These Defiant Souls: A Darling Hill Story by L A Cotton

Author:L A Cotton [Cotton, L A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Delesty Books
Published: 2022-10-24T18:30:00+00:00

“I’m going to call it a night,” Grams said sometime later.

We’d demolished the pie, the two of them talking about anything and everything. School. Celeste’s plans for the future. How much Grams liked the group at the center. But conversation never veered toward the fact that Celeste was from Old Darling Hill or the fact that Grams was deteriorating. I had to give it to Celeste, she didn’t pry, and she didn’t fuss when Grams had a bad spasm. She simply asked what she could do to help and did it.

I didn’t know what to make of it. Her here, in my space. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like her knowing our business. But Grams seemed to enjoy her company, and that was a big fucking problem. Because this couldn’t become a regular thing. I couldn’t have her coming around here. Not when all I could think about was making good on my words from earlier.

I wasn’t usually a foreplay kind of guy. Sex was a means to an end. A way to release some tension. I didn’t do sleepovers and I rarely went back for seconds. Girls became too clingy after sex. They wanted to cuddle and talk and all that girly bullshit I didn’t have time or the inclination for.

But this game I’d started with Celeste had me eager. Eager for more. Eager to see how far I could push her. How far I could corrupt her.

Harleigh and Nix would likely kick my ass if I touched her, but they didn’t need to know. Besides, something told me Little Miss Perfect wasn’t advertising the fact she was chasing me.

Whether she admitted it or not, Celeste was finding more and more ways to be around me. Because she wanted a taste of something bad.

Something rotten to the core.

“Do you need some help?” Celeste asked, getting up to help Grams with her stick.

“No, no, I can manage. Zane will help me get my pills.”

I got up too, going over to the kitchen drawer where Grams kept all her meds.

“I should probably head home myself. It’s later than I thought.”

“If you wait a few minutes Zane will walk you back to your car.”

“Oh no, that’s okay. I can call a cab.”

“Nonsense. Zane will walk you, won’t you, dear?”

Celeste gnawed the end of her thumb, watching me expectantly.

“Where did you park?” Because I hadn’t seen her car outside when I’d found her standing at the door earlier.

“I, uh… I left it at the gas station and got a cab here.”

Smart girl. I swallowed the words.

“Give me ten minutes and I’m all yours.”

It wasn’t until the words spilled out that I realized how they sounded. But interest, and a little bit of surprise, flared in Celeste’s eyes.

“Don’t be a stranger, dear,” Grams said, waving her off as she shuffled down the hall.

I glanced back at her, holding her gaze for a second and then went after Grams.

“Such a sweet girl,” she said, the second I entered her room.

“Grams,” I warned.

“What? It’s just a simple observation.

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