Page 137 of Wicked Dreams

Lenora taps on my door, and he ducks back into the closet. She doesn’t open it, though. Just asks, “Coming?”

“Be there in a minute!” My voice is an octave too high.

Caleb cracks the door, silently laughing at me. “I’ll just show myself out… via the window.” He winks.

He opens it and climbs out. And then he’s gone; the only trace of him is the scent of sex in the air.

Oh my God. I’ll just have to pray that Lenora didn’t notice.

I leave the window open to air it out and put on a sweatshirt, then go downstairs. I could use a distraction—and a movie sounds like the perfect one.

Chapter 31

Caleb

Ipull up outside the only motel in Hillshire County. The neon No Vacancy sign flickers sporadically. There are lights on in half the rooms at this time of night. Any one of them could holdher. It took only a few calls to figure out where she’d booked a room. She had limited options, given her history. It was either here or the upscale place in Beacon.

I’m pretty sure that’s beyond her means.

Margo almost erased the pressing need to come here… but then her foster parents got home early.

And the compulsion returned.

I force myself to relax, blowing air out through my mouth and sucking it in through my nose. I have time, but patience is another issue.

None of this would be a problem if Coach hadn’t followed through on his threat to suspend me from six games.Six. I sat out for one, and there’s a game tonight that I’m skipping forthis.

My phone buzzes. A second later, my passenger door opens, and Amelie slides into the car. For fuck’s sake. I glance over long enough to take in her dress: red, leather, tight. Her breasts are pushed up to her throat. Her lips are coated in bright-red gloss.

I have a flash of Margo wearing the same color as a kid, chasing me through the house and threatening to kiss me.

“What are you doing here?” I can’t hide my utter loathing.

Eli

You need backup? I’ll skip if you need me.

The thought of him missing a game because of me—and subsequently taking Coach’s wrath—raises my hackles. I appreciate his offer, but I can’t let him do that.

No. I’m handling it.

“I thought you could use some help,” Amelie says. “Especially since your expression means you probably don’t know which room she’s in.”

Amelie and I were a brief moment in time, and yet she still seems to reap the rewards of our past. Like knowing I probably wouldn’t hurt her for getting in my way.

I could change that.

It’s about damn time Amelie felt something toward me besides lust. Fear would look much better on her face than this hungry, desperate wanting. My skin crawls at the way she’s staring at me.

I grit my teeth. “And you do?”

She smiles at me. “I wouldn’t beusefulif I didn’t.”

“And what do you want in exchange?” I only ask because… well, I don’t want to make any more phone calls, and bribing the motel front desk would leave a trace.

I’m not going to like this. Amelie is slipperier than a snake in oil.

She puts her elbow on the center console, moving into my space. “Just give me a… secret.”

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