Page 81 of A Smile Full of Lies
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I tell Mr. Knox exactly how protective you are of him. I’m sure he’d find it… interesting, don’t you think?”
My heart stopped beating for what felt like an eternity.
My shoulders slumped and I blew out a sigh.
“…Fine.”
“Good girl.”
I shivered and heat suffused my cheeks.
“Stop saying that.”
“Shall we begin?”
My fingers trembled around my phone. Heat burned low in my gut. My breath came too fast, chest heaving as I stared straight ahead.
“What exactly do you want to know?”
His response came instantly.
“Oh, sweetheart…” he purred. “Be careful. You might regret asking me that.”
God, that distorted voice did things to me… things it shouldn’t do. A hot pulse of anticipation pulsed deep in my core. A sharp thrill skittered down my spine and my mouth went dry.
“Try me.”
It came out as a hoarse whisper, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances.
He chuckled again and my heart did a flip.
“Alright, sweetheart. Let’s start simple.”
I chewed on my bottom lip as I waited to see what he’d say. My heart hammered against my ribcage so hard I thought the bones might disintegrate.
“Why’d you defend him like that?”
My stomach tightened painfully and I clenched my jaw. Maybe playing dumb would work.
“What are you talking about?”
He growled and all the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
“Don’t play coy with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Fuck.
My pulse roared in my ears. My mouth opened, then promptly snapped shut again. I huffed out a frustrated sigh. What the fuck was I supposed to say?
He spoke again, taking great pains to sound patient, but something about it felt clipped and forced.
“When I asked about that portrait, about Philip Knox, you went fucking feral and told me to keep his fucking name out of my mouth. Why?”
My teeth clenched and my whole body shook with the force of holding myself together while I answered him.
“He’s my neighbor and, more importantly, my friend.”
