Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
SINCLAIR
"I don't know if this is a good idea," I admitted.
"Of course it is." Wren finished fixing my hair and stood back for a good look. "You like him, he likes you."
"I like him, he wants to get into my panties," I said.
"I still don't see the problem," she said with a laugh. "You've been wanting that for how long?"
"The way you say that makes me sound like I've been pining for him for years." I leaned back and also inspected her work. "It hasn't been that long. At least as long as you've been pining for Tiger."
"I have not been pining." She stepped forward and smoothed down some hair at the back. "Lusting, yes. Pining, no."
"What's the difference?" I much preferred talking about her and her love life than mine. Such as it was.
I'd told her about Javey and the night we spent together. Predictably, she was concerned about him hiding outside my house and peering through windows. She knew I could handle myself, and I would. If he lurked around outside, I'd invite him in.
"One means I want to fuck him and the other means I can't live without him," she said.
"What's it called when it's both?" I teased.
"Love." She wrinkled her nose. "I like him, but I'm not ready for that. Besides which, I'm thinking of embracing Elenna's model for relationships."
"You're collecting men for a harem?" I asked.
She sat down on the end of my bed. "Why not? Tiger is cute, but he's not the only guy around. And he may not be enough to fulfil all of my needs. It works for Elenna, why not us?"
I swivelled around in my chair. "I hadn't given it much thought, but you're right. Why not us? Do you think Coast and Javey can share me?"
"I think if they can, you'll have an amazing time." She smiled.
"And if they can't, they might actually kill each other.
" If Coast lived long enough for that. I wasn't worried about the Fiorellis going after him while we were out having dinner, because, like I said, I can look after myself.
I also got the impression they were biding their time.
Waiting until Coast and Aidan were in the same place together.
Not surrounded by other people who could fight back.
I'd say they wanted to avoid harming innocent people, but this was Dusk Bay.
Innocent people were thin on the ground at best. Along with the Forellis' morals.
They wouldn't care who died, as long as they won.
"Maybe Coast and Javey could work it out in a more civilised way," she said with a sly smile. "I suggest naked mud wrestling."
"Whatever the problem, you always suggest it can be solved with naked mud wrestling." I gave her the side eye.
"Traffic congestion?" I suggested.
"That can totally be solved with mud wrestling, try again." She gave me a 'give it to me' gesture with her fingers.
"The plight of the rainforests?" I suggested. "The debate over which is better, Star Wars or Star Trek? The existence of pink marshmallows?"
"I think you've proven my point, but what's wrong with pink marshmallows?" She frowned.
"Nothing, I just think marshmallows should be any other colour than pink." I didn't really care about the colour of marshmallows as much as I did getting a response from her. Knowing Wren, she'd take up the pink marshmallow cause, just because she could.
"I think they're perfect in pink, but how did we get to this subject? We were talking about your love life."
"Actually, we were talking about yours," I reminded her. "You were telling me how you were going to have fifteen boyfriends. Two for each day of the week, one for the morning and one for the night. And then a spare."
She laughed. "That's way too much testosterone for me. I'd settle for three or four. Although, seven doesn't sound bad."
Seven sounded like too much testosterone to me, but I just shook my head at her and laughed.
"If you're happy with seven boyfriends, then I'm happy for you," I said. "You could have your own hockey team. Six on the ice and one on you."
"I don't hate the sound of that," she said with a smile. "But you keep changing the subject. You want to go out with Coast, right?"
"Yes, I do, I just don't want to give him the wrong impression," I said slowly.
"What is the wrong impression, exactly?" She fixed me with a firm look. "Don't tell me you wouldn't fuck him, given half a chance, because I know you would. You'd like to get to know him better, wouldn't you? What wrong impression would having dinner with him give?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right," she said. "I might have sucked at school, but I'm smart in other ways. Including knowing that you and him would be as adorable together as you and Javey would. And if it doesn't work out, at least you get to have some great sex."
"Yeah." I had my doubts about a lot of things, but not that Coast would be anything other than amazing in bed. He certainly had enough practice at it. Practice I hoped to benefit from.
I wasn't afraid of my sexuality and I wasn't going to shame anyone else for theirs. Especially if it led to me getting lots of orgasms.
