Page 23 of Ambition

And I see her, beyond him.

Karia.

A moan leaves her lips as Von’s fingers are stuffed inside of me.

I slowly lift my gaze.

Cosmo is staring down at her in some sort of awe as he makes her come. And watching them, shame rolls through me. Not from the odd thing we just did, but knowing even though she is getting fingered by Cosmo de Actis,shedidn’t sleep with Theo Sancte last night. She didn’t disappoint Von the way I will again tomorrow night.

And she doesn’t have the drive I do, not when it comes to Writhe.

When I turn my head, Von is looking at me like I’m sacred, holy, but we both know I’m not. And I have to break this bubble, ruin this illusion, because if not, tomorrow night will kill him all over again.

“Von.”

His eyes glisten but it’s his mouth that recognizes the way I said his name. Too heavy. His lips press together but he doesn’t move. “Don’t,” he whispers, knowing I will.

“I can…” I swallow, shifting a little on his lap. “I can return the favor if you want me to—”

“Return the fuckingfavor?”He pulls out of me then, releases my neck, then he pushes me. Not hard, but enough that I stand, the blanket falling, and I straighten my shorts as I turn to face him, aware Cosmo and Karia are now staring atus.

He’s glaring up at me with hard eyes, hands on his thighs. I see the outline of his erection, the taut muscles of his body, but I realize he does not want me on him. Not now.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he asks, voice low, jaw set.

I feel kind of dirty, which maybe I should, but when I left Theo’s so early this morning—he had a day trip, early flight—I didn’t feel likethis.

I glance at Karia and Cosmo. “Or maybe you’ll get them to finish you off.” I whisper-snarl it and I know it’s fucked up but I don’t understand why he asked them here anyway except maybe to prove a point or—

“Fuck you, Isadora.” He can’t look at me as he says it though. He turns his head, running a hand along his jaw.“Fuck you.”

“Right. Well. I have to go—”

“Anyone know the time?” Cosmo’s too-cheerful voice cuts me off.

Von flinches, like he forgot they were here as he drops his hand to dangle with his other in his lap.

I take a step back from him, my arms over my chest.

Karia slowly sits up, blanket slipping down to her hips, her eyes sleepy as she flicks her gaze from me, then to Von, and Cosmo is staring at us both, too. She glances down at Von’s lap, and I know she sees he’s hard and I kind of want to snatch her eyeballs from her head for it but I know that’s highly unfair.

She frowns. “Sorry, perhaps we shouldn’t have…done that.” She shakes her head, then rubs a fist over her eye and looks up at me, glancing briefly at my shorts. Her mouth opens, then closes, and I decide she has a use for me after all that has nothing to do with adding to the sexual fucking tension.

Then again, to piss Von off, maybe I should ask the other one for a ride to see Mads and find out what he couldn’t wait around to tell me. “Cosmo, can I get a ride from—”

“No. You fucking can’t,” Von cuts in, glaring up at me.

But when my eyes find Cosmo, he’s smiling softly. “I rode with Karia, so if she’d like to drive us both?”

“Isadora,”Von snarls.

I don’t look at him as I jump my gaze to Karia and she laughs nervously and says, “Of course you can get a ride with me, Isadora.” She looks at Von as he turns to her, frowning. “Sorry,” she says, “but I didn’t get much sleep last night with Cosmo, and you called me so early, I should probably stop being lame sleeping on your couch and head back to bed after I drop Isadora off.”

“Great,” I say, and I turn away before Von can catch my eye again and I wonder if he knew she was fucking Cosmo when he called her over.

ISADORA

The music is an assault.

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