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“You’re starting to sound like you’re making things up.”
I glowered at her. “I’m telling you the truth. After we went to the club—”
“With my father.”
“Yes, with your father, Kiki. Who else? Goddamn, girl. Get a hold of yourself.”
She huffed as she turned about and headed for the bathroom. “I need a minute.” Slam.
Goddess, I never saw a girl get so mad about her daddy spending time with somebody. If I hadn’t known Kiara inside and out, I would have told her she was worried about me becoming a mother figure to her.
Well, Teresa really was no peach. She didn’t seem to have a motherly bone inside her body while I was here tending to her abandoned child. That woman had ruined Kiara’s life and then had the audacity to chase down her ex-boyfriend like he somehow belonged to her.
I clenched my fists against my thighs. Teresa should know better than to touch what’s rightfully mine.
My vision swam with orbs. Mine. That word kept circling through my head like a dizzying carousel with a mind of its own. I swore I could hear carnival music in the background while I mentally watched Eric swirl around through my brain. He’s mine.
Where did that come from? I didn’t exactly believe in the mates business, yet here I was, acting like Eric had become my soulmate. I defended his behavior, and I let him manhandle me. Mostly because I loved being manhandled by him. I loved his firm grip, his bruising kisses, and his rock-hard body. Other rock-hard things were on my mind, too.
If I gave him up now, then I would miss my chance at being more than just a play thing or a chew toy. I would give up a lifetime of beauty and freedom. In his arms, nothing else seemed to matter. I could look into his eyes and get lost in his world. I could make jokes, cook food, and eat as much as I wanted without him commenting on my weight.
Being with a wolf made sense to me. I needed a man who could keep up with both my libido and my appetite. Who was better than a wolf to satisfy both those cravings? Sometimes, at the same time.
I jolted my brain with a quick shake. Get your head out of the gutter, girl.
Ugh, but how could I deny the attraction? Lying to Kiara made it so much worse—and weirdly, it made it better. Forbidden things were gorgeous and delicate. If Eric remained off-limits, then I would find ways to quench my thirst. There was nothing better than sex that felt prohibited.
Shoot, at this point, it was downright taboo.
My best friend’s father had swept me off my feet without me looking. Was that so wrong?
The toilet flushed. The faucet ran next, tugging me the rest of the way out of my thinking session. I had to put on a good face and make sure I didn’t accidentally hurt my best friend by being selfish.
Well, who said I hadn’t already hurt her?
When the door opened, artificial light was shed over the carpet, clashing with the brilliant white strip from the window that came from the sun. The light went out as Kiki walked through the doorway. The closer she got to me, the more my heart raced. I was about to spill everything on the ground with how rigidly silent it had gotten since she reappeared.
Thinking could be such loud business sometimes.
Kiara dropped her arms to her sides. “Hey, sorry. I’m just—”
Two sharp knocks interrupted her apology. Both of us descended the stairs and found Eric at the door with my bags.
He held them up. “You forgot these.”
“Oh, thanks,” I said while grabbing them quickly. “I mean, I would have gotten them eventually. I just had to talk to Kiki.”
Eric studied his daughter like she was a lab rat who had just received a new treatment. I didn’t think his clinical stare was a mean one, more like an anticipation of her reaction to him having interacted with her mother without saying a word about it.
He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it quickly. Then he shrugged. Then he turned around and headed back to his house. Kiara smiled tightly while closing the door. She rubbed her forehead and gestured back upstairs. “That guy needs to get laid.”
I laughed so loud that the sound haunted me as I grabbed my duffle and followed Kiara back to her massive bedroom. Something fluttered out of the side pocket as I dropped the bag on the bed. A black and gold foil wrapper with a strikingly bold name on one side and zigzag ridges around the edges.
My eyes went wide.
Oh. No.
Kiara bent to lift it. “What’s this?” But goddess, the way she held it between her fingers with her jaw clenched and her eyes blown wide like tea saucers made me feel a million times more guilty than I had the first time I banged Eric.
