Breaking Even (23 page)

He smiles as he stands up and pulls me to my feet, but as we walk away, my lie sinks in. I just told him I didn’t want anything but fun. Then again, life is nothing but a series of settlements.

I can settle for being his no matter how brief it is. As long as it’s just me.

“I only have one rule,” I say as we make our way toward his car.

“A rule?” he muses, threading our fingers together.

“If we’re having sex without condoms, you can’t be having sex with someone else.”

He looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind, but I’m not backing down from this.

“I’m not going to have sex with anyone else. And neither are you.”

Relief washes over me, and I’m able to breathe once again. That’s good enough. It’s almost like he’s really mine. Almost.

Chapter 11

RYE

“Is that cake?” Wren asks as he comes into my office.

“Yep,” I grumble, looking at the delicious morsel that is more than likely full of blood and worms, considering that’s the only reason she had those gross things in her fridge. She never did anything else with them. At least I don’t think she did.

I’m going to be sick.

With a regretful sigh, I slide the cake off my desk and into the trash. It had better be a gross cake. I’ll be pissed if that tempting thing didn’t have anything wrong with it.

“Oh,” Wren says through a snicker. “Prank cake?”

It showed up an hour ago. It was just sitting on my desk with nothing attached to it. It had to be from her.

“Can’t be too careful.” I pout, still staring at the chocolate-frosted wonder that has teased and tortured me. I’ll make her fix me a real cake to make up for it, and I’ll stare over her shoulder the whole time to ensure it’s not tampered with.

“I guess the two of you are still on good terms,” he says as he sits down.

Jessica walks in, halting my response, and her eyes go straight to the cake sticking out of my small trashcan. She looks... sad?

“You didn’t like my cake?” she asks pitifully.

Ah, hell. “You made that?” I ask in disbelief.

She frowns as she nods. “It was an apology cake.”

I just threw away good chocolate for no good reason.

“Sorry. I thought it was from—
Brin
. You’re here,” I say in surprise as my tiger walks in, her eyes narrowed on me.

Are we about to fight over Jessica? I really hope not. We agreed to be exclusive but noncommittal. If that makes any sense. It does in my head, so I’m going with it.

She eyes the trashcan for a moment, but then her pretty blues come back up to meet my gaze.

“Give me the password, Rye,” she growls, and my grin slowly grows.

“Getting tired of maracas and words you don’t understand?” I tease, proud of the fact I rigged her stereo. “Should have taken Spanish class.”

“Now,” she demands, looking hot as hell with that fiery temper of hers taking root.

“Nope.” I sigh long and loud, acting so weary, as though this is exhausting, and Jessica slowly creeps out.

I start to apologize about the cake, but I decide against it. That will give Brin doubts, and I don’t want that.

“Fine. Then that means I owe you,” she says threateningly.

Wren grins as he watches with intrigue, and I sit back while crossing my arms over my chest.

“Or you could consider us even, tiger.”

She rolls her eyes as though that’s preposterous. “Not
even
, Mr. Ass. Now I need to go google my next plan of attack.”

Google? “That’s cheating,” I say with an accusatory tone.

Only I’m allowed to cheat.

“It’s not cheating; it’s plotting. And I have plenty of time to plot. When do you get off?”

Too easy. I shouldn’t. But I can’t resist watching her cheeks flame in front of Wren. “Usually right after you do—the second time.”

I’m rewarded when her eyes pop open to be much wider. Wren coughs in surprise, and then Brin blushes fiercely while glaring at me.

Worth it.

“Wow,” Wren says through a laugh, shaking his head while Brin looks for... something. Probably something to throw at me.

“Not what I meant,” she mumbles, avoiding looking in Wren’s direction.

“I’ll leave right now if you want me to
get off
,” I taunt, only adding to her mortification as Wren laughs loudly.

She bites back a grin while coming toward me, and I swivel my chair over to pull her onto my lap. She doesn’t fight me, even though she probably has something sick and twisted planned for me later.

I really like this thing between us.

“You’re an ass.”

“You’re here to see me, so that must mean you like asses,” I point out, and she grins.

“You’re seriously not giving me the password?”

