Page 111 of Please Hate Me

I had to clear my throat as I pulled away from her, desperately denying the unholy things I wanted to do to her.

“We’ll take it slow.” And I’d give her anything she wanted. All she’d need to do is ask, and I would be putty in her hands.

Her breathing was deep as she played with the neckline of my white cotton tee shirt.

“Was that the big conversation you needed to have?” If so, it’d gone a hell of a lot smoother than I expected. But she shook herhead. My brows raised as I tried to imagine what on earth she could have to tell me.

“How do you feel about Sebastian?” she asked timidly.

Just hearing his name made my stomach churn, but after her reaction yesterday, I wasn’t going to talk down on him to her. Just in my head, and to Lucian, and to Sebastian himself if the mood struck.

“He’s a little… eccentric,” I admitted. “But other than that, he’s fine.”

“... Do you think he’s handsome?”

I fought the urge to grimace as I scratched the scruff on my chin.

“I mean, he looks like his brother.”

In a corporate psychopath kind of way.

“.... Would you ever consider sleeping with him?”

My skin crawled at the idea. “Like… alone?”

Mason’s hand was icy as it rested on my jeans. “Maybe eventually, but it doesn’t have to be.”

I considered it for a moment. If we didn’t touch, and I didn’t have to look at him, and it made Mason happy, I could fuck Sebastian. But something about this situation was fishy. He and I had been butting heads like rams. Now, we were one wrong word from sleeping together?

“Are you askin’ for him, or you?”

Her eyes widened, and her lips pursed together.

“Does it matter?”

She’s asking for him.

“He has a crush on you,” she admitted.

I closed my eyes as I counted to ten. There was no way Sebastian Castillo had feelings for me. Not only was he lying to Mason, now he was dragging me into his ridiculous witch hunt. Even if hewason the right track, it didn’t justify risking her life.

But I couldn’t tell either of them any of that. I’d just have to ride it out.

“I’d sleep with both of you. But not just him. I don’t know him well enough.”

Mason looked down at her stomach, and I cupped her chin and pushed it back up.

“Don’t say it,” I warned.

There was a playful glint in Mason’s eyes, and she smiled at me, but this time was different. I could see the gap in her teeth and the start of her all-too-sharp canines. It felt more genuine than the rest of the smiles she’d shown me, and it made my head spin in that pleasant, dizzy way only new love could.

Wasn’t I too old to feel like that?

“Do you mind if Seb and I talk first?” My tone was cautious. “I ain’t really into the idea of fuckin’ someone just because I can.”

Again, Mason looked at her swollen stomach, softly rubbing the curve as nerves caused me to shift in my seat. I wasn’t immune to the irony of what I just said.

“You’re different.” I rushed through my words.

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