Page 123 of Played By Design

“No.”

“Why?” he demands.

I gesture toward his ribs. “You’re injured.”

“My ribs are bruised. My dick works just fine.”

Heat flashes across my face. “That’s not the only reason.”

“Then give me the other one.”

A shiver rolls down my spine, and sweat prickles along my hairline. The fleece of my hoodie smothers me. Kain’s body heat radiates into the space between us, and every breath drags his pheromones deeper into my lungs.

“Sex isn’t a roommate activity,” I breathe.

Kain stares at me. “What?”

My toes curl on the tiled floor. “I categorized it wrong.”

His hand tightens around the pill bottle hard enough to pop the cap off. “You categorized it wrong.”

“Yes.”

“For twelve years?” he enunciates.

“We haven’t been having sex for twelve years,” I point out.

His voice rises. “That’s what you’re correcting?”

I gape up at him. Kain never raises his voice at me.

“The sex?” he clarifies when I don’t respond.

“Yes.” His pheromones flood the tiled space, and I step backward, my ass hitting the sink. I grip it as my knees threaten to fold. “It’s the category that’s wrong.”

Kain takes a slow step into the bathroom. “According to who?”

“Everyone.”

“Everyone who?”

“Ash. Lev. William.” I pause. “Romance Sims.”

A sound rips from the back of his throat, one I’ve never heard before. “Romance Sims.”

I grip the counter as he stops in front of me, his bare chest filling my vision. “They have defined relationship paths.”

“Reef.” This close, my name vibrates in the air between us, weakening my knees.

“Roommates don’t have sex as a rule.” I grip the counter to stop myself from touching him. “They can, but it falls under friends with benefits, except I don’t think we qualify for that either because⁠—”

“Stop.”

I stop.

As he sets the open pill bottle on the counter, his arm brushes mine, and a whine escapes me at the contact.

“So let me get this straight.” He goes quiet again, which is worse. “You found my workbook.”