“Will you call us even if I do?” I ask, leaning over to press a sweet, soft, and very quick kiss to her lips.

“Sure,” she lies.

“Then no. I have work to do, so I need you to go and stop distracting me so I don’t have to stay later than necessary.”

“Fine. I’ll go.
If
you tell me why you have an entire cake in your trashcan.”

I glance over, and curse the delicious looking thing. Damn war.

“I thought it was from you. Jessica brought it to me to apologize for the shit she pulled in front of you. I think she’s worried about getting fired. But I tossed it out because I just knew you had something gross as the gooey center. Something like worms and blood.”

Wren wrinkles his nose in disgust while Brin laughs and stands.

“Glad I’ve made you paranoid. I’m going home now to think of something much better than worm and blood cake. My worms died, and the blood did something weird. So I had to scratch that plan.”

Most people would probably find this conversation... disturbing, but it’s as natural as talking about the weather between the two of us.

“So I’ll see you after you get done plotting my demise?” I ask, smiling like a fool as she bends and presses her lips to mine once more.

“Yes,” she says sweetly, too sweetly. She’s already plotting. Damn.

I watch her ass with appreciation as she leaves. How in the hell did I find a girl as cool as her? I just wish it could be more than it is.

The second the door shuts, Wren leans up on the desk.

“You really like her,” he observes, his eyes on me very intently.

I don’t want to talk about this, so I shrug. Before I can ask him anything about his kid, he continues. “But you don’t plan on getting serious with her.”

It’s not a question, because he knows me well.

“We’re having fun. That’s enough for me and her. For now. Eventually she’ll want more, and the fun will end. But until that time comes, I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. I’ve never had this before.”

I hate the pity in his eyes. “But you could enjoy it for longer. There’s nothing stopping you from trying.”

I’d love nothing more than to punch him. Brin left me in a great mood, and Wren is destroying it. If she’s not pushing, then why the hell is everyone else?

“You know exactly what’s stopping me. Don’t pretend as though I’m some normal guy capable of being what Brin needs. Just... don’t. Things are fine, better than fine, and until they’re not fine... Well, I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

He frowns but nods slowly. He knows I’m right.

Jessica walks back in, her usual smile gone as she carries another cake toward my desk. This one looks... store bought, though. That sucks. Homemade cake is always better.

“What’s this?” I ask, looking up at her as she turns to walk out.

“A cake,” she mutters, sulking as she exits.

“Sounds like you’ve pissed her off,” Wren says, amused.

Damn drama.

“Eat cake and shut the hell up.”

He rolls his eyes as I grab two plastic forks from my desk stash, and I open the lid to the chocolate beauty that pales in comparison to the last one. She could have at least taken it out of the store box.

“Is the icing moving?” Wren asks just as I pull a bite to my lips.

I pull it back and stare at it. Sure enough, the fucking icing is wiggling, and I turn a little pale when I see a slender, disgusting, slithering thing squirming around just under the icing.

She didn’t. She couldn’t have.

I drop the fork full of cake, and Wren gags as he steps away. I glare out at the pet store that is two shops down from the bakery. She did. She’s out there beside her car, and she’s fucking waving. That conniving little—

“She’s quick,” Wren says, half gagging, half laughing, as he draws my attention back to him.

For some reason, that makes me smile. “She’s pretty damn awesome.”

I drop the cake to the second trashcan in my office, and I shake my head. She’s definitely baking me a good cake now.

“The two of you are pretty damn perfect for each other, if you ask me,” he says, and my smile vanishes.

Too perfect. This almost seems like a cruel joke. Fate has a sadistic sense of humor if that’s the case.

***

BRIN

I squeal and dive into my room, locking the door behind me, but he’s at the window instead of the door, and the damn thing isn’t locked. It’s too dark to be running around the frigging house!

“Stop! I said I’m sorry,” I say through a laugh, but he just keeps coming.

“Your ass is mine!”

I giggle while darting out the door, and I run into Maggie’s room, barely getting the door slammed in time. Like a child scared of a closet monster, I dive onto Maggie’s bed and pull the covers over me.

“Maggie? Why are you already in bed?” I whisper, but the pounding on the door makes me scream, and I hear another scream that seems to echo.

