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Hawk Abercrombie’s the only one not paying any attention to the card game, reading a book, his legs thrown over the arm of his Chesterfield armchair.
There’s no sign of Nic—which makes sense. He would have come to get my sister if he’d been there. And if he passed his royal assessment today, he’s likely tied up between interviews and private ceremonies.
I nervously let Less take me to the table, and when he pulls out one of the armchairs for me, I sink into it.
“Hi!” I wave around the table.
Less takes the seat to my right, and immediately reaches for my hand. I lower it to my lap, shooting him a pointed look.
The corner of his lip hikes up. “And here I thought we were done playing.”
We both know we’re only just starting. Now if only someone had seen fit to hand me a handbook, spelling out all the new rules, that would have been great.
FIFTEEN
Less
When she snatches her hand back, I don’t move mine to her thighs because I can’t imaginenottouching her now that she’s so close.
I just love watching her squirm.
When she left four years ago, she was a lanky teen with matchstick legs; even then, she drove me wild with those pale eyes, which rarely ever dared to rest on mine for more than a second, the way her cheeks would immediately flush whenever I caught her looking at me, and that fucking mouth.
It was objectively because of her mouth that I didn’t let her go when she demanded it. The rest of what she had to offer, I could get from someone else, but I don’t know anyone else with that plump, biteable upper lip—except maybe her little sister, but she was a baby, not to mention spoken for by the one guy whose girl I couldn’t in good conscience steal.
I’d imagined doing unspeakable things to those lips a thousand times since age fourteen. I couldn’t let her go, and that was that.
But now, every single inch of her is perfect. Those strong legs under my palm. She must still run in the morning. The soft swell of her breasts has at least doubled in size from the last time I saw her, the summer after her graduation.
If I’d known she’d run, I would have cast a net. Catch her, lock her up, cut her wings.
But when she was gone, I managed to resist the need to pursue for one single reason: I knew she’d be back.
My skin’s alive, a hum of electricity buzzing through me from the simple contact. I can’t wait to touch, see,smellmore of her.
Very, very soon.
“So, Ivy,” Sebastian says, while it’s Hux’s turn to play his hand.
I immediately redirect my gaze to his, eyes narrowed, cautioning him.
He still forges forward. “I hear you work in publishing, is that right?”
That does warrant a raised eyebrow from Hawk, who was thoroughly ignoring the lot of them until now.
“That’s right. How did you know?” she asks, tense.
She’s not comfortable among my circle of friends. And I don’t want her to be. It’ll be much easier to control her if I’m the only one she knows what to expect from.
“Bels mentioned it.”
“Oh.” She chuckles awkwardly. “That makes sense. And, yes. I’m assisting one of the editors. It’s not too glamorous, but I get to read some of the manuscripts thrown her way. Those she doesn’t particularly want to read, really.”
She doesn’t sound too enthused.
“Do you get to pick books?” Hawk asks, his low voice always a little on the rough side, likely because he doesn’t use it much.
Ivy breaks into a smile, and I suddenly want to punch my childhood friend. She doesn’t ever smile at me these days, but even back then, she never smiled likethis. Openly.
