Page 108 of The Lies We Steal

I know he’s being nice, but the comment makes my skin crawl in all the wrong ways.

“I guess so.” Lying easily.

“I meant to ask you at the library the other day, but” He reaches into his pocket pulling his phone out, “I’d love to get your number, maybe take you to dinner? I know this great restaurant—”

“I’m sorry, but I have a boyfriend. Thank you for the offer though.” I interrupt before he can finish, slowly starting to back away from him, pulling Lyra with me.

A flare of something wicked turns his smile from polite, to twisted in less than ten seconds. The annoyance of my rejection sits on his face, but soon it’s gone, his regular charming face back in place.

“Maybe another time then,” He chuckles, “You ladies be safe tonight, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”

Just as quickly as he appeared, he’s gone. Disappearing into the crowd of carnival guests.

Together we make our way through the rest of the rides, I’m almost dizzy from the amount of times I watched Lyra on Tilt-A-Whirl. Either way we were having fun, enjoying ourselves as the night started to get a little colder.

I stood outside the bathroom waiting on Lyra, thumbing through my phone when the feeling of being watched made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I raise my eyes, looking through the crowd in front of me but seeing no one that would have been staring at me.

The feeling of someone curling their hand around my arm sends me into high alert.

“Don’t scream.” I hear whispered in my ear.

I’m jerked backwards, being pulled to the backside of the bathroom building away from the noise of the carnival. I feel his body press into mine, backing me into the side of the brick. Instantly comforted by the smell of clove and spice.

“I can’t leave Lyra.” I whisper yell, pressing my hands into the leather of his jacket, trying to put space between us.

“The guys will be with her until we are finished.” Alistair replies, his frame shielding me from anyone who might walk past us back here.

Our eyes meet, matching smirks adorning our faces, “Thought you didn’t come to school functions.” I insist.

“Rook wanted a funnel cake.”

That’s the last thing he says to me before he presses his lips to mine in a scorching kiss that sears all my thoughts. I melt like ice on the hot pavement as his body bends me back, allowing me to feel every muscle against my soft skin.

My fingers grip onto the collar of his leather jacket, heaving him closer to me. Needing to feel him everywhere.

One more hit. One more high.

I repeated that in my mind.

“Just for Rook, huh?” I whisper when our lips part.

He snaps at my bottom lip with his teeth, before dipping his head into the crook of my neck, making me gasp loudly as his wet tongue runs along the column of my neck.

“Just for Rook.” He grunts.

“Liar.” I moan tenderly, dropping my hands to his toned stomach, fingers sneaking up the trim of his shirt to touch his bare skin that burns beneath my touch. He’s always so warm. On fire all the time.

The smile on his lips grows as he marks my throat with his mouth, “Truth?” He rumbles in a deep voice that makes lightning strike my core.

“Please.”

My voice comes out more needy than I expected, but I think that was all I really wanted from Alistair. Was the truth, answers, something that proved this was more than some sex fest. That I was something more to him than the invisible poor girl who was an easy lay.

“I’ve got some things to take care of tonight but I need to taste you first. Wanted to get my head right. And I need to ask you something,” He starts,

“What body wash do you use?” He asks, inhaling me like I’m the finest strain of cocaine he could acquire.

I can’t help the laugh that escapes my mouth, “What?”