Thick As Thieves: An Enemies-To-Lovers Romance (Paths To Love Book 5)

by Grahame Claire

  “Move over.” My tigress shoved against me, but I didn’t budge. She’d warned me she wasn’t sleeping on the couch, but I quickly shut that down because this was where I wanted her. If I’d come out and said it, Sonya would be on the sofa out of spite. “Damn you. I’m going to fall off the bed.”

  I nudged her so she flailed about, catching her before she hit the floor and laughing as she kicked at me in the dark.

  “Are you scared to sleep alone, sugar?” I teased, fairly certain she’d march right back to the living room.

  When her only answer was trying to get out of bed, I snagged her by the waist and secured her against me, making escape impossible. She resisted, squirming for a few minutes and calling me a few choice names before she settled. Her warm cheek rested on my bare chest, and she snuggled into my side. This was what I had avoided for years: intimacy. Yet here I was, and it didn’t make my skin crawl or make me itchy to get away from her. If anything, I was pulling her closer.

  “Or are you mad your dog picked Mama over you?” The mutt had taken to my mother pretty much like everybody else did. He didn’t want to leave her side, and she seemed to like his company.

  “He’s comforting her.”

  “You better not dump him off on her.” I carried on even though I was fairly certain Sam and Mama would be fine together if she did.

  “They need each other,” she said, insulted. “But he belongs to me.”

  “He’s not staying here.”

  She whacked me in the stomach. “Please. Like he could dirty up this apartment.” I could almost picture her scowl. “As long as I’m here, he’s here. Besides, everybody likes him.”

  At what hadn’t been just an intimate family dinner, Sam had definitely made himself at home . . . and gotten more table food than he could possibly eat. Even I gave him some of my steak.

  Mulaney’s brother, Stone, and his wife, Muriella, had joined us, along with their friends Daniel and Vivian. It had made my mother feel normal, even if it was short-lived. She’d eaten and then tried to hang around for after-dinner conversation, but eventually, her fatigue won out. Sonya and I sat with her as she slept, but my father had put an end to that. I didn’t understand why he’d allowed us to be at dinner at all, other than my mother wanted us there. No one else had. We’d been ignored by everyone except Mama and Easton. If Sonya hadn’t been by my side, it would have been complete torture.

  “They know what you are.”

  “And what is that?”

  “A fraud.”

  “Is that so?” My brother’s opinion meant a lot, and I wanted my father’s approval, but the rest of them could take their judgments and suck on them.

  “How you treat them, and the way you are with your mother, gives you away.”

  “She’s sick.”

  “That didn’t stop you from taking their money,” Sonya pointed out. “You’ll have to show me how you did it.”

  What kind of monster was in my bed? A decent woman would tell me I was wrong and make a case for giving it back. This one wanted to know the tricks of the trade. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to be glad that someone got me, or horrified that, if anything, this woman would never suggest I should repent of my sins. Shouldn’t I be seeking absolution? Desiring forgiveness from my father? My extended family?

  “I’ll think about it. Now be quiet. I’m trying to sleep.”

  “I’ve just come up with a get-rich-quick plan,” she said, and I couldn’t wait to hear this. “I think you’re an asshole or shithead or some other variation a thousand times a day. You give me a hundred bucks every time I do, and I’ll be rolling in it.”

  “That’s not going to work. You’ll pay me for the privilege of thinking about me.”

  She slapped me on the abdomen. I pulled her on top of me while she thrashed to get away. We both ended up on the floor, tangled in the sheets and Grandma Carter’s handmade quilt. She was beneath me, and she didn’t like it one bit.

  “This is so not what I came in here for.”

  “What did you think? That I was going to welcome you with a chocolate on the pillow and read you a bedtime story?”

  “God, no. I was hoping when I got in bed, you’d get out,” she huffed.

  “We had an agreement. A blood people pact. I’m wounded that I’m the only one abiding by it.” I locked her hands behind my neck, cursing the darkness because I couldn’t see the expression on her face. “If you want to lie to yourself, that’s fine, but don’t do it to me. I know what you came to me for. Ask nicely, and I’ll give it to you,” I purred, laying it on thick.

