Page 48 of Corrupt Me

I opened my mouth to scream, and only a squeak came out before Tristan’s hand slapped over my mouth, not hard butenough to stop my voice from projecting further than a muffled cry that wouldn’t reach beyond these walls.

Reacting, I bit him.

He jerked his hand away from my mouth. “Little minx,” he growled, eyes darkening.

“Asshole,” I shot back.

Tristan grinned—a nasty curl of his lips that didn’t make me feel good at all. He released me, straightening, but his legs remained wedged between mine. “Don’t think about moving. I’ll only haul your ass back and tie you to the bed.”

The itch to scurry away rose in me, but I stayed still. “Are you getting kinky with me?”

He arched a single brow, toying with the hoop on his bottom lip. “Only if you want me to, but I’m not opposed to holding you hostage if it’s the only way I can get you to stay.”

I huffed, glaring up at him.

Tristan held my eyes for a minute to make sure I would comply. I just glowered.

Satisfied, he strutted to the dresser, leaving me on the bed as he opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of sweats. Taking a breath, I gave myself a moment before sitting up on the edge of the bed, but the air was stolen from my lungs as Tristan’s towel hit the floor, and I groaned. I hadn’t meant to do so out loud. The sound was meant to be inside my head, but damn, if I couldn’t seem to control my body or mouth around Tristan.

He tossed a side glance over his shoulder, lifting his annoying brow while I continued to gawk at his backside. Who could blame me? It was an impressive sight, and at this point, I might as well enjoy it. I doubted I could get any more embarrassed than I was.

“Should I forget the pants?” he asked.

“What?” I blinked. “No. Damn it, Tristan, stop trying to shock me. If you want to walk around naked, have at it. Who am I to stop you?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Shortcake?”

I gulped.Who the fuck wouldn’t? Even Sam would agree with me, and she hated Tristan most of the time.“Get over yourself.”

He slipped on the sweatpants, and I reached for his discarded phone still lying in the center of the bed. His blue eyes narrowed, but I was past caring. Now that he wasn’t fully naked, my mind remembered the photos of Preston, and I wanted answers.

Now.

It took him two strides to reach the bed, the exact time it took me to punch in Tristan’s passcode. He yanked the phone out of my hand and glared hard at the screen. I knew what he was looking at. The same screen I’d been staring at when he burst into the room.

The scowl lines creasing his forehead became more prominent, more menacing. Tension thickened the air between us, and I couldn’t take it. “Who is she?” I demanded.

His jaw worked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

My chin jutted out, stubbornness radiating in my features. “I saw the photos, Tristan. Don’t play with me. Who the fuck is she? The girl Preston’s been cheating on me with? I want a name.”

“Why?” he fired back, shoving the phone into his sweatpants pocket. “What are you going to do? Her name won’t change the fact that they slept together.”

True. It wouldn’t. I might not be in love with Preston, but I still cared about him. The realization of what he’d done finally penetrated through the fire of anger blazing through me, reaching my heart. An ache of pain stung in my chest. “Fine. Ifyou won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself. You’re not the only one with detective skills at your disposal,” I threatened and started to inch toward the end of the bed.

“Ever,” he growled, raking a hand through his damp hair. “Damn it. Fine. You were bound to find out eventually.”

Unable to sit anymore, I stood. “If you knew your brother was cheating on me, why didn’t you ever tell me? The entire summer! Christ, Tristan. I had a right to know. Do you know how embarrassing it is? Who else knew? How long have you known?”

“One question at a time, Shortcake. I don’t know her name. Don’t care to know who she is.”

“You’re telling me you went to all the trouble to get these pictures of him, and you didn’t bother to find out who she is? Anything about her?”

“More like I didn’t care.” His eyes went to the bed, avoiding me.

I studied Tristan, and the answer came to me. The reason this girl was so insignificant was because… “She isn’t the first, is she?” I murmured, taking a step back. I bumped into the wall and sank against it.

Holy. Shit.

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