Page 38 of Eat You Alive (Court Legacy 4)

“Sloane, this is Red,” Wolf stated, and though his hand moved from my shoulders, it landed in mine. This somehow managed to be worse since my hands were wet, but if he noticed, he didn’t say anything. If anything, he held my hand even more, his lengthy digits interweaving with mine. He brought me closer. “I know you guys have met, but it wasn’t official, so…”

Yeah, it’d been fucking weird, but I’d give it to him that wouldn’t have happened had I not acted like I had. I wouldn’t apologize for it, but his sister had nothing to do with our rivalry.

She got up. “Red. Cute.” A restless hand touched her neck, and something told me her brother had probably set up this interaction more than she did. Sure, she probably did want my opinion, but she probably would have been fine without it. She lifted a hand. “Nice to meet you again.”

“Same.”

Sloane rocked on her high-tops. “So, I see you guys haven’t killed each other.”

“Not yet, but give Red a bit.” Wolf used our woven hands to tuck me into his side, and I fit more naturally than expected. He was a big guy, but he didn’t dwarf me, his hard body enveloping my curves. He glanced down. “She definitely likes to humble my ass. You saw that shit at the party. That was her trying to teach me a lesson about telling her what to wear that night.”

I was surprised he mentioned that, the truth?

“Really?” Sloane appeared surprised by that too, her hands cuffing her arms. Her sweatshirt hit the midpoint of her thighs again, her dark hair up and messy. She smiled a little. “Reminds me of Dorian and me. Don’t know if Ares mentioned it, but I’m dating his friend. His name is Dorian.”

He hadn’t, but I was aware of Dorian. I remembered him.

She eyed Wolf. “What’s with you guys thinking you can tell us what to do?”

She shoved her brother after she said it, and I definitely realized Wolf painted me in a better light by saying what he had.

“Not that y’all listen,” Wolf said before releasing me. “Anyway, that’s what happened, so yeah. Fawn’s never been one to back down.”

“You could stand some humbling,” I stated, playing along. I fake-nudged him, and when he smiled, something warm hit my stomach.Stop that.I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Anyway, you guys wanted my opinion on something.”

They showed me, her collage in front of me. Sloane pointed out what she was trying to do, and it was kind of obvious with the bird pictures and the overall image she’d created with them. All pinned together, she’d made a bigger work of art based on the images in the photos.

“We have to make a piece out of unconventional tools for one of my art classes, but I suck at taking photos.” She frowned. “I took these with my phone and the lighting’s crap since I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“Actually, these are really good.”

“Yeah?” She faced the piece. “You’re not just saying that?”

I wasn’t, getting down on my knees. She could stand to reposition herself when it came to the sun, and since she was new at taking photos, she should probably only take them early in the day. Some of the photos were at dusk, and I told her that.

“You can always edit the photos in post op if you’re trying to go for a particular look,” I said, and she nodded. “Some think that’s cheating, but it’s all a part of the process.”

I could hear my dad’s words coming out of my mouth. He’d taught me everything he knew when it came to lighting and everything.

I chewed my lip, and Sloane had gotten on the floor with me sometime during my advice. I didn’t see Wolf, and I realized now he was in the kitchen.

He had a cereal bowl in his hands, chewing, and I wondered how long he’d left me with his sister. He was making it look like he wasn’t paying attention, but I certainly noticed a subtle smile on his lips when he devoured whatever he had in his bowl.

For some reason, that had me facing his sister with a smile too, and I didn’t know why. I shook my head. “So, yeah. Do that and there’s a ton of photo editing apps. Also, camera phones are completely fine. There’s this stigma you have to get the latest and greatest camera for a decent photo, but that’s not true. Cameras on phones have gotten a lot better over the years.”

“Yeah, that was a concern too. Thanks. Really, that gives me way more confidence.”

“No problem.” I smiled, and she did too.

Wolf returned then as if he never left, and when he offered some of his Captain Crunch, I did shove at him, getting up. “Ew. No.”

“Like you mind my spit,” he said, drawing in close. My insides buzzed, and he lifted his spoon, milking dripping from it. “Sure you don’t want a taste?”

The utensil hovered between us, his cereal waiting. It entered his mouth before I could do something stupid like say yes, and his long tongue licked it clean.

“Too bad cuz I’m not sharing,” he continued, his voice suddenly gruff, low. A flash of heat hit me directly between the legs, and his sister’s throat clearing was the only thing blinking me out of something else stupid.

“On that note,” she said, quickly gathering her things. Her artwork was one solid piece but the extra photos she put in her bag. She got up. “And never again will I give you a hard time about me and Dorian because yeesh…”

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