Page 126 of Ruthless Legacy

“Then he promised to eat me out and, well… I can’t say no to that. He’s a gold medalist in pussy eating.”

“Fuck, Pet.” I groan. “I’ll definitely do that.”

“See, so obvi-”

Thea’s words cut off when a girl with strawberry blonde hair walks over to us, with a huge smile on her face.

“Hi Holden.” She steps ups to him, arms open, for a hug. He backs away from her touch. She doesn’t get the hint and drags her hand down his arm, reaching for his hand. She winces when he squeezes her hand hard enough to snap the bones and flings her away from him.

Covering her discomfort with a smile, she says, “I’m excited about dinner. I have everything planned. I’ll be in the lobby of Vale Tower at four-thirty. The car will arrive at five. That gives us time to take pictures before we get to the venue. I have the perfect spot picked out.”

She reaches into her bag. “I almost forgot. I saw this and thought of you.”

Thea who’s been watching the exchange with a murderous glint in her eyes steps forward and taps the girl on the shoulder. “Hi. Who are you?”, she asks, stepping in front of Holden and grabbing the bag before he can reach for it. “What’s in here, and did you bring enough for the class?”

“I’m Paisley, and that’s for Holden.”

“Yeah, I heard. That’s sweet, but these boys like to share their snacks; so if it’s for Holden, it’s for all of us.” Thea’s smiles and says, “Wouldn’t want you getting off on the wrong foot with us. Take it from me. You won’t last long if one of them hates you.”

Paisley looks her up and down. “Thea, right? I heard about you.”

“Did you now?” Thea mutters as she pulls a tie out of the bag. “Nice.” She looks over at Holden. “She’s got good taste, Pretty Boy. It’ll look killer with your piercings and tats.”

Paisley takes the tie back and gives it to Holden. “I bought it because it matches my dress and his eyes.”

Thea responds, “Mmm.”

Paisley says, “The pictures will be amazing. Be sure to follow me on Prospectus to see the posts.”

Thea waves her hand in the air like she’s swatting a fly away. “No need. If Holden decides to wear this tie, I’ll be there to see it in real time.” She moves closer to Pax, and awkwardly pats his shoulder. “The big guy here arranged for me to sit at your table.”

Paisley’s smile is brittle when she says, “Oh? How nice. I look forward to seeing you.”

She pecks Holden on the cheek before he has a chance to react. “I’ll call you later.” She walks off with a flounce in her step.

Pax turns to face Thea, glaring down at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Being nice to the new Eloise. I gotta say, I really do like her taste in neckwear. The rest of her, not so much.”

He folds his arms across his chest. “That’s why you’re not sitting at our table.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No. You’re. Not. This night is too important and we don’t need any drama.”

“There is no drama. I’ll sit with you, eat, and smile.”

I laugh when Thea demonstrates her party smile. She drops it and says, “It’s already decided. You have an extra seat. I’m taking it. Somebody has to be there to make sure Paisley respects Holden’s boundaries, since the two of you stood there and watched her maul him to death like he was a little baby gazelle.”

After that outburst, she walks off, leaving the three of us to stare after her.

Chapter51

Finn

Ibang on Thea’s door, waiting for her to answer. I’m already dressed, so I didn’t want to use the balcony. When she steps into the hallway, my heart stutters in my chest. The last time I saw her dressed up like this was at the Breland party. I love her casual style, but she looks like a goddess in this dress.

I walk around her to get a view of the back. “Maybe we should skip tonight.”

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