ght-clothes strewn across the floor, a crumpled blanket half-dangling from the bed, and Graham Mar

ack a

de ache

fted upward to the slee

r Wa

He still wasn't sure if it was real or just so

r hoodie had ridden up, revealing a glimpse of her midriff and the pink waistband of cartoon-print underwea

blinked

girl who held a knife t

st twenty bucks, pretended to cry, blackmailed him, and then fallen asleep like nothing happened. And still, in

temple. *This

m staring, her brows furrowed, and she muttered with sleepy indignation, "W

drool on her cheek and bedhead that looked

usly long lashes-blinked at him with innocent a

and hugging the pillow to her chest.

Graham

used. "As in...

. "Not ev

ch a serious name." She giggled.

ger's motel bed and drooled on my pillow," he

Alright, Mr. Marcu

ghtly, eyes twink

still a

of-?! What does that ha

'mon. Just curious. Last night

on. "If we're not counting

k the ceiling fan. She rolled on the

e *such* a prude.

smooth, pale skin and the delicate straps of her br

dot on he

nct. Almost like a bir

. "Wait a minut

asked betw

rabbed her wrist-not roughly, but

l, Graham? Pe

"That. On your arm. Whe

hrugged. "No idea. M

urity Seal.' Ancient families used to apply it to girls to prove their chastity. You'd crush a specific gecko that had consumed cinnabar

ze. "You'

all that crap last night about 'absorbing m

ession f

trick

looked pretty happy to be

row. "You're

re a nosy prude with

a doc

. You slapped

iled me into

hat slap was s

pped

t is de

ve. Blair burst into fake tears, wrapping the blanket t

ig mean man bullying a

uttered. "You're the on

uched m

sat o

grabb

*conf

er fingers. "You know, you keep

going t

en

in

d toward

. hugged me... touched me... slept in the s

fro

now?" he

e said sweetly, "I'll

ipped aroun

d. Obviously. Not my fault you'r

re in

cute when

r chin propped on her knees now, eyes shimmering

ou're serious

you still h

n, defeated.

. But only because I don't have

Knew you had

t pus

head. "So... wh

t going a

ou jus

ent from dragging you around while I fi

ked. "A

Symposium next month. Only top-ranked h

n dollars

a medical license for any state, and endorsem

with interest. "That

oke, and I don't n

around herself like a

N

nnections. I

ubt

pay thousands for und

N

aha

toward the

ed. "Where would I g

pau

d when I was young. My dad remarried, and my stepmother... let's

rms wrapped around herself protectively, eyes downcast.

voice-just a note o

re manipulative. You're trouble

t surviving this city," sh

tterly. "You'r

been

ettled be

ck with me. But you follow my rules, stay out of trouble, and if you t

ristmas came early

s eyes. "Don't

it, *

nning when he ope

muttered under his breath,