Page 118 of Pretty Little Lies

THIRTY-FIVE

bay

Like a batteredwife being summoned to her husband, I’m sitting in a room with six well-dressed men and Emilio headed at the front of the elongated table. They’re eating lunch and chuckling haughtily about the Hamptons, golf tournaments, and subtle hints of deliveries while my sperm donor wanted me to “drop by” and say hello.

I dropped by, I said hello through my teeth, and now Emilio is pawning me off like a prized dog that he needs puppies from.

And the studs are a few of these assholes’ sons.

“My son attended Harvard,” a heavy-set man presents as he shoves more pasta salad in his mouth. “He loves brunettes.”

“Get me out of here,” I mumble to Emilio, because I’ve already made it clear to him once that I don’t mind starting a scene.

In fact, I’d love to.

“Bay is going to Oceanview to become an Occupational Therapist,” Emilio replies for me. “And she’s actually going to be late now if she doesn’t hurry along.”

“Yeah.” I give the man who offered up his son like a piece of T-bone steak my best smile. “It was really nice to meet you.”

“Emilio, bring her to the charity event next week. You’ve been wanting to dabble your way more into politics, Bay would be a wonderful asset to?—”

“I don’t want to get in the way of her studies,” myfatherretorts, placing a hand on my lower back. “But maybe.”

Another man with a cigar in his mouth raises his hand like he’s in class to gain Emilio’s attention. “What about that boy…the one who’s always?—”

The herd of nails on hardwood floors and panting sprint closer to the room before the doors bust all the way open, revealing Torin’s two Rottweilers driving straight toward me like a stampede.

“Whoa,” I order, holding out my hands to stop them from barreling into me. “Hey, guys.” They stop right at my feet and sit, lowering my anxiety as I pet both of their heads as their short tails wag. Both huge animals look at me expectedly like I’m an answer they were looking for. Then Emilio’s hand gives me an impatient shove to take them out of here. “Alright, gentlemen, I need to get these crazy beasts out of here and head uptown. Have a good rest of your lunch.”

The men give me their goodbyes, and I don’t bother with Emilio. I’ll see him when I’m requested for again.

The dogs follow me out into the large foyer and onto the white marble floor, watching me as they do, like I’m about to pull a treat out of my pocket.

“Whatcha guys doing?” I ask, as if they can respond. “Where’s your daddy?” A firm body presses into my back when an arm follows, the smell of fresh air and pine filling my nostrils and I’m mindlessly sinking into that body like it’s something I’ve done a million times before.

“Right here, baby.”

A smile plagues my face that I didn’t mean to appear, and the two dogs continue to gape at me like I’m about to become their new mommy.

Sorry, no.

“Your dogs hunt people down?” Torin only hums in response, pulling me closer to his body as his fingers splay across my stomach. I can feel the faint grazing of his face along my hair, and it’s hard not to hold my breath for his next move. “What are their names again?”

“Koda and Kona.”

“You couldn’t pick anything that didn’t sound almost the same?”

“No.” He presses a soft kiss to my temple and inhales my hair, conjuring a shiver to form and goosebumps to splay all over my body. “I like people being confused.”

He runs his fingers down to my pelvis and lower until I mindlessly snatch his forearm. “Behave, Wildes.”

“You said that like I’m capable of it.”

“Youneedto when your daddy is in the other room.”

Torin turns me around to face him, slapping me with those golden eyes. The tawny-colored stumble along his chiseled jawline only makes me want to run the pads of my fingers along it just to see how rough it feels.

And I always seem to want to touch Torin Wildes.

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