Page 42 of Voracious

“I’d rather spend a year back down in confinement.”

I smile at his joking tone. “I think we’re becoming friends, Tobias.”

He lets out a disbelieving laugh and hangs up on me.

15

KADE

FLASHBACK

Icheck the time on the boarding passes to Greece,textingStacey back and forth for an hour before she lets me know her suitcase is securely shut after she jumped all over it and she’ll see me after her last class.

She wanted to take my car this morning, but I’d rather punch myself in the balls, if I’m completely honest. She’s fucked up Jason’s car, which I had to take the blame and pay for, and I refuse to let her do that to my new black Audi R8.

We werepractisingaway from the main roads and any living species. She’s not shockingly bad but not exactly good either. She now knows how to drive at least but not safely. I’d trust Base blindfolded and on every drug possible before willingly getting into a car with her on a public road.

Milo and Hopper follow me around as I clean my room for the eighth time, getting rid of any specks of dust. I walk the dogs while smoking a joint, and gather snacks and make Stacey a sandwich.

It’s late by the time she finishes work and I pick her up, and she falls asleep on the way to the manor. Her head rolls when we hit the gravel road, and I slow down a little, keeping her hand locked in mine. I glance over at her every few minutes, that warmth in my chest building every day.

She gives me a sleepy smile when we stop on the manor grounds.

The dogs run to her as soon as we walk in the door, me pulling her suitcase along, her carry bag on my shoulder. They ignore me as she lowers to her knees and scratches their ears.

“I told you they love me more,” she says, sticking her tongue out at me when I give her the middle finger. “You’re just jealous.”

Not at all. In fact, seeing the dogs all over her is way better than them being wary, like they are with my friends and evenLuciella. Not that my sister ever gives them any attention.

When Stacey gets excited and jumps around, they copy. When she sleeps, so do they. When she cries during a movie or after watching a video on her phone, they cuddle into her for emotional support. When it’s time for bed, they wait for her to finish brushing her teeth and washing her face before climbing in with us.

Yep. They definitely love her more.

Maybe they’ll change their minds when she sings.

Once we get to my room, she changes into my T-shirt and a pair of shorts that do nothing but tease me. When the movie starts, she’s on her front, knees bent and kicking her legs lazily, facing the TV while I sit with my back against the headboard.

I hold her ass cheek, squeezing it, and she giggles then starts humming along to the song completely off-key. I’m distracted, obviously, as my eyes stay on my fingers sliding under her shorts, kneading at her.

“I think you should let me fuck your ass.”

She slaps my touch away. “I’ll hurt you.”

I chuckle and pull her to me. “You could try.”

She snorts. “I’ll crash your car.”

I narrow my gaze on her. “I believe you.”

Stacey grins. “Never. I’m such a better driver than you.”

“Stacey, you could have lessons for the next hundred years and wouldn’t even come close.”

She smiles and goes back to watching the movie, and I watch her. I don’t think it’s even a case of being in love with her anymore. Is there an emotion that’s stronger than love? If not, I’m creating one.

It’s like a mixture of love and not being able to breathe unless she’s around – thoughts that run wild wondering what she’s doing, where she is, if she’s thinking of me. It’s the butterflies that flutter like maniacs when I know I’m going to see her soon.

The Stacey Rhodes Effect.

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