Dirty Little Mistake (Hard to Love #2)

Chapter 10

Camryn

S hoving open my bedroom door, I walked into the large dark room with Trystan following close behind me and flipped on a light.

"Where's your aunt and uncle?" His gaze flicked around the room, taking it all in.

"Italy, I think." I kicked off my shoes beside the nightstand next to my bed before turning back to him. "They're rarely home anymore."

"Kind of like my mom and Robert." He flopped down on my bed. I smiled. I'd had this fantasy more times than I'd ever admit out loud. "They're gone more than they're home."

"Yeah," I sighed. "My aunt and uncle never wanted kids. They wanted to travel the world, but they kind of got stuck with me."

"Were they dicks?" He slid his hands behind his head and crossed his leg at his ankles. I would never get the image of Trystan West in dark, faded, ripped jeans and his favorite black tee that rode up slightly, showing the trail of dark hair that disappeared into his pants, in my bed, out of my head.

"No." I smiled, dropping my gaze. "They were amazing, and I was lucky to have them, but they definitely weren't made to be parents." They'd taken excellent care of me. I had everything I needed and wanted except that parental bond. Or even the love of a parent, but I knew they tried. We'd all gotten the short end of the stick.

"So it's just you in this big house?"

I nodded. "That's kind of why I stay with Kai so much." He nodded like he understood, but I was pretty sure he didn't. Trystan and I lived completely different lives. He had both of his parents, even if they were divorced, and he had two very active stepparents. Even when his parents weren't around, he still had his siblings, and even though some of them were step-siblings, he would never be completely alone in this world. Once my aunt and uncle were gone, I would have no one.

"You know we all consider you part of the family, right?" My gaze lifted, meeting his, and I smiled. "You irritate Jax just like a sister would do." A laugh bubbled up. "And you give Harlow and Syn sisterly advice even when they don't want it. Oh yeah, and that time when Harlow was stuck at a party she didn't feel comfortable at. She called you like she would call a sister to come get her." He shrugged his shoulders. "You are a part of our family."

"And what about you?" My gaze dropped to my fidgeting hands. "Do you think of me as a sister?"

"Absolutely not." He laughed, pushing to a sitting position and throwing his long legs off the edge of the bed. "I would never look at my sister the way I look at you." He reached out, tangled his fingers in my pink top, and tugged me to him. "I would never think of doing the absolutely disgusting thing I want to do to you to my sister." My hands slid around his face as his slid under my shirt, gripping my waist. I closed my eyes as heat flooded my body, settling between my thighs. "But regardless of what happens between us, I want you to know you can always count on me. I'm always only a call away."

My eyes eased open. "I appreciate that, but I want to hear more about the disgustingly dirty thoughts." His gaze locked on mine. My stomach fluttered when his lips curled into a grin. He lifted my shirt just a little and pressed his soft lips to the skin between my belly button and low-rise jeans, with his eyes locked on mine.

"I think we should set our boundaries before we go anything further."

Sucking in a deep breath of disappointment, I slowly exhaled. "If we must, but after?"

"I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"Deal."

"Do you want to start?" He rested his chin on my stomach, staring up through hooded eyes.

"Rule 1 - Don't ask, don't tell, but if I ask or you ask, we tell the truth regardless of how we think it will make the other person feel."

"Okay," he said. "Rule 2?"

"You don't make promises you can't keep."

He nodded. "Rule 3?"

"That's all I got." I shrugged. "You?"

"No rules, but I want to be honest. I do not believe in monogamy."

And there was the problem. I did. In the long run, I knew this would never be anything more than a short fling, and at the time, I was okay with that.

"I've seen what trying to be monogamous does to people."

I opened my mouth to contest because that wasn't always the case, but I realized there was no point. He had his views, and I had mine.

"So tell me, what does your future look like?" I slid my fingers into his hair. "Will you have multiple wives, or do you have no intentions of ever settling down and just plan to move from one woman to the next?"

"I don't believe in marriage."

Another problem. I did. Trystan and I didn't have the same goals for our future, and that meant we were doomed from the start, but I was still young and ready to make as many mistakes as possible. He was going to be my first mistake. The one that I would remember for the rest of my life. I just had to keep my heart out of this game.

"I watched what my parents went through, and I don't ever want to go through that."

"So, no kids?"

He shook his head. "Kids only make things more complicated."

I nodded because, in his future, they would. He was going to be a famous rock god one day.

