Priceless (Forbidden Men 8)

And here Reese was, grinning at me encouragingly. She probably assumed he’d been the one to kiss me.

“No.” I shook my head, unable to let her think that for even a second longer. “I mean...Seth and I...we didn’t...no. There was no kiss there.”

With a little moan of defeat, Reese slumped her shoulders and winced. “It was a bad date then, wasn’t it? Crap. Mason never did get out of Brandt what happened.”

When she glanced at me as if expecting the entire story, I sighed. Telling her was the last thing I wanted to do. In fact, I’d been quite happy forgetting it entirely until she’d brought it up. But everyone was going to keep wondering until I gave them something, so I glanced out the passenger side window.

Going with a half-truth, I mumbled, “He...Seth called me...the c-word.”

Reese gasped. “Cunt?”

I laughed softly and shook my head. “No. Cripple.”

“Oh.” She straightened her spine and scowled out the front windshield, her lips flat with displeasure. To her, heck, to all of us, that was a worse offense than being called a cunt. “Well, he’s out, then,” she said flippantly, when really, I knew Seth was completely and utterly dead to her now. “Which, honestly, is fine with me because I always thought you’d end up with Brandt, anyway.”

I choked on my surprise and gaped at her. “Say what?”

“Yeah, don’t even act surprised, chickie. That boy is completely and irrevocably in love with you. He worships the ground you roll upon. And it’s clear as day you love him back. Besides...” She sounded a little too smug as her lips hitched up with a superior grin. “I know you got kissed last night. And if it wasn’t from Seth, then...that leaves Brandt.”

Damn it. I hated how well she could read me.

Sinking deeper into my seat, I reluctantly admitted, “I whined to him about missing out on my first kiss, so...he gave me one.”

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured, though the look in her eyes said she knew otherwise. “If you say so.”

“What?” I demanded, surprised. “That’s exactly what happened.”

“And I totally believe you.” She reached out to pat my knee. “I just find it curious that after nine years of knowing you and being your friend without a single smooch, he waited until the very night you went out with someone else to give you your first kiss.”

I frowned, confused. “What’re you saying?”

“I’m saying he was jealous as hell. Some other dog was sniffing around his piece of meat, and he didn’t like that.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “I cannot believe you just called me a piece of meat. Or him a dog. And that was totally not the case. He just felt bad for me; that’s all.”

She laughed. “Oh, sweetie. Guys do not kiss you because they feel bad for you. Ever.” I opened my mouth to argue, but she held up a finger. “Just be glad human men mark their territory with kisses and not by peeing on you.”

The mental image of Brandt hiking his leg near me caused me to bark out a laugh. “Oh my God. This c

onversation is so weird.”

It was just too bizarre for me to think that Brandt might actually be interested in me that way. I refused to let my mind wander. I’d let it go there with Seth, and look what had happened. Wasn’t happening again. Certainly not with Brandt. His rejection wouldn’t just hurt; it would outright slaughter me.

“Brandt knows this other guy called you the c-word, right?” Reese murmured, suddenly serious.

I nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

She blew out a relieved-sounding breath. “Good.” Strangely, there was some evil relish to her smile. “I don’t have to worry about doing anything to him myself, then. With Mr. Hot Lips Gamble on the scene, that jackass is already as good as dead.”

My stomach roiled with unease. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” I’d managed to keep Brandt from hunting Seth down last night, but he wouldn’t let it rest. “If he gets himself into trouble, it’ll be all my fault.”

“Don’t worry. After years of watching all those strange movies with you that you love so much, I’m sure he knows how to hide a body without getting caught by now.”

“Reese,” I shrieked, aghast.

She laughed and held up her hands before returning them to the steering wheel. “Kidding. But seriously, I’m sure he knows how to make a guy hurt without getting himself in trouble.”

I hoped so, because one thing I knew for sure was that he wouldn’t let this drop. His protective instincts were just that strong.