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“You two hooked up, didn’t you?” Sarah drops my arm. “I thought Hunter was joking when he mentioned it this morning.”
“Excuse me?” My attention snaps to her. “Hunter said something?”
“He speculated that Decker couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. But now it’s obvious. That right there went above and beyond protection. He’s hooked.”
“No comment.” I increase my pace. I’m not sure why.
I guess I’m trying to outrun the conversation. Or Sarah entirely. And she lets me. For the most part. She hangs back a little, allowing me to walk a few steps in front, until we reach the diner.
I push the door wide, letting her enter before me.
“There’s no outru
She says it loud enough to draw attention. Loud enough to turn my cheeks to flame. Then struts those boots to the far wall to claim a booth.
I should leave. I seriously doubt anyone nearby is going to make me more uncomfortable then she is. Coffee be damned. Waterboarding would be more enjoyable than this.
It’s no secret I don’t talk sex with friends. For starters, I don’t have a lot of people I can confide in, and second, I don’t have a lot of sex.
Who the hell am I kidding? I have none of either.
Not until Sebastian, who seems to be trying to fulfil my needs on both.
“Are you waiting to be seated?” A waitress asks.
I cringe. “No, I’m waiting for hell to open up and swallow me whole.”
She frowns.
“I’m fine,” I mutter and drag my feet toward the booth.
Sarah still has the smug expression plastered on her pretty face. It brings me chills as I slide into the opposite seat.
“We’re not discussing it.” I place my hands on the table and look her straight in the eye. “Anything about Sebastian is off limits.”
“Sebastian?” She purses her lips. “Is that his name?”
I ignore her and glance at the waitress approaching our table.
“What would you like to or—”
“A strong coffee, please. Very strong. And a bagel, too.”
Sarah chuckles. “I’ll have the same.”
“Why don’t you try decaf?” I taunt. Caffeine is the last thing this interrogator needs.
Her lips quirk in amusement as the waitress finishes writing up our order and leaves us alone.
“You’re edgy. Why?” She scrutinizes me. “It’s just sex, right?”
Yeah. There’s nothing else going on. Not at all.
Not one damn thing.
“That’s exactly right.” I grab a salt shaker to keep my hands busy. “So drop it.”
Her mouth continues to provoke me. “You like him.” It comes out as an accusation. “I mean you really like him.”
“The only thing I’d like at the moment is an end to this conversation.”
“Why?” She relaxes back into her seat, her expression losing its humor. “What’s the big deal?”
“That’s exactly it, there is no big deal. We had sex. That’s it. End of story.”
“Wow.” Her eyes widen. “Was he that bad?”
“No. He wasn’t bad at all.” I can’t help defending him. “He was good.”
“Good?” she rants. “That’s not really a glowing reference.”
“Jesus.” I throw my hands in the air. “He was mind-blowing. He rocked my world. I saw stars and unicorns, and maybe a baby llama, too. Is that better?”
She laughs. “Yeah. Better. Although the mention of farm animals is a little disturbing.”
I hang my head. “You’re killing me.”
The laughter continues. It’s uncharacteristic for her. She’s not usually an overtly happy person. It must be her sadistic side coming out to play.
“So, tell me,” she starts, “if you saw stars and frogs and fairies, why isn’t this a big deal?”
I drag in a deep breath and hold it tight in my lungs, letting the burn distract me. “Because nothing can come of it.”
“Why?”
I scoff. “Sebastian isn’t the best poster boy for a healthy relationship.”
“And you think Hunter and I are?”
“I…”
She has a point.
Her relationship with her fiancé seems flawless. They’re perfect together. Happy. In sync. Committed. But my issues are far deeper than I let on.
“It’s not that easy.” Nothing about this situation is. It’s messy and complicated. It’s downright scary at times.
“I know.” She nods. “There’s your brother, who will wear Sebastian’s skin like a coat. And the two of you being together will draw attention. You’ll be his weakness and become a bigger target for anyone wanting to mess with the family. But he’s obviously infatuated with you.”
“I don’t know what he is.” That’s the problem. He has secrets. Lots of them. And after this morning, it’s clear he’s hiding things that are dangerous.
“Then find out. Ask him. Or just sit back and see where this llama sex takes you.”
I roll my eyes. “Do you twist Hunter’s words as much as you twist mine?”
She ponders the question. “Yeah, I guess I do.” She shrugs. “See, no relationship is perfect.”
I smile through my contemplation. She’s right. No relationship is perfect. But most aren’t built entirely on lies, either.