Seven by Amy Marie

learn?” he asks, and I nod a yes. “Well, you look like you have your hands full with that girl from the other night. She seems a little pretentious.”
    I stand up, instantly angered by his assumption about Embyr. I know she can be hard to read, but what happened the other night, with Ian, shouldn’t have happened. She isn’t mine to pass off to someone else. I should have asked her if it was okay. Plus, Ian can sometimes give off the creepy vibe. He is never one to pass up making a girl uncomfortable.
    “That girl’s name is Embyr and watch what you say, Reece.” I point a finger at him. “You know nothing about her.”
    He stands up too and peers at me from across the table. “You’re right. I don’t know anything about her and neither do you, but I get a feeling that something isn’t right, Casen.” He taps his knuckles on the table. “The way she looked at me . . . looked at Ian . . . even at you, sometimes—it just feels wrong.”
    I shake my head. “I don’t say a word about who you fuck. Don’t make assumptions about the ones I’m interested in.”
    He takes a defeated breath, raising both hands, and drops the subject. “Alright, man.”
    I take my seat again and get back to work on my breakfast. The endorphins from my workout, now long gone. I’m irritated and wanting to go back to the gym. Reece picks up his garbage and heads towards the exit but stops at the doorframe. “Do you have that information?”
    I nod. “Yeah. I’ll finish this up and bring it to you.”
    He walks out of the room, and I notice that the other guys are looking at me. I guess we were a bit heated, but I like Embyr, and he is in no place to say anything. It’s been a long time since I have been able to really get into a girl. Not since high school. Sure there were many girlfriends over the past decade. Some more long term than others, but none that held me captivated the way Embyr has with just knowing her a short time. She brings out every side of me: the sweet, the rough, and the aggressive. But, what Reece sees as pretention, I see as hurt. I can tell someone hurt her and she is cautious. Her little stunt the other night, fighting her orgasms, has me confused but, once I commanded her to, she let go. It was fucking beautiful, too. It was the first time I didn’t want anything reciprocated. To watch her come beneath my touch was enough for me. I can almost feel how bad she is going to wreck me, and I’m looking forward to every fucking moment of it.
    *****
    Thirty minutes later, I walk over to Reece’s sleeping area just as he is about pull the covers back. I throw a large manila envelope on his desk with a thud, still obviously irritated with him. “Here you go. That’s everything Ian needs.”
    He walks over, picks it up, turning it over and back. “Are you sure about this? Seems like Ian is the last person you want doing this for you.”
    I pull my hands down my face and bring them to my sides. “Yes. I’m sure. He may not be the best guy to ask, but I have no other options.”
    Throwing it back down onto the desk he shrugs. “Okay, then. Get out, so I can fucking sleep.”
    “Alright, princess,” I tease. “Get your beauty rest.”
    I turn to leave, but Reece calls me back. “You really like this girl?”
    “I do.”
    He points to the envelope. “Are you going to tell Embyr about her?”
    “Sure,” I nod. “If there is anything to tell.”
    I walk out into the hallway, so I don’t disturb the other guys while they are sleeping and pull out my phone. Leaning against the wall, I find Embyr’s number and hit “send.”
    She answers on the third ring. “Hello,” her voice filled with sleep.
    “Hey, baby. Did I wake you?”
    I can hear the rustling of sheets through the phone. “No. I’m awake. Just figured I would take a day off from job hunting and working out. Maybe clean up the house. What are you up to?”
    I don’t know what is going on or why I have this attraction to her so strongly,