Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

No more Ryan.

Forever.

It’s warm in here—the AC is off, the windows are down—but I’m freezing.

Without Ryan, my future is an ugly, grey place.

My life is dull and empty.

I have Iris. But all my other friends are ours. All my hobbies are wrong. Running is ours. Movies are ours. Swimming is ours. Romance novels—

Fuck romance novels.

“So stay the month.” Dean’s bouncy voices fills the car. Pulls me back to the moment. “If you’re that sure.”

“What do I get?”

“Whatever you want.”

Maybe there’s some way he can convince Ryan to love me. They are brothers. They share something…

I swallow hard. Think of something that might give me the tiniest hint of satisfaction. “I want you to go a month without sex.”

Horror spreads over his expression.

But it does nothing to thrill me. Teasing Dean is usually fun. But this isn’t. All I see when I look at him is Ryan’s eyes. They’re a little darker. A little deeper.

Still, I play along. “Including masturbation.”

“Did it for six fucking weeks after I got my cock pierced.”

“I try not to think about your cock.”

He nods. “You’re on.”

I shake his hand, but there’s no enthusiasm in it.

I’m out of enthusiasm.

Chapter 46

Ryan

Penny wraps her fingers around her glass of bourbon. She holds it up to toast. “I’m not sure what I should say.”

I’m not sure why she’s here. The ten minutes I bought myself changing in the bathroom did nothing to illuminate her motivations.

I should probably tell her to go fuck herself.

But there’s this doubt lingering in my gut.

I need to be sure.

I clink my glass with hers. “To commitment.”

She lets out a nervous laugh. “To forever.” She brings her glass to her lips and downs half of it.

It’s good bourbon. Three hundred dollar a bottle top-shelf shit. Rich. Oak. Leather.