Page 52 of Beautiful Defiance

“Why would a guy be interested in me when there are prettier girls?”

I think of Rue. Hannah too. She’s gorgeous, with legs that go on and on, caramel-color hair that falls past her shoulders, deep green eyes, and she has an eye for fashion. Plus, she’s popular with the guys and the girls, though she’s been mean-girling as all get out.

“There are guys who like a girl with attitude. You have so much of it, you could light up a stadium.”

“Ha-ha, not.”

“I’m being serious, Leigh. Guys like that want to cage you, bringing you out only so they can break you of your defiance. It’s how they get off.”

“How is what you’re doing different from what you claim they’ll do to me?”

“I don’t want to cage you. You can do whatever the hell you want so long as you give me your loyalty.”

“You also want my obedience. Something I’ll never give. I have my own opinions and ways of doing things. No one will break me of that.”

“You won’t put aside your ways even for love?”

“I don’t bow down to a guy, not even for love.”

“Brutal.”

“Twenty-first-century mindset.”

“So eating me is out of the question?”

I can’t help it. I stick out my tongue and cross my eyes. “I wasn’t literal, Seven. You smell good enough to eat, but I am not putting my mouth on any part of your body except for your yummy lips.”

“My lips are yummy?”

“Delish,” I say.

Smiling, he gets off me, flops onto his back, and crooks his finger. “Come here.”

My gaze roams over his body, from his tousled hair to the way his shirt stretches over his impressive torso, to how well his jeans hug his hips and his long legs.

I shake my head. “It’s a bad idea.”

“I thought you weren’t scared of me,” he challenges.

“I’m not. Scared has nothing to do with bad ideas.”

“Leigh, you’re stubborn.”

“And you only want to feel me up.”

“Guilty.”

Ugh, why couldn’t he have denied it? It would make kicking him out of my place, demanding he go out the way he came, so much easier. Except I like having Seven here. He’s fun to talk with. Hot to look at. And seeing the sadness in his eyes earlier still hurts me like a punch to the chest. Maybe if I give in, he’ll give in too and tell me what’s wrong.

“Are you planning on staying the night?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Then take off your clothes. I don’t plan on hearing you sawing logs again, Seven. The last time left me exhausted and grumpy.”

“Ladies first. All of it, Leigh.”

“I . . . I have scars.”

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