Page 76 of Her Devil

“And do you want there to be something between you and Jacob?”

“Do you want there to be something going on?” he asks, throwing the question back in my direction. “You’re awfully interested in this for someone so obsessed with his brother.”

“I am not obsessed,” I refute.

“No?” The silence stretches out between us as I refuse to acknowledge his words. “He’s obsessed with you.” His words tumble out nothing more than a whisper. “He’s jealous, possessive. I can’t imagine him becoming so enamoured by someone without any encouragement. He’s got that from somewhere.”

“Nonsense.”

He grips my chin, dragging my gaze to his as he dissects every thought flickering through my mind, like he’s watching it all play out right in front of him.

“He’s willing to do anything to get you, to keep you. And you’d be willing to do anything to be free.”

“Free?”

“Free of expectation. Free of commitment. Just… free.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I dismiss, pulling my chin from his hand and tearing my gaze from his.

“What did he do to you?” Leo asks as he leans closer, close enough for me to feel the tickle of his breath against my cheek as I wait for some whispered admission that never comes.

“What did he do to make you want to take the woman he’s obsessed with, and his brother from him?” I ask.

“Oh, I don’t want totakeanything,” he rasps. “I want it to be given, freely and willingly.”

His words or his tone hits me somewhere I wish it didn’t as my stomach coils and need pools deep in my belly. I do want him. Not like I want Nick, not with that otherworldly connection that draws us willingly, or otherwise, together. No, this is different. This is somewhere between the gentle touches and whispered words from Wyatt and the harsh taking with Nick, it's illicit.

“You only have to ask,” I admit, returning his words from that very first night.

Because right now, I’d give him anything, and I’m not really sure why.

The door barges open, a couple tangled together apologising as they knock into Leo, forcing him to his feet and breaking the spell we found ourselves under. They apologise as the two of us get up, heading back into the party without a word and leaving them to do whatever the hell they wanted the privacy for.

The girly laughter is what catches my attention as we head back to find fresh drinks, ours forgotten about in the heat of the moment as we find the rest of the girls laughing in the kitchen, clearly turning up at some point after the two of us disappeared.

“You guys good?” Tamsin asks, taking in the awkward tension between us that certainly wasn’t there when we left.

“Yeah, totally good. I’m going to head back though if you’ve got a lift to the house?” I check.

“Yeah, there’s space to slide in mine.” Penelope smiles, waving her keys. “Might be a bit of a squeeze, but we can do it.”

We say our goodbyes and Leo offers to walk me safely to the car.

The dark evening wraps around us as he leans in just before closing the door and drops to his haunches. “It’s okay to want what you want, it doesn’t need to fit into anyone else’s box of propriety, just remember that.”

He closes the door, walking away and back towards the party, leaving me more confused than ever.

What is that supposed to mean?

TWENTY-FOUR

IVY

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I grumble, grabbing the phone from the nightstand. There’s only one person in the world that can get through my Do Not Disturb and I thought I left her safe and sound with the rest of the girls.

The text message suggests otherwise.

T: Help!

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