by Rayne, Piper
“Uh-huh.” She sips her soda, a smile playing at her lips.
“It is.” I refrain from saying partly. That there’s always that feeling like I don’t know when I’m being played. I loved her so much that I took her back for a week after that, before finally figuring out she would only ever bring me misery.
“So this?” she asks, waving a finger between us. “What’s your game plan?”
I chuckle into my soda, not sure how to answer. “Screw you as long as you’ll let me?”
She smacks my shoulder. “How about we just go with it? Have fun and don’t put a label on what we are?”
She’s got to be shitting me. That’s all she’s asking for? We can keep sleeping together and not give each other a classification? This isn’t what I expected from Bella at all.
“But…”
I point at her. “I knew there was a but coming.”
She nods like of course you did. “No other people. I’m willing to have fun in and out of the bedroom, but I’m not cool with you sleeping with someone else then hopping into my bed the next night. I’m not saying we’re exclusive. If you want to sleep with someone else, go ahead, but be honest with me first and we’ll end this.” She pulls her knees up to her chest and locks her arms around them. Protecting herself in case I tell her we can’t practice monogamy.
I grab her arms and pull them apart, letting her legs fall to the floor. “Done.”
I honestly have no yearning to sleep with anyone but her at the moment.
“Really?” I lean forward, but she puts her hand on my chest. “I’m serious. No other women.”
I lean in and give her a chaste kiss. “And I said done. Case closed. Just me and you having sex, having fun, and not having a relationship.” I swoop her up off the stool and into my arms. She squeals and her head falls to my shoulder. “I have one stipulation. You sleep in my bed tonight.”
“I’m not sure—”
I shut her up with a kiss because if it’s only tonight that we have this place to ourselves, I want to get as much time with her as I can.
“And what do we tell the others?” she asks.
“Do you want to sneak around or be honest?” I’ll leave the decision to her because my brothers will figure it out and give me shit either way.
“Let’s just go one day at a time. I’m not sure how to navigate it with us sharing a house this summer.”
I drop her onto my bed, and she slides in under the covers.
“Best view since we’ve gotten here.” I slide in after her.
Pulling the covers over us, I do exactly what I told her. I explore her body and am rewarded with two more zones that drive her crazy. The back of her neck and between her breasts.
* * *
I shut the drapes. Bella’s red hair is sprawled across the bed, a pillow tucked under her arm. Her lips are swollen from a night of sex. She’s gorgeous. I should’ve woken up this morning feeling done with her, but as much as I want to crawl back into bed with her, I force myself to put on my basketball shorts and quietly leave the room because I’m not going to be that loser.
The noises in the kitchen alert me that we’re not the only ones in the house anymore. So either the girls or Dom have returned. I cross my fingers it’s the girls, but when I cross the archway, there’s a big body in the fridge.
“You just come here to eat?” I pop a K-Cup in the coffee maker and wait for the water to heat and brew.
“At least I keep my extracurriculars out of the communal house.” He glances over his shoulder at me.
He’s wearing the same suit he had on Friday when he arrived, his tie hanging open around his neck. I rack my brain, trying to remember if I’ve seen him since then. No, I don’t think I have.
“What does that mean?” I cross my arms and lean against the counter, waiting for the brew to be done because I need some fucking caffeine.
“The clothes all over the pool deck. What the hell? You brought some girl back here? It’s going to be a disaster.” He settles on an apple and closes the fridge door then takes a big bite and sits on the counter. Dom’s always the one to sit on a counter or somewhere higher than everyone else. I think it’s an ego thing.
“I didn’t bring anyone home,” I say, grabbing the creamer from the fridge.
“I saw the clothes, shithead.”
“Yeah, so what? Who’s to say they’re from me? They could be Mae or Evie’s. What about Annie’s?”
“I’m not an idiot. Your door is the only one that’s shut. Speaking of which, where are the girls?”
“Mae and Evie stayed out last night.”
This is where I suck. I can’t keep a straight face. And it’s not because I’m bragging that I got Bella in bed. But I’m happy it happened, and I can’t hide my smile.
“Fuck, Carm, can you rationalize anything in that head of yours?” He hops down from the counter. “What do you think is gonna happen now? You’re going to turn this house into a war zone.” He yanks the fridge open again, the apple not satisfying him. “Think about the parties and two nights a week the two of you have to coexist…” His words trail off as his head dives into the fridge.
Bella comes to the door in a pair of my boxer shorts and a V-neck T-shirt she’s tied at her side. My brother can’t see her like that. Just as I’m about to tell her to leave, Dom shuts the fridge and turns toward the doorway.
“Shit!” He covers his eyes as if she’s naked.
“Morning, Dom,” Bella says in a sing-song voice.
“Bella,” he bites out, continuing to cover his eyes as he walks away from the room. “I’m taking a shower and heading back to Manhattan. Carm?” he yells from the stairway, probably expecting me to follow so he can give me shit.
