Page 59 of Shattered Legacy (Gravestone Elite 1)

“What?” Heat sears me inside out as I shrug. “It’s cute.”

It has capped sleeves and a cropped hemline, so isn’t entirely inappropriate for a warm day.

He studies me for a moment, letting his dark eyes drift down my body in a lazy perusal. When they lift back to mine, his smirk is even more wolfish. “You’re right, it is cute.” Cade leans in and kisses my cheek. “I missed you yesterday.”

Rolling my eyes, I brush him off. “Of course you did. Where were you?”

“Electi stuff,” he replies cryptically. “Tomorrow is the next test.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? That’s all you have to say? You disappoint me, babe. Especially after how concerned you seemed about Bexley the other night.”

“I would have been concerned about whoever was in the pit with you.” I school my expression.

“You’re a terrible liar, Mia. But it doesn’t matter. You’re my prosapia, my girl.” He steps forward, putting us chest to chest, and plucks one of my curls between his fingers. “Your pussy is mine.”

“Do you speak to all your whores like this, or am I special?”

“Oh babe, you’re as special as they come.” He pulls sharply, sending a bolt of pain through my skull. My eyes burn but I refuse to cry, swallowing down the rush of anger.

“We should go.”

“Or we could stay and fool around…”

“Cade.” My throat dries. This cannot be happening. He cannot choose today of all days to try to progress our relationship. If he so much as sees even a glimpse of my chest or thighs, he’ll know my secret. And he’ll use it to destroy Bexley even more than he has already.

“You want to please me, don’t you, Mia?” His fingers trail down my cheek and lightly grip my jaw. “I could make you feel so fucking good.”

“There are rules.”

“Fuck the rules. You’re mine to do what I want with. And if I want to ruin your good girl image, I will.” His hand slips to my throat, making my breath catch. “Scared, prosapia?”

His deadly words caress my face.

“Of you? Never.” My eyes narrow, anger licking at my spine. Everything inside screams at me to fight back. To knee him in the balls and run. But I know it’ll only make things worse. Besides, my father always taught me that the best defense is a good offense. I need to bide my time and figure out my play.

“Ash is right.” Amusement glitters in Cade’s dark gaze. “Kitty has claws.”

I press my lips together, refusing to play this game with him. The back and forth. The cat and mouse chase.

Instead, I give him a taste of his own medicine. Leaning up on my tiptoes, I let my lips hover dangerously close to Cade’s. He goes deathly still as I linger there. “If we want to make breakfast, we should go.” I make sure my lips skate across his before turning away to grab my backpack.

But when I turn back around, his eyes are firmly on my chest. “Your necklace,” he says thinly. “What happened?”

“It got tangled up in my hair, and when I tried to pull it free, the clasp broke.” The lie rolls off my tongue with ease. “I found another chain to wear instead until I get it fixed.”

His eyes narrow a fraction, but then his expression softens. “So long as you’re wearing the pendant, it’s all good.”

“So Neanderthal.” I roll my eyes and step to move around him, but Cade grabs my hips and shoves me up against the wall.

“Don’t ever forget who you belong to, Mia.” He all but growls the words. “This, me and you, it’s done.” He leans down, kissing the corner of my mouth. “You can keep fighting me, keep pretending that it isn’t going to happen, but honestly, it only gets me hard.” He snags my wrist and pushes my hand down to the bulge in his jeans. “Feel what you do to me. Every. Single. Time.”

A shudder rolls through me, and it isn’t a good one.

“Keep pushing, and you won’t like what happens. Don’t forget that.” He smirks. “Now be a good girl and

kiss me like you mean it.”

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