"It would also be nice to have someone else to live vicariously through," she said. "Elenna doesn't share too much anymore. She's probably too busy getting laid."
She pouted, but she was as happy for our friend as I was. Who wouldn't want their best friend to have three adoring partners? She was a lucky woman.
"You really do need that harem," I remarked. "Or another few vibrators. Have you and Tiger not…"
"I don't know what's going on with him," she said. "There's an attraction there, but we seem to keep skirting around each other. Just as I think something is getting going, something comes up."
I snickered.
She rolled her eyes. "Something other than his cock. His phone rings and he has to leave immediately. He never says why, he just goes. At this rate, my pussy is going to close up."
I moved over to sit beside her and put an arm around her. "Poor thing. There's nothing worse than a neglected pussy."
"Exactly," she said. "That's why I need a harem. If he's too busy to fuck, I can go to another one of the guys."
"That sounds like as good a reason for it as any," I said. "As long as you, you know, care about them too."
"Of course," she said. "That goes without saying. Relationships are hard work, but if we all wanted it enough, we could make it happen."
"Do you have any idea where Tiger is going?" I asked.
"Nope," she said lightly. "He won't say a word.
I mean, I don't want to push him. We don't know each other well enough for me to pressure him into giving me any answers.
It's just that one minute we're making out and the next he's out the door.
When I see him again, he pretends like nothing happened. No explanation, no apology."
"I'm sure whatever it is must be important," I said.
"Otherwise, he's crazy to walk away from you.
" We both knew it was probably something related to Brantley family business, I saw that on her face.
If that was the case, she'd never get an answer.
Unless she got deeper involved. Which was by no means out of the question.
"That's what I keep telling myself," she said. "Maybe nothing is meant to happen. I should go and chase one of those other fish that apparently live in the metaphorical sea."
"Or better yet, don't chase guys at all," I said. "There's no reason why you can't have half a dozen chasing you."
"See, this is one of the reasons I love you so much," she said. "You're so good for my ego. Not in a bad way though. You're right, they should be chasing me. Or at least, putting in the effort. I don't need chocolates and roses."
"Just naked mud wrestling." I grinned.
She laughed. "Yes, just that. Lots of that."
"To clarify, would you be participating or only watching?" I regarded her as though I was completely serious about the question.
She looked back at me in the same way. "I'm not sure. I might start by watching and then participate if the mood strikes me. I don't want to commit too much."
"That's fair enough." I said with a nod. "I wouldn't want to commit myself to something that would end up with mud up my ass either."
We both laughed.
Mine tapered off with a sobering thought. "You don't think there's any chance that Tiger is the one telling the Fiorellis about Aidan's plans, do you? I mean, he would know and if he's disappearing suddenly…"
She winced. "I'd like to say absolutely not, but the truth is I don't know for sure.
Like I said, I don't know him that well and he's not likely to tell me something like that.
He knows I'd tell Elenna and she'd tell Aidan.
He'd be signing his own death warrant. If Aidan didn't kill him himself, he'd make sure someone did. "
"Right." That made me wary of talking to Elenna about Javey. If I mentioned anything about his ties to the Fiorellis, that may be his death warrant. If Aidan didn't kill him, he might send Coast to do it for him. That would make our potential relationships very awkward. To say the least.
"What is it?" Wren asked. "You really think Tiger is the spy?"
"I hope not." I hesitated, then told her what Javey told me. "It's in the past and he didn't have that much to do with them," I said quickly.
"But you're not so sure," she guessed.
"I want to believe it, but for all I know, it could be Coast telling them everything. He was very willing to kill Jamison and Geneva. That might have been to cover his tracks."
"You believe that?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No. I don't want to believe any of the Demons are working against us. I really don't. But someone is, and until we know who, we need to be on our guard."
"That sounds like you're planning to stand Coast up," she said.
"I'm not," I said. "I'm going to be extra careful, that's all." I had every faith that Aidan and Finley would find out who betrayed them, and deal with them. Then we could all breathe a little easier. Right up until the time we had to deal with the rest of the Fiorellis and Mancinis.
Preferably before they made a move on Coast.