Breaking Even (21 page)

“What time? I can set my alarm clock.” What the hell is wrong with me?!

She goes still in my arms, but after a few seconds, her leg wraps around me.

“You want me to stay the night?” she asks curiously.

No. Yes. No. Fuck, yes. This is really starting to irk the hell out of me.

“Yes. You’re already here. You’re tired. I’m tired. And I have an alarm clock. Besides, I’ve seen you eyeing my shower at least five times today. If you stay, you can take a shower in there tomorrow morning.”

When she grins, everything makes perfect sense. I can do this. I think. I fucking hope. Shit, I really hope I can do this for at least a little while. I know it can’t be permanent, but we can be happy for a little while. There’s nothing at all wrong with that.

“I do want to take a shower in there, but I have a feeling you won’t get up early enough to take one with me. And that’s why I’ve been eyeing it.”

Yep. I’m fucked.

“Oh?” I ask, grinning as she snuggles into me.

“Forget it. I’m spent. No more sex tonight. Still want me to stay?” she mumbles, yawning as her precious body molds to mine, and she tucks her head under my chin.

Something warm spreads throughout my body as she hugs me to her. I hold her to me, feeling so damn comfortable that it’s mind-boggling, and I grin against the top of her head.

“Yes,” is my simple response. Because I do want her here. I’ll deal with all of this confusion some other time.

Chapter 10

BRIN

“You bastard!” I yell as the sticky, colorful assault pours from all of the showerheads. Why the hell did I let my guard down?

Rye laughs as he holds the shower doors closed, and I curse him while trying to figure out how in the hell to turn this damn digital shower thing off. It needs a frigging passcode! Who honestly believed so much technology was a good thing?

I try to reach one of the showerheads to shove it away, but the tall son of a bitch has installed all of them too high for me to reach without something to stand on. I had to pull a chair in here when I sabotaged him. I really wish I had that chair right now.

“Payback, tiger,” he says, grinning, even though his face is obstructed by the fog on the doors.

Tiger
. It’s a simple word, and he’s called me that before while playing our game, but it sounds different after you’ve had sex with someone—mind-blowing, phenomenal, life-altering sex.

Does he have to be this amazing? It almost makes me hate him.

“I’m going to kill you,” I growl as the sticky mess finally starts slowing down and turning a little clearer, promising me that the Kool-Aid attack is almost over.

He just laughs, and I stand here in all my nakedness as the colors slowly dissipate. I’m scowling, but he can’t see it through the even more steamed-up glass.

Finally, the clean water starts coming through, and I get under the flow to start rinsing away the sticky aftermath that is all in my hair. Closing my eyes, I put my head back and get to work on my hair. Poor hair.

I shouldn’t grin when his body is suddenly against mine, but I do. I shouldn’t angle my neck to give him better access to kiss it, but I do. And I definitely shouldn’t let his lips start devouring mine, but I can’t help myself. I can’t believe he got up this early.

“I’d love to stay in here with you,” he murmurs against my lips, “but you’d never get to work if I did.”

Work is seriously the last thing on my mind.

I pull him to me and kiss him harder, fully prepared to be late, but he forces me to let him go while he laughs.

“Get finished. I’ll make you some coffee.”

As sweet as that sounds... “I’ll pass on the coffee,” I say while glaring at the gloriously naked man in front of me. Does he really think I’m that stupid?

His grin spreads as he shrugs and opens the door. “Your loss. I make an excellent cup.”

“I prefer sugar. Not salt.”

He just laughs while walking out, and I frown. I really wanted shower sex this morning.

“Fuck it,” he says, suddenly back in the shower with me, and I grin in anticipation when his lips come down on mine and he picks me up.

***

BRIN

I expected to get inside the house and tiptoe around in an effort to get ready and hurry to work, but Maggie and Carmen are sitting on the couch, both of them grinning as they stare at me.

“What?” I ask innocently, walking straight to my room.

“Don’t you dare get ready without telling me details,” Maggie gushes, running into my room as I grab a few things to change into.

“Details? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say deadpan, holding back my giddy grin.

“You fucked him! Hell yes! I knew it. So are you two seeing each other again tonight? Did you two talk about why he was being so crazy?”

