Page 12 of Fire
I shake my head, still laughing. “I woulda never thought my old badass boss would turn into such a fucking romantic.”
Grave punches me in the arm. “Hey!” I complain, rubbing my arm. The man still packs one hell of a punch.
“Tell anybody, and I’ll have to kill you.”
With Grave, you never take a threat lightly. “Who’d believe me?” I shoot back, just to be on the safe side.
“So you plan to keep it in your pants?” Grave asks, returning to the subject of this little chat.
“Yeah, even if sex wouldn’t screw up my ability to protect him, I don’t want to be Evan’s hate fuck.” I shrug. “Hell, maybe I’m a romantic too, but even though I’ve never come close to feeling for anybody the way you feel about Dream, I never want sex to be as meaningless as it was when I was in the Reivers and I screwed any girl who moved just to prove I was man enough to be there.”
I sigh. “I’m just going to have to deal with a chronic case of blue balls until you take the Reivers down and Evan is safe.”
“You know we’re tight on manpower, but I can always put somebody else on Evan’s detail.”
“Don’t do that,” I rush to object. I hate the idea of someone else watching over Evan. They wouldn’t protect him like I can. Hell, if he’s as mean to them as he is to me, they might kill him.
“Don’t do that,” I repeat more calmly. “Evan is my responsibility, and I want to see this through.”
This time, it’s Grave’s turn to laugh. A sound I don’t think I ever heard when we were part of the Reivers. “Your decision, brother, but if this whole ‘I can’t say I like him’ vibe gets too out of control, let me know, and we’ll make different arrangements.”
“I’ve got it handled,” I tell him, pretty sure I’m lying to both of us.
Chapter 4
Evan
After Luca and Grave leave the apartment, I’m extremely grateful to Dream for keeping my mind from obsessing about what I almost did with Luca. I think Dream somehow senses my near panic and is determined to keep me from spiraling.
“So there I was, down on my knees, deepthroating my boyfriend’s big, beautiful cock.” Dream lowers to the ground and does a hilarious and accurate pantomime of performing a blowjob. “When in walks Corina.”
“Who’s Corina?” I ask, totally caught up in the story.
Dream’s eyes go theatrically big. “His mother,” he hisses.
I laugh, and the sound of it startles me. I can’t remember the last time I laughed at something, even a funny show or movie, let alone sharing a laugh with someone.
It feels nice. Really nice. Plus, it’s good to know someone else has an awkward blowjob story. I’m not sharing mine, though.
“You guys should stay for dinner,” I blurt out, and as soon as the invite comes out of my mouth, I regret it. Just because Dream is being nice to me doesn’t mean he wants to spend his whole night off from work with my awkward ass.
I rush to fix my mistake. “But I’m sure you already have other?—”
“Of course, I’m staying,” Dream says. He rises from the floor gracefully and hip-bumps me. “But thanks for the official invite, so we can both pretend I’m not a snoopy bastard who invaded your house and won’t leave until I get all the gossip about all the obvious sexual tension going on between my new bestie and his sexy bodyguard.”
“Th—there’s nothing going on, I stammer, dropping eye contact with Dream and studying the linoleum floor because I’m a terrible liar.
Dream uses his index finger to push my chin up to eye level. “Fine.” Dream lets out a frustrated sigh. “Keep your secrets—for now—but I’m putting my name and number on speed dial in your phone. One of these days you’ll need to spill the tea and get some of my wonderful relationship advice.”
“There’s no?—”
“Shhh.” Dream bops my nose. “No lies between besties. Let’s warm up this feast and get it on the table. He gives me a mischievous smile. “Wait till you see what I brought for dessert.”
While I put the trays of food in the oven and Dream busies himself with folding the linen napkins he brought with them into miniature chickens and placing them with a flourish on each plate, the shame spiral Dream had postponed with his stream of consciousness comes back full force.
I can’t believe I sank to my knees with every intention of sucking Luca’s cock. I let my attraction to him flare up and totally misconstrued his attempt to stop me from going to the mailbox on my own as a sexual connection.
When Luca’s large hand wrapped around my neck, I felt a strange pairing of safety and desire that left me shaking for more, and I let it carry me away into going to my knees for him.
