Page 73 of Her Dark Angel

Kinsley regards me for a moment, mulling over my offer. She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and all I can think about is the way my tongue ran over the smooth skin, or how fucking breathtaking my name sounded tumbling from those lips as she screamed it over her orgasm.

I have to shift on the spot to avoid getting a raging hard-on in front of her.

I’m meant to be behaving.

“Okay, fine. But only if you keep your hands to yourself,” she finally responds after making me wait. “Do I need to bring anything?”

I tug my lip ring between my teeth for a heartbeat before releasing it. “Just yourself, little devil.”

26

KINSLEY

“Why are you dressed like that?”

I glance down at the outfit I threw on after digging through my closet for an hour. If I went with my usual sweater and jeans combo, I wouldn’t fit in at a rockstars’ party. Instead, I opted to pair blue denim shorts with a white tank top and a cropped blue denim jacket. And to spice it up, I slid on white leg warmers to match my white sneakers.

My eyes lift to lock with my mom’s. She’s standing across from me in the living room, her eyes scanning every inch of me, judging as she goes. I used to cower under her intense gaze, but I’ve since learned to ignore her judgmental attitude.

“I think it’s cute,” I counter in defense of my outfit. To add to my statement, I fluff my freshly curled hair to give it some extra volume. “It’s a party, Mom, not a fashion show.”

She scoffs and rolls her eyes before glancing down at her perfectly manicured nails. It’s a reminder that once I’m done filming this movie, I’m going to redo my nails black until my next project. “All I’m saying is you could’ve put a little more effort in, especially if you want to impress Nash.”

My stomach flips at the mention of Nash. Memories of what happened in his shower come rushing back to me and I have to fight my cheeks from turning red. The last thing I need is for my mother to question me about such a strong reaction to hearing his name.

I clear my throat and busy myself with collecting my lip gloss from the coffee table. “I don’t need to impress Nash, Mom. We’re only fake dating, remember?”

“Yes, I know, but it could blossom into something more, no? Why don’t you give it a try? You’re a pretty girl, Kin.”

I turn to face her, biting my tongue to keep the frustration burning in my chest from exploding. This is a classic case of my mother trying to meddle with my life and dictate what I should do. First, it’s what job I should take next, and now it’s who I should date. It’s a vicious cycle that I can’t seem to get out of.

“I don’t need you dictating my love life, especially when you were never there to protect me,” I mutter under my breath, annoyance dripping from my words. If I were to speak the words louder, my mother would not hesitate to give me an earful about speaking to her so poorly, but I needed to get it off my chest one way or another. “It could never work out anyway. I mean, he’s him and I’m… me. We’re just too different.”

I can see the darkness lurking beneath your eyes. I know because I have the same darkness in me.

Nash’s words from our first meeting nearly six weeks ago ring in my head, reminding me that maybe we’re not so different than I thought. But even if we both have our demons we face each day, it still doesn’t change the fact that our lifestyles are too busy to accommodate the other. The only reason it’s working now is for the contract, but if we met under different circumstances, this whole scenario would’ve played out differently.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

Before my mother can say another word, I glance at the clock on the wall and curse. “Shit, I’m running late. I have to go.”

“Wait,” Mom calls after me as I rush out of the living room to head to the front door. “How is filming going? Did you give some more thought to my suggestion of taking on the role in that horror film? I told you about it the other day. I’ve heard through the grapevine that the pay will be good and the production team is one of the best. It could be a good idea to branch out more and try different genres, Kin.”

Snatching my car keys from the table beside the door, I shake my head. “I’m not going to do it, Mom. I’ve already told you that. I want to wrap up filming for this project before I even think about my next one.”

“But Kin?—”

“Sorry, Mom, but I really have to go,” I interrupt as I swing the front door open. Spinning on my heels, I throw a quick wave at my mother. “I’ll see you later.”

As the front door closes in her face, I just know steam would be coming out of her ears. She doesn’t take well to me dismissing her in the middle of a conversation, especially when it concerns my life. As the control freak she is, she hates when I take back some power for myself.

The drive to Nash’s house is uneventful, but my heart hasn’t stopped racing since the moment I merged onto the freeway. My throat is dry and my hands are clammy.

What do rockstar parties even look like? I’ve never been to one, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I can only imagine it consists of a lot of booze, drugs, loud music, and rowdy behavior.

As my car turns onto Nash’s street, my assumptions are confirmed when I hear loud music blasting from inside the house. Dozens of people litter the front yard with beer bottles in one hand and cigarettes in the other. It takes me far too long to find a spot to park my car because the quiet street is overflowing with vehicles.

Switching the engine off, I take a moment to close my eyes, inhale a deep breath, and remind myself I’m only here to keep up appearances, nothing more. I need to stop thinking about wanting to kiss Nash again or how well our bodies fit together. Or how much I enjoy his woodsy scent and the way his fingertips send electric shocks across my body. I need to?—

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