When I jump back, trying to get closer to Maggie, my hand hits the smooth skin of her side and I grimace.

“Let me have her, Maggie!” Rye roars, and at the same time, I ask, “Are you naked?”

A throat clearing emerges from beside me, and a giggling sound comes from the other side of it. I give her side a light squeeze, prompting her to speak.

“This is a little awkward,” Carmen says, and I squeal, because it’s her naked side I’m holding—not Maggie’s.

Maggie’s laughter rolls out, and Rye goes silent at the door.

“I’m so, so, so, so, so, sorry,” I groan, ripping my hand off Carmen like it’s on fire.

“It’s fine,” Carmen says, a small bit of her own laughter in her voice.

“Carmen is in there?” Rye asks with a lilt to his voice. “And they’re naked?”

Oh good grief.

Carmen and Maggie both groan in unison, because they hear this sort of thing from men all the time. As though their relationship is meant to turn guys on. Idiots. But that’s not what Rye is doing. He’s just being a playful jerk, because he’s heard Maggie rant about it this past week.

“Can I come in?” he asks softly, trying to sound hopeful. Maybe he is being serious. After all, he is still just a guy.

We all start to say no, but I tilt my head and beat the other two girls. “They said yes. You can come in.”

In the pitch black of the room, I can hear it, but I can’t see when their heads whip around to me.

“I need a distraction,” I whisper.

Nothing gets said, but they both sigh.

“Really?” Rye says after a beat.

“Really,” I affirm, and I get up to go open the door and usher him in.

“Come on in, Rye. Get an eyeful,” Carmen says, playing along.

I really like her right now.

As soon as I peek my head out, the look he gives me proves this was a mistake. A really stupid mistake.

“Rain-check,” he says, grabbing for me.

I try to dodge him, but I’m not quick enough. Maggie laughs as Rye holds me to his body with one hand, and closes the door with his other before wrapping me up in an unbreakable hold.

He grins down at me, warning me there will be hell to pay, but I go on the offense and push my lips to his. When the surprise makes him part his lips, my tongue slips into the gap, and his hold on me becomes different as I wrap my legs around his waist.

“You’re cheating,” he murmurs insincerely as his hands slide down to only cup my ass.

He walks me back toward his house, and I grin against his lips.

“Oh?” I ask, feigning innocence.

He doesn’t even acknowledge that as we stumble back into his house. He drops me to his bed, and I grin up at him. I know a way to make him forget that I just figured out how to reprogram his shower to where he can only get cold water to come out.

Okay,
maybe
Wrench—whose real name is still a mystery—came over and helped me out. He’s quickly becoming my favorite accomplice.

“You’re going to give me the new password,” Rye growls as he pulls his shirt over his head.

“Suuurrre. Right after you give me the password to my car’s stereo.”

I could have just gotten Wrench to fix it instead of hacking his shower, but where’s the fun in that?

I grab at his loose track pants and shove them to the floor, freeing the very excited part of his body. I love the fact that I’m the one who turns him on.

“I mean it, Brin. I love my hot showe—
Fuck.
”

The last word hisses through his lips when I take him into my mouth. He was so busy ranting that he didn’t even see what I was up to. Now he’s standing in front of the bed as I sit on the edge and own him.

The piercing slides over my tongue, teasing me with the power it has, and Rye’s hands go to my hair as I give to him what he gave to me a few hours ago. His mouth is a rare find, because he knows how to slay me in the best possible way with his tongue.

More air hisses through his teeth when I get him closer, taking him as deep as I can while clutching his hips for support. He rocks into me as his muscles tighten, giving me fair warning about what’s about to come—no pun intended.

“Brin,” he whispers hoarsely, warning me verbally, but I keep him firmly planted inside my mouth, refusing to stop my ministrations until I make him feel just as sublime as he made me feel.

Then the warm, salty flavor invades my mouth, and I swallow as quickly as I can while his whole body goes limp and he drops to the bed. I climb over beside him, glowing proudly as he wraps me up. He kisses me, even though he’s out of breath and it’s a weak kiss, but I can’t help but feel a little powerful.