Page 79 of Vengeful Lies

I likeher.

Darting my tongue out, I slide it up her earlobe and take it into my mouth.

“Eli,” she hisses in warning. “We have guests.”

“Hmmm…” I hum, not stopping. She squeezes my leg, purposefully gripping the still-healing spot where she carved her initials. I still don’t stop, though. It’s impossible to stop when I want something so badly, audience be damned. I’ve always gotten what I wanted in this life, even if it takes a little longerthan I initially hoped for. I haven’t wanted to crawl between someone else’s legs as much as I want to crawl between hers.

“I came to congratulate you, and you put on a performance like this? Rather poor behavior, wouldn’t you say?” Michelle says, and Jewel now purposefully pushes me away, but I keep a hand on her hip.

“It’s lovely to see you, Michelle,” I reply, leaning in and air-kissing her cheek because the thought of touching any woman other than Jewel now repulses me. She places a kiss on my cheek, and she whispers something I don’t quite hear. I pull back and see Jewel glaring daggers at her.

“What’s wrong?” Michelle asks sweetly, but it’s filled with a venomous undertone.

“Tell her to leave,” Jewel demands, turning to me.

Michelle’s smile remains. “I’m a guest. I’m not leaving. I don’t know if you’re familiar with who my father is and the relationship our families have, but?—”

“Leave,” I say to Michelle as I scan the room. “If my fiancée doesn’t want you here, then you won’t be here.”

Michelle’s jaw drops open. “You can’t just ask me to leave.”

“I didn’t ask.” I raise a brow at her. “Our families’ relationship has nothing to do with me. My priority is my fiancée.” I say nothing more as I slip my hand into Jewel’s, and we walk away.

Michelle looks as if she’s going to explode when one of her friends ushers her away. I didn’t know she was coming, but I didn’t really think much about the guest list. If Jewel wants to kill her, so be it. I don’t care.

I’m not going to do anything to make my future wife upset with me.

Even if this is a hoax, and I have to remind myself it isn’t real.

It’s somehow starting to feel real, though.

When we’re a distance away from Michelle, who is loudly being removed from the party, Jewel leans in with a sickly sweet smile that is as fake as can be. “Kiss me like that again tonight, and I will tear your cock from your body.”

“Shouldn’t I be rewarded for doing as you said and kicking Michelle out? And besides, I may like your hands on my cock. How about a truce tonight, Kitten?”

“Not even if your life depends on it.” She keeps the smile intact as the twins approach us.

“Boss,” Hawke says this to Jewel and not me. Her smile turns more genuine at that, and I want to pummel his ass for making her think he’s funny in any way.

“Shouldn’t you be irritating Billie somewhere?” I grit between my teeth.

“Nah, man, not in front of Dutton; he’ll kill me,” Hawke says airily.

“What makes you thinkyoucan’t killhim?” Jewel asks innocently.

“That man’s a crazy motherfucker,” Hawke replies with a smile, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“You say that like you’re not,” Ford deadpans, then turns to Jewel. “We heard you met our parents at one of the auctions. How did you like the establishment?”

“Your mom’s kind of crazy, and I’m into it,” she confesses, and Hawke offers her a cheesy grin that I want to rip off his smug little face.

“Jewel. Eli,” Dutton says, drawing my attention away from her. She inches away from me, most likely being considerate so I can talk to my cousin, who clearly doesn’t like her. It takes everything in me not to pull her back. Dutton notices, and I hope he’s the only one who does.

Billie and Hope join Jewel and the twins, who all head over to the food table. Dutton seems to be studying me, but I don’t give afuck. I want to make sure she’s comfortable. Watching her freak out as she tried on the wedding dresses tugged at a part of me I never want to feel again. I don’t want her to spiral because of me, not in that way.

My mother joins the group and pulls Jewel in for a hug. Jewel is awkward, but I really expected no less from her. My mother can read people very easily, so when I’m around Jewel, I’m careful to show that I want her. Which, let’s make no mistake, I do. So that part isn’t hard, and it works well that my mother understands that Jewel is not an affectionate person.

So, our game of push and pull is working.

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