Hating You, Loving You (Inked Hearts 4)

His eyes fill with hunger

His tongue slides over his lips.

His—

Those are details I don't need.

Iris nods hello. "I'm not sure we've met." She stands and offers her hand. "I'm Iris."

Chloe nods. "I've heard a lot about you." She shoots Walker a knowing glance. "Your boyfriend is smitten."

"I'm pretty smitten." Curiosity fills her blue eyes as she looks to me. "It's weird, seeing Dean with someone."

"Oh." Chloe's cheeks flush. "Is that common knowledge now?"

Ryan nods. "News travels fast."

"And it's…" She pulls her arm over her chest. Curls her fingers around her tank top strap. "Is that cool?"

"Dean's in charge of teaching you. It's up to him how he wants to handle it." Ryan lifts his glass—filled with coke, not booze, since this place is alcohol free—to me. "To your ability to take responsibility."

Leighton climbs into Ryan's lap. Runs her fingers through his wavy hair. "Should we really toast to something that doesn't exist? That's bad luck."

"How could you say that, Leigh. I'm as responsible as they come." I press my palm into Chloe's back to lead her to the other bench. It's perpendicular to theirs, but it's opposite the TV. It's a nice spot.

Chloe's posture stiffens as she sits next to me. She looks at the four of them with nervous eyes.

Can't blame her.

They're staring like she's an exhibit at the zoo.

I'm not that much of a commitment phobic manwhore.

No… I am.

But they could be cool about it.

"You guys know you're not gonna see more unless you ask." I nod to my crotch. "I'm always ready for a show."

Leighton rolls her eyes.

Iris laughs. "You're not as bad as I thought at first, Dean."

Walker chuckles. "Sweetness, that was not a good compliment."

"He knows what I mean." She wraps her arms around her boyfriend's shoulder. Rests her head on his chest. "You're actually kind of sweet. Protective." She looks to Chloe. "He's a good guy."

"But how'd you get past his personality?" Walker teases. "Must have been difficult."

"It was. But then I thought about it, and I realized that Dean is incredibly hot," Chloe teases back.

Leighton laughs. "Was that it?"

"Well…" Chloe taps her combat boots together. "I don't want to overshare, but I have to admit—"

"Oh God. I do not want to hear about his dick." Leighton makes a show of squeezing her eyelids together and holding her hands over her ears. "Tell me when it's over."

"It's Dean. It's never over." Ryan nips at her ear.