And these are the questions I wanted to avoid.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Well, did you ask him what all this was about? He seemed genuinely freaked out about losing you when he came over.”

I sigh hard while shrugging off my old shirt and pulling on my fresh one.

“We didn’t talk about any of that, and I’m not going to. It’ll ruin it. It always does with guys like him—not that I have tons of experience.”

Maggie doesn’t have to know that Rye is the third guy I’ve ever slept with.

“So you don’t get any answers to the questions you want to ask because it might freak him out or something? That’s stupid, Brin. That’s not you.”

She glares at me, but I roll my eyes. “It was one night, Maggie.” And one incredible shower this morning. “I’m not going to quiz the guy about what one night means.
That’s
stupid. If it goes somewhere, great. If not, fine. That’s the joyous world we live in. People date to get to know each other. They don’t figure it all out on the first night.”

She follows me around as I finish getting ready, and Carmen is sipping her coffee on the sofa when we walk out. She does her best not to look at us because this just got awkward—roommate dispute.

“
You
do, Brin. You never screw someone without knowing there is a potential promise of a relationship. You’ve dated numerous guys for months without giving it up.”

“I haven’t really dated since high school,” I say through laughter. “I’m an adult. And I’m allowed to have some fun. I’m not deluding myself into thinking Rye wants anything more than fun.”

She scowls at me. “You’re more to him than fun. I guarantee you he has feelings for you that go deeper than the surface.”

“Maggie, right now I’m the exotic creature. For once in my life, I’m something refreshing. To him at least. He’s used to gorgeous girls throwing themselves at him, and I’m the ordinary girl who smashed his car instead of dropping my pants. Well, before I dropped my pants.”

I aim for joking, but her ugly scowl promises I’m not getting through to her comical side.

“Maggie, don’t. Don’t force me to analyze this. It’s fun to be different in a good way for a change. Last night, I felt better than I have in so many years. Don’t steal that by forcing me to see it as it is. Not yet. Just let me enjoy it for a little while.”

Her look softens, and she blows out a breath.

“Fine. But if he hurts you, I’m roasting his balls on a campfire.”

He’s going to destroy me.

“I’ll be fine,” I lie.

I can do this. I can have fun, meaningless, casual sex with my beautiful, sweet, incredible, perfect neighbor that I happen to be falling for too much. I was okay with leaving. But then he asked me to stay. I was okay with it being just one night, but then he referenced the future. I was okay with it just being about sex, but then we talked. And for the first time since John left me, I talked about our divorce without getting angry.

I smiled. I frigging smiled because it felt so good not to give a damn anymore.

Now I’m smiling again, and Maggie is frowning.

“You’re already in love with the bastard,” she groans.

“Am not,” I retort quickly, rolling my eyes.

I’m not sure how deep that lie is, but I know it’s not exactly true. I’m pretty sure I’ve been falling in love with him since the day he stole my car to fix it. But he’s not looking for love. And I’m willing to take what I can get, because I settle. I always have. That’s how people find a few moments of stolen happiness from an otherwise cold and disappointing world—they settle.

***

RYE

“You have...”

Jessica keeps talking, rattling off my schedule, but those are the only two words that break through. My mind is only on one thing. I’ve never slept so damn good as I did last night.

No doubt it was from the exhausting evening. It had to be. I refuse to believe I slept so well because Brin was in my arms. But damn she looks sweet when she sleeps.

I wasn’t going to get up with her. I knew I’d end up in the shower with her and doing things that would only complicate our lives, but I wanted to play. She always makes me smile when she gets that fake angry hissing tone. She loves our war.

“And Tag Masters is here to see you,” Jessica says, somehow managing to make me hear her again.

I turn in my chair and frown. Why’s he here?

He walks in, and Jessica’s eyes roam over his body. Nice to see she’s recovering from my rejection so quickly.

Tag, of course, doesn’t acknowledge her. He sits down in front of me, and she pouts on her way out. That girl is going to develop a complex working here.

“What?” I grumble.

