Tempting

Kay blushes.

Ryan jumps in. “You didn’t get the message the first time?”

Walker nods. “You repulse her.”

Dean shakes his head. Motions to the screen. “We’ll see.”

A familiar melody flows from the speakers. Dean plants his feet on the ground. Holds up one arm.

Looks right at Kaylee.

Belts out the lyrics to S&M.

Winks at me.

Then all his attention is on Kay.

He shakes his hips.

Sucks on his index finger.

Stares at her with fuck me eyes.

And she’s watching him.

Laughing.

Blushing.

Pressing her knees together.

He’s doing it to fuck with me. I know that.

But it’s fucking working.

When the song ends, Dean drops to his knees in front of Kaylee. He taps her thigh with the mic. “Offer stands.”

“Oh… I… uh…” Kaylee takes the mic. Passes it to Em.

Em nudges her. Whispers something in her ear.

Ryan rolls his eyes. “Fuck, you’re annoying.”

“At least I’m entertaining,” Dean says.

“I don’t know. Ryan is pretty entertaining when he’s threatening you,” Leighton says.

Walker shrugs.

“And when you two start fighting,” Leighton goes on. “That’s gold.”

Everyone nods. Except Kay and Em. They’re too busy trading whispers.

Kaylee shakes her head. Stands. “Excuse me. I need to make a call.” Her eyes catch mine as she makes her way to the door.

Walker chuckles. “You still repulse her.”

“Nah. She just doesn’t want you to know the truth,” he says.

Ryan bursts into a fit of laughter.

Leighton too.

“You remember that guy who came in yesterday? The one who hadn’t showered in weeks?” Walker asks.

“Yeah?” Dean arches a brow.

“You’re more repulsive than he is.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Fuck yeah. Find him.”

“A hundred bucks says she’d rather fuck me.”

“I’ll take that,” Leighton says.

Dean flips her off.

Fuck, these guys are assholes.

Kaylee’s feelings are a joke to them.

It’s not like I can talk. I’m the one that started this bullshit.

But I’ve had enough.

“I gotta piss.” I push myself to my feet. Do my best not to storm out of the room.

Fucking Dean.

Bane of my fucking existence.

I try to shake it off. This shit isn’t his fault. It’s mine.

But that knowledge does nothing to untangle the knot in my gut.

Where the hell is she?

Nowhere in this hallway. Or the next.

I move through the lobby. Step outside.

She’s not out front. Not anywhere outside the stores of this strip mall.

Fuck, I’m going to hit something. Or someone.

I find the nearest quiet spot. The alley next to the frozen yogurt place.

There.

I step around the corner ready to deck the fucking wall.

But she’s there.

God, the sight of her eases every ugly thought in my head.

The green eyes, the blue glasses, the short skirt—that’s Kaylee.

My Kay.

“Brendon.” Her voice is a whisper. A plea. A stop hurting me.

“Kay.” I close the distance between us. Ten feet. Five. Two. One.

She looks up at me. “You know Dean is just messing with you.”

“It’s working.” My body takes over. One palm plants on her hips. Presses hard enough to pin her to the wall.

Her breath catches in her throat. “Brendon… I… I’m sorry. Tell me what I can do. Please. Anything.”

“You saw every single one of my drawings?”

She nods.

“And you’re sure you want that?”

“Yes. I know what it means. I’ve read books. Fiction. And non-fiction. And I… it’s all I’ve thought about.”

It doesn’t make sense. The Kaylee in my head is sweet. Soft. Innocent. This—this is dirty, depraved, fucked up shit.

But Kay isn’t the sweet girl in my head.

She’s a woman.

With desires. With demands.

That’s what I want for her.

And this is certainly what I want for me.

“This is it, Kay. If you want to back out, you need to do it now. ‘Cause once I start, I won’t be able to stop myself.” I cup the back of her head with my palm. “I haven’t slept right in weeks. All I can think about is the taste of your lips. What you look like when you come—”

“You haven’t seen—”

“But I imagine it every fucking night.” I slide my hand over her hip. “I think about you coming on my hand. On my lips. On my cock.”

“Brendon.” She tugs at my t-shirt. Presses her palm against my stomach. Her eyes meet mine. She nods. Yes.

I study her expression as I shift my hips against hers.

Those green eyes are hazy with lust.

She’s ready to let go.

To make me the center of her universe.

Kaylee trusts me. I need every fucking ounce of that trust. I need every fucking ounce of her.

Fuck, this is Kay, the sweet girl who mocks my love of action movies.

Who can’t cook to save her life.

Who looks at me like I hang the moon.

And she’s about to be mine.

My blood is pumping. My heart is pounding. My body is buzzing with the kind of energy that comes with getting new ink.

I bring one hand to her ass and pull her body against mine. So I can feel every soft inch of her.

She rises to her tiptoes.

Closes her eyes.

Presses her lips to mine.

It’s different than our last kiss.