She pulls out my hand and presses a line of kisses up to my elbow.
Muah.“I really like you, Finn.”Muah, muah, muah.“You’re so hot. I think about you all the time.”
I pull away in disgust.
But something strange happens.
J’s smile curls wider in victory.
Why would she be that smug unless…
Damn.She’s playing me.
Jinx has been following my brothers and me for a long time. She knows what we like, what we dislike. What drives us out of bed in the morning and what drives us to our knees.
She knows we all hate clingy women. Desperation to be loved by us is the fastest way to run us off.
But shewantsthat.
She wants me off her back.
Not bad, Jinx.
“What’s wrong, Finn?” J asks, still batting her eyelashes. If I didn’t study expressions for over a decade, I would probably miss the way her smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “Did you change your mind?”
“I haven’t.”
J’s head whips up.
“I agree,” I say.
“W-with what?”
“You can have me.” I take her hand in mine.
Her fingers turn stiff. “W-what?”
“You’re mine.” I gently push her hair behind her ear, grazing my thumb over her lily-white skin. “And I’m yours.”
The pupils at the center of her blue-green eyes shake slightly.
“I’ll take you completely,” I breathe out. Tracing a line down to her pulse point, I arch a brow. “In exchange for your life.”
She sucks in a violent breath.
The watch beeps, but I’ve gotten so used to it that it barely registers anymore.
J blinks a few more times, calculating her next move.
And then she shakes her head and inches away from me. “Last night was great. Really, but you’re right. I couldn’t handle having you as my boyfriend.” She pretends to sniff and wipe at her eyes. “I guess we just weren’t meant to be.”
A snort of laughter gets trapped in my throat. What an actress.
J’s eyes dart to the bottom of the stairwell again, and she takes a step down. I’m enjoying myself too much to let the mouse go, and I suddenly don’t want this conversation to stop.
“Why deny yourself the opportunity to have what you want?” I ask her.
Her voice carries a ring of impatience. She wants to be rid of me, and I’m sticking to her like glue. It must be driving her crazy.
