Page 27 of Devil on the Lake

We return to the party. A few people seem surprised, but what shocks me is how many aren’t. Maybe because of all the little ways he was possessive of me tonight. We did arrive together. He got me drinks, got angry with anyone who gave me trouble.

Those actions might have been part of his original plan to throw me off by the time he got me alone, but it made a statement.

The heat of the fire is welcome against my face. I let him pull me close and huddle into his side.

“Better?” he murmurs, grazing his lips over my forehead.

“Much.” I gesture to myself. “This might look badass, but velvet isn’t that warm, and fishnets are more for aesthetic purposes.”

“Ones I approve of.” He slides his hand over my ass. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I was just thinking about that hole I ripped in them. And that you’re not wearing any underwear.” I laugh at his tortured groan. “We can go back to the cabin. There’s firewood there. We’ll share body warmth. It’s a safety measure.”

I laugh harder, leaning into his side. He tugs me close, kissing my neck.

“How many variations does your costume have?” Eliana snarks.

The effect of her attitude is ruined by the way she sways, eyes glassy. She’s wasted.

But her question means someone actually noticed the state I was in when I came back earlier. “What do you mean?”

“Is it supposed to be some avant-garde statement to have your outfit shredded, then soaked?”

“If you didn’t notice, I’m drenched too.” Dante flaps his wet coat and gives her a cocky grin. “We went for a little swim.”

She folds her arms. “This is a party. No one cares about your attention-seeking performance.”

“I appreciate the view,” Ryder says as he strolls up with his hands in his pockets. He smirks at Eliana’s bitchy scoff and makes sure she’s watching when he checks me out. “Very much.”

Eliana’s expression shutters and her arms tighten around herself.

“Hey, back off.” Dante puts himself in front of me. “That’s my girlfriend you’re hitting on.”

I blush as he turns around, takes my face in his hands, and claims me in front of everyone with a sultry kiss that leaves me dizzy. I smile into it, kissing him back. The coyote howls and cat-calls people at Silver Lake High use to signal someone getting some sound around us. I break away and hide my face in his chest.

“Get used to it, baby,” Dante rasps. “I’m not letting you go.”

A happy laugh bubbles out of me, muffled into his firm body.

He lowers his voice so only I can hear him. “I’ve caught you.”

Yes, he has.

TWELVE

DANTE

1 Week Later

Willow’s house looks nothing like her. Not that I expected a house as gothic as she is, but it’s inviting. It’s blue with a stacked stone portico and a fall wreath made of tiny pumpkins on the door. I wait out front, leaning against my dirt bike.

The door opens and she attempts to shoo her curious mom back inside with an exasperated expression, peeking to see if I notice. I do, my grin wide as hell.

“Okay, bye,” Willow repeats pointedly. “I’ll see you later.”

Her mom waves to me and I lift my hand, my leather jacket creaking. It makes my heart twinge, but I push my grandmother from my mind as my girl approaches. When she’s with me, things aren’t as hard.

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