I don’t answer because Bella is strutting toward me with that teasing smile that says she wants me to do dirty things to her again. Who am I to refuse? I aim to please.
“No banging where I eat,” Dom calls. “If you two are gonna ruin this summer, at least do me the courtesy of not messing with my food.”
Bella giggles and her forehead rests on my shoulder. My arms entwine around her, resting on her hips.
“One down already?” Her eyebrows rise, silently asking if I’m okay with it.
Surprisingly, I don’t really care. It’s hard to keep a secret from my brothers, so I knew they’d find out. I just don’t want word spreading to Ma. That’s when problems will arise. She’d love Bella, and everyone knows I hate disappointing Ma.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Bella
Monday morning, I’m not at my desk for more than a minute before my phone dings.
Carmelo Mancini: Come to my office and I’ll shut the blinds.
I didn’t run into him this morning. We’re both doing great at this new having-fun non-relationship—neither of us asked the other to spend the night after he dropped me off at the end of the weekend. See? I knew we could handle this dynamic.
Me: And what will you do to me?
Carmelo Mancini: If I tell you, you won’t come.
Me: I’m not coming either way.
Carmelo Mancini: You’ll be coming if you get that sweet ass in here.
I quickly change his name to just Carm. For some reason, having his full name makes it seem weird that I’ve seen him naked. The entire weekend.
Me: As great as that sounds, you’re one condo ahead of me, so I have work to do.
Carm: Damn, if the fact that you’re a fellow workaholic didn’t turn me on so much, I’d stomp across the hall and kidnap you for the day.
Me: Well, Godzilla, keep those big hands in your pockets for the day.
Carm: Dinner tonight? No one likes to cook on a Monday.
I laugh, and Max peeks over her shoulder at me.
Me: Do you cook all the other days of the week?
Carm: Not the point.
Me: What exactly are you asking me?
Carm: Can I entice you with takeout and an orgasm?
Me: Doesn’t s
ound that appealing.
Carm: Fine. Would you like to go out with me tonight? I’ll even let you pick which hole my dick goes into. ;)
I cough out the coffee I just sipped, and it lands all over my papers. I rush to grab a napkin from my drawer, and when I look up, Max is leaning on the doorway with her arms crossed.
Me: I’ll check my calendar. Bye.
I put my phone on my desk, screen-side down.
“You got laid, and if you tell me it was by that egomaniac Carmelo Mancini from across the hall, I might lock you in here until you come to your senses.”
“What? No!” It should be noted that I am a terrible liar. Horrible. The worst. Total fail. I can’t even get it by a six-year-old when I let them win at a game.
“Oh my God, you did sleep with him.” She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “He’s so your type. Though I thought the fact that he doesn’t want a relationship would keep you away.” She takes the seat in front of me.
“Maybe I don’t want a relationship?”
She studies me for a second, waiting for me to accept defeat, but the hell if I’m going to. Carm might crumble easily under his brothers’ stare, but Max has made it clear she doesn’t like Carm.
“Not to mention, it’s not him.” Maybe I can convince her that I got laid, but by someone else?
She puts her finger to her lips, tapping it while her eyes scrutinize me. “I’ll catch you. No way you can keep me from figuring it out.” She eyes my phone. “But whoever it is, I do like the blush he gives you. And the smile.” She walks out of the room.
I pick up my phone, turn on my camera, and reverse it so it’s on me. Yep, I look like America’s Most Beautiful Man just kissed me. Damn Carm.
Five minutes later, my phone buzzes and I fully expect it to be Carm again. The man doesn’t understand the word no. To my surprise, it’s someone interested in the Bond Street project. Hallelujah.
“Can I arrange for you to show me the unit?” the woman asks.
I chew on my lip. That isn’t part of my job. I mean, it’s supposed to be the owner who meets them, which in this case is Helena’s job. “There’s someone at the development. Let me contact them, and I’ll call you back.”
“Sounds great.” The woman hangs up.
I scroll through my contacts and press on Helena’s name. This might be my first sale and I’m not going to let it slip away even if I have to go above and beyond what I’m supposed to do. Everyone knows that after the first one sells, every sale in a development project gets easier. It’s snagging that first fish that’s important.
“You’ve reached the voicemail of Helena…”
I wait for her rehearsed and yes, professional but annoying message to finish. After the beep, I leave a quick message about a client who wants to see the property and ask her to call me back.
Having no other choice, I call Carm.
“Are you reconsidering my offer?” he answers. That shouldn’t make my heart pitter-patter like a teenage girl’s, but sadly, it does.
“Helena? Do you happen to know where she is?”
“Why would I know where Helena is? Your request was clear, Bel—”
“No, I had someone call and she wants to see one of the units and technically…”
Thankfully, I don’t have to finish. One of the best things is that we each understand each other’s jobs.
“Well, I’m going over there in about an hour to show a unit. I’ll gladly take your client off your hands.” He chuckles because we both know that’s not going to happen.
