Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 123058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123058 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Every time we are together with any of our friends, it gets worse. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like there’s a spotlight on our shoulders now.
Killian slides me another sidelong look, and I hold his gaze. “What?”
He shrugs. “I thought you said you were sick of tea.”
At my side, Brenna pulls in a short breath, but otherwise she’s completely cool. I, on the other hand, get hot under my shirt, remembering the last time Brenna and I had tea and how that ended with me slowly fucking her for hours.
I level Killian a look. “Then why did you invite me?”
With another shrug, Killian reaches for a macaroon. “I invite everyone. You’ve never accepted before.”
Killian, Brenna, and I are at a small shop that offers high tea every afternoon. I know for a fact that Killian and Brenna like it here because it reminds them of England. Jax and Scottie will join in on occasion. And, yes, upon reflection, it does look weird that I’m here. High tea is not my thing. But it’s Monday, and I suffered through not seeing Brenna on Sunday, so I decided to show up.
I’m regretting that. I thought more people would be here. I thought I’d have a bigger buffer between me and Killian’s watchful eyes. As it is, he’s suspicious, and Brenna’s tense as hell.
“I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.” I pop a tiny goat cheese tart in my mouth and munch on it. The food is surprisingly good, and I guess it’s filling—if you’re a Smurf. “I like it.”
Brenna snorts into her teacup. “Oh, come on. You hate it.”
“I do not.” I grab another tart. “It’s…tasty. And there’s a lot of variety.”
Killian grins. “You make a face every time you pick something up.”
“I’m squinting because they’re hard to see.”
Brenna shakes her head. “Why don’t you order a sandwich? I hear they do a mean roast beef.”
“I do love roast beef. It’s my favorite.”
“I know.” It’s a clear slip of the tongue, and she hides it by helping herself to a slice of lemon cake. But I heard it loud and clear.
She knows my favorite sandwich. Why shouldn’t she? We all know one another inside and out. Still, it throws me for a loop. I never thought she paid any real attention to what I was doing over the years. Her style has always been to ignore me as though I’m a blight in the room. At least that’s what I thought.
Not looking her way, I grab a scone and eat it.
Brenna makes a pained noise. “You’re supposed to break off bites and put them in your mouth one at a time, Ryland.”
I love when she says my full name like she’s a harried schoolmarm. I swallow down my scone before answering. “That was a mouthful.”
Her nose wrinkles, as her eyes light with amusement. “You eat like a pig.”
“I concede that I can be messy, but that’s only because I thoroughly enjoy eating.”
Pink washes over her cheeks, and she shoots me a pointed look. I deserve it; I wasn’t exactly subtle.
Killian snorts and shakes his head. “Dude, you should know better than to try sex jokes with Brenna. She has no sense of humor for them.”
Brenna’s spine straightens. “Excuse me? I am not a prude.”
“You are with us. At least when it comes to that,” he says with a shrug. “You hate it when we talk about sex in front of you.” Stupid man. Does he not know his cousin at all?
Brenna nods as if in understanding. “Ah. I see. So you’d like to hear about the last time a man made a meal of me? Because I must say, he completely devoured me, and it was indeed messy.”
Oh, hell.
Instantly, my mind flashes to the image of me kneeling on the floor between her spread thighs as I devoured her. My cock pushes insistently against my jeans. Despite my discomfort, I grin wide.
Not that Killian notices. He’s twisting his lips in a grimace. “Hell, Bren. You’re putting me off my tea.”
“Am I?” She shrugs delicately. “Funny, I find my appetite increasing.”
I can’t help it. I pick up a scone. “You want one with clotted cream?”
She catches my gaze and grins. “Yes, please.”
We both snicker as Killian throws his napkin on the table with a huff. “Fucking hell. I cannot handle it if you two finally start working together to piss me off.”
Brenna’s laughter dies a swift death, which kills mine too. Because she looks horrified that Killian might actually be thinking of us in terms of allies. I don’t know what to say, but it isn’t a great feeling. It’s far too close to actual rejection.
I fake a casual shrug and smear a big dollop of cream on the scone. “It’s easy enough pissing you off on my own.” Calmly I set the scone on Brenna’s plate.