She says nothing as the microwave dings and I take out her mug, placing it down on the table. She pulls it toward her, wraps her hands around it.
“It’s time to let Ryan go, Bry.” I sit down beside her. “Why are you so stuck on him? He obviously isn’t interested. He told you so, several times. Isn’t it embarrassing, getting shot down all the time?”
She sends me a wounded look. “You need to work on a relationship. Can’t give up at the first obstacle.”
“Girl, you’ve been working on this one for a year now, and he has never said yes, not even once.”
“Not true. He went to the rock concert with us.”
“No. We went, and you pretended to run into him by chance.”
“He was happy to see me.”
“He was in shock. Especially since you literally ran into him and spilled his beer over his shirt.”
“It was a memorable meeting,” she says stubbornly.
“You could say that again.”
I open my mouth to say more, but Jet appears again at the kitchen door and I smile at him instead. He looks… tired. He has dark rings under his eyes, and worry is furrowing his brow.
He still has the ability to take my breath away. Always. Every time.
“Hey…” He smiles back at me. Even his smile is tired. “I’m gonna order some pizza. I invited Riddick to eat with us.”
“Of course.” I nod at Brylee. “Have pizza with us?”
She’s gone again, staring past Jet at his handsome cousin who’s standing right behind Jet, hands in his pockets. His dark hair is much like Jet’s, a little spiky, but his eyes are super pale, fringed by long lashes, and he has killer dimples when he smiles, like now.
No wonder Bry’s unable to look away when he’s smiling at her like that.
“Pizza it is, then,” I say brightly and go to find my phone to call. “Tell me what toppings you want. Oh, and I should wake up Joel.”
Jet pulls me close for another quick kiss as I walk past him to exit the kitchen, and it makes me feel warm inside.
God, I love my boys.
***
I find Joel blinking owlishly at me from the sofa. “What’s going on?”
He’s adorably sexy with his hair sticking out on one side from falling asleep like that, his eyes hooded.
“We’re having pizza. Do you want the usual?”
“I want you on my pizza.”
I open my mouth at this statement, close it again. “Are you on drugs?”
“No. I want you. On my pizza. Or wait, I have a better idea. I want you on me.” He licks his lips and reaches down, between his legs.
Oh God.
He’s hard. Very hard, judging from the bulge in his pants, and normally I’d be all over that. When Joel gives in to his need it’s beautiful, but right now…
“J, we have guests.”
He groans, his cheekbones flushed. “Fuck. Really?”