“Damn it,” my sister hissed through clenched teeth. “This is all that prick Jason’s fault. He made you feel like you were unworthy, like you didn’t deserve something amazing. I swear to God, I want to find that bastard and rip his teeth out with pliers.”
“But he wasn’t wrong,” I said quietly. “I mean, look at what we are, Serenity. Look at what we do. What normal, law abiding person would want to be a part of that?”
She let out a sigh. Then. “No, you’re right. I mean, of course, you are. A guy like West, one who cooks for you and takes care of you, and basically dotes on you hand and foot, of course he’ll leave when he finds out that you’re a grifter from a long line of grifters. If I were you, I’d keep that secret close to the vest. Oh wait!” she said dramatically. “He knew all of that before the cooking and doting shit!”
“All right, you don’t have to lay it on so thick,” I grumbled flatly.
“Then stop being a dumbass. This guy has known exactly who you are, who we are, from the jump, and he didn’t bat an eye. He took dad to task for the shit he got you sucked up in, and didn’t flinch in the face of Spencer’s douchebaggery. He’s into you, babe. Like seriously into you. And to add another layer of whipped cream on top of that damn cherry, it sounds like he treats you like a freaking princess.”
Damn it, I really hated it when she was being all sensible and grown up.
“I’d also like to point out, according to your logic, not only does Spencer not deserve a person as incredible as Kira in his life because of what he does—not who he is—but apparently, there’s also something wrong with her for wanting to be with him in spite of it. Does that sound right to you?”
“Of course not.”
“Thank you,” she cried. “Look, babe, I love you around the world and back again a million times, but we have enough shit swirling around us as it is. There’s no need to add to that by making a good situation bad. A hot guy likes you and wants to take care of you. Don’t turn that into something ugly because of your own hang-ups. You deserve the freaking world on a gold-encrusted platter, Stell Bell. Stop settling for less.”
I sniffed back the burn in my sinuses, refusing to cry just because my sister was being awesome. “Have I told you I love you lately?”
“Not in the few days since you’ve been holed up with Mr. Knight in Shining Armor.”
“I love you, Sere.”
“Well, then you can show your love with pics of all the hotties you come across. I’m green with envy right now.”
I let out a laugh, feeling a million times better after just one conversation with my big sister. “I think I can do that.”
“And nudes would be even better. Just saying.”
“That I can’t do. You’ll have to stick with using your imagination.”
“You’re no fun,” she grumbled playfully. “Now get off the damn phone with me and go fall on West’s dick, would you?”
“Serenity!” I yelped.
“You’re welcome for the pep-talk by the way. And sis, it bears repeating,” she paused until she was certain I was listening. “You deserve something amazing. Don’t ever forget that.”
We exchanged another round of “I love yous” and ended the call a minute later. Inhaling nervously, I looked down at Rollie, still comfortably vegged out with my thigh as his pillow.
“What do you think?” I asked, giving his back a scratch. “You think I should try and seduce your daddy?”
He answered by rolling over and giving me his belly. “Typical male,” I giggled. “But I’m going to take that as a yes.”
Now I just needed to find the courage to actually do it.
Twenty-One
Stella
Once I’d made up my mind, it was time to put my plan into motion. That meant getting into the headspace of a seductress. In order to do that, I needed to be wearing something other than comfy jeans, flip-flops, and a faded tee that was a couple washes away from better days.
Shifting Rollie’s heavy head off my lap, I moved across the room to my duffle bag. I was running dangerously low on clothes. I needed to do a couple loads of laundry and convince West to take me back to my apartment for as long as it took to pack more belongings. As for now, I had one nightie left, and a T-shirt my sister had given me as a gag gift a few Christmases ago that said It Was Me. I Pissed in Your Cheerios. I opted out of that one, and plucked the satiny nightgown in a dusty shade of pink from the bottom of my bag.
In the bathroom, I checked my reflection in the mirror. I pulled my hair out of the messy ponytail I’d put it in when we got back from Alpha Omega earlier, and ran a brush through the dark, tangled locks really quick before fluffing it at the roots for a bit more volume.
I’d washed my face earlier, so the bruises stood out a bit more, but there was nothing to be done about that now. If I tried covering them back up, it would be obvious, and according to my sister, a real seduction was supposed to appear effortless. I did, however, add just a bit of gloss to my lips to give them the slightest shimmer. I could have fallen on his dick just like Serenity had suggested. Honestly, that would have been more my style, seeing as m0re times than not, I was a complete mess. But I didn’t want to do that.
“Well,” I started on a sigh, stepping back to give myself a better look in the mirror, twisting so I could check things out from the back. “Guess this is as good as it’s going to get. What do you think?” I asked Rollie. In response, he moseyed over to his dog bed and dropped himself down like a sack of bricks. His life must be so exhausting.
My belly felt fizzy, like it was full of champagne bubbles, as I padded out of the bedroom. I placed my palms on my abdomen to quell the nerves as I slowly made my way down the hall. The lights were off in the living room; the glow flickering from the TV and the soft yellow light above the kitchen sink guided my way. The dark worked in my favor. I was a nervous wreck, so bad my hands had begun to shake, and I didn’t want him to see that or he might refuse me, thinking this wasn’t what I wanted. He would have been dead wrong.
I stopped just outside the mouth of the hall, unable to do anything but stare. From my vantage point, I could see the back of West’s head as he sat on the couch, watching a bunch of men sitting around a table on the television, talking about game highlights or something. His thick arms were stretched across the back of the sofa, the weak light casting shadows in the divots and creases created by his muscles. He was mouth-watering perfection.
I took a step closer, the floor creaking beneath my left foot and alerting West to my presence. He glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowing as he caught sight of me. “Hey. Everything all right?”
“Yeah. It’s all good,” I answered as he lifted the remote and muted the television.
“I thought you were down for the night. You need a pain pill?”
I wasn’t in pain, well, except for the near-constant pulsating throb between my thighs, but I didn’t need a pill for that. I needed him.
“No, I’m fine.”
He looked at me curiously as I rounded the big, cushy sofa, concern pinching his sexy features as he leaned over, prepared to flip on the lamp on one of the end tables. I reached him before he could reach the lamp, taking his hand in mine and staying his movement. “Leave it off,” I said, my voice coming out soft and breathy. “Please.”