Page 175 of Their Cruel Play
“I know.” Putting my hands on his shoulders, I squeeze. He’s still bruised from his last run in with his father. “I won’t let him touch you either.”
“Fuck.” It’s a harsh whisper from him before his lips crash down on mine. I pull him close as he ravishes my mouth. When he finally draws away, he shakes his head. “That’s how he’ll get us. He’ll use us against each other.”
“We won’t let that happen.” Caden’s hand squeezes my thigh.
I can’t pull my gaze away from Luke’s pale blue eyes. There’s no ice when he looks at me anymore, only this tenderness I can’t explain.
Luke’s father controls him. He’ll use us against each other if he has to. It’s possible he figured out Luke comes here. If so, why couldn’t he make the other things happen too?
“Crazy theory. What if your father is masterminding this whole thing?”
Luke’s brow furrows as he thinks about it. I wish it was farfetched but his dad gives me the creeps. Luke tightens his grip on my hips.
“We’re not going to figure out anything tonight.” Jack stands and stretches. “We all have school in the morning, and if I don’t want to get my ass chewed out, I need to be home in five.”
I kiss Luke and climb off his lap. When I reach Jack, he draws me into a hug. He gives wonderful hugs. Something soft settles inside me.
“I’ll see what I can come up with.” Jack steps back and tips up my chin. “If there’s a connection, there’s a trail. Even his dad can’t cover everything.”
Nico stands and runs his hands down his legs. “My dad seems too eager to see Harper. After that phone call with Luke’s dad, I’m not letting that happen. I need to go home too.”
He draws me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “Good night, sunshine.”
“Thank you, Nico.” I lean into him and squeeze him in a hug. It wasn’t on my timeline, but hearing this story was exactly what I needed.
He pulls away a little and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “We both needed to know. And Luke’s right. It was just festering inside you.”
When I nod my understanding, he tips my chin and touches his lips to mine.
“We good, sunshine?” It’s quiet and steady, like he’s looking for forgiveness.
I touch his jaw and breathe. “Yeah, Nico, we’re good.”
He smiles and my heart beats a little harder. Yeah, we’re good. It feels like we’re finally on the same page and not looking to our past to figure out our future.
“See you tomorrow.” Nico and Jack leave.
Eli stands and takes my hand in his. Sparks light my insides, but there’s a warmth there too.
“I wish I could stay or take you with me.” Eli draws me into his arms. “High school sucks. When we get to college, we’re getting a house where we can be together every day and night. All of us.”
I snuggle into him and inhale his cologne that reminds me of a sunny day in a field. “I don’t know how conducive that will be to studying.”
He chuckles darkly. “Incentive, kitten.”
I draw in a breath and squeeze him. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
His exhale makes my hair flutter, tickling me.
“I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but I’m glad you didn’t pull away.” He looks down at me. He threads his fingers into my hair.
“It’s not like you’d let me go.” I smirk meaning that as a joke.
His dark eyes grow serious. “I wouldn’t, kitten. I can’t.”
My breath catches before he kisses me with a softness that’s so unlike Eli. My heart skips and I’m not sure what to feel in this moment. But I’m caught up in him.
“Sleep well.” He looks at the others. “Take care of her.”
