the morning so…sleep tight. Or not.”
A lyrical chuckle followed her out the door. Bryce wished he could spank her for her good-natured prying. But that would require a heck of a lot of explaining.
He glanced at Kaelyn, who peeked into the box.
“Something wrong?” He joined her under the covers, scooting closer so that their thighs rested along each other, instantly heating where they touched.
“There are no plates. Or napkins. Or cups.” She glanced around as if the contents of the kitchen cabinets would suddenly appear.
“You’re an honorary Hot Rod now, lady. You’re going to have to rough it.” Bryce reached across her and twisted off the cap of a beer before handing it to her. She probably had champagne tastes. Still, she didn’t wrinkle her nose when she took a big gulp.
Flipping back the lid of the pizza box, Bryce pulled her closer so that they could eat slices over the greasy cardboard simultaneously. Their impromptu picnic seemed to grow on Kaelyn as she forgot about dirtying his sheets and dug into the gooey delight.
Soon they were laughing like they had when they were kids chowing down on a piece of birthday cake they’d stolen away to her tree house, filling up on stringy cheese and slugging down beers. Bryce could honestly say he’d never been as attracted to Kae as he was when she looked over and licked red sauce straight from her fingers. When she sucked on her thumb, he just about had a heart attack. They passed the rest of the evening with laughter and stories. Catching up on where they’d been, the people he’d known and learning what each other liked these days. Most of the fundamentals hadn’t changed. She was still the girl he’d adored under that womanly grace and charm.
“So…I probably should have asked sooner, but you don’t have a girlfriend, do you? I told you about Montgomery. Have you had someone…special?” She seemed horrified by the idea as she rolled onto her side on his pillows and squinted at him.
“Nah.” He shrugged, though hesitating as he wondered what she’d call the Hot Rods. Sure, he slept with them, Mustang Sally and Nola included, but it wasn’t like they were his. They were Eli’s and Kaige’s women. Alanso’s too. Lent to him for their pleasure and his own.
“Why don’t you sound certain about that?” She sat up, nibbling her lower lip. “I assumed, after what happened in the bathroom.”
Her pink skin turned an unhealthy shade of green as she probably drummed up some horrible scenario that had them both cheating on an imaginary woman in her mind.
“Kaelyn, I promise, I’m not tied down. I don’t have anyone of significance.” So why did that feel like a lie? He tried to explain as best he could without breaking his friends’ confidence. He’d have to talk to them. Soon. About what to share. How much. How soon. And what Kaelyn’s presence meant for them going forward.
Except he didn’t know.
The thought of pulling away from the group socked him in the gut, stealing his breath. He remembered what it had been like the night of Eli, Alanso and Sally’s wedding, watching Kaige walk away with Nola. He didn’t want to do that. Not to himself or to his friends. But it was a lot to ask of Kaelyn, especially when he knew she didn’t have a lot of bedroom miles on her.
“Okay.” She settled again, snuggling into his pillows, looking so adorable he wanted nothing more than to smother her with kisses.
“So…before, when you said you don’t have a lot of experience with guys.” He cleared his throat, needing to know what speed to set his cruise control for. “What exactly does that mean?”
She rolled to her back and studied the ceiling for so long he thought she might not answer.
So he reached across the bed and entangled his fingers with hers, giving them a squeeze to let her know he wasn’t about to judge. Still it shocked him when she came clean.
“Sex is boring.” She took her free hand and covered her eyes as if
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