Breaking Even(69)

“Let me have her, Maggie!” Rye roars, and at the same time, I ask, “Are you naked?”

A throat clearing emerges from beside me, and a giggling sound comes from the other side of it. I give her side a light squeeze, prompting her to speak.

“This is a little awkward,” Carmen says, and I squeal, because it’s her naked side I’m holding—not Maggie’s.

Maggie’s laughter rolls out, and Rye goes silent at the door.

“I’m so, so, so, so, so, sorry,” I groan, ripping my hand off Carmen like it’s on fire.

“It’s fine,” Carmen says, a small bit of her own laughter in her voice.

“Carmen is in there?” Rye asks with a lilt to his voice. “And they’re naked?”

Oh good grief.

Carmen and Maggie both groan in unison, because they hear this sort of thing from men all the time. As though their relationship is meant to turn guys on. Idiots. But that’s not what Rye is doing. He’s just being a playful jerk, because he’s heard Maggie rant about it this past week.

“Can I come in?” he asks softly, trying to sound hopeful. Maybe he is being serious. After all, he is still just a guy.

We all start to say no, but I tilt my head and beat the other two girls. “They said yes. You can come in.”

In the pitch black of the room, I can hear it, but I can’t see when their heads whip around to me.

“I need a distraction,” I whisper.

Nothing gets said, but they both sigh.

“Really?” Rye says after a beat.

“Really,” I affirm, and I get up to go open the door and usher him in.

“Come on in, Rye. Get an eyeful,” Carmen says, playing along.

I really like her right now.

As soon as I peek my head out, the look he gives me proves this was a mistake. A really stupid mistake.

“Rain-check,” he says, grabbing for me.

I try to dodge him, but I’m not quick enough. Maggie laughs as Rye holds me to his body with one hand, and closes the door with his other before wrapping me up in an unbreakable hold.

He grins down at me, warning me there will be hell to pay, but I go on the offense and push my lips to his. When the surprise makes him part his lips, my tongue slips into the gap, and his hold on me becomes different as I wrap my legs around his waist.

“You’re cheating,” he murmurs insincerely as his hands slide down to only cup my ass.

He walks me back toward his house, and I grin against his lips.

“Oh?” I ask, feigning innocence.

He doesn’t even acknowledge that as we stumble back into his house. He drops me to his bed, and I grin up at him. I know a way to make him forget that I just figured out how to reprogram his shower to where he can only get cold water to come out.

Okay, maybe Wrench—whose real name is still a mystery—came over and helped me out. He’s quickly becoming my favorite accomplice.

“You’re going to give me the new password,” Rye growls as he pulls his shirt over his head.

“Suuurrre. Right after you give me the password to my car’s stereo.”

I could have just gotten Wrench to fix it instead of hacking his shower, but where’s the fun in that?

I grab at his loose track pants and shove them to the floor, freeing the very excited part of his body. I love the fact that I’m the one who turns him on.

“I mean it, Brin. I love my hot showe—Fuck.”

The last word hisses through his lips when I take him into my mouth. He was so busy ranting that he didn’t even see what I was up to. Now he’s standing in front of the bed as I sit on the edge and own him.

The piercing slides over my tongue, teasing me with the power it has, and Rye’s hands go to my hair as I give to him what he gave to me a few hours ago. His mouth is a rare find, because he knows how to slay me in the best possible way with his tongue.

More air hisses through his teeth when I get him closer, taking him as deep as I can while clutching his hips for support. He rocks into me as his muscles tighten, giving me fair warning about what’s about to come—no pun intended.

“Brin,” he whispers hoarsely, warning me verbally, but I keep him firmly planted inside my mouth, refusing to stop my ministrations until I make him feel just as sublime as he made me feel.

Then the warm, salty flavor invades my mouth, and I swallow as quickly as I can while his whole body goes limp and he drops to the bed. I climb over beside him, glowing proudly as he wraps me up. He kisses me, even though he’s out of breath and it’s a weak kiss, but I can’t help but feel a little powerful.

“Stay the night,” he murmurs against my lips for the third time this week. We’ve been doing this thing for a week now, and he really wants me to sleep over every time.