! Hey!”

She stared at me.

Her gray eyes were wide, her jaw slack as she flicked her gaze between us. We probably looked…hilarious, thieving her pantry like a couple of bagel burglars. And I…well, I surreptitiously sniffed myself and cringed when I realized how sweaty and dirty I smelled—and looked.

Hopefully the soil would conceal the worst of my bruises.

She shook her head to clear it, her short, shoulder-length blonde hair sticking up haphazardly as Paul stepped through the open door behind her, and immediately froze when he saw us. Their expressions were mirrored, and ridiculous, as he shut the door behind them and waited patiently to see what my mom would do.

“Luca!” Mom said, sounding equal parts delighted and confused. “Aaand?” She waited, cocking her head toward Prudence where he stood beside me. I couldn’t see his face. He had frozen stiff as a board, and I blinked down at the top of his head with a grimace.

“Prudence—” I hurried to introduce him. Mom blinked expectantly at me, clearly waiting for more information. “My fri—”

“Boyfriend,” Prudence interrupted, in his usual quiet growl. Surprisingly, his tone was more polite than he ever spoke to me, the shithead.

And then his words hit.

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