Breaking Even(61)

Chapter 10

BRIN

“You bastard!” I yell as the sticky, colorful assault pours from all of the showerheads. Why the hell did I let my guard down?

Rye laughs as he holds the shower doors closed, and I curse him while trying to figure out how in the hell to turn this damn digital shower thing off. It needs a frigging passcode! Who honestly believed so much technology was a good thing?

I try to reach one of the showerheads to shove it away, but the tall son of a bitch has installed all of them too high for me to reach without something to stand on. I had to pull a chair in here when I sabotaged him. I really wish I had that chair right now.

“Payback, tiger,” he says, grinning, even though his face is obstructed by the fog on the doors.

Tiger. It’s a simple word, and he’s called me that before while playing our game, but it sounds different after you’ve had sex with someone—mind-blowing, phenomenal, life-altering sex.

Does he have to be this amazing? It almost makes me hate him.

“I’m going to kill you,” I growl as the sticky mess finally starts slowing down and turning a little clearer, promising me that the Kool-Aid attack is almost over.

He just laughs, and I stand here in all my nakedness as the colors slowly dissipate. I’m scowling, but he can’t see it through the even more steamed-up glass.

Finally, the clean water starts coming through, and I get under the flow to start rinsing away the sticky aftermath that is all in my hair. Closing my eyes, I put my head back and get to work on my hair. Poor hair.

I shouldn’t grin when his body is suddenly against mine, but I do. I shouldn’t angle my neck to give him better access to kiss it, but I do. And I definitely shouldn’t let his lips start devouring mine, but I can’t help myself. I can’t believe he got up this early.

“I’d love to stay in here with you,” he murmurs against my lips, “but you’d never get to work if I did.”

Work is seriously the last thing on my mind.

I pull him to me and kiss him harder, fully prepared to be late, but he forces me to let him go while he laughs.

“Get finished. I’ll make you some coffee.”

As sweet as that sounds... “I’ll pass on the coffee,” I say while glaring at the gloriously naked man in front of me. Does he really think I’m that stupid?

His grin spreads as he shrugs and opens the door. “Your loss. I make an excellent cup.”

“I prefer sugar. Not salt.”

He just laughs while walking out, and I frown. I really wanted shower sex this morning.

“Fuck it,” he says, suddenly back in the shower with me, and I grin in anticipation when his lips come down on mine and he picks me up.

***

BRIN

I expected to get inside the house and tiptoe around in an effort to get ready and hurry to work, but Maggie and Carmen are sitting on the couch, both of them grinning as they stare at me.

“What?” I ask innocently, walking straight to my room.

“Don’t you dare get ready without telling me details,” Maggie gushes, running into my room as I grab a few things to change into.

“Details? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say deadpan, holding back my giddy grin.

“You fucked him! Hell yes! I knew it. So are you two seeing each other again tonight? Did you two talk about why he was being so crazy?”

And these are the questions I wanted to avoid.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Well, did you ask him what all this was about? He seemed genuinely freaked out about losing you when he came over.”

I sigh hard while shrugging off my old shirt and pulling on my fresh one.

“We didn’t talk about any of that, and I’m not going to. It’ll ruin it. It always does with guys like him—not that I have tons of experience.”

Maggie doesn’t have to know that Rye is the third guy I’ve ever slept with.

“So you don’t get any answers to the questions you want to ask because it might freak him out or something? That’s stupid, Brin. That’s not you.”

She glares at me, but I roll my eyes. “It was one night, Maggie.” And one incredible shower this morning. “I’m not going to quiz the guy about what one night means. That’s stupid. If it goes somewhere, great. If not, fine. That’s the joyous world we live in. People date to get to know each other. They don’t figure it all out on the first night.”

She follows me around as I finish getting ready, and Carmen is sipping her coffee on the sofa when we walk out. She does her best not to look at us because this just got awkward—roommate dispute.

“You do, Brin. You never screw someone without knowing there is a potential promise of a relationship. You’ve dated numerous guys for months without giving it up.”