  Her leg subtly shifted beneath me, and I moved in time to avoid getting kneed in the nuts. “I will get you, Drew Carter. You’ve upended my life, and now I can’t get rid of you.”

  “You messed up your own life, and you’d miss me if I was gone. Who else can make you come without touching you?” Silence was her only response, and that made me inordinately happy. “My only regret is not coating those tits with my jizz. I’m definitely doing that.”

  “I’ll let you if you lick it off.”

  I’d been looking for a woman to surprise the hell out of me, and that suggestion had me speechless. “Give me a good damn reason, and I’ll lick my come off your body.”

  “Getting to put your mouth on me should be reason enough.”

  She was right, that was more than enough reason, and I hadn’t even seen her completely naked yet.

  “Will you please take me to the insane asylum?”

  “Whyever would I do that?”

  “Obviously, there’s something wrong in my brain that’s keeping me here with you when I could have run a thousand times.” Sonya sounded downright disgusted, and I sympathized.

  I’d already fucked her. Why was she still around?

  Because I don’t feel so alone with her by my side.

  Because my mama likes her.

  Because I need—

  No. I don’t need her. That wasn’t me. Yet . . . I made up a fake ID so she was forced to stay with me. I couldn’t stay away. And what was worse? I didn’t want to.

  “Sit up,” I commanded, rocking back so I was on my heels with Sonya perched on my lap. I lifted her arms above her head. “If you want to sleep in my bed, there are rules.”

  “Like I care about that,” she tossed back. But she let me peel her shirt off. I buried my face in her tits as though it was the first time I’d ever seen a pair. “I swear. It’s like you’re a virgin.”

  “Stand up.” No matter what that mouth of hers said, she liked me ordering her around. She didn’t want me to shower her with compliments or treat her like a delicate flower. I wasted no time shedding her pajama bottoms and underwear.

  “Don’t get in my bed again with clothes on,” I said.

  She tunneled her fingers through my hair. “That’s one of your little rules?” she mocked. “That I have to sleep naked?”

  “Damn, you’re quick.”

  “I always sleep naked. The only reason I had on pajamas is to keep you away from me.”

  “Clothing hasn’t stopped me so far.”

  Wrapping the covers around both of us, she straddled my lap. “It’s your turn to tell me what little Drew wanted to do when he grew up,” she said. “Maybe I should turn on the lights so I can see if you’re lying to me or not.”

  “I’ve been honest with you so far. It’s you who’s lying.”

  “I didn’t lie about hoping that if I got in bed you’d get out. That was partially true. Maybe even mostly true.”

  “But . . .” I prompted with a sly smile.

  “I wanted to snuggle,” she huffed, and I laughed in her face, wrapping my arms around her.

  “Snuggle?” I spit out another laugh. “Oh, come on. I’d have believed you more if you said you’d come in here to chop off my balls.”

  “Whatever.”

  I heard her annoyance, but under that, she was telling the truth. I’ll be damned. My tigress was allowing me to see past her tou
gh-as-nails façade. Perhaps only available under the cover of darkness, but shit. As she said, whatever.

  I stood and deposited her on the bed, then fumbled around until I’d collected the blankets off the floor. After a poor attempt at getting them straight on the mattress, I crawled in beside her and pulled her close. A little sigh escaped her, soft breath on my skin as she exhaled against me.

  “A professional baseball player.” I’d avoided that subject for many years, and now it was a damn daily topic of conversation. It still wasn’t any easier.

  “All boys want to do that at some point,” she said dismissively.

  “Not all of them get a few days away from signing with the Rangers,” I fired back, and she shifted, her chin on my chest as though she was trying to look at me in the dark.

  “Was that you on the baseball card in your wallet?” I cringed that she’d caught me carrying that around, but she continued before I had a chance to come up with a smart remark. “You were that good?”

