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"Is it?" I ask. "I'm not going."

"Don't be a brat, Teagan. Come here."

With a heavy sigh, I stand and drag myself over to the doorframe where he stands.

"The eyeroll was really uncalled for," he says, grabbing me by my chin. "I might have to bend you over my knee for that one."

I squeeze my legs together, flushed with heat at the thought. I make a calculated decision and smile before I stick out my tongue at him.

One corner of his mouth turns up. "Okay. I see how it is," he says. "Close your eyes."

I close them, feeling his lips hovering just in front of mine, his breath against them. When I can't wait anymore, I lean into him, searching for his mouth, but he moves back again.

"That's what brats get." He leans in, his cheek brushing against mine before I feel his mouth against my ear. "Keep your eyes closed and hold out your hands," he says softly. "And for the record, it isn't the 'D,' but I'm going to give that to you later after I leave my handprint on your little ass. I'm going to fuck your brains out until you're a sticky, shaking mess—until you're ready to be my sweet, soft kitten again."

"I missed you," I tell him quietly.

I love you.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Yes."I missed you all day yesterday."

He presses something cold and hard into my hands. "Open your eyes."

A folded knife sits in my hands, the handle embossed with white pearl tulips. I flip it open and find my name etched into the metal blade in intricate script.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

I nod, smiling. "I love it. It's heavy."

I turn it in my hands, the dim backstage light reflects off the flawless titanium blade as I examine the details in the craftsmanship. And then I can't help myself—I press my finger to the tip, ever so slightly, and that's all it takes. Blood runs from the tiny pinprick down my finger.

"Careful," Declan says. He wraps his hand around my wrist and leans in, licking the trail of blood from my palm to its source before taking the finger into his mouth and sucking it clean. "That one is sharp enough right now to cut through flesh like butter, even if that person is squirming like you were. We'll play with it later; I'll show you."

"Declan, what the fuck is taking you so long?" Rhett asks.

"Be right there," he shouts back. "Do you feel better, Teagan? You're still special, baby."

"Yeah," I tell him. "Yeah, I feel better."

"Good."

He finally leans in and kisses me, tasting me, teasing me with his tongue. One hand rests on the side of my neck and the other…

The other runs along the inside of my thigh until it's inside my skirt, stopping just below where I'm desperate to feel his touch, brushing just slightly against my pussy.

"I'm going to be thinking about how wet your thighs are from your soaked cunt the entire time I'm on stage," he says. "I'll see you later."

He kisses me again lightly before walking past me, following Rhett down the hall.

I watch him until he disappears around the corner. Then, I fold the still-open blade back into its handle and stuff it into my bra.

Maybe it's okay to love someone who doesn't love you back if they're good to you. It won't kill me like it killed her. I'm different, and I don't need it.

"Hey, Teagan!" Brady calls. "Get your sad, groupie ass over here. We're going to play a game."

He gave me what I really needed anyway.