This Fearless Girl (St. Clary's University #2) - E. M. Moore Page 0,55

I’m a Jacobs, and we always get what we want. Look what happened with you. I waited, bided my time. When you were ready, I claimed what I knew was mine from the beginning.”

A thrill washes over me at his words. On the surface, I don’t like the idea of being watched over for years—almost like being preyed upon. But Stone Jacobs makes it sound so sexy. He’s still infuriating. He still makes me want to gouge his eyes out sometimes, but that’s the fun of the push and pull. “Well, Stone. I’m not claiming you until you rid yourself of your father.”

“You already claimed me when you fucked my face. Don’t deny it. That was you staking out your territory.”

The memory of his tongue between my legs douses me in a simmering heat. “I’ll never be able to have you until he’s gone,” I tell him. “You don’t even have control over your own life, so how can I claim something you don’t have yourself?” Anger surges up inside me on Stone’s behalf. For all of his bravado, he’s still being pulled at by marionette strings.

“My mind and my body are my own. They’ll never be my father’s, and they’ll never be Marissa’s. You’ll always own those, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not. I think you hate yourself a little for wanting me. You’re still worried what your father would think if he were here.”

I swallow, staring Stone down. He’s not wrong. The tiny bit of betrayal still hangs over me. I look away and gaze out the window. I don’t know how to get rid of that feeling. I really don’t. The chances that my father is still alive are pretty much non-existent at this point, but I hate that I’m letting him down by doing the opposite of what he wanted for the treasure.

“It’s your life, Dakota. Not his.”

“The same could be said for you.”

“Why do you think I know it better than anyone?”

19

I wake with a warm body wrapped around mine.

I don’t know how I ended up here, but I’m all for it.

A buzzing sounds, and Lucas rolls to shut his cell phone off. I glance over my shoulder when he turned back, admiring the chiseled planes of his chest. “Hey, sleepyhead.”

I smile and snuggle up to him.

“I came in to make good on my promise, but you were out cold.”

I run my hands through my hair. Correction: I try to run my hands through the rat nest of curls. “I was so tired,” I confess.

“You looked so inviting that I cuddled up next to you. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Lucas, you already know you’re welcome in my bed any time.”

He smiles at me, and it’s so genuine it practically punches me in the chest, knocking my breath away. I sit up in bed.

Fuck. I think I... I think I love Lucas.

“Hey,” he whispers, trailing his fingers up my back. “What’s wrong?”

A shiver overtakes me. I’ve been turning over Stone’s words in my head all night. Does that have something to do with this sudden revelation? “N-nothing.”

“You seem freaked out.”

I scramble out of the bed and turn toward him. Dear Lord. He’s wrapped up in my bed sheets, pouting, his honey brown eyes filled with concern. How did I get here? I lived with dad my whole life, barely had anybody, and now I have three guys who aren’t just my treasure hunting partners. It’s clearly been much more than that from the beginning.

Lucas reaches for me. “You’re trembling.”

I pull further away. “I’m fine.”

Everything about me sounds fake right now, and Lucas isn’t buying it either. He sits up, grabs my hand, and pulls me back to the bed. “What’s going on inside your head right now? You can talk to me.” The distress in his gaze melts my heart, but I can’t bring myself to voice my fears. I’m not used to talking about feelings. My father and I didn’t do feelings.

He tugs me closer, and I slip my feet between his.

Was all the jealousy and hatred just gearing us up for this? If this is what true feelings are, I’m not going to lie, they terrify the fuck out of me. I’ve never even had a friend my own age, and now....

“Okay, you’re really scaring me,” Lucas prompts, grabbing my face. “You’re turning pale.”

“Kiss me.” I search his eyes, watching his brown depths swirl.

His jaw sets, and he moves forward with his brooding stare—the kind I could get lost in. We