Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Oh…oh, Dane.” Maybe it was to hear him say my name just like that, so turned on and hard for me. Fuck, this guy was driving me out of my mind.
“You like being a little slut for me,” I whispered in his ear as I continued stroking him.
“Yesss,” he hissed. “You keep doing that, and I’ll be your slut anytime.”
And just as he was getting close, his legs shaking and little whimpers coming from his lips, the door from the kitchen opened and a little voice yelled down, “Desse?”
“Fuck.” I pushed away from him, reining in my breaths as I charged toward the steps.
“Hailey, you know you’re not allowed to open that door without permission. The stairs are steep.”
Suddenly Bree was there, lifting her in time for her to avoid making a bad decision about the steps. “She just wanted to return the nail polish Jesse left on the table.” She gave me a strange look, and I wondered if she’d guessed what we’d been up to. When my fingers tingled, I pushed my hand in my pocket, heat creeping across my cheeks.
“I bought it for you to keep, Hailey,” Jesse said over my shoulder, and goddamn it, why did he have to be so good to her? “I have plenty.”
“That’s very kind,” Bree said, and then she shut the door, giving us our privacy again.
The room was silent, awkward tension thickening between us.
“Nothing like being cock-blocked by a preschooler,” Jesse joked, bringing just the levity I needed. “Can I get that ride home now?”
17
Jesse
I really wanted to ask Dane if we could finish what we’d started, but by now, I felt I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t be down for it. Not there, at least, and not right after Hailey had almost caught us. The guy was super responsible and serious. While I understood it where Hailey was concerned, I was also fairly certain Bree had known we were up to something, and she would have made sure we weren’t interrupted again.
“Um…yeah, yeah, sure.” Dane cleared his throat. He grabbed his keys, and we went out the private entrance and to the car.
We were quiet again as he made the drive to my apartment. I was still a little shocked at how the day had gone. First, I babysat Dane’s niece, and then I ended up at his house and had almost come in his hand. I could have done without the almost part.
He must have remembered exactly where I lived because before I knew it, he was pulling over on the side street by the condos.
“About what just happened…” Dane started.
“It was just fucking around. You don’t have to get weird about it.”
“I know, but—” He shook his head. “You’re right. And thank you, again, for watching her. I’ve never left her with someone like that, and it meant a lot to me. For some strange reason, she likes you.”
I couldn’t hold back the grin that spread across my face. “I’m fucking awesome. You’d like me too if you gave me a chance.”
“What are you talking about? I gave you a chance.”
“No, you didn’t. You had something against me from the start, but that’s okay because I thought you were a cranky-ass from the start too.”
His cheeks squeezed in, and I was pretty sure he was fighting back a smile.
Oh, Dane. Why are you struggling against me so much? I was beginning to believe it was a lost cause.
“Yeah, well, I guess we’re even, then. And we’re too different.”
I huffed. I mean, yeah, in some ways, but not in all of them. “We’re not that different.”
His eyes darted to the condo. I wasn’t sure he even realized he did it. “You wanna come up with me? You can have my ass again. And I’ll let you call me a slut. I like it when you call me your slut.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel as desire made his skin flush. Fuck yes, he wanted me.
He shook his hair off his forehead and surprised me by asking, “How are we not so different?”
“We’re both gay and work in a bar. We’re both fucking hot. We like kids and think Hailey is awesome. We’re both doing whatever we can to get by.”
He cocked a brow at me as if he didn’t believe that part.
“What? This old thing?” I pointed over my shoulder at the units. “Yeah, I thought the same thing the first time Seth brought me over. It’s not mine. It’s my roommate’s. I could never afford a place like this on my own, and I can only afford it with him because he managed to score really cheap rent—his parents know the owner. Not that it should matter.”
My words hung in the air between us. Dane just stared at me. I wasn’t sure he was even breathing, but he wasn’t looking away. Finally, he mumbled, “Fuck,” and dropped his head back against the seat. “It shouldn’t matter. You’re right. I…assumed.”