A New Enemy (Enemies 1)

Blake hummed. “So I guess they were always workin’ on their next idea.”

Pretty much.

“But they’re not up there in the woods now?”

“No, they semiretired a few years ago and decided to live in Argentina,” I responded. “It was right after my grandmother died, so Pops was livid for a while. He didn’t understand why his own daughter would up and leave everyone right after our already small family got smaller.” I made a dismissive gesture, ’cause it wasn’t really a big deal anymore. “He got over it. He knows how they are. He and Nana attended more games and recitals than the wackadoos of the family.”

Damn. I’d gone into way too much detail there. Blake wasn’t a guy to have heart-to-hearts with. Not for me, anyway.

But before moving on, I wanted it to end on a better note, because I didn’t wanna put a damper on things. And more importantly, I didn’t wanna come off as bitter when I wasn’t.

“We have a much better relationship today,” I said. “We Skype a few times a year, they splurge on birthday gifts for us and the kids, and they press like on every photo we post on Insta.”

That earned me a soft grin when I’d hoped for a laugh.

“Sophia forced me to sign up for an account,” I added.

His smile widened. “I don’t believe that for a second. Teddy showed me some of your pictures there yesterday.”

“Why, did you miss me?” I smirked. I could admit, I liked my Insta account. Other than uploading photos of the dogs and Lily, it was a way to connect with the kids who came to the Quad. It was also a way to check in with Teddy. He and Soph shared a private account where they posted silly selfies and the results of their adventures in the kitchen.

“Would you run for the hills if I said yes?” He leaned in, a lazy grin on his face, and kissed my jaw. “You may be the king in the bedroom, but—”

“Let’s leave it at that.”

He laughed softly. “Okay, Bambi.”

What the fuck? I frowned and raised a brow at him as he leaned away again.

“You’re skittish.” He shrugged. “Before, you viewed me as the enemy for some reason. And now…I don’t know, but I can tell when you’re tryin’ to keep your distance.” He took another slice and bit off a chunk, and it bothered me how casual he looked. “I’m just sayin’. We’re havin’ fun. What’s the harm in getting to know each other?”

Because that’s where feelings got involved for normal people. Congratulations to Blake if he was one of those who could share great chemistry with someone, get to know them, and still walk away without a care. I couldn’t do that.

“I suppose I wanna make sure no lines are crossed,” I answered.

“And we won’t cross them. I promise.” He patted my leg, then reached for his beer. “You have nothing to worry about. It’s just fun.”

Then why did it stop being just fun?

As the days ticked by, I felt myself slipping. There was a voice shouting at me in my head, and yet I completely ignored it.

After the night we had pizza on my balcony, he didn’t go back to sleeping on Soph and Dylan’s couch. He spent every night with me.

The mornings turned into lazy make-out sessions, sex, and fucking pillow talk.

“We should get up…” I could hear the boys downstairs, getting restless. It was early; the sun hadn’t come up yet, but they were used to running down the beach with me when I did rounds or went for a swim.

“Are you kiddin’?” He continued brushing his lips down my spine. “Way too early. I need your cock first.”

I grinned tiredly into my pillow and felt entirely too relaxed.

“If you give it to me good, I’ll go buy us bagels for breakfast,” he bargained.

I rumbled a chuckle and forced myself to roll over. “Come with me instead. The water’s gonna be perfect.”

He didn’t even answer. He wrapped his fingers around my morning wood and sucked me into his mouth.

“Fuck,” I exhaled. “Take all of me.” My fingers disappeared into his hair, and I guided him over my cock. “Christ, Blake…”

I groaned as he swallowed me.

It took me two more days to convince him to come with me for my morning swim in the ocean.

The water was calm, the sky burned orange over the mountains, and the boys waited for us on the beach.

“Don’t tell me there’s a more refreshing start to your day,” I said, returning to shallower waters. My senses filled with the smells of pine and ocean spray. And you didn’t need to swim far in the ocean to get a solid workout. We’d done laps that were the length of the beach, from one cluster of cliffs to the other.

“Refreshing doesn’t have to mean good.” He grinned wryly. “The Ice Bucket Challenge was refreshing too.”