  “I was way better than ‘that good,’” I corrected, and I could almost picture the skeptical look on her face.

  “What happened?”

  “Final inning, College World Series. We were three runs behind. Bases were loaded. Two outs. I was up at bat. What every guy dreams of. I hit one almost to the fence. The outfielder fumbled, and it was enough to get everybody home except me. I dove for the plate, and somehow tore up my shoulder muscles, dislocated it, and blew out my knee. But I made it home. We won. I lost everything.”

  “People get injured all the time,” she protested.

  “Yeah, but I’d really done a number on my shoulder, not to mention the years of use before that. I’d torn my rotator cuff severely on my throwing arm. I tried, but even after all the surgeries, it was never the same.”

  “Drew,” she breathed, anguished.

  I opened my mouth to give her the spiel about how it didn’t matter, that I was fine with it, but that was a lie. “I was this close.” I held my index finger and thumb a millimeter apart even though she couldn’t see it. “I loved everything about the game. Everything. But it turns out, she didn’t love me as much as I loved her.”

  “The ultimate betrayal of a lover. You understand the disappointment and anger more than most. We have our dreams, think they’re going to happen, and then life has other ideas. Guess we aren’t that different. Injuries stole both our dreams.” My story was sad, but people didn’t really get it. Sonya did, and she didn’t give the bullshit excuse how everything works out for a reason or that it wasn’t meant to be. She knew.

  My mood had darkened. She didn’t tell me to snap out of it. If anything, she was down in the mud with me, indulging me, joining my pity party. It felt good not to be the only one in attendance. It felt good not to pretend. Not to be so . . . alone.

  Chapter Thirty

  Sonya

  “What the fuck?”

  I whipped around at the sound of the masculine voice behind me. It was sexy, but it wasn’t Drew’s. And I was in the kitchen making coffee . . . naked.

  “Good morning,” I said with false cheer as if I were dressed from head to toe. “Coffee’s almost ready.”

  He kept his eyes locked on mine. They never strayed down for a look at the goods. I might have even tried to tempt him by subtly thrusting out my chest, but the man was as honorable as they came. I hopped up on the counter, my bare ass hitting the cool laminate and swung my feet as we awkwardly waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

  “Mulaney here too?” I asked casually, though it didn’t really make a difference.

  “She’s still asleep.”

  I sniffed. “Isn’t it a little odd for you to be staying with your brother? Don’t you have your own apartment?”

  “This is where we need to be right now,” he returned easily, not taking the bait.

  I kind of wanted to see if I could rile him up, so I stretched out one of my toned legs and pointed my toe. He still didn’t look. The coffee brewer made the gurgling sound that indicated it was ready, so I hopped off the counter and poured myself a cup, leaving Easton to fend for himself.

  “What the fuck?”

  It was Mulaney, dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt that was way too big for her.

  I gave her a guilty smile. “Your husband is such a gem, keeping me company while I have my coffee,” I purred, and she rolled her eyes, coming toward us from their room.

  She wanted to say something. It was in the set of her jaw and the streak of lightning that flashed in her eyes, but something passed between her and Easton, and she thought better of it.

  “Did it occur to you to put on some clothes?” she finally muttered, taking the mug Easton handed to her.

  Oh, they were sharing. Wasn’t that sweet? I made a throw-up motion in my head.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t walk around your home naked when you think no one else is there.” I blew on the hot liquid before taking a sip.

  She shook her head. “Unbelievable. This isn’t your home.”

  I kept that sickeningly pleasant look on my face. “Oh, but it is,” I corrected, and then I cocked my head as if trying to decipher a puzzle. “Maybe you should knock before you come unannounced into someone else’s house.” I tapped my index finger on my lips. “Unless you were trying to catch Drew and me in the act?” I widened my eyes, as if scandalized. “Oh. My. God. You’d like to see us fuck,” I declared with a mischievous grin. Except she didn’t give me the look of horror I was expecting.

  “What the fuck?”

