How could I ever forget? I’m their property. I’m not meant to have feelings about things beyond how they want me to be for them.
Caden’s warmth surrounds me as we finish lunch, but I still feel the chill of Luke’s words.
CHAPTER 52
The Cover
Luke
Her eyes are wide when she looks back at me.
Harper Davidson.
We generally run on a catch and release program for a reason. Girls get clingy. Jealous. They think they own us, but in this case, she does. She’s got us locked down tight this year unless we want to go against our word and break our agreement.
After all, she’s given us what we wanted. But I’m not done with her, and by the looks on the others’ faces, they aren’t either. I’m not sure where Caden’s and Nico’s heads are, but I know they’re in this for the long haul.
Caden whispers something in Harper’s ear. She laughs. My fists clench. It’s so fucking effortless for him. She’s effortless for him. Even at night, she curls up against him. Not me.
Her dark eyes lift to mine, and I raise an eyebrow. Her cheeks flush, and her eyes darken. Is she thinking about how I fucked her? Or about how I want to fuck her?
She clears her throat and looks down at her hands, holding the apple.
“I was going to ask Penny if I could say I’m staying the night at her house.” Harper glances around at everyone.
“Why would you stay at Penny’s house?” Jack shovels in a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
She blushes. “Not actually to stay at her house, but to say I’m staying there. I’m pretty sure Mom would say no to an all-male slumber party, even if it’s only two.”
It’s not a bad idea and worth considering.
“Why not ask MacKenzie?” Eli asks. “Those girls will want something in return, kitten.”
Harper’s shoulders fall, and she sighs. “Mom knows Kenz’s mom, and besides, it’s not very believable. Sleepovers happen at my house because Kenz has younger siblings and a small house.”
I glance over at the table of the wannabe girls. When one of them notices me looking, almost everyone at the table straightens up and poses, like I’d pick any of them to come over here. Last year, I might have. Toward the far end is the girl who talked to Harper at the coffee shop.
Eli meets my gaze. We were just discussing the number of clingers our girl will attract when they realize we aren’t exactly trolling for fresh meat. We need to talk with the others away from Harper about the girls… and the guys.
Fuck those guys who look at Harper like she’s open for business. More than a few have checked her out today, making me want to claim her again. Publicly. But they know she’s mine. Claiming her again would make me appear weak, and that’s the last thing I want to do.
My gaze flicks back to Penny and her friends. Those girls want something from us and are using Harper to get it. They aren’t preening for our attention like the others at the table, but they want something. Everyone does.
If we can figure out what, maybe we can make a deal. However, that shit takes time.
If it means Harper can stay in my bed tonight, it might be worth not knowing the cost until later. Not having to worry about her mother in the morning would be nice, and the extra room in bed would be a bonus. Caden takes up a lot of space.
“Find out what she wants in return, princess.”
Harper turns to me. “What if the price is too high?”
“Does your mother know Penny?”
She shakes her head.
“We might get another girl to vouch for you.” I stroke my jaw as I glance around the cafeteria. We know a lot about people. We might be able to leverage some of Jack’s work in our favor.
When my gaze returns to Harper, fire burns in her eyes. I resist the urge to chuckle. She’s jealous again, probably imagining what those girls might want us to do.
