The Lies We Tell (The Four 1)

“You’re not riding that bike back home,” he stated.

“How did you know I rode a bike here?”

“Security cameras. West saw you on the feeds.”

Oh.

“Can you drive me?”

“Sorry, babe. I’ve had a few beers; I’m over the limit. I don’t think any of us are under. I’ll call you a cab. Or…” A mischievous expression crossed his face. “You can crash here if you want?”

Here? Bad, bad idea.

“What? Here? Are you serious? Won’t His Highness go mad?”

“I really want to be there when you call him that to his face,” he smirked. “Yeah, stay here. Cade needs a bit of payback for keying your car, and seeing your pretty face tomorrow morning should annoy him. How are you at cooking?”

Should I stay? It was a terrible idea, but I found myself agreeing. Partly because I was feeling the effects of the tequila and I really, really needed to sleep, but if I was honest with myself, it was mostly for the fact that it would piss Caiden off. I touched my head gingerly, wincing as my fingers came into contact with the carpet burn. It would take more than me staying over to pay him back for what he’d done to me, but it was a way to get under his skin, so I’d take it. “I really don’t think seeing my face is punishment enough for him keying my car. But whatever, I’ll stay. And yes, I’ll cook breakfast, if that’s what you’re trying to ask me.”

“Good. You can sleep in my bed if you want?”

“I thought you said I was off limits?”

He sighed. “Yeah, better not. Stay in here, then. It’s our spare bedroom. You’ve got a bathroom through there, and you can lock the door from the inside if you want to.”

“Thanks. You’re really not so bad.”

“I’m fucking awesome. You’re not so bad, yourself. I’ll get you something to wear.”

He disappeared out of the room and returned a few minutes later with a soft black T-shirt that he threw onto the bed.

“There you go. Sweet dreams, Winter.”

“Night.”

Finally, I was left alone. I took the key from the outside lock, shut the door firmly, and locked the door from the inside, then sent a quick message to Kinslee, although she’d been dead to the world by the time I’d left her, sleeping off the effects of the tequila. Pulling on the T-shirt, I slipped under the covers. How had I ended up sleeping here, of all places?

Overcome with exhaustion, I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

EIGHT

Have you ever woken up and stumbled downstairs all disorientated, to be confronted with the hottest guys you’ve ever seen?

I have.

I thought I was dreaming for a moment, but when I closed my eyes and reopened them, they were still there. “They” being Cassius, Weston, and Zayde. Caiden hadn’t appeared as I stood, bleary-eyed, my hair a tangled mess, wearing the T-shirt Cass had thrown at me, chopping mushrooms and tomatoes ready to go in the omelettes. Weston stood next to me at the huge black marble kitchen island, grating cheese.

Did I mention they were all shirtless?

I wasn’t the type to mindlessly drool over men’s torsos, but anyone with eyes would appreciate this view. Weston’s lean, toned body close to mine, and Cassius’ golden skin and his tattooed arms leaning on the island across from me, and Zayde… I let my eyes trail across his pecs, his abs, his arms…every single inch of ripped, exposed skin was covered in tattoos, and it was hot. So hot.

“Babe, when you’ve finished eye fucking us, I think the mushrooms are ready.” Cassius’ amused voice

snapped me out of my reverie, and I shook my head, focusing on breakfast.

“Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t eye fucking any of you, by the way. I was just…thinking about stuff.”

“Course you were.”