  “Well, isn’t that the phrase of the morning?” I said as Drew bolted into the kitchen, shedding his T-shirt.

  “Why are you naked?” he asked as he shoved it over my head.

  “Because I thought we were alone, but don’t worry. We were just discussing how they’d like to watch us fuck. I mean, we can do it while I have this T-shirt on, but I think it would be more interesting if I was naked again.”

  Drew grabbed my coffee off the counter and drank a big swallow before setting it back down. So I guess we were sharing too. Wasn’t that equally sweet?

  “Can we back up here?” He cocked his head and studied me. “You’re shitting me. Jesus, it’s too early for this.”

  “I’m not kidding. We hadn’t worked out any terms or anything, but we were definitely discussing it.”

  “She needs to go,” Easton said, as if I wasn’t there. “We know she got kicked out of Paths of Purpose for lying about her identity.”

  “I’m the one who got her kicked out,” Drew said in annoyance, stealing the coffee mug out of my hands for another drink. “I made it all up, gave Mrs. Quinn a bunch of incriminating evidence so Sonya would be forced to stay with me.”

  Two sets of eyes flared with disbelief. They shouldn’t put anything past Drew. In fact, that kind of behavior should be expected of him. Do they even know him?

  I needed to take up for him the way he’d just taken up for me, but I didn’t know how to do it. All I knew was that I had a partner in crime now, whether I wanted him or not.

  “She’s got to find somewhere else to go,” Easton said firmly.

  “The hell she does. If the three of you didn’t want me to have a girlfriend, you should have spelled it out in the sentencing. Sonya stays.”

  My heart nearly exploded. Why was he so protective of me? We didn’t even like one another. But the way Drew’s arm slid around my waist and locked on tight said he was in my corner, even at the expense of his family.

  Easton focused his hard eyes on me, and Mulaney crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you’re hiding, but we’ve got enough shit in this family to deal with. You’re distracting my brother from what he needs to focus on, and that’s a problem for me because he is my priority. If you care about him at all, you’ll leave him be.”

  “That’s the interesting thing about being on the outside of a situation. You can see things for what they are. From the outside looking in, you’re the biggest detriment to Drew. Not me.” The
y both looked a little stunned. “I didn’t have to spend much time around your family to see how you interact with one another. The only one who doesn’t treat Drew like an outsider is your mother. The rest of you huddle together and console one another or whatever you’re doing like a grade-school clique.”

  “We’re trying to fix his mess,” Easton said, raising his voice.

  “Maybe you should be more concerned about fixing your relationship with him.”

  His eyes went to Drew. I saw the unmistakable hurt on his face. “I’ve tried. I’m trying,” he said quietly.

  “Try harder. Go back to that.” I pointed at a framed photograph of the two of them when they couldn’t have been more than ten. They were standing by a lake, holding up the fish they’d caught, arms around one another, smiling. “And stop pointing the finger at one another. Look at yourselves and fix it from there.”

  “I don’t know where it went wrong,” Easton lamented, and I actually felt sorry for the man. He was more torn up over this than I’d seen over the past several days.

  “I’m going to check on Mama. Come on. We’ve got to get you back to Paths of Purpose,” Drew said.

  I frowned at him for shying away from the situation. He didn’t back down, even from the hard stuff. Hell, he’d gotten in a fight with two men at once for me, no questions asked. But like a coward who couldn’t come up with anything to say, I let Drew drag me to the bedroom, not bothering to shut the door.

  “Don’t say a word,” he warned, stripping the shirt off my head and nudging me in the direction of the bathroom.

  He swiftly removed his sweatpants and stalked past me. I trailed him, stepping behind the shower curtain with him and pulling it closed. He dipped his head under the spray first, enough hitting me so chill bumps rose on my skin.

  “Why did you back down? Run away?” I demanded, thumping him in the chest when he refused to look at me.

  “I said—”

  “I know what you said, but I don’t care. What happened out there?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Not with him. Not with you.” His movements were rough as he ran his fingers through his hair, working the shampoo through the locks.