Wicked Beautiful Lies

Wicked Beautiful Lies L.A. FERRO Wicked Beautiful Lies: by L.A. FERRO Published by Pine Hollow Publishing Copyright © 2023 by L.A. FERRO All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [email protected] This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Cover by K.B. Barrett Designs Published by Pine Hollow Publishing Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file with the Library of Congress. Created with Vellum Note to Readers The characters found within these pages are unapologetically dramatic, the scenes are steamy, and the road to a happily ever after is sordid. This book is meant for audiences 18 years and older. A list of potentially triggering themes can be found on my website. Please read responsibly. https://www.authorlaferro.com Contents Prologue Chapter 1 Lennox Chapter 2 Mason Chapter 3 Lennox Chapter 4 Mason Chapter 5 Lennox Chapter 6 Mason Chapter 7 Lennox Chapter 8 Mason Chapter 9 Lennox Chapter 10 Mason Chapter 11 Lennox Chapter 12 Mason Chapter 13 Lennox Chapter 14 Mason Chapter 15 Charlie Chapter 16 Mason Chapter 17 Mason Chapter 18 Charlie Chapter 19 Mason Chapter 20 Charlie Chapter 21 8 Months Later - Charlie Chapter 22 Mason Also by L.A. FERRO About the Author Acknowledgments Prologue "Does it still hurt?" He lightly feathers his fingers over my thigh where the rose bush dug into my flesh as I fell out of my bedroom window sneaking out to meet him. It's throbbing, but I don't want him to know that. I don't want to ruin this night. These stolen moments with him are the best part of my day. "No, it's not too bad." My voice is unsteady, and he notices. Pulling me into his side, he kisses my temple and says, "Let me check it." When I showed up at the old tree house that his next-door neighbors have in their backyard, he pulled his shirt off and wrapped it around my leg. Honestly, the fall into the bush didn't even hurt that much. It wasn't until he pointed out that I had blood dripping down my leg that I noticed the gash. I'm not sure if the pain I feel is even due to the wound itself or the intensity of this moment. "Mace, please, it's fine. You've done enough." I place my hand on his chest and nervously ball his shirt into my fist. If we don't start doing what we came here to do, I might chicken out. I'm beyond nervous. I'm borderline neurotic. All the playful jabs and jokes he harassed me with all summer morphed into subtle stolen glances and low-key touches that took my breath away. I've wanted this moment more than I should, and I don't want to let my brain get in the way of my heart, so I say, "Can we just, you know…" I trail off, not wanting to say the words. We both know exactly why we met tonight. There's no need to pretend that this will or can be anything more. His affection now will only lead to heartbreak later. Bringing his thumb to his mouth, he sucks off the blood from where he wiped the excess off my leg. The move does things to me that it shouldn't. In an attempt to push down the growing ache in my chest, I make light of the act. "Is this our pact? You taste my blood, and I taste yours. Once and never again?" He moves his hand to my forehead and pushes the hair there back. With a coy smile, he says, "If that's what you want." Before I have a chance to respond, he takes his plump bottom lip between his teeth and bites down hard enough to draw blood. As the blood slowly drips over the curve of his perfect lip, he lowers his mouth to mine and says, "Suck." Closing the mere inches between my mouth and his, I trace my tongue over his lip and claim every drop before pulling him into my mouth. Immediately I regret my antics because the tang that settles in my mouth is one I know I will forever crave. His hand cradles my face as I dip my tongue into his mouth, searching for more. His touch is so tender, and his mouth is too sweet. Those two things combined do funny things to my heart. Things I know are sinfully wrong. He's everything I want and nothing I can keep, but for one night, he's mine. A low moan of desire rumbles up from deep in his chest. Pulling back, he searches my face and asks, "Just this once, right?" I pull in a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart and strung-out nerves before nodding in agreement and saying, "Yeah, just this once." He presses his lips together and slightly furrows his brow as if my words displeased him, but that can't be it. There is no mistake that this can't ever happen again. We can't happen, and that's when it registers; he must sense my nerves. He thinks I don't want this. So, I try to play it cool and say, "I mean, it's not like we're both not going to do this eventually anyway." Then, licking my lips, I add, "At least this way, we won't mess up when it's with the right one. "Yeah, yeah, sure." This time I hear the uncertainty in his voice, but before I have any more time to analyze his response to my words, his body engulfs mine, and his hands frame my face. Once he's settled between my thighs, he kisses my lips softly before saying, "Tell me if I hurt you. Tell me if you want me to