“Rain’s surprise party is tonight. I just wanted to know if you want Leah to meet you there. She’s called me like ten times, wondering if I’ve talked to you since the night you left her stranded. Ash is going to kill her if she doesn’t stop calling my cell phone. Apparently she’s very jealous while pregnant. I’m still learning all this stuff. She’s never really been jealous before because she knows without a doubt that I’d never do anything.”

I walked out on Leah after kissing Brin, and she wants a date with me? Again?

“No thanks. I prefer girls with self-respect.”

I can’t tell him about Brin. I don’t know what to say or how to explain it. At this moment, I don’t even know what’s going on. But she’ll ask. She’ll ask soon, and it’ll be the end of us when I don’t have the answer she wants.

“Hello?” Tag says, waving his hand in front of my face as though he’s been talking and I’ve been ignoring him.

I clear my throat and try to give him my attention. “I asked if you were still pissed at me or something.”

I’m not pissed at him. I’m pissed at me for being such a little bitch.

“No. I’m coming to the party, but I’ll bring my own date. No more setups.”

He frowns and nods. “Fine. I’ll see you there. I need to grab some sort of present. What the hell do you buy a girl like Rain?”

I give him an incredulous look. “And you think I know?”

He shrugs and turns to walk out. I’ve lived in Sterling Shore my whole life, but there’s one place I’ve never visited—the museum. They don’t need me here. I’m no good to them while I’m distracted.

I need to go speak to Brin. Maybe today things will be different and I won’t feel like I have to have her close to me.

Then again, I am going to the fucking museum to see her, so maybe my shit has just gotten worse.

***

BRIN

“Make sure that is packaged properly. If it arrives at the owner’s home with even one scratch, I can promise you that you won’t be buying your kids a Christmas present this year,” I say mildly to the men who start taking much better care of the artifacts they are packing up.

Ash is still standing beside me, pouting as she awaits my answer.

“No. I don’t want you setting me up. Ever. Again.”

I turn and start walking toward the next few crates, taking inventory and making sure everything is here.

“I said I’m sorry. I still feel like the biggest bitch in the world. I had no idea the guy was such a creep. I promise this one is different. His name is George and he has—”

“Whose name is George?” a familiar, deep, spine-tingling voice asks, and Ash turns as I do to see Rye gliding toward us, walking in a way that even has straight men turning their heads to watch. Does everything he does have to be so sexy?

He’s wearing a tight black shirt that has a skull and crossbones on it, along with
Clanton Auto
across the top. And I grin uncontrollably, uncaring about what an idiot I must look like. He stops when he reaches us, and my smile slowly fades. He’s not touching me or even looking at me. His expectant eyes are on Ash.

“George Carpenter. You know him. He’s friends with Billy, and he’s a really great guy. He wants to meet Brin. He saw her picture yesterday, and he begged me for a date.”

He saw my picture and begged for a date. That sounds... odd. Especially if he knows Ash. Standards are too high around here.

Rye frowns as he looks at me. “You’re planning on dating George?” he asks, his jaw ticking.

Is he jealous? Am I grinning again?

“No. I told Ash I refuse to be set up by her again.”

I try to look at the men who are still packing up the artifacts, but it’s hard to do when my eyes keep drifting back to the same man I was pretty much thoroughly explored by last night.

He looks as though relief has just washed over him, but Ash turns her attention back to me, so I don’t get to fully study the man on my right.

“I said I was sorry about the creep from hell. George isn’t like that. He’s nice, and funny, and he’s actually pretty good looking. I promise he’s not the same asshole the last prick was. Please let me do this. I feel horrible about what happened, and Rain’s party is tonight. It’s perfect.”

Rye bristles beside me and answers before I can. “She’s not going out with George.”

I bite back my grin as Ash turns a glare on him. “It’s not your decision. And she’s not someone you have to protect. Brin can take care of herself.”

“I said she’s not going with George,” he growls, and Ash glares at him that much harder.

“And I said it’s not your decision,” she hisses.

He rolls his eyes as he turns to me, and he pulls me to him, shocking the hell out of me when his lips crush mine. I drop the pen and clipboard in unison so that I can steady myself by holding onto his shoulders. His tongue sweeps in, and my knees buckle, forcing him to hold me up.