I hate that she qualifies that. She knows I want to keep her, but she doesn’t believe me. I have time to make her believe and I will.
“I know they aren’t the holes that interest you the most, but I have two ears and I’m a great listener.” Her smile is cheesy as her large, brown eyes watch me.
“You’re lucky, little nympho. You have a mother who will do anything for you. Who cares about you so much that the littlest whimper brings her running.” I thread my fingers into her hair. “Ava and I don’t have that. I’m the one she came to when she had nightmares. I’m the one who bandaged her scraped knees. I’m the one who should have castrated Tanner the minute I found out he touched her.”
“You said she asked you not to. That matters, Caden. You didn’t gooff on him because she trusted you not to.” She leans into my hand as I rub her scalp. “You may not have had parents, but she at least had you.”
“And look where that got her. Fourteen and pregnant.” It still makes my insides burn. I should have known. I should have been more vigilant.
“And you were what sixteen? Seventeen?” She kisses my chest. “You can’t blame yourself for wanting a life or not guarding hers. I don’t know what your life was like growing up, but I’m sure you made hers better just by being you.”
I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips. “You see me as something I’m not. You know that, right?”
“I see the man you could be. I see the kind heart you bury deep inside.” She tips her head to the side. “Part of me wants to believe what you show me is real. The other part is terrified you’re only pretending to get what you want. But the more time I spend with you, the more I want to believe you’re real.”
Itskher and shake my head. “Never trust a horseman, little nympho.”
She leans into my hand again and smiles sleepily. “Probably shouldn’t sleep with them either.”
“Go to sleep, Harper. Maybe today I’ll let Luke fuck you.” I draw my hand out of her hair.
“Not up to you,” Luke murmurs, and his arm tightens around Harper, eliciting a squeak from her. “Princess will let us know when the time is right.”
“Go to sleep, Death,” she murmurs as she rests her head back on my chest. “Be glad my mom trusts me, or she would have lectured us for hours this morning.”
As much as I distrust the adults in my life, somehow I think I might have liked that. To have a parent care so much that she tries to parent me too.
CHAPTER 32
The New Tactic
Harper
For a Monday morning, the diner is full of students. I feel self-conscious sitting between Luke and Caden while we look at menus, waiting for the others to get here. The booth is one of those curved ones, so we’re on display to the whole restaurant. Whenever I glance over the menu, I accidentally meet someone’s gaze as they watch our table.
It’s unnerving.
Almost as bad as the school cafeteria. Caden’s hand rests on my thigh, and I jump at the touch. He chuckles and squeezes me.
“Relax, Harper.”
I cover my mouth with the menu when I say, “Easy for you to say. I’ve never been the center of anyone’s attention.”
“I love it when you’re the center of our attention.” His green eyes grow mischievous as his hand trails up my thigh higher. Heat floods me, but I clamp down on his hand before he gets too high. I hope my look communicates how not appropriate that is.
I slept naked between two horsemen and didn’t lose my virginity last night. The way they played with me though… My cheeks heat. It’s like everyone in this restaurant can tell what they’ve done to me.
Caden smirks and puts his arm around my shoulders, tugging meclose until our thighs touch. “Chill, little nympho. No one’s coming near you with us here.”
Luke glances at me with a dark heat in his eyes that makes me squirm with need. Fuck.
“What’s the plan for today?” I clear my throat and set the menu on the table.
“I vote we play a game.” Nico slides in beside Luke. His smiling eyes meet mine, and a pulse of awareness shoots through me. Nico and I haven’t had much time to talk since he returned, but it also feels like he never left. We have this huge gap in our history, and I want to fill in the details.
“I’m game to play.” Jack slides into the booth next to Caden. He gives me a smile. “Last night was awesome, sweetheart. Best show yet.”
My cheeks flush hotter. It’s different when it’s just us, but right now it feels like the entire student body studies our every move. Leaning in to hear whatever we say.
