Page 19 of Loving the Tormentor

"Wonder far away from her. Countless women throw themselves at you." My fiery friend keeps going. Peach and I could argue for hours, and I love riling her up. "Just play with a bitchy Stoneview girl."

"What tells you she won't be throwing herself at me? What tells you she hasn't already?"

I remember our little interaction at the diner she works at. Nyx Mayer is just another groupie who can't breathe when she's around me.

And those are really fun to mess with.

I like to push them and scare them. To find their fear and see what they'd forgojustto say that Achilles Duval gave them attention. Humans are fascinating. They'd do anything to feel important. And I like to play with people.

I have a feeling Nyx Mayer would love to play with me.

Chapter Five

Nyx

UrWasted – LaLion

Ipull at my skirt, questioning if it's too short. I saw how some of the girls dressed to go to that inauguration. They were elegant, not trying too hard to be sexy and yet effortlessly attractive. I wonder if that's how they go to parties too.

Two post-grads invited me to a party, but I barely know them, let alone anyone else there. Penelope, or Peach, as her friends called her, sometimes volunteers at the women's shelter on the North Shore. I've been there more times than I care to admit, and I met her there. Her friend, Ella, seems just as nice as her, and I do need to make some friends. So, I’m jumping at the occasion to hang out with them. But I also saw them talking to Achilles Duval, and I'm not sure how smart of me it would be to hang around him. He's dangerous for my sanity; I know that from the way Iforgotabout Chase the one time I had a real exchange with Achilles at the diner. Not to mention, he earned that asshole reputation fair and square when he messed with me over my acceptance letter.

I don't think I can trust myself around him.

Or maybe him showing his true colors will help with the fangirling. The more human he looks, the more I can detach from this relentless fascination.

It was horribleto stand in front of all those people a couple of weeks ago at the inauguration, but it wastortureto see Achilles at the back, his eyes on me. I thought I was going to die on the spot.

My phone vibrates, and I see Chase's text telling me it's him right as he knocks on my door. I open for him and push onto my toes for a kiss, but he freezes in the doorway, a foot still on the outside step.

"What the fuck?" He chuckles unbelievably.

I step back, hurt by his lack of a hello. His eyes take in my red flowing skirt with some black flower patterns and the black bandeau top I'm wearing.

"I told you two girls from SFU invited me to a party on campus. I thought you were driving me?"

"Yeah, I'm driving you, but you're not wearing this to a college party on the South Bank."

My head rears back from the shock. "I've worn shorter skirts in this town, and you never complained about it."

He moves toward the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing one of my dad's beers.

"No one would touch what's mine on the North Shore. Those rich kids don't understand how scared they should be of us, and they think they're invincible."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Chase, you're being insane."

He downs a good half of the beer and shrugs. "You want me to drive you? Get changed. I've got other things to do tonight."

My eyes narrow at him, and instead of going toward my bedroom, I walk to him.

"Things like what?"

Putting the beer down, he grabs me by the waist and sets me on the fragile counter. I automatically spread my legs so he can settle between them, and the second he kisses my jaw, my lower stomach tingles. I can easily forget any argument when he puts his hands on me, and he knows that.

"Things anyone too close to Kayla King shouldn't know about."

That works like a bucket of iced water.

I push him away. "What?"