"You for this plan?" Dean asks.
"Hell yeah." Walker runs his hand through his dark hair. "I don't want to keep working while Iris is off."
"Don't you need money?" Dean asks.
"I'm gonna be a trophy husband once she gets her PhD," he says.
"In, what, five more years?" Dean asks.
"About that," Walker says.
Leighton shakes her head. "I'm not letting her date a loser."
"It's gonna be for her." He leans against the half-wall to his suite. "So I can cook her dinner every night."
"And eat her out the second she gets home," Dean suggests.
Walker laughs. "Great fucking idea." He pulls out his cell. Smiles as he taps a text to his girlfriend.
"You need dirty talking tips from Dean?" Leighton sits on her stool. Crosses her legs. "Sad."
Walker raises a brow. "Twenty bucks says I can make you wet in under a minute."
"You can't." Her pupils dilate as she tugs at her dress.
"That's a challenge." He stares into her eyes. "Now I'm gonna have to fill you in on every dirty detail of what I did to Iris last night."
"What did you…" She clears her throat. "Not interested."
"Bullshit," he says.
Leighton blushes. Stammers her way to a response. "No comment."
"Drop it," I say.
She pulls her dress down her legs. But that only pulls it down her chest.
Shows off more of her lacy black bra.
Walker looks to me. Raises a brow. "What are you all pissed about?"
"He's an idiot," Dean says. "That's the crux of the issue."
"Strong words from Dean." Walker looks from his best friend, to me, to Leighton, back to me. "You all right, Ryan? By your standards?"
"Don't talk to my girl like that." The words are still easy on my tongue. Even though it's a million times weirder calling Leighton my girl to Walker.
"Your girl?" Walker's gaze goes to Leighton. "You and Ryan…"
She nods. Presses her lips together.
I shoot her a look. Play along.
She nods of course.
Walker's expression screws with confusion. "Did I step into a time warp to April Fool's Day?"
Dean looks to me. "Really?"
I nod yeah.
He turns to Walker. "Penny's getting married. Ryan told her he has a girlfriend. So Leighton volunteered."
"This is the kinda shit you'd crucify me and Dean for," he says.
She presses her lips together. "So?"
"What's the point of making your ex jealous?" Walker looks to me. "You're better than that."
"Nah. He's not. But at least he's gonna do it right." Dean jumps in. "You're gonna whip it out on the dance floor, show her what she's missing." He motions to his crotch. "Massive cocks run in the family." He winks.
She laughs. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."
Dean makes a show of scratching his head. "Not following."
"You're gonna have to break it down for him, word by word," Walker teases.
Her tits shake as she laughs. "You're always going on about how virile—"
"Virile? Babe, you know I only read at a third-grade level," Dean teases.
"You do not." She slides off the stool. Adjusts the dress. Her eyes catch mine for a second then they're on Dean. "You're always talking about your cock. Like you're compensating for something."
"Babe, you bait me so well." He blows her a kiss. Reaches for his zipper. "Let me prove it." He unbuttons his jeans. "Take out those tits. I'll be hard like that—" He snaps his fingers.
She presses her arm to her stomach, doubling over with laughter.
I don't get it.
She and Dean are always flirting like this. He's always being disgusting. She's always pretending to hate it, but smiling anyway.
She says he's not Mr. Powers.
But he must be.
The way she laughs with him—
I've never been jealous of my brother before. But this—
My fingers curl into fists. When I close my eyes, I see red. I want to hurt someone. Anyone who's ever hurt her.
I'm not this guy.
I don't get pissed like this.
Dean is a fucking slut, yeah. But he's a good guy, deep down. He'll treat Leighton well.
If he is Mr. Powers, I'm gonna have to find a way to be okay with that.
"I hate to be the Ryan, but Greg doesn't want to see your dick." Walker motions to the bathroom in the back.
"All right. Let's go to my suite." Dean winks at Leigh. "You can give me a little manual help."
"You make it sound so enticing," she teases back.
"I'll reciprocate." He falls to his knees. Presses his hands together. "You know I dream about making you come."
"You do not." She laughs. "You don't want to fuck me."
"Leigh, how could you say that." He tugs at the waist of his jeans. "Come with me. See how massive my desire for you is—"
"All right. I'm out. I'm gonna ask Iris to explain it to me." Walker turns and moves into his suite.
Leighton's still shaking her head at Dean.
Still smiling at his crude advances.
Not that I can talk.
I said a lot dirtier shit to Penny.
But Leighton claims she finds Dean repulsive.
Is she sparing my feelings?
Worried I'll buy into that blood is thicker than water bullshit and rat her out to my brother?
It has to be him.
It's the only thing that makes sense.
The bell rings as the door swings open. A short woman with long hair steps inside. She looks to Dean, who's still kneeling on the floor, and laughs. "You're always in a compromising position."
He jumps to his feet. "Sounds like an invitation."
She laughs.
He motions to his suite, then follows her into it.
Leighton's eyes find mine. Her cheeks stay pink. Her smile stays wide.
"Sorry you got cunt-blocked." I try to unpeel my shoulders from my ears, but it's a struggle.
She sticks her tongue out in disgust. "Ew."
"You don't have to bullshit me."
"No. It's…" She presses her fingers to the counter. Stares at her black fingernails. "I'm your girlfriend. There's not gonna be anyone else."
"If you're into him—"
"I'm not."
"I won't tell him."
"I know. It's someone else." There's something in her eyes. She's hiding something.
It must be her lust for Dean.
What the fuck else could it be?
She picks up my cell—it's still sitting on the counter. "You mind?"
"It's got a password."
"I know it."
I arch a brow.
"Sorry. I spy." She punches in the code—the date we officially bought the shop—unlocks my phone, and pulls up Penny's texts.
She taps a reply.
Perfect. Tell me where and when.