Page 10 of Pretty Poisoned

"Do you have a favorite song?" he asks.

"Um, yeah," I tell him. "But you didn't play it."

"Which one is that?"

"'My Favorite Ending.'"

"Really?" he says. "I wrote that song. It's actually my favorite one, too."

"Seriously?"

I knew that.

"Yeah. I actually write most of our lyrics, but Declan makes a lot of changes to them—so they fit the vibe or whatever. I had a little more freedom on the first album. That's one of only two songs that are entirely mine."

"I wonder what that would feel like," I say.

"Writing a song?" he asks.

"Being entirely yours."

"Oh, Teagan," he says, shaking his head. "If only you knew what you were saying."

"Why don't you tell me then?"

Reaching for me, he tucks my hair behind my ear and then traces my jawline with his fingertips. His eyes drop to my chest, then meet mine again. I lean into the table to give him a betterlook and run my hand up the inside of his thigh, stopping when I get to his rock-hard cock straining against his jeans. "Fuck, you're beautiful. When I heard you tell off that guy at the bar, I knew I had to have a taste of you. If you come with us to San Francisco, I'll sing you 'My Favorite Ending,' and I'll make you—"

Across from us, someone clears their throat loudly. Luca and I look over at Declan, who scowls at us with Alana nestled in his lap.

"No," he says plainly. "You want to fuck? Fine. Go fuck Hazel and Riv. Or anyone else in this room, as long as you aren't looking at them like that. And as long as you don't fucking talk to them. You know you aren't allowed to talk to women."

"Declan," Hazel says. "Come on. Let him have fun. He's been so good lately."

What the hell is going on here?

"And we're going to keep it that way. Actually, we need to head out. Hey!" he calls out, waving at Eli across the room. He walks over to the table, bringing the topless girl who was grinding on his lap with him.

"Yeah?" he says.

"We're heading out," Declan says. "You can bring your friend." He turns back to Luca. "Not you. No more friends for you."

Rhett and Brady file out of the booth, and the rest follow.

"You should have seen that coming," Hazel says to Luca. "You were too slow."

"Yeah, I realize that now," he says.

"Poor Luca," River says before leaving the booth, too. I look back just in time to see Luca walking away.

"Wait," I say, grabbing him by the arm. "What's going on?"

"I'm in trouble," he says. "And you…" He pauses, looking me up and down again, and runs his knuckles over the exposed skin just above my waistline, then up my center. His fingers lingerthere, toying with the ties between my breasts, causing me to suck in a breath. "You are black licorice."

"Black licorice?" I ask. "Everyone hates black licorice."

"I don't," he says. "It's sweet. It's actually good for you in small amounts—did you know that?"

I shake my head.

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