Where’s my eats?”
I glanced up at the sound of Ian’s voice. He stood in the doorway in a pair of crisp jeans and a dress shirt that squeezed his oversized biceps. On any other occasion, I might’ve been appreciative of the fact that he filled out the clothes nicely. At that moment all I could do was compare him to Ridley.
Ian had gelled his hair into perfect spikes. Ridley’s was a sexy, just-rolled-out-of-bed mess. Cologne wafted from Ian’s body. It wasn’t a particularly bad scent, but Ridley…The way he smelled was more subtle. Manly. Understated. Natural. Ian’s face had an easygoing look to it. Ridley’s was guarded. Like he needed to carefully weigh everything before giving away anything.
Although at that moment, he was shooting his cousin a grin.
It was a real-deal, tolerant kind of smile. The look of someone who’d affectionately resigned himself to living with a guy who shot-gunned beer and brought home pretty girls like Shay the way other guys brought home a pizza.
Was that smile something I would have to learn too?
“Not bad, right?”
My eyes swung back to Ian.
“ You look nice,” I agreed awkwardly.
“I don’t mean me. I mean them.” Ian laughed as he inclined his head toward Ridley and Shay. “Make a nice couple.”
I blushed. “Oh. Yeah. They’re all right.”
I wanted it to be a lie, but truthfully, Ridley looked more than comfortable with the redhead sandwiched between his arms while he stirred the cheese into the pasta.
I an leaned in, and his closeness made my stomach turn. His next words made it that much worse.
“There was a time when my cousin would’ve tapped that without even blinking. Hell. He would’ve tapped anything with tits.”
Was my first real conversation with the father of my child really going to be about Ridley’s sexual appetite? And was it really going to contain the word tits?
I forced myself to answer lightly. “When did that stop? Last week?”
Ian chuckled. “I fucking wish. I swear it’s been years since I’ve even seen the sonofabitch kiss a girl. I’d pay good money to see it happen.”
He kissed me, I thought.
Did that mean som ething significant? Or was Ridley just better at keeping his indiscretions away from Ian’s prying eyes than Ian believed? I wanted it to be the former. And I also knew I shouldn’t care.
I opened my mouth to change the subject, but Ian wasn’t done talking. He leaned even closer.
“ Actually,” he said conspiratorially. “I did pay good money to see it happen.”
My mouth went a little dry. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Shay over there? She’s a call girl.”
The nausea I’d been fighting since the second I walked in their door suddenly overwhelmed me. Without a word, I shoved my chair backwards and ran for the bathroom.
Chapter Fifteen
Ridley
In two seconds flat, I went from putting on the best, most cheerful fucking act of my life, to pacing the kitchen, barely able to control my agitation.
The only thing stopping me from tearing off after Brenna was my audience.
Shay kept looking from me to Ian to the chair Brenna had knocked over, then back again. It was the longest she’d gone without touching her phone since she walked in.
Ian swore he didn’t say anything to upset Brenna, but he was now wearing a nervous smile, and he opened and closed his mouth several times without speaking.
Five minutes. I’ll give her five more minutes.
I glanced up at Ian’s ridiculous, free-with-purchase beer can clock. It was the first time I’d ever appreciated the fact that the stupid thing hung in my kitchen. It clicked over.
Four minutes.
“So. Listen. Rid.” My cousin sounded more hesitant than I’d ever known him to sound before.
“What, Ian?” My reply was just short of a snap.
“Is your girl…uh…a bit…”
“Is she a bit what?” I demanded.
“Off?” Shay filled in.
“No. She’s not off ,” I told
I glanced up at the sound of Ian’s voice. He stood in the doorway in a pair of crisp jeans and a dress shirt that squeezed his oversized biceps. On any other occasion, I might’ve been appreciative of the fact that he filled out the clothes nicely. At that moment all I could do was compare him to Ridley.
Ian had gelled his hair into perfect spikes. Ridley’s was a sexy, just-rolled-out-of-bed mess. Cologne wafted from Ian’s body. It wasn’t a particularly bad scent, but Ridley…The way he smelled was more subtle. Manly. Understated. Natural. Ian’s face had an easygoing look to it. Ridley’s was guarded. Like he needed to carefully weigh everything before giving away anything.
Although at that moment, he was shooting his cousin a grin.
It was a real-deal, tolerant kind of smile. The look of someone who’d affectionately resigned himself to living with a guy who shot-gunned beer and brought home pretty girls like Shay the way other guys brought home a pizza.
Was that smile something I would have to learn too?
“Not bad, right?”
My eyes swung back to Ian.
“ You look nice,” I agreed awkwardly.
“I don’t mean me. I mean them.” Ian laughed as he inclined his head toward Ridley and Shay. “Make a nice couple.”
I blushed. “Oh. Yeah. They’re all right.”
I wanted it to be a lie, but truthfully, Ridley looked more than comfortable with the redhead sandwiched between his arms while he stirred the cheese into the pasta.
I an leaned in, and his closeness made my stomach turn. His next words made it that much worse.
“There was a time when my cousin would’ve tapped that without even blinking. Hell. He would’ve tapped anything with tits.”
Was my first real conversation with the father of my child really going to be about Ridley’s sexual appetite? And was it really going to contain the word tits?
I forced myself to answer lightly. “When did that stop? Last week?”
Ian chuckled. “I fucking wish. I swear it’s been years since I’ve even seen the sonofabitch kiss a girl. I’d pay good money to see it happen.”
He kissed me, I thought.
Did that mean som ething significant? Or was Ridley just better at keeping his indiscretions away from Ian’s prying eyes than Ian believed? I wanted it to be the former. And I also knew I shouldn’t care.
I opened my mouth to change the subject, but Ian wasn’t done talking. He leaned even closer.
“ Actually,” he said conspiratorially. “I did pay good money to see it happen.”
My mouth went a little dry. “What do you mean?”
“I mean Shay over there? She’s a call girl.”
The nausea I’d been fighting since the second I walked in their door suddenly overwhelmed me. Without a word, I shoved my chair backwards and ran for the bathroom.
Chapter Fifteen
Ridley
In two seconds flat, I went from putting on the best, most cheerful fucking act of my life, to pacing the kitchen, barely able to control my agitation.
The only thing stopping me from tearing off after Brenna was my audience.
Shay kept looking from me to Ian to the chair Brenna had knocked over, then back again. It was the longest she’d gone without touching her phone since she walked in.
Ian swore he didn’t say anything to upset Brenna, but he was now wearing a nervous smile, and he opened and closed his mouth several times without speaking.
Five minutes. I’ll give her five more minutes.
I glanced up at Ian’s ridiculous, free-with-purchase beer can clock. It was the first time I’d ever appreciated the fact that the stupid thing hung in my kitchen. It clicked over.
Four minutes.
“So. Listen. Rid.” My cousin sounded more hesitant than I’d ever known him to sound before.
“What, Ian?” My reply was just short of a snap.
“Is your girl…uh…a bit…”
“Is she a bit what?” I demanded.
“Off?” Shay filled in.
“No. She’s not off ,” I told
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