Page 59 of The Penalty

The grip in my hair relaxes a bit, and he sighs. “Scared of what?”

“Letting my team down.”

“So you just cut me off? That’s how little I mean to you?”

I open my eyes and look at him. His eyebrows are pulled together and there’s something lingering, like he’s holding something back.

I cup his face in my hands and give him a soft kiss. Why is this so hard? I just want to be a good person. I want to help him because it’s the right thing to do.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I say, “I want to fake date you because I can’t date you for real.” There. I said it. I hold my breath and wait for him to say something.

“How does wanting to date me lead to you blocking me?” His tone is softer now, like maybe he’s a little afraid of my answer.

I keep my eyes closed, not wanting to see his face when the next words come out. “Because I can’t have what I want and what if my head gets so twisty Magoo that I start throwing games for you? Let my boys down. Ruin everything.” I let out a deep breath and meet his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

I finally open my eyes and find him watching me.

One side of his mouth quirks up. “Is this really about sex? Because I’m not fucking you if you’re not going to talk to me afterward. I have more self-respect than that.”

“It’s not about sex.” I let out a huff of laughter. “Okay, notonlyabout sex.”

He pins me with a look that clearly says he doesn’t believe me. I lift my hands up in surrender. “Do I like orgasms? Fucking duh but I also want to do this. It’s the right thing to do and I have a duty to my family’s honor.”

“Your family’s honor?”

“Yeah. It’s a thing. Look it up.”

“How is fake dating me bringing honor to your family?”

I sigh and drop my head back on my shoulders. “Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Because you make zero sense!”

“Tobi agreed to do this with you, which was a terrible idea on your part. He’s the worst. But he got sick or whatever, so I stepped in. Saving the family honor. Obviously.”

“And going to the dinner?”

“If you tell them we broke upandyou take Tobi, that will be ruining both family honors, and they will probably hate youfor that. Plus, I’m better. Tobi sucks.”And if I ever catch you touching him in a sexy way, I’m breaking every one’s hands.

“Sometimes I really wonder what it’s like in your brain.”

“Fucking busy, okay!”

He smiles at me, runs his finger up my throat which makes me swallow. “You can’t get mad at me and block me again.”

“Promise.” I kiss his finger when he brushes it against my mouth. “You also can’t tell Tobi.”

“What? Why?”

“What part of ‘he’s the worst’ did you not get?” I sigh. “Do I need to Google science terms to make it make sense?”

“No, but I would probably find that process hilarious.”

I grab his hips and pull them flush with mine. Damn, that feels good.

He lifts that stupid eyebrow at me and smirks. “You’re not getting off in my room.”

“What? Why not?”

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