Page 50 of Don't Date Your Nemesis

So fucking beautiful.

I wanted to throw her over my shoulder, take her to my house, tie her to my bed, and ravish her until neither of us could remember our own names. I wanted to mark her, claim her, make her mine in a way that went beyond this fake engagement, beyond the rivalry, beyond everything.

“Still think we shouldn’t?” I asked, my voice wrecked, my smirk lazy and satisfied.

She couldn’t speak and could barely breathe. She just slumped against the door, her skin flushed a deep, beautiful rose.

“Shut up, Liam,” she managed, her knees buckling as I kept my hands tight around her waist, holding her up.

My heart and cock throbbed.

Liam. Not Fish Boy.

16

WE HATE EACH OTHER

LIAM

I stood near the bar, champagne in hand, watching Deepika’s ass as she talked to someone across the terrace.

The guilt of ruining her bikini bottoms and leaving her commando under her dress had lasted approximately ten seconds before morphing into lust at the knowledge that she was bare underneath all that fabric.

The dress hugged her curves, and every movement made me hyperaware that there was nothing between her skin and the silk except air.

Fuck me, my pants had started to feel tight. Again.

I took a long drink.

“You’re staring.”

I turned and Kiara stood beside me, champagne flute in hand, with one eyebrow raised in a way that was far too knowing.

“Who? Me? Ha, I’m not⁠—”

“You absolutely are,” she smiled. “At my cousin’s ass, specifically.”

My brain short-circuited. “I wasn’t… she was just⁠—”

“Relax,” Kiara said with a laugh. “You’re engaged. You’re allowed to stare. Though maybe try to be subtle about it? You look like you’re planning to devour her.”

Heat crept up my neck, and then Ethan materialized in front of me, blocking my view entirely with his arms crossed.

“Hey, man,” I said, keeping my tone casual. But it sounded forced.

“Don’t ‘hey man’ me,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Were you just staring at Deepika’s ass while talking to my fiancée?”

I started whistling badly because I didn’t know what to reply to that.

“Liam.”

“What? It’s a nice dress.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Leave him alone,” Kiara nudged his shoulder. “They’re cute.”

“Cute?” Ethan looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “This is Liam. And Deepika. They’ve hated each other since we were kids.”