Page 127 of Pretty Poisoned

"I'm not dangerous," I say as he kisses my neck and the hand inside my shirt makes its way up to my breasts. "Declan…wait."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something, and I don't think you're going to be happy with me."

"Okay…"

"I don't think you're going to…want me around anymore."

"I'm sure you're overreacting."

I think about Layla, and I'm not so sure.

"I lied to you about something…when we first met. I didn't just try to get close to Luca because I was a fan."

I pause, waiting for him to react, but he doesn't. He just looks at me, waiting.

"I have this podcast—it's like a true crime podcast, I guess. And I got a message about…you guys. And that maybe there was something criminal there. So, I started to look into it, and I thought they might be right, and…that's what I was really doing. But I haven't been doing that for a long time. I just wanted to tell you because…my sister said that if you knew, you'd get rid of me, and I didn't like how I found out about Luca."

"I already know about all of that, Teagan," Declan says. "But it's cute that you told me."

"You did…?"

He slips his hands under my shirt again and tightens his grip around my waist. I feel how hard he is through his boxers before he rolls on top of me.

"I'm going to tell you something that's not going to make you very happy, sweetheart. I just want to kiss you for one more minute first…while you're all soft."

He kisses me again, but even his perfect lips and expert tongue can't distract me from what he just said.

"Tell me."

"Okay," he says. "I know because I found you first. I sent you that message, and I'm the one who sent you the VIP ticket. I already knew everything about you before we met."

"Why? Why would you do that? Like…as a joke?"

"No, not as a joke."

"You played me."

"To be fair, you thought you were playing me. That was your intention, no?"

"Well, what the fuck was your intention?" I ask. "So, when I met Luca at the bar, that was—"

"No," Declan says. "Luca was not aware, and I don't think we should tell him now. I don't think he'd be happy, do you?"

"I'm not happy, and you didn't answer my question."

"Calm down," he says softly. "This is all I wanted, Teagan. I wanted you."

I shake my head. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I watched you, and I wanted you. Is it that bad that I picked you? Women are always throwing themselves at me. They did it before because I was rich, and now they do it because I'm a rockstar or whatever, and I never get to pick anyone first. I still like to do that. For the record, though, I did pick you just for me. I thought Luca was going to fuck it up; I didn't realize that you'd be so good for him, too, but I'm glad you are."

I can't swallow; I guess it's not that bad, right? I guess it makes sense that he'd want to pick someone—that he'd pick the homeschooled blonde at the state fair who's never heard their music and want to win her over with a stuffed teddy bear.

It makes less sense that he'd pick me—a girl from Orange County who was kicked out of high school and then got kidnapped. A girl who…

"Teag? Say something."

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