Page 45 of Knight
Flynn squeezed my shoulder. “I know you’re busy with work. Just try not to forget about us little people.”
“Or us big people,” Knight said with a wink.
I smirked. It was true that Flynn and Knight couldn’t really be classified aslittle. They were both imposing men, with several inches of height and a good fifty pounds of weight on me.
“I’ll remember all the people,” I said. “How’s that sound?”
Flynn set a plate in front of me with a burger and a side of potato salad. “All the pickle spears were gone. Sorry. I know how you love those.”
“That’s ok?—”
I stopped short as Knight set a pickle spear on my plate.
“I had extra,” he said.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He shrugged. “I’m stuffed, anyway.”
“Aw, so cute,” Gray teased. “A week living together and they’re already sharing food.”
I tensed, glancing around at the guys. Did they think there was something going on between us? No matter how hard I tried to keep my walls up, Knight had a way of melting my barriers. I was worried everyone could see the way I wanted to lean closer to him.
“And what’s your excuse for stealing my Doritos?” Knight asked. “You’ve got your own man to pilfer from.”
“I’m heartbroken and jealous,” Emory deadpanned. “You’re two-timing my plate?”
Gray slung an arm over Emory’s shoulders and kissed his cheek. “I love you, golden boy, but I can’t do sour-cream Ruffles.” He shuddered. “Sometimes a man needs a little nibble on the side.”
“There’s no nibbling between Knight and me.”
My tone came out sharper than I intended. Defensive, even.
Everyone paused, caught off guard. Shoot. I protested too emphatically.
Flynn chuckled. “They’re just fucking with you, Aiden. It’s what they do.”
“Yeah.” Knight stood up, grabbing his plate. “They know you wouldn’t bother with someone like me. It’s all in good fun.”
I frowned, but I couldn’t argue with what he’d said. Not in front of everyone else. Not when I was trying to convince everyone here—including myself—that I didn’t want a taste of the sexy man beside me.
Knight stepped over the picnic bench. “I’m getting another beer. Anyone want one?”
“Grab me one!” Axel called from his lawn chair.
“I’d love another,” Emory added.
Knight collected empties and strode away without giving me a second look. Not that I deserved one.
I picked up my pickle and took a bite, but it tasted like guilt.
“We’re, uh, still adjusting to the roommate situation.”
“Sorry for the teasing,” Shiloh said. “The guys give oneanother so much shit they sometimes forget that not everyone uses trash talk as a love language.”
The rest of dinner was awkward as everyone tiptoed around me. I hated it, sure I’d convinced them I was too uptight to take some good-natured teasing.
Maybe Iwastoo uptight.
