Page 49 of Pretty Monsters

I roll my eyes. "He wants to throttle me, more like."

"You should let him," Tessa teases. "Even if it's a one off, Jess can't stop talking about his giant dick. If you aren't going to, I might."

I grimace and choose to ignore her saying she might go for him. It isn't my place to cockblock him, even if I want to. "Even if he were interested, that right there is reason enough not to let him?"

Tessa scrunches up her face. "Because he has a horse cock? I mean, yeah, you'd be walking funny for a day or two, but worth it."

"Uhh, no," I say and can't fight the awkward laugh bubbling up. "Because he seems to treat his dick like a carnival attraction."

She nods, getting my point. "Okay, yeah. Everyone getting a ride is less appealing, but it could also mean the man's got skills."

"And probably an STD," I mutter.

We all laugh and silently agree to change the topic. I zone out while they gossip and talk about classes. They try and keep me in the loop, but my eyes start to close, and they let me rest listening to the sounds of their chatter. It's soothing in a way I've never felt before.

I'm shaken awake after a while, and a frowning Sin holds out my towel for me to wrap myself in. "You shouldn't sleep in the hot tub."

He doesn't offer his hand, so I climb out on my own. The air is cool on my wet skin, steam streaming away from my body, but he doesn't move closer to give me the towel. Sin pretends to be unaffected by me, but I don't miss the way his eyes lazily travel down my body.

The pained look on his face tells me he likes what he sees, and he isn't happy about it. He finally thrusts the towel at me, careful not to let our hands touch. "Cover up," he grits out.

I take the towel and wrap it around my body. Part of me wants to ignore him, but I'm cold. My nipples are painfully hard and thrusting against the fabric of my top. Each brush of the fabric causes a mix of pleasure and pain, creating an ache I won't find relief from here.

Sin remains grouchy and closed off the rest of the evening. His mood isn't my responsibility, so I engross myself in mindless chatter with the girls. Ford gives me sympathetic glances, picking up on the tension between Sin and I.

After I excuse myself to use the bathroom, I find Ford alone inside the house loading the dishwasher. It really is too bad I can't summon feelings for him. He smiles at me, and I have to admit, it has an impact. Not the blinding need I often feel for Sin, but I could grow to have feelings for him.

"You okay, pretty girl?"

My smile is weak, we both know it, but he doesn't call me on it. "My head is feeling a lot better, but I've got a little bit of a headache," I say pretending he was asking how I was feeling.

He doesn't let me off the hook this time. "Not what I was asking, but good to know. You know his issues don't have to be yours, don't you?"

He looks around to make sure we're alone. "I know you've been dealt a shitty hand. I can't imagine how scared you are to be found, but I want you to know you've got options."

Using his knuckles, he brushes against my cheek, and continues the caress until his fingers are in my hair. Slowly, he pushes my hair behind my ear. I shiver, it's been so long since a man has purposefully touched me, and I lean into it.

A soft smile graces his full lips, and I wonder what they would feel like on my skin. Yes, maybe I do have options.

"If you ever need an escape, I'm here. I'd move heaven and earth to keep you safe."

"Ford," I sigh. His voice sounds like a plea on my lips, but I'm not sure what I'm begging him for. To stop? To never stop?

He shakes his head. "I know you have feelings for him. I also know what it is like to want someone you can't have. At a certain point, you've got to choose yourself, pretty girl."

The spell between us is interrupted when Shane strolls through with a giggling Jen tossed over his shoulder. He slaps her ass, and she laughs harder. "Peace out, fuckers. Stay out of the attic, we're busy."

Amber runs through the house next, with Teddy chasing after her. Even their flirting is energetic.

The clock on the stove lets me know how late it has grown. Still, I'm not ready to sleep. Ford reads my hesitance to go to the room I'm going to share with Tessa and reaches past me to grab some items from the cabinet. His chest, more muscular than I'd realized, brushes my front.

He doesn't miss the sound of me sucking in a breath and smirks down at me. I lick my lips. There's no point in denying I find him attractive. We both know there's someone else taking space in my head.

"Don't get cocky," I rasp. "You know you're hot. I can be attracted to you and still not plan to act on it."

That cocky smirk grows larger, and I realize I've just thrown down a challenge. "Maybe not yet, but you do think I'm hot."

I laugh and push him away. "Show me what you got out of the cabinet, hot stuff."

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