Page 37 of The Claiming

Cassie continues to watch as if amused by the situation and so I brush my lips against Simone’s ear and whisper, “That would depend on how fast you run.”

She turns and says softly against my lips, “I won’t run. I can make it easy for you.”

Cassie stands watching, an amused smile on her face as I grip Simone’s hair and lean in for a deep kiss—all the time I stare past her into the eyes of the only woman I want, just to test her reaction. I’m not sure why I’m doing this at all. To prove I don’t give a fuck? To make her jealous, perhaps? To test her interest in me?

She responds by giving me the thumbs up and laughing, turns to Jack, who says something in her ear and I hate how she makes me feel like a fool. I didn’t want to kiss Simone. She’s nice enough, but where’s the challenge in someone who would lie down and spread her legs before I’ve even given chase? She tastes of desperation and so I pull away and jerk my head in the direction of the bar.

“I’ll see you at the ceremony if you make the list. Thanks for the heads up.”

I walk away, her nod of disappointment telling me she really believed I’d be interested in her, and as I grab a beer from the cooler, Santi joins me.

“Fuck! Your ex is out of control.”

I note Kennedy glaring at me from nearby and Santi sighs. “That chick is seriously pissed at you. She asked if I fancied hooking up tonight because she always liked me and you did her a favor when you lost interest.”

He chugs down a beer and slams the empty into the trash can.

“If you fancy a willing fuck, go for it. She’s got that going for her.”

I shrug and he says thoughtfully. “That depends on who else arrives. I’m kind of warming to the idea of The Claiming. This shit is starting to get old.”

“Then sign up.” I lean against the bar, my back to the crowd. “You can always replace your name with someone else’s. Tell them it was an administrative error and if they make a scene, send them to me.”

Santi laughs out loud. “I may just do that, but there isn’t anyone here I fancy being chained to for an entire semester. We require new blood because the current choice is getting stale.”

He sighs heavily. “Thanks, man. I’ll go with the willing for now to pass the time. At least my dick will get a workout.”

“It will make a change from your hand.”

He flips me off as he heads back to Kennedy, who smiles triumphantly at me as he approaches. As if I give an actual fuck.

NINETEEN

CASSIE

I’m so happy Jack is here. This would intimidate the hell out of me if he wasn’t. It appears that the sole aim in coming here is to hook up with someone and all around me couples are getting it on and don’t care who’s watching.

Jack is chatting to Siri and I’m beginning to feel like the third wheel and so I grab a can of soda and head outside.

It’s good to get some air and as I drop down on the step leading down to the yard, the music thumps from behind me, a dull sound reminding me that life is happening without me.

I hate how I felt when Frankie kissed that girl. I pretended I didn’t care, but a knot of jealously twisted inside me when he held her close.

He stared at me the entire time, which told me he was making a statement. Is he proving he’s not interested in me? Are we doomed to a weird friend hate relationship and does he just regard me as his cousin’s stupid friend?

A sudden movement behind me causes me to turn, and my heart flutters when I see the guy standing in the shadows.

“Hey.” I say softly and my response is the flicker of a flame as he lights the end of a cigarette.

“That’s a bad habit you’ve got there.” I shake my head and turn back to the view in front of me.

He joins me on the step and exhales smoke rings into the darkness.

“There is nothing wrong with experimenting, Cassie.”

“Is that what you tell yourself when you do something you know is bad for you?”

“How will you learn what is bad until you test it?”

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