Page 13 of Savage Mafia King

"I don't!" I exclaim. "Well, at least, I think I don't. He just... he just kissed me, that's all. I don't think it's a big deal..."

"Did you like it?"

I bite my lip. I can still remember the look in his eyes the moment before he planted his mouth to mine, the way he stared at me like he wanted to take a bite out of me for talking back to him like that. No doubt he's used to the women around him bowing to his will and doing just about anything he asks, but that's not me, and it's never been me.

But if that's his way of putting me back in my place... then we're going to have sometrouble.Because I liked it way more than I know I should have.

"You did, didn't you?" she gasps, leaning toward me with her eyes wide. "Look at you, you're blushing!"

"No, I'm not!" I protest, but when I lift my hand to my cheeks, I find that they're warm.

Crap.

I don't want to admit it, but the kiss was seriously sexy. I've never been kissed like that before in my life, and the intensity of it has already burned itself into my brain.

And has me craving more.

"Are you going to hook up with him? Go real method acting with all of this?"

"Of course not!"

"Why not?" she replies with a shrug. "I mean, if the chemistry's there and you're pretending to do all of this anyway..." She trails off, letting that hang in the air between us.

"I'm not going to hook up with him."

The words are blunt, but if she thinks I'm stupid enough to let something like that happen, she's got another thing coming. I might not have the clearest idea of how I'm going to move forward with all of this, but I'm damn sure that I'm not going to allow something likethatto go down.

She holds her hands up. "I'm just saying. Maybe it would do you good to have some guy to blow off steam with. I haven't heard you talk about a guy since... well, in forever, actually." She eyes me for a long moment, then poses the question. "You havebeenwith a guy before, haven't you?"

"Yes, of course I have!" I exclaim, almost a little offended that she would think I hadn't been intimate with someone before.

"Hey, hey, you can't blame me for asking," she laughs. "I think you're about the only one of the Terminas who hasn't shown off some footballing boyfriend at one time or another."

"I'm just a little more careful about who I choose."

"So you've decided to go with someone like Marcus?" she remarks, slightly incredulous. "Someone with a reputation forrunning illegal boxing nights and gambling clubs? That sounds like a better choice?"

"It's not like that," I protest. "I keep telling you, it's all an act. As soon as I'm sure I've convinced people to steer clear of my brother and our family in general, then I'm going to be done with him. Just like that. No questions asked."

"Hmm."

She lets that hang in the air between us. I almost want to argue with her, but it's clear she's got it into her head that I'm going to have some torrid romance with Marcus.

"What?"

"Just... I don't think I've ever heard you this passionate about a guy before. That's all."

"It's not passion. It's... it's something else."

"Something like?"

"I don't know yet. But you'll be the first to know when I find out."

She nudges me playfully. "I just think you deserve to have some fun, Isabella. It's senior year. You're supposed to enjoy yourself, right?"

I sigh. I think she's right, but I've never been that good at switching off and just letting things happen. Every detail of my life has unfolded in the way it has because that's how I wanted it to happen, and I'm not going to ease up on that any time soon. No, as I close in on my final semester, I want to stay more in control than ever. I want to make it so everything runs exactly asit's supposed to—my family life, my college work, the sorority, all of it.

And that doesnotinclude falling for Marcus. No fucking way.

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