Page 130 of Defend Me

This place was beautiful. They didn’t live in the middle of nowhere, but it was far more rural than I was used to. They had a gravel driveway and for some reason, the sound of my tires rolling across it was musical. Their neighbors had farm animals and their house was only a mile from a small lake, which was a nice place to escape to. Tilian said it had fish in it, but that was something I didn’t care to confirm.

“Are you peopled out?” he asked.

“I don’t get peopled out.” Absently, I stretched my mouth a little. All that smiling and talking had gone on for hours.

“Whatever you say.”

“The trick is to study people and learn their weaknesses. You’re doing less socializing and more preparing for your eventual villain era.”

“Aren’t you already in your villain era?”

“Never reveal your secrets until you’re ready to win.”

“Thanks for the lesson, oh wise one.”

A smile formed on my lips, one that I didn’t have to consciously shape. “I’ll give you a friends and family discount.”

His head dipped and his lips settled on the side of my neck. “You always smell so good. How?”

“Because this scent costs more than your entire wardrobe.”

“Rude.”

I turned onto my knees and pushed him onto his back. “Mm. Let me take you shopping and spoil you with nice things.”

He bit down on the hickey, sending a jolt through my body. I leaned more of my weight on him and he flattened his palm against my chest.

“I don’t want nice things. Spoil me with food or something.”

“That’s doable. If packages start showing up at your door, though, I plead the fifth.”

“You’re impossible.”

“And you would look like my new favorite picnic if I spread you out on this grass.”

“I’m notoriously up for anything.”

“What if I’m not?”

“I knew you were a virgin." The amusement in his smile made him look radiant.

“Totally. I’m gonna need you to walk me through it, step by step.”

“We can start with the clothes. I’m personally offended by them.”

“Goddamn irresistible. I’ve been doing my best to be transparent and you just want me for my body. This doesn’t come naturally to me, you know.”

“Shocker.”

“Stop making me want to shut you up. You can’t be that desperate for me to choke you with my dick again.”

“Nah.” He pursed his lips on a smile. “It was mid.”

My eyes narrowed. “Ah, he likes to provoke.”

“Wait, I just had a thought. What if my brother is using that fancy drone you got him and sees us?”

“Your dad put it away in a safe so he couldn’t sneak out with it. There were guns in there too, which is a very good reason for me to make him like me.”

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