Page 76 of Swallow Your Sorries

“Coats, hats, scarves, off,” Lee says. “Grab a partner and get on the floor. We’ll start with a modified butterfly stretch to open up the hip flexors.”

I watch as Elle pulls off her sweater and my heart slowly thumps to a halt with my steps.

What the fuck is she wearing?

Her leotard istinywith a swooping neckline that exposes half the swells of her pale breasts. Her hunched shoulders tell me she’s just as self-conscious about them as she was two years ago. As she was on the dock when she thought that somehow she’d managed to turn me off.

Impossible.

My eyes trail to her pastel pink tights that are practically sheer. She’s wearing her leotard over it, and I’m utterly transfixed by the way the plump swells of her ass are devouring the purple crotch. She knows it too, because when she turns around, she presses her back to the mirror wall as her hands protectively shield her pussy from my view.

She pulls at the neckline, desperately trying to cover a tit, but it doesn’t budge. If she’s so uncomfortable, then why did she wear it? And fuck her comfortability. Why would she wear afuck meleotard where just anyone can see her? Where anyone can ogle what’s mine alone?

“Fuck me,” Hale whispers, and Bae grunts in seeming approval.

I turn to them slowly, feeling the deranged look in my eye without seeing it. “Don’t you have your bestie’s sister to go eye fuck?” I ask Hale, then to Bae, “And shouldn’t you go watch?”

“It won’t be much of a show,” Bae says coolly. “Zedd won’t let him lay a finger on Stassi. I’m more interested in what you’ll get away with doing to Eloisa.”

“You can listen while you guard. Turn around and I’ll use the blood from your stab wound as lube.”

“I wish someone was just as overprotective of my body,” Hale coos, rubbing his bare arms with his hands and biting his lip. “Look at all these predators waiting to sink their claws into me.”

“Shut up,” Bae and I hiss in unison, but Hale’s right.

At the barre, dozens of hopefuls bat their eyelashes in our direction, but the boys already know the drill.

I watch as Elle scans the room, desperate to find someone, anyone willing to pair with her. Well, except for me. Her eyes fall on Aria and she’s about to open her mouth when Éti swoops Aria into his arms. They’realwayspartners.

“Étienne!” Rin’s voice rings out as she prances over. “Let’s stretch near the barre. We never got to finish our conversation.”

Éti pauses.

I expect him to ignore Miss Priss entirely, but slowly, reluctantly, he mumbles something to Aria, presses a kiss to her forehead and follows Rin to the opposite side of the room.

What the hell was that about?

Before I can gauge Aria’s crestfallen expression, Bae swoops in, placing his arm around her shoulders before giving me a wink.

Next, Elle sets her sights on Stassi, who’s being approached by Hale and Zedd, the latter of which gets to her first. In the end, Hale finds some random brunette he’ll probably sink his cock into before sundown and that leaves my little dove all alone.

No one else will come within a foot of her. I’ve made sure of it.

As I stroll toward her, her eyes finally meet mine, but instead of fear, I find resolve. She knew this would happen.

Good.

“Well,” I say. “Get on the floor.”

“Why?” she whispers, her voice laced with confusion and weariness. “Why do you want to pair with me? You hate me.”

As if I need reminding. “How else can I get close enough to torture you?”

She swallows before licking her dry lips. “So what? You’re going to injure me and make it seem like an accident?”

I tsk. “Such paranoia. Do you really think I’m going to assault you in front of everyone?”

“You already did and I wouldn’t put anything past a wild animal.”

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