Page 88 of Lies Like Love

“Do you like the dress?” She avoids my question entirely and does a little spin that kicks up the fabric around her thighs.

I grab onto her waist and pull her back to my chest. “Fel…” her name comes out as a warning as my hand trails down her stomach.

“Yes, Jude?” There’s playfulness in her tone.

“Don’t tease me unless you want to be walking around all night with my cum dripping out of your pretty little pussy.” My body blocks her from the view of the chaos unfolding behind us, so I drag my hand down and pull up her dress in the front. Just enough to rub my fingers along her.

The lace is already soaked, and I love that my girl gets wet at the thought of me filling her up.

My girl?

Fuck. Where did that come from?

“There are people in the room.” She swallows a moan as I run my fingers over her again.

“Exactly.” I smooth her dress back down and wrap my arms around her waist once more, dipping my mouth close to her ear. “And I’ll fuck you in front of them just to prove you’re mine if I need to.”

It’s a lie, there’s no way I’d let them see her like that. She’smine. But I’ll let her think I’ll make good on my threat because the lengths I’d actually go to in order to claim her are much darker.

Fel tips her head back against my chest and relaxes in my arms. Trusting me like she shouldn’t.

“Maybe we should have stayed in.” She closes her eyes on a sigh, as she rests her arms over where mine are wrapped around her waist.

“We should have.” Hence why I suggested it. “But you wanted to party, Red. And even if I have to carve the eyes out of every man who dares look at you tonight, we’re going to do just that. You’re mine, and it’s time they know it.”

She opens her eyes and blinks up at me. The softness in her gaze is disarming.

There’s a reason I’m usually rough and unwavering with her. Because it’s easier to keep my guard up when I always hold her just a fraction away. If I fuck her like I’m breaking her, I don’t have to accept the fact that she’s actually the one destroying me.

In my arms, looking into my eyes, it’s what she does. She’s the bulldozer that slammed into my life the moment I first laid eyes on her. She’s the only home my dark heart has ever known. She’s the only one who has truly seen me.

She knows my sickest, bloodiest secrets. Still, she lets me hold her in my arms like her trust in me isn’t shattering my life to pieces.

She’s controlled my mind and body since the moment I met her. One flick of her deep blue eyes over the rim of her book in that library, and I would have given her anything.

I did.

I was her knight in shining armor in all the ways she loves and hates.

“You two lovebirds going to take a shot with us before we leave?” Sage taunts from behind me.

Fel tenses at his words, so I let her go.

Always so close and so far. A forest of knots twists inside me.

Destiny just out of reach.

If I’ve learned one thing about fate, it’s that good things don’t last.

“One more.” I lace my fingers through Fel’s and lead her over to the counter.

Echo and Maren are deep in conversation as Crew slides fresh shots in my direction.

Part of me wants to get fucked-up to take the edge off. But I can’t let my guard down tonight. Not with Fel standing next to me looking so perfect and breakable.

She holds her glass out, and I tap mine against it, slamming it to the counter once before draining it down my throat. A ritual I wish meant more than this night is going to turn to shit. But that’s all Incinerate promises. Good times. Bad people. Worse decisions.

Fel winces at the burn of the alcohol as she swallows it down, and it’s so fucking sweet. She’s so fucking innocent. I want to devour her.

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