Page 49 of Beautiful Defiance

I rolled my eyes.

He laughed and rubbed his knuckles into the top of my head, messing up my topknot. That butt. I was so excited and happy, I sent a selfie of me wearing the uniform shirt to Rue and Red. Rue sent back hearts. Red texted back that I look smoking hot—can I do a strip tease for him, please? Um, no. What a flirt!

“What you smiling big for?”

I scream. My hand slams against the spot over my heart.

“Crap, Seven, you scared me.” I hop off the bed and smack him across the shoulder. Bad idea. He curls his fingers around my wrist and tugs. I tip forward. He steps into my personal space until his body presses into mine.

“Why the shit-eating grin, Leigh? Did you meet someone you like?”

The way he says the last sentence, with this hot possessiveness . . . My heartbeat accelerates, and my mouth goes dry.

“Why do you ask?”

“A girl only smiles like that when a guy gives her something good.”

“As if.” I push at him. He doesn’t budge.

“Tell, Leigh.”

“Or else what?” I tip my chin at him.

“Or else I teach you a lesson. You’re mine to harass.”

“Harass? Is that what you call this middle-of-the-night sneaking in through my window you’re doing?”

“What else would you call it?”

“Creeping.”

“Creeping, harassing, it’s all the same to me. Now, tell, Leigh. I want his name.”

“No.”

“No?”

“Uh-uh,” I say.

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He lets go of my wrist and pushes me back. I fall onto the bed. Annoyed that I let him push me down, I rise to a sitting position, but Seven gets on top of me and straddles my hips.

“Seven.”

“Tell, Leigh.”

“No.”

“Defiance.”

“No, Seven. Geez. Leave it alone, already.”

“So it was a guy.”

“I didn’t say it was.”

“Why are you protecting him?”

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