Devoured: A Novel(18)

He bends his head down to mine, so near to me that I can feel his breath fanning my ear and smell spearmint from the gum he must have been chewing earlier. “For once, do as you’re told before you shoot yourself in the foot.”

I gawk at Kylie, who’s as flushed as I am and staring down at her phone. Maybe she feels awful for luring me here. Probably not, though. If she’s anything like her brother, she’s more concerned about the scene we’re making and the people who are pretending not to watch us than about hurting my pride. I shouldn’t have fallen for her act with Gram either, but then again, I’ve never been the best judge of character.

Quietly, I lower myself until I’m sitting, staring daggers at Lucas all the while. He croons something in a pleased voice that sounds dangerously like “that’s my girl”, and then slides in next to me. The further I slip into the curved booth, the closer he comes. Finally, I just stop moving because there’s no use trying to put any more space between the two of us. I’m unreasonably close to being right on top of Kylie. I move an inch or two in his direction and he calls me a good girl.

Lucas has got me right where he wants me, with the length of his body hot and hard and extremely noticeable against my side.

If I just listen to what he has to say then I’ll be able to leave and forget this night ever happened.

Yeah . . . right after he f*cks with my head a little. Right after he tries to convince me to screw him.

My skin prickles all over.

“You’ll be across the street?” Lucas questions Kylie. When she says she will, my mouth falls open and I look up to protest. Even though she sold me out, I don’t want her to leave. She’s the one who got me into this mess to begin with so what gives her the right to skip out?

“You can’t go,” I say, my voice deep.

But she gives me a guilty, almost sad, smile.

“Sorry, Sienna, but this one’s between the two of you. I’ll be the one to take you home, though.” She reaches out her fingers to give my hand an encouraging pat but I knock them away. The sharp edge of one of the bronze skull rings she’s wearing nicks the tip of my thumb and I press it between my teeth.

“Thanks.” I say to Kylie, the word muffled. Not that it matters because I don’t mean it.

Lucas clears his throat, and she ducks her head, shimmying out of the booth. “I’m so sorry,” she murmurs. She glances back once, before she disappears from sight, but I pretend not to see her. I know it’s childish but being an adult has gotten me nowhere in this situation.

“God, you look like sin,” Lucas says as I pull my thumb from my mouth.

The edge in his voice sends a cold thrill racing through me, from the toes of my black pumps, to the top of my head, where I’d styled my long red hair into a messy up-do. My eyes flutter shut and silently, I countdown from 20.

It won’t take much to walk away. No, it won’t take anything. I can call a cab, or God forbid, Seth. I shouldn’t stay here with Lucas because he’s about as bad for my mental health as I am for his music.

17, 16, 15 . . .

But if I just leave without hearing him out, I’ll seem weak. He’ll know I can’t take being around him. He’ll figure out how big that part of me that can’t resist him really is. And I want to think that he can’t use that against me, but he can. Lucas is the type who will exploit any weakness to get what he wants.

7, 6, 5 . . .

No, I won’t leave. Not until I find out—

His fingertips tangle into my hair, sending hairpins flying to the tabletop and onto the seat in a quick, gentle motion. My red hair spills into my face, around my shoulders, and both of us suck in our breaths at the same time.

“Your f*cking hair . . .”

“What do want from me?” I ask

“Everything,” he whispers, turning his head so that his lips touch my temple. He inhales the scent of me in before speaking again. When he does, he almost sounds intoxicated. “But for now . . . I want you to work for me.”

He draws back and puts a—dare I say—professional amount of room between us. I’m stunned to realize that the cheese and vegetables have been cleared away and now there’s a salad sitting in front of us. I was so wrapped up in the moment with Lucas that I hadn’t noticed the server’s return.

Damn Lucas for driving me to distraction over and over and over again.

And f*ck myself for letting him. Why do I do this to myself?