Page 81 of Filthy Little Pretties

Grey’s dark eyes challenge me. There’s nothing he’d like more than for me to try. I hold up my hand, reassuring Victor, and shake my head.

“Thanks for the backup, Vic, but I can handle the likes of Grey.”

An empty laugh leaves Grey as he takes a few more steps inside my room.

“Very well. I’ll be just downstairs.”

I nod and walk past Grey, shooting daggers at him, to close the door as Victor leaves. My eyes stay trained on the smooth wooden door as I close it gently, the click serving as the bell in a prizefight.

“Why are you here, Grey?”

I try to keep my voice quiet and calm, but he’s so filled with anger that I can feel it emanating off him, even with the ten feet that separate us. It’s knocking into me like waves crashing onto a rocky wall.

“I want to know what the fuck you think you’re doing? And I want a goddamn answer, Donovan.”

He wants? He wants? Fuck what he wants.

I swallow before I turn around and look at Grey. He’s wild, untamed. A crazed version of the well-kept temperament he works so hard to display.

I should answer him, tell him everything that should stay a secret. Tell him that I hadn’t stopped thinking about our kiss even when Liam kissed me. That I wantedhisrough hands on my body, so much so that I felt him through Liam’s touch. That I’m frightened to the bone, because I can already feel the devastation we’ll cause because I’m fairly certain I’m falling for the goddamn boy standing in front of me. Despite how hard I’m trying not to.

But I won’t say any of that. He lost his chance the moment he peeled out with that little redhead.

“What am I doing? I’m laying out my uniform for tomorrow.”

He picks up a chair and slams it back down, but only my eyes falter.

“Not the answer you were hoping for?”

I push off the door and storm back toward my closet.

“Cut the shit,” he barks, grabbing my arm.

I jerk it away, cutting my eyes at him. “What shit? What shit, Grey? Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be balls-deep in an easy little redhead?”

His head tips back as he runs both hands through his hair. “Yeah. I should be. I wanted to be—to fuck you right out of my system, but I’m here. And I’m happy to see it ruffled your feathers.”

“I don’t care what you do.”

God, the lie is so obvious as I say it that I have to turn away from him.

“Sure, you don’t…about as much as I don’t care that you let Liam kiss you.”

Dick. I hate that my jealousy is obvious, but what I hate more is that I’m happy he’s miserable too. Before I can stop myself, I blurt out something that should remain unseen and unexplored—my craving for his attention.

“We’re friends. Why would you want me to be jealous?”

Grey walks around to face me, arms crossed over his chest, smug and mean.

“Don’t play coy, Cherry. It’s not remotely believable on you. Tell me why you kissed him.”

“To settle a bet.”

Grey steps in, towering over me, but I don’t step away. He takes my face in his steady hand whispering, “Bullshit,” as his thumb swipes over and across my lips roughly, like he’s trying to erase Liam from them. “Behind the tree. Why’d you kiss him again?”

I push against his wrist, but he doesn’t let me go until I push again. “Let go.” I turn my back to him and walk toward the window, wrapping myself in my arms, the tingle of guilt crawling up my spine.

“Why does it matter?”