Page 59 of A Smile Full of Lies
The blonde’s gaze sharpened.
“Oh?”
I smiled thinly.
“Yeah. I mean, Knox is my neighbor.”
The blonde’s eyes widened.
“What?”
My smile sharpened, and I shrugged like I wasn’t about to drop a truth bomb on their night and bring their air of superiority down a peg or two.
“We’ve had movie nights together every Wednesday night since we were eighteen.”
Their expressions shifted from mild condescension to wide-eyed envy.
The blonde’s mouth dropped open.
“Wait… you actuallyknowPhilip Knox?”
“I know him intimately, as a matter of fact.”
An inexplicable flicker of possessiveness pulsed in my chest, low and dark.
The dark-haired girl’s lips parted.
“Oh my god. I’ve seen pictures of that guy. He’s hot as fuck.”
The blonde’s mouth twisted.
“Not to mention the multi-million dollar fortune and successful cybersecurity company he inherited when his family was murdered. You’re one lucky bitch living next door to a guy like that.”
My smile sharpened.
“Yeah. I guess I am. And for the record? Only reporters and true crime groupies use his first name. His real friends call him Knox.”
The blonde crossed her arms, her expression souring, and she and her friend both turned their backs on me, making it pretty clear I was no longer welcome in their stupid little conversation.
The one with the dark, curly hair lowered her voice and leaned closer to the blonde.
“The guy looks like a cologne model.”
The blonde sighed, her expression going dreamy.
“I bet he smells like one, too.”
I grinned, butting back into their conversation just to be a menace.
“Actually, he smells like cedarwood, citrus, and leather.”
The blonde’s eyes narrowed like maybe she wanted to claw my eyes out.
Score one for the home team.
I smirked, trying hard not to look too smug and failing miserably as I turned my attention back to the mansion ahead of me.
A cold pulse of anger cut down my spine.
