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“I don’t love anything about you, Gideon Destil,” she claimed, chin lifting as she crossed her arms beneath her tits, making my teeth tingle for a taste of her neck. “I’d go so far as to say I lean toward hate when it comes to you.”
“Feeling’s mutual,” I lied to the snob needing to be brought down a notch or two, my smile fading. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t lick and bite every inch of your tight body given the chance.”
“If you ever touch me, you’ll find out exactly how much I hate you. Remember who my friends are.”
I didn’t bother telling her she was more than welcome to touch me whenever the fuck she wanted.
I’d had enough banter with her prissy ass for the day. My goddamn balls couldn’t handle another round, so I let her sit in quiet the rest of the ride home.
“Gideon,” Dad called and waved me toward his office. He stood on the threshold like he’d been waiting for me to come down the stairs.
I had finished up my homework and planned to hit the weights in the finished basement Ingrid had bought for the two of us. Goddamn cunt—I hated her more than I hated my own father, but at least she knew how to butter a guy up. I forced those special smiles for her whenever she spent money on me. Fucking bitch deserved that at least, and it always made it easier for her to buy me more shit too.
“What’s up?” I asked, following Dad into the office that had belonged to his wife’s old husband she’d offered him use of.
Dad nodded toward a chair facing his deck, and I lowered myself into it, my shoulders tensing and breaths growing shallow. He didn’t appear angry—no scowl or dented brow—but Dad never asked to speak to me in private unless something was wrong.
Maybe Ingrid had finally gotten under his skin and he was ready to call it quits.
Fuck—that thought sucked balls. I hated Alaska, but I needed more time to get under Addilyn’s skin. Show her she wasn’t all that, bring her down to my level—
“Grades good?” Dad settled into his chair and shuffled a few things around on his desk.
“Yes.” I didn’t bother with a “sir” like Ingrid would require when in her presence.
“Making any friends?”
“None that will get me to stay here after graduation if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“I’m actually coming to enjoy Alaska.”
So much for him calling it quits and heading back home.
“I’ll be out of your hair come June because there’s no way in hell I’m staying up here in this damn ice box.”
Lips pursing, he finally turned his focus on me. “I was talking to Sheriff Bradshaw at the dinner Ingrid and I went to last weekend.”
Fucking lovely.I waited rather than saying anything.
“It seems as though Devon feels animosity from you.”
As well the fucker should. “He sniffs after Addilyn’s ass like he wants a bite.” I went with what I expected Dad would hate to get him to understand my need to protect her—only from everyone but myself.
Sure enough, a muscle twitched in his jaw. “Given the chance, would he attempt anything, do you think?”
“Looking after the princess’s innocence?” I asked, keeping my tone light, without a trace of suggestion.
“According to her mother, Addilyn is pure, and yes, I’d like to keep her that way until she’s ready for a man in her life.”
My stomach clenched up tight as fuck as I studied his face.
He held my stare, his cold and closed off, but he couldn’t get shit past me.
Grooming, I’d heard it called. Well, attempts, anyway. I didn’t think he’d broken through Addilyn’s walls enough to get her ready for his attention. Dad wouldn’t ever earn her trust. My princess was too smart—same as she wouldn’t trust me.
I’m sick, just like him.
I lost our stare down and glanced out the window to my right, the afternoon’s dark sky settling over me like a heavy weight.
