Page 187 of The Obedient Lie

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Every time I knocked one of those numbers to the ground, I thought about how they’d talked about her — and how she’d kissed me.

Every play was a warning.

Every shove was a vow.

By halftime, all three had taken hits so hard they couldn’t walk straight.

And Luca hadn’t said a word.

Just played harder.

Eyes sharp.

Steps calculated.

Looking up at her seat every time the whistle blew.

And I knew.

He was thinking the same thing I was. We were gonnamake her wear that collar tonight. Not because she was a prize.

But because she was ourfuture.

In the end, we walked off the field victorious. The crowd roared. Cousins slapped our backs. Coaches shouted praise.

But all I wanted washer.

“Let’s go,” I said to Luca.

He didn’t ask where. He knew.

Because it might’ve started with a game… But it would end with our girl wearing a collar, standing between us. Not as a secret.

But asours.

Publicly. Irrevocably. Forever.

Chapter Forty-Six

BASTION

I moved behind her and reached for the clasp at her neck—the tiny hook that held the silk together. The dress slipped.

No hesitation. She stood between us in nothing.

I pressed my mouth to her shoulder. Luca kissed her.

And when her legs trembled, I knew.

She wasn’t afraid.

She wassurrendering.

“You looked so fucking perfect tonight,” I murmured against her skin. “All polished and poised. But this…thisis what I live for.”

I traced my fingers down her side.

We led her back to the bed.

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