Burn (Virtues & Lies 1)

Running my fingertips over my burning lips as I try to soothe them, I take in deep breaths. One after the other, hoping that they’ll hold the tears at bay.

“Wait!” Leo grits, I know that it’s at me, but I don’t take notice.

Fleur takes a step to me and when she searches my face, I can barely stop the tears from spilling.

“Motherfucker!” Fleur breathes far too quietly for her, at the same time as Leo snaps, “I said wait!”

I’m trying my hardest to contain these foolish feelings inside me. But I can only picture the way Laura’s hands were so comfortably grabbing onto his waist when they were dancing. It’s making me want to scream. At him. At her. At myself for being hurt by something I have no right to be hurt by. However, it feels like it should have been my hands, just like when he had me pressed up to the wall with his tongue tasting me and mine savouring him.

“Let’s go.” I tell Fleur, walking by her when she doesn’t make a move to follow.

“Cass?” she calls as I start to head back to the ballroom.

I continue walking away before doing something I’ll regret. Or worse, before he sees me like this. I bet he’d love to see how much his little game is getting to me. I won’t feed his ego or his pride. He has enough of both from the way he handled me out here.

“Cassie!” Fleur calls again, a little too loudly, and I automatically turn to her.

I make the mistake of looking at Leo before my friend. And he is staring me down like I really am a little girl. With his eyes narrowed, his jaw ticking, and his hands balled at his sides. God, he makes my breath catch. He’s sexy even with that high and mighty look on his face. Maybe I wasn’t lying at all. I do hate him. Even if it is the smallest bit.

“Don’t look at her, arsehole, I’ll rip your fucking eyes out!” Fleur snarls at him. Her hands are on her hips, her head is tilted to the side and a sneer paints her face. “And why are you even still here?” she spits at Laura with a disdainful roll of her dark eyes.

Laughing at Fleur, like she’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic, Leo takes a step towards us, and I’m laughing too, because I don’t know what I’d ever do without her. I want to kill her for making a scene and I want to hug her for always having my back in her own crazy way.

“You think I’m funny?” Stepping closer to Leo, her shoulders pull back as her hands scrunch her black lace, see-through skirt that skims the floor. The corset bodice of her dress emphasises her perfect posture that screams I can take you.

She is full-on squaring up to him. Even with her small five-foot-four frame dwarfed by his much taller and broader one, she still looks intimidating.

“Huh?” Taking another step forwards, the point of her stilettos touch the shiny leather tip of his Oxfords.

Laura growls, I half expect her to stamp her feet, but she stands glued to the spot with a murderous expression on her face instead.

Taking a deep breath, I walk over to Leo and Fleur and carefully pry one of her hands off her tiny waist before I try to pull her away. “Come on, babe.” I tell her softly because she’s ready to explode at any minute.

“Wait,” Leo murmurs when I begin to walk away, but despite his reaching tone, his hands are tucked into his pockets.

“I hope your tiny, micro dick falls off.” Fleur growls at him with a withering look that travels up and down his body.

The way she bares her teeth at him is feral and, although I’m almost certain that she won’t, I pray that she doesn’t spit at him.

“I’ll have those drinks now.” Taking one last look behind me, I find Leo staring at me with a hitched brow.

Arse

hole!

Something twists me up in that second and I do something that I don’t normally do. I give him the middle finger.

I want to retract it immediately and apologise, but instead I fight myself and make a point of holding it up for longer. Yes, I am that little girl he accused me of being, but to hell with it.

Racing, my heart feels like it might burst out of my chest as his eyes narrow on mine and a full-beam smile cuts his face before he chuckles. Something about that fills me with pride. I feel like in some way I’ve achieved something. Like my petty, immature action has made him see me as less of a little girl.

“I’m so proud of you.” Fleur sing songs with a big grin on her face. “Now, if only his tiny sausage really would fall off.”

Recalling the way his arms and shoulders felt under my hands, I suck my lip into my mouth. He didn’t feel small, he felt hard and strong and I think it’s impossible for Leo to be small in any way.

Heat blooms in the pit of my stomach and it clambers up my body like shaken up fizz.

“You’ve got something loose, you know that?” Trying to clear my head I force a laugh, but it only earns me a suspicious side-glance from her.