Page 16 of Devour

All three of the KO men cross their arms in unison.Is this their thing? Do they rehearse this?

Vincent speaks. “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I askedMaevewhatshewanted. You dragged her into this so you could crash my reception dinner. We’re making her a part of this deal, too.”

Mark snarls at me. “You’re lucky I don’t break your neck right now for taking advantage of her kind nature.”

“Nobody took advantage of me.” Maeve glares at him.

“He doesn’t mean like that, Maeve.” Tristan turns his murderous eyes on me. “He wouldn’t be breathing if we thought he touched you.”

“Clearly you missed us sharing ice cream.” I smirk at the flush that creeps up Maeve’s neck.

“No, we saw your disgusting little show.” Mark clenches and unclenches his fists on the chair’s armrest.

“This is getting really uncomfortable.” Maeve sighs.

Tristan’s voice is soft as he speaks to her. “It is. You should’ve never been brought into this side of our world.”

“We didn’t think of that. Maybe we need security for when she travels,” Vincent suggests.

“Absolutely not!”

Mark continues to just stare at me clenching and unclenching his fists while the cousins argue. This man is about to blow. As much fun as a fight with him would be, if I accidentally killed him, it would ruin my business proposition. I need to end this family quarreling before Mark explodes.

“I believe Maeve was about to tell us what she desires out of all this.”

Nine

Maeve

Not sure how everything spiraled to this moment, but here we are. If I tell them what I really desire, it’ll be so embarrassing. After shitting myself, falling on my face and mooning everyone, and making a deal to have a fake fiancé to impress everyone, it wouldn’t be that much more pathetic. It’s Vegas, after all. So why not go for it?

“I want Nicholas to continue being my fiancé until I leave Sunday. A weekend in Sin City, right? I want my night of sin.”

The men look slightly mortified as they fidget in their seats – well, except for Nicholas.

Nicholas chuckles. “I was referring to being in Vegas. This is Sin City.”

“No,” I tell him. “You’re going to continue to be my fake fiancé and you’ll behaveasa fiancé would. They’re right; you started this. You were all smooth-talking and acting all bold and suave. Show me. Whatever deal y’all agree on, I want Nicholas Deschamps to be my date for the wedding and to treat me asthough I’m his only desire. You said there will be acting, so act as my fiancé. I want you to eat your words.”

I stand from my seat and lean forward to whisper in his ear, “And just so we’re clear, I’m not saving myself for my wedding night.”

Nicholas bites his bottom lip. “You sure you want to play this game?”

“I love playing games.”

Nicholas stands and leans forward on his desk. Our noses are but an inch apart. “You should know something. I always win. I will devour you.”

“Let’s play.” I blow him a kiss and then turn my back to face the door. I can’t look at my older cousins right now, so I walk straight for the door.

It’s not until I reach the elevator that I begin to freak out.

What. Have. I. Done.

The moment is short-lived because Tristan comes charging out of the room. “Maeve!”

“Yes?” I cross my arms and face him head-on. I’m an adult that’s capable of making my own decisions. He’s not the boss of me.

“What in the hell are you thinking? Over my dead body will you spend another moment with that man. Are you insane?”

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