Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)(51)

The hard-on I keep getting every time I think back to that moment in the kitchen is becoming a biological hazard.

I pull out my phone and see Luciella has posted a picture of our main sitting area with the TV, captioned movie night with Stacey, my mum and Ewan .

The cigarette nearly drops from between my fingers.

She’s down there.

Knowing she’s down there has me quickly showering, brushing my teeth and shoving on a pair of boxers and sweats. I don’t bother putting on a top – the manor is roasting.

Before I can leave my room, I halt in my steps, blow out a breath and run my hands through my hair before pulling my phone out.

I open my messages with Jason.

Me: She’s here. What should I do?

Jason: Giana said to be cool and pretend nothing happened.

I frown. That sounds like the worst advice ever.

Me: Why?

Jason: Who the fuck knows. She winked when I asked. Just chill and don’t stab her like your dad did to Aria.

Rolling my eyes, I chew my lip to suppress a laugh while firing back a response.

Me: He didn’t stab her; his friend did, dick. One day, when my dad comes for you and your dad, I’ll stand back and watch.

Jason: Haha! Now fuck off and don’t embarrass yourself. Good luck. You need it with those looks.

Asshole.

I stuff the phone into my pocket, spray on some aftershave and head downstairs. I try not to look at Stacey; she’s sitting on the sofa in a little red dress and fluffy bed socks.

“You’re coming this time, right?” Luciella asks her.

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “I just can’t. ”

I sit on the one-seater between the two main sofas, one of which is taken up by my sister and Stacey, the other by Ewan and my mum.

Pausing the TV, Mum asks, “What are we watching?”

“Is The Greatest Showman there?” I ask.

Luciella groans. “We’ve watched that, like, a thousand times!”

I huff. “It’s a good movie.”

“What’s it about?” Stacey asks, and every drop of blood in my body turns to ice when she looks directly at me.

“Some money-hungry dude and a musical,” my sister thankfully answers. “He cheats on his wife and still gets a happy ending. Bullshit.”

Mum’s mouth drops open. “Language!”

I snort and shake my head. “It’s a good movie.”

My sister lifts the remote. “I’m in the mood for a horror.”

The lights dim, and the movie starts, but all I keep thinking is that I should’ve beaten my sister to answer Stacey.

I would have given a better fucking description. Nevertheless, I’m intrigued enough to stay down here instead of escaping to my room.

The movie has been on for at least an hour, and I haven’t paid any attention to it.

Luciella keeps screaming and jumping out of her skin; Ewan looks like he’s ready to fall asleep.

A chill wracks my body, but I can’t be fucked going to get a top. I grab a blanket from the basket near the sofa instead.

“Kade, sweetheart, can you share that with Stacey?” my mum asks. “She looks cold.”

There’s a space beside her, Luciella on her other side, but I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than take it.

Kissing her is fine. Sharing a blanket sounds like a fucking nightmare. I’m nervous about being in her vicinity as it is. I’ll have an arterial rupture if I get any closer.

I get up from my comfortable seat and sit beside her, offering her half of the blanket.

It only takes my family ten minutes to decide they need to leave the room. Ewan and Mum for food, and Luciella to talk to our dad on the phone.

Leaving me with Stacey. Alone. Sharing a damn blanket.

Shoot me.

“This movie is terrible,” Stacey says, crossing her arms. “I don’t know how people enjoy being terrified every two seconds.”

I gulp. “Yeah.”

“I’d rather watch the film you mentioned – The Great Man?”

Smirking, I rest my elbow on the arm of the couch. “The Greatest Showman,” I correct. “You were close.”

She chews her lip, and my eyes drop to her mouth. “Do you think they’ll notice if we change it to that?”

“Luciella would notice if we fast-forwarded it by five seconds.”

“Hmm. True.”

Our eyes clash, and the insatiable desire to wrap my hand around her ponytail and yank her to me increases with each passing moment. I could look at her forever – the different shades of light green looking back at me; the way her pupils dilate as I absently reach my hand forward, twirling a dark strand around my finger.

“Why did you let me kiss you?” I ask, remembering her mouth on mine in the kitchen a few days ago. “I teased you for years. You should have slapped me.”

Stacey blushes. “I, um, I wanted to. ”

The hair springs free from around my finger. “Slap me?”

Fidgeting with the edge of the blanket, Stacey sighs. Her tone is like a caress on my cheek. “Are you playing a game here? Make the girl want you only to toss her to the ground so you can get praised?”

“How can I get praised if no one knows I kissed you again?”