Page 95 of Cruel Legacy

Thea

“Hello, Pet.”

I’m sitting at a picnic bench on the outer ring of The Circle, enjoying time alone. Or I was, until he walked up.

I look up from my book, leveling a glare at him. How many damn times do I need to tell him not to call me that? My chastity vow ceremony was three nights ago. I haven’t seen much of my neighbors since then. Finn and Holden even skipped class.

I guess they were off licking their wounds since they didn’t break me. Their pity party must be over.

“Number three.” I look around for the other Coxsuckers. “Does your daddy know you snuck out of the house?”

“My father? What’s he got to do with anything?” He scrunches his nose, then groans. “You’re talking about Pax, aren’t you?”

“Sure am.” The way he keeps chastising Finn whenever it looks like he’s having fun with me definitely gives off stuffy old father vibes.

“Pax is not my daddy.”

“You sure? He certainly seems to be in charge of your play dates.”

Last week, I heard him tell Finn that he’d be taking Eloise to dinner. It was supposedly already arranged, and all Finn had to do was show up. That’s daddy vibes or pimp vibes and I’m guessing none of them are getting paid to have sex.

Finn swings my legs around so I’m facing him and braces his hands on the table, leaning close. He drops his voice like he’s letting me in on a secret, dragging his eyes along the length of my body. “I’d like to schedule another play date. With you. In your bed. With us both naked.”

“We weren’t naked.”

“Your tits were out. My chest was out. We only had our underwear on. Things were definitely heading in that direction before Holden pushed me out of the way with his little experiment.”

“Uh, no. They weren’t.”

He reaches out and grabs my left tit. “What the hell are you doing?” I grab his hand, squeezing it hard enough to break, and shove him away.

“Gauging how big your breasts are.”

“You should’ve written the measurements down during my sexual assault ceremony, and don’t you think you should ask before touching me?”

“No.”

No? Did he really just say that? “And why the hell not?”

“Because if I ask, you’ll tell me no, and sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

“Not where touching someone else’s body is concerned.”

He’s back in my personal space. “Facts. But in this instance, you want me touching your body. You like the naughty little thrill you get from doing something so private in public.”

I go to protest, but I can’t. I sort of do. Finn hovering over me like this is messing with my head. I can’t stand him and his friends because of the way they act and the shit they’ve been doing to me, but when Finn’s attention is on me like this, and he’s staring down at me with those sweet puppy dog eyes, that don’t quite hide the cunning and mischief, I feel a little tug. Like I want to hold my hand out and invite him to go do something reckless with me, andthat’sthe problem.

I’m always willing to do reckless, but I’m supposed to be maturing. Surrounding myself with friends who are a good influence on me. Staying out of trouble and all that. Right now, this smug fucker has me questioning why.

“You’re gonna beg me to suck those nipples one day soon, Pet.”

“Keep dreaming.”

“As we lie side by side, my little breasts become two sharp delightful towers and I shove hotly the lovingness of my belly against you.”

I’m fixated on the way his mouth moves as he recites Cumming’s words. Shit, why is poetry so hot?

His tongue darts out to wet his lips, and he asks, “You wanna kiss me right now, don’t you?”

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