I nod and lean back against Eli. His arm bands around my waist. I want to sink into this feeling. I wish we could all sleep together every night. That I didn’t have to pick and choose.
“You’ll probably only get one of us a night.” Eli’s lips brush the top of my head. “Is that all right, kitten?”
Shivering, I look into Jack’s dark blue eyes. “That should be good.”
He smiles. “I’ll be over tonight after lights out.”
“After our date tomorrow, I’ll come to your bed, kitten.” Eli rubs my hip. My insides are already heated.
“I’ll be there Thursday night.” Nico reaches out and brushes his knuckles along my cheekbone. “Too long, but we’ll see each other before then.”
Luke steps outside with Penny following behind. “Come on, princess. Let’s get you and mysisterhome before my dad gets angry.”
Penny flinches at the word “sister” but she doesn’t say anything. What can she say now?
Everything is already out in the open. She could have told Luke earlier, but would he have believed her? I understand why she didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t have risked my mother like that.
The drive back to my house is just as quiet as earlier.
“Wait in the car.” Luke’s voice is gruff as he tosses that back at Penny. She doesn’t move from her seat as he climbs out.
I turn back to her. “I hope this works out for you.”
Her smile isn’t as bright as it usually is. “At least my brother knows now. I still don’t think I can call William ‘Dad.’ But he asked me to.”
She blows out a breath. The secrets in this town could bury us all.
I give her an encouraging smile and get out. As soon as the door closes, Luke draws me into his arms and kisses me like he’s going off to war. I grin and wrap my arms around him as the kiss sweeps both of us away.
He lifts his mouth and presses his forehead against mine. “I’ll miss you tonight.”
My fingers tug at his hair. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’d say turn on the webcam...” He shakes his head. Yeah.
We don’t know if someone else has access. We don’t need a creeper watching us sleep. Or anything else we may do. I don’t need a real picture of me naked out in the world.
“Call me if Jack can’t make it.” He tucks a hair behind my ear.
I cup his jaw and stare into his pale blue eyes. “You need to keep her safe. He’s using her, just like he uses you. She’s not safe in that house. I feel it in my bones.”
“I know, princess.” He presses his lips to mine and makes a frustrated sound. “Fuck, I don’t want to go.”
I try to smile, but I feel it too. “You can come pick me up in the morning?”
He smiles wickedly and kisses me deeply before releasing me.
“I’m going to need incentive.” He backs away and I grin.
“I’ll text you.”
His eyebrow goes up. “Don’t send dirty pictures until Jack makes sure everything is safe.”
I laugh. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
Smirking, he reaches for the door handle. “Sleep well, princess.”
Mom askedme how dinner went. I really didn’t know what to say to that, which made her chuckle uneasily. So I came up to do my homework.
