Page 72 of The Pretender

Oh yeah, I’m not the only one who thinks this is an epically terrible idea.

I nod, giving my consent to this shitstorm, when Sebastian eases my thighs apart, his gaze heating me to a boil. I can feel my knees trying to kneel on the grass for support, but I don’t give in. That would be ridiculous and send the wrong sign that Bash-hole’s touch made me weak and jelly-like.

And that’s totally the truth, but I’m not ready to admit it.

Sebastian clears his throat. “Put your foot on my shoulder.”

Come again?

He must pick up on my sheer panic because he clarifies. “The inside of your thigh is welted up. I need to see where the actual sting is.”

My eyes feel as big as saucers. “You’re not planning to pee on me or anything, are you?”

Sebastian rolls his eyes. “That’s jellyfish stings and, last I checked, we weren’t oceanside.”

I knew that. I did, but I panicked.

“I think you put tobacco on wasp stings and such but since I’m fresh out—” He cocks a brow that does something tingly throughout my entire body. “I think I’ll just check and make sure the stinger isn’t still there.”

“Can that happen? I mean, do the stingers just break off and stay lodged into skin and keep stinging?”

It does kind of feel like I’m repeatedly getting stung.

“I think it does with some insects, but I don’t think it’s true for yellow jackets, but since you can’t distinguish a jellyfish from a bug, I’ll check to make sure. For all I know, it could have been a bee.”

He’s so funny.

Not.

“It wasn’t a bee,” I say, my voice flat and annoyed. “I’m positive it was a yellow jacket.”

He shrugs like he still doesn’t believe me. It pisses me off to the point I just hike my leg up and onto his shoulder for proof. “Go ahead. See that I know what the hell a yellow jacket looks like.”

It was a really stupid move.

Want to know how I know?

The breeze.

The angle.

My center directly in his face.

His grip on my thigh.

Something happens. I don’t know what it is, but someone, who I had no idea existed within me, whispers, “Do it.”

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Valentina

University CamFlix Competition Submission

Entry Number: 75

Sebastian and Valentina

Second Interview Continued, also known as phase two of torture

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