CLOSED STARTER. "Don’t you have any other friends?” Cleo taunted. There was no feeling more victorious than opening the door to see Harley Rhodes standing there. Everything was falling into place and the longer their ‘relationship’ went on the more adrenaline pumped through her veins at the possibility of being caught. “What about that girl with the oxygen tank?” Cleo questioned. “She seems utterly fascinated in your wellbeing and happiness...” the brunette smirked, familiar with the incessant text messages Harley would receiving from the girl. “But a kiss from you might put her lungs at risk,” she’d never truly met Beatrice, but Cleo knew exactly who the bushy browed teenager was. The fact that Dante had remained in contact with Annie long enough for their children to be friends, made Cleo a little nauseous. But then again, Annie had never been the kind to drop something once she took hold of it. “Wouldn’t want her to explode at your touch,” it was far from something to tease about, but Cleo had never be one to censor herself at the expense of others feelings.
“You can’t come here whenever you like, that’s not how this works,” Cleo often did this. Willed him away with her words but brought him closer with a flirtatious smirk or a peck on the lips. Of course, little did he know, she was doing this on purpose — driving him away only to pull him in again like a yoyo. She wanted him to want her, need her and regardless of the fact that Cleo did enjoy his company on the odd occasion nothing would trump the explosive reaction when the truth eventually bubbled to the surface. “What if I’d had company?” she grinned, leaning forward to place her red-tinted lips against his for a fleeting moment. There was no hesitation when it came to Cleo, if she wanted something, she’d take it and while she was busily encouraging Harley to seek solace elsewhere him coming to her was a victorious feeling that couldn’t be described to anyone without a blackened heart.
“I have a date tonight,” dark eyes watched for a reaction. “I have to get ready,” Cleo’s love life was a string of bad choices, of course, she didn’t see them that way, but married men with money was certainly a preference not many would look lightly at. “So, take yourself home and I’ll call you in the morning,” she explained. “Find yourself a pretty girl and stick her for me,” Cleo doubted he needed much encouragement but she was desperately hoping that there was a twinkle of disappointment or frustration in response to her words. “If I finish up early, I’ll come past later tonight — as long as your family isn’t home,” the poor kid was probably confused out of his mind, but that was exactly where Cleo wanted him to be — wrapped around her finger. @efferxescent

















