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He leaves his palms flat against them for a second before massaging like he’s a gynecologist performing a breast exam.
I cringe and bite back a laugh before gently pushing his chest. “I’m sorry. I’m not really feeling well. I think I need to call it a night. But thank you for dinner. I had a...great time.”
Sure, I’m stretching the truth to stroke his ego, but after tonight, I never have to see him again. Better to lie and survive the night than be honest and end up onDateline.
He smiles, believing the lie and hugging me a beat too long. I pat him awkwardly on the back before he finally pulls away and I have to suppress my sigh of relief. “No problem. Text me, and maybe we can actually get you those tacos.”
I manage a weak smile, holding the door open and waving as he heads for the sidewalk. He seems like a decent guy. Mind-numbingly dull and entirely too self-important, but nice enough. Maybe something’s wrong with me that I can’t bring myself to like a decent, available guy. Instead, I daydream about my student. The wholly forbidden fruit.
I shut the door and sigh. Time to order a new vibrator.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SAINT
The bastard hadhis hands on her.
Through the window, I had a clear view of him touching my muse. Taking what’s mine. I was two seconds from breaking down the door and handling him myself when Briar pushed him off and sent him on his way. I’ve still got a grin plastered across my face. That’s my muse.
She already knows I’m the only one she wants.
The scumbag waltzes down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. My sharp breaths echo in my mask, face heating and hands curling into fists.
I slip my mask off, waiting for him to stroll down the dimly lit sidewalk before I follow.
Every second he was alone in that house with her, I longed to rip his hands off.
Briar is brilliant enough to earn a PhD and land a position as an assistant professor in a distinguished creative writing program, but she didn’t think to get a background check on her date. If she did, she would’ve discovered that Austin Emmons has a few girlfriends, none of whom seem to know about theothers’ existence. He gets them hooked on coke, his drug of choice, so they won’t find out about each other, or if they do, they’ll be too strung out to care. Then he sells their bodies to fund his own addiction. A cursory glance through his medical records showed he also has not one but two venereal diseases that I’m certain he had no intention of disclosing to Briar before climbing into bed with her.
Certainly a man with plenty of enemies, who all would have any number of reasons for wanting him dead. No one will miss him too much.
He touched her. He tried to take what’s mine.
With his death, he and Briar will both learn an important lesson: no one touches her but me.
She is mine, to have and to hold, from this day forward. ’Til death do us part. And even in death, I won’t let the universe take her from me.
She’s my muse, no one else’s. And Briar will soon learn that I don’t share.
Austin doesn’t notice the shadow at his back. We’re alone, an advantage of small towns. With the exception of the bar crowd, no one’s ever out past nine.
No one will witness what’s about to happen to Austin Emmons at the hands of his shadow.
“Austin?” I call, forcing a jovial lilt to my voice despite the fury raging in my veins. “Austin Emmons?”
He turns, brows drawing together when he spots me.
I pat him on the shoulder, beaming. “How’ve you been?”
“Uh, sorry.” He takes the gloved hand I hold out to him, shaking it despite his confusion. “Do we know each other?”
“Austin, I’m hurt.” I let out a boisterous laugh that puts him at ease. “Fellow Princeton alum.”
Only a man this pretentious would includePrinceton alumin his social media bio six years after graduation. “Right.” He nods,playing along so he doesn’t look like the asshole. “Sorry, man, I’m terrible with names.”
“John.” I squeeze his shoulder, glancing around us before ducking in close. “Listen, I’ve got a baggie of the good stuff on me if you want some. I’m already blitzed.”
That finally pulls a real smile from him. “Yeah? How much do you want for it?”
