Page 52 of The Vengeance You Crave

"You don't need anything. I'll bring back food."

"Great," she mutters, and I know that if I were to turn around fast enough, I'd catch her rolling her eyes at me.

Pushing the correct key into the lock, I twist it and feel it release for me.

"Luc, you're not actually serious right now."

"Deadly. See you later."

Slamming the door behind me, I quickly lock it back up, not that I really think she'd come running out here naked to try to stop me, and suck in a deep breath.

Looking back over my shoulder, I catch her lifting her hands to her hair, and tip her head to the sky as if she's praying for strength. I stand there for a few long seconds just watching her, allowing myself to get completely fucking addicted to her once again.

"Hey, man. Good night?" Owen asks me from the deck where he's leaning against the railing smoking.

I glance back at the pool house to make sure he can't see anything before walking up to him.

"Yeah, man. Pretty fucking fantastic."

"Yeah, the hickey on your neck confirms it," he says, nodding to where the mark is.

I remember the exact moment last night when she sank her teeth into me after I pulled out of her, not allowing her to come.

"Listen, I'm not done with the pool house. Keep your boys out for now, yeah?"

"Bro, tell me you've got some girl tied to the bed or some kinky shit."

"Can't tell you my secrets, man. Just keep every motherfucker out, yeah?"

"You got it, man. Whatever you need."

"I'll be back later. Just gonna give her a few hours to really miss me."

Owen holds his fist out for me to bump and I happily return the gesture.

"Later," I say with a quick salute before taking off around the side of the house to find where I abandoned my car when I arrived last night.

* * *

I don't need to walk into our house to know it's full.

"Fucking hell," I mutter, scrubbing my hand down my face as I realize that I totally spaced on today's bowl game.

That's what she does to me. She makes me forget everything, and hell if I don't like being in that little bubble with her.

Pushing through the front door, an eruption of shouts and cries come from the den where they're watching the game.

Silently, I slip into the kitchen and kickstart the coffee maker, desperate for the caffeine hit I promised Peyton and never delivered on.

As the scent of the beans fill the room, I briefly wonder if I've done the wrong thing. Guilt about abandoning her there begins to tug at my chest, but then I think back to the way she tried to rip my family apart, the pain I remember all too well as she lied to me, and I tell myself that leaving her there alone is nowhere near what she deserves.

It's not like I've abandoned her somewhere horrible. She's in a fully stocked fucking pool house to the biggest and wealthiest frat on campus. There really are worse places to be stuck.

"Oh, look what the cat dragged in," Leon drawls, placing his beer on the counter and leaning his ass back against it.

His arms cross over his chest as he stares at me.

"What?" I bark.