I knew I wanted a big family. The kind of family I never had. I wanted a husband and at least four kids. I wanted a house full of people all the time.

"I understand if you want to walk away," he breathed against my skin. "I don't want you to, but I get it."

I'd been obsessed with Trystan for so long that it was hard to just walk away with the understanding that all we'd ever be is friends, especially with the way my body reacted to him. "What happens if I stay? What does our future look like?"

"We have fun together."

"Until?" I narrowed my eyes. "I find someone else? Until I want something more? Do I date other people? Do you?"

"Until it's over." His fingers tightened, digging into my flesh. "I have no right to ask you not to date other people."

I waited a long moment for him to say whether or not he'd be seeing other women, but his lack of response said it all. He couldn't ask me not to date when he would be dating or fucking other women.

"I think I need some time." I dropped my hands to his wrists and gently shoved them. He dropped his hands, and I took a step back, flicking a glance at the clock. "I actually have to meet Kaia soon." Disappointment flickered in his eyes, but he nodded. "Let me change and grab my bag, and I'll drop you off at your house."

"Will you text me later?"

Sucking in a deep breath, I exhaled slowly. "Probably." I hadn't processed all my thoughts and feelings yet, so I didn't know if I'd call or text.

He pushed to his feet, stepping forward into my space. Our bodies brushed together as our gazes connected. "Probably?" He raised his brows. "That sounds like I may not hear from you again."

Swallowing hard, I shrugged. "I'll always be around. I'm just not sure about everything else." I dropped my gaze, avoiding eye contact.

His hand slid into my hair, tugging gently, forcing my gaze up while his other hand cupped the side of my face, pressing his thumb to my throat. "Then I guess I better give you something to remember me by."

Before I even had time to register what was happening, his mouth slammed against mine. White-hot heat punched through me as my mouth opened, and his tongue slid in, tasting mine. My body melted into his, and I never wanted him to stop. Except he did.

Breaking from the kiss, he released me, taking a step back. I brought my fingers to my swollen lips. There was no way I'd ever be able to forget Trystan or that kiss.

"I'll be outside," he breathed, flashing me a smile before disappearing out the door.

It took me a few minutes to collect myself, and Trystan waited for me while I quickly changed. My phone buzzed, and I figured it was Kaia, but when I grabbed it off the dresser, I smiled.

Owen: You going to be at the rink this morning?

Trystan made me forget any other man ever existed, but he wasn't emotionally available.

Camryn: Yes, I'm on my way to pick up Kaia now. You?

Owen: Yeah, are we still on for tonight?

I'd run into Owen at Brayden's party, and we had a few drinks together before Trystan showed up. Before he left, he'd asked me on a date, and I'd said yes. I thought when I left with Trystan, I would regret that decision, but I didn't. I couldn't wait to go out with him.

Camryn: Yes, pick me up at seven?

Owen: Your place or Kaia's?

Camryn: I'll let you know where I'm at.

Owen: See you at the rink in a few.

I clicked my phone closed and shoved it into my bag before bolting for the door.

"You ready?" I strolled around the back of my car, pulling open the back driver's door, and tossing my bag inside before jerking my door open and sliding inside.

The car ride was filled with an awkward silence, and I wasn't sure if it was only me or if he felt it, too. I swerved my car into Kaia's driveway and threw the car in park before honking the horn for Kaia.

"I guess I'll see you around," Trystan said.

"Yeah." I smiled.

Kaia appeared from the house, and Trystan shoved open the car door and slid out.

"What's up, Kai?" I couldn't see Trystan's face because his back was toward me, but Kaia's expression said it all. Her brows pulled tightly together as she stood frozen in place, but she quickly recovered.

"I don't think I've ever seen you up this early. Well, unless you've been up partying all night and haven't been to bed yet." He shrugged. "You know she's going to tell me, right?" He shrugged again.

"Catch ya later, Kai." He strolled past her. "Oh, and good luck today. Cam said you were meeting your new partner."

"Thanks," she mumbled, sliding into the passenger seat. Her gaze flicked up, meeting mine, and I flashed her my most innocent smile. "I thought you two decided it was the wrong time, wrong place."

"It is, but I'm not supposed to tell you why." I didn’t bother to hide the excitement in my voice. Kaia still didn't know about Trystan's band opening for Wicked Sinners, and I knew she would be so excited.

I really didn't want to get into the details of everything before I processed how I felt about everything. I had a lot to process. And a date with Owen tonight.