Page 44 of Stay Toxic

She huffs. “I don’t think so!”

“Good. I don’t share.”

“Youdon’t share?” she echoes with an eye roll.

I shrug. “The night we met? That wasRomansharing his girlfriend, not the other way around.”

“But you and Ari—” She wrinkles her nose. “I know you said you’re not together, but like, you act like you are.”

“I’ll admit we fuck often, and we’re likely very affectionate given the fact that she’s my best friend. And wemighthave amped it up a bit recently. You may have heard, there’s a lovely woman in denial about her feelings for me. A little jealousy never hurt. But yeah, everything else aside, we’re not compatible. She loves being shared. I only like showing off.”

“Showing off?” she repeats.

“Mmhmm.” I could explain in great detail. But I’d much rather show her.

As the in-person auction progresses, so does the digital one, and Hestia’s only interested in one of those. She stalks Ari compulsively checking it every few seconds, and clicking on the bidders.

“That guy’s old enough to be her dad!” she exclaims.

I glance over her shoulder and snort, opting not to mention that that guy is my uncle. “There’s a reason she set the upper age at forty-nine. She has a bit of a daddy kink.” Among many other kinks.

“Seriously?"

“Oh, yeah.” I grimace, remembering an occasion when she calledmeDaddy, a few years ago.

I made it clear that it was on my hard limits list.

Uncle Aro does win her, which means she’s going to be a happy girl when we see her again.

I hesitate a moment, wondering if that’s enough for tonight. Hestia got a little glimpse into my world.

But she didn’t run. Not even a little. That makes me want to push.

I didn’t count on getting my cock wet tonight—or any night in the foreseeable future. But that was before knowing what I know now.

It takes a lot more than I thought to make Hestia Cole want to flee.

That’s why I find myself asking, “Feel like going upstairs?”

“Upstairs?” she breathes, either catching my tone, or guessing what could possibly happen upstairs based on everything she’s heard so far tonight.

“Yeah, it should be fun. I know how you like to watch.” I smirk. “And my little pervert? Everyone else here has signed an NDA, too.”

I don’t miss how her eyes drift down to my mouth, suddenly a little darker.

Fuck.

I should send Robert a thank-you card for making it possible for me to bring her here, right into the lion’s den, much sooner than she would have voluntarily walked in.

I have to remember: she’s not truly going to be what I crave until she’s ready to claim us out in the open, in the real world.

I always knew she’d spread her thighs if I offered the secrecy she desires.

I’m just too fucking gone to resist a taste.

19

I’m no stranger to contracts; I’ve been cosigning them since I was a teenager. It’s all about cutting through the lawyerly crap to understand what the person truly wants from it.