Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131271 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 656(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
“So, Hayes has invited you over. Do you think he knows?”
I hide my face in my palms, cringing that he might. “They’re brothers. More than that… they’re triplets,” I groan.
“Doesn’t mean a thing,” she says. “You think I tell Malik who I’m banging?”
“Err… who are you banging?” I ask.
“Calian, from the football team.”
I mentally sort through the guys I know who play football. “The native dude with the long glossy hair?” I ask.
She nods, sipping her hot chocolate with whipped cream. “He’s so fucking good in bed, Riley. I mean, not just the athletic stamina thing, although he can go on for a crazy amount of time, but we have this connection. He looks into my eyes when he fucks me. He won’t let me look away. I didn’t know sex could be that deep and…” She waves her hand, searching for a way to finish the sentence. “Hooky. Like, our eye contact reaches deep.”
“Sounds intense.”
“It is. It really is. But we don’t go on dates. We don’t hook up for coffee… we just hook up.”
“Are you happy with that?”
“I think so. I don’t know. It’s like we have this spiritual connection. It’s not going to last, but for the time being, when we cross paths, our connection takes us on a wild ride!” Her eyes do a strange rolling thing that reminds me of The Exorcist, and I smirk. At least one of us is having some uncomplicated fun times.
Me?
Not so uncomplicated!
***
Riley - Are you home?
Hayes - Yes. Are you coming now?
Hayes’ text pings just as I pull up in front of the Drayton brothers’ house. The temptation to reply Not yet, but I will when I get there is strong—so strong—but I manage to resist. With no idea what I’m walking into, it’s not the right time to start throwing suggestive grenades into the mix.
Instead, I type a simple, boring ‘Yes.’
Then I sit in my car for a full minute, staring at the door like it might spontaneously disappear, and I’ll be saved. My mind races through every possible scenario: Hayes being sweet and pulling me inside; Hayes being angry about what happened with Jacob; all of them ambushing me with questions, and worse, them saying it was all a joke, just a game to see how far I’d let them pull me along.
That last thought stings so much that I wince and then flush with shame. Do I really believe they’d be capable of it? And if so, how have I allowed myself to get so drawn in?
I’m weak, that’s how. For all my anger and resentment towards the Draytons at the start of the semester, they’ve wormed their way under my skin. Even Jacob, with his rudeness and prickliness, has shown me a little of his soft underbelly. And his rock-hard abs.
Damn.
I take a few deep breaths to prepare myself and check my make-up, finding it’s held up pretty well over the day. I pop a mint into my mouth, hoping that all the bad scenarios are only in my head and that Hayes will be happy I came. Then I take my time to walk to the front door, braced to knock when it flies open.
“Riley,” Shawn drawls, leaning casually against the doorframe. He’s shirtless, wearing low-slung jeans that are doing the Lord’s work, barely hanging onto his hips. His abs are fully on display, the sharp V of his muscles dipping into the low waistband of his jeans, every ridge and hollow highlighted by the golden light of the setting sun. He knows exactly how good he looks, and the tattoo on his chest only adds to it, leaving my mouth dry and my thoughts scrambling.
I blink, startled, and his eyes dance, taking in every one of my reactions: my appreciation, my lust, my fear, my uncertainty.
“Where’s Hayes?” I ask, my voice trembling with uncertainty.
He grins, slow and easy. “Upstairs. He’ll be down in a…”
Before Shawn can finish, heavy footsteps thud on the stairs, and Hayes appears, his expression guarded. His warm smile is replaced by a tense jaw and darting eyes that flick between me and his half-naked brother.
“Put a fucking shirt on, man,” Hayes grumbles.
Shawn runs a lazy hand over his abs, and my traitorous eyes follow the movement before I can stop myself.
“What for? Riley doesn’t mind.”
“Riley does mind,” I snap as my face heats.
“Hard to concentrate in the face of all this…” He waves his hand vaguely over his torso.
“...arrogance,” I finish.
Hayes snorts, but Shawn remains undeterred. “I prefer perfection, but you do you.”
I let out a frustrated huff and glance at Hayes, who reaches for my hand. The second his warm fingers wrap around mine, relief washes over me. He’s not mad, but something is going on. The air is thick with it. He pulls me past Shawn, who’s still grinning and shirtless, and into the den.