“Yeah, nice try.”
“Sorry, I haven’t had much contact with Helena since I have my own set of keys to get in and out.” Muffled voices push our conversation to the back burner. I hear Justin talking, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. “Give me a minute.” A door shuts on his end and the background noise dies off. “Now, what color are your panties today?”
“I’m serious, Carm. This might be my first sale.” I sit up straighter, silently willing my phone to ring with Helena’s return call. What good is she? If Carm was calling, she’d probably answer. Wait. “Didn’t she give you her personal phone number?”
Dead silence fills the line. Out of all things, me calling him out on getting Helena’s phone number shuts him up?
“Yeah, but…”
“Please? I’ll come over to your office and give you my panties for that number.” I laugh, but he doesn’t.
“I wouldn’t want your panties for some woman’s number who gave it to me without asking.” His tone is serious. Why does he sound pissed off?
“So you’ll just give it to me then?”
“No, because I threw it out when I got back to the office that day.”
“Oh.”
My shoulders slump, but I’m happy he didn’t keep it. We were only flirting then, but I can’t help but wonder if I’m the reason he threw it away. Ugh. No labels or classifications mean you don’t give a shit what a guy does with a phone number some random woman gives him.
“And that’s why I wouldn’t mind you giving me your panties. You knowing it’s only your panties that make me—”
A rush of energy travels through me, landing right between my legs. This man could make me his slave if he wanted. “Let’s stay on task. I’ll just book the appointment with the hopes that Helena gets back to me. If I have to, I’ll show it myself.”
“Hmm… that goes against the FSBO philosophy, doesn’t it?”
“I promise to stand by the door and not point out the naked guy on the pool deck below, is that okay?”
He laughs, an honest one that spurs tingles across my skin. “I think it’s only allowed if you point out the naked guy below and mention that from one floor up, he’s much blurrier.”
“Is that so?” I chuckle.
“Otherwise I’d say you’re in breach of contract.”
I hear the tapping of his pen or something, and I’m desperate to know if he’s leaned back with his legs propped up on the edge of his desk or if his legs are wide open. What’s he looking at? Because it feels as if I have one hundred percent of his attention right now.
“And what do you plan on doing?” I ask. “Reporting me to Mr. Throttle?”
“Oh no, Miss Scott, I like to handle these kinds of situations on my own. I might just have to demand you come home with me tonight so I can discipline you.”
I shake my head, but I can’t hide the smile that’s going to make my cheeks hurt. Max glances into my office on the way to her chair and stops, staring at me with disbelief. She shakes her head and sits down.
“Hopefully Helena will call me back. I better go now.”
“You’re leaving me with blue balls. Just commit to coming over tonight. I haven’t showed you my place. There’s a great Thai place—”
“Sorry, but we’re not exactly fuck buddies, remember?” I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but it’s not a hit-it-and-quit-it. I hope Carm realizes that, because he’s far from out of my system.
“Ah, yes. So I still have to wine and dine?”
“Maybe.”
“Five-star level dining?”
“I’m not going to tell you what to do. What fun is it if I say how far you have to go to get me into bed?” I twirl my hair with my finger, unable to care that I should be calling back the potential buyer.
“All I had to do the first time was mention your nipples and kiss you.”
“Yeah, you caught me in a weak moment.”
“You know you shouldn’t challenge me, right?” The tapping in the background stops and I hear his keyboard keys instead. “When I have a mission, I don’t detour until I’ve accomplished the task.”
“Then I’m excited to see where this goes, Mr. Mancini.”
“Keep calling me that and I’m bursting into your office to show you the color of my boxer briefs.”
“Bye,” I manage to squeeze out between my giggles. I click off the line before he distracts me further.
I call back t
he woman to work out the showing details, wishing I didn’t feel as though I’m cheating. Carm might be joking, but FSBO agents don’t do showings. It’s one of the reasons I got out of the broker business.
She answers immediately, which is a good way to judge how badly she might want the condo.
“I can’t get a hold of the lady at the development, but I can meet you at a time of your choosing,” I say, my gut twisting into a bigger knot.
“Oh great. I just got word about a meeting I have this afternoon. Is six too late?”
Six? The developmental office will be closed then anyway, so Helena is kind of a moot detail at this point.
“Six is great. I’ll meet you outside.”
“Perfect. Thanks for being so accommodating.”
“Of course,” I respond.
We say our pleasantries and hang up.
I push my chair back from my desk and walk out into the main area. “Max, I have to go to Bond Street at six o’clock tonight to show a unit.”
She circles around in her chair like a zombie, her face as pale as one. “Okay, I’ll mark it on both of our schedules.”
I smile, one of gratitude. The last thing I want is to go to a construction site with a stranger, no matter how many self-defense classes I’ve taken.
My cell phone vibrates on my desk, and I see his name before picking up, which pulls a smile from me. He’s texted me an address and a wink-face emoji.
Chapter Twenty-Three