“I’m fine,” she says, swallowing hard and perking up. “Just sleepy.”
She’s selling this so well.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Anton doesn’t believe she’s fine, but shelooksintact. Dolled up the way he expects.
He must be confused. I bet he’ll think about this for days, convincing himself he imagined her unease. Trying to believe her words instead of her body language: exactly what we want.
It’ll hit him so much harder on Saturday when she calls, crying and begging for help. The guilt of brushing off the small signals she sent will work to our advantage.
“Promise me you’ll rest today, my little angel. Promise you’ll take care of yourself.”
“I promise.”
“Good. Be patient, petal. I’ll take you home soon.”
The call ends and Leilani sucks in a harsh breath. I cross the room and pull her up before she’s moved, but instead of tearing that blue monstrosity off her perfect body, I wipe the concealer off her throat. My mark reveals itself, taking the edge off the jealous fit inside my head.
“He sounded off, didn’t he?” Leilani asks.
“He did. He’s rattled.”
She beams, eyes sparkling. “It worked.”
I nod, still rubbing the hickey, inflaming it more. “You told him you miss him.”
She grabs my wrist. “I had to. It’s part of the act.”
The act that drives me wild.I miss youloops in my ears, waking something dangerous.
I should tell her she did well. I should hug her... but comfort is the last thing on my mind. The heat in my blood wants something ugly. It wants me to press her down and use my fingers to make her forget Anton ever existed... so I do.
Leilani yelps when I grab her waist and fling her onto the bed, crawling over her, my mouth on her skin, adding more marks that prove she’s mine.
“Koby, we don’t—”
“Don’t deny me,” I grit out, biting her ear. “I need to remind you who you are. Who you belong to, hellcat.”
I close her lips with mine and push one hand under her dress, grazing her thigh. I want to mark her there, too. I dive between her legs, inhaling deeply, and hook my thumbs in the elastic of her cotton panties.
A knock rattles the doorframe.
“Fuck!” I snap, glaring at the hardwood. “What is it?”
Broadway’s laugh filters in. “Before you start fucking, Dante and Carter are waiting in the office for an update.”
Goddamn it.
33
Leilani
Since day one, every time something doesn’t happen according to Koby’s internally laid out plan, he retreats inside his head, pouts, and shuts me out. He sulks in silence until the air around him feels toxic. I can knock on the bathroom door three times and he won’t answer, even though I know he’s inside.
He’ll sit on the edge of the tub, staring at nothing, chewing his cheek raw while I rattle off reassurances that never calm him down.
I’ve learned to recognize the signs. The way his jaw sets, the way his eyes drift away from me, the way he’s too busy worrying to notice my presence as he walks into the room.
The first time was when he didn’t kiss me in the bathroom and spent days drowning in regret.
