12
Bevin
Winter let out a long breath and then met my gaze. “He’s not wrong that I’m being a bit of a caveman.”
“But you repeatedly describe the sessions as ‘intimate,’ and even that has made me twitch given how many you’ve had with Link,” Wyatt muttered. “How far you’ve come together, and there seems to be some relationship here that doesn’t really have a name.”
“Yes, his aunt and uncle are basically my aunt and uncle since they were such good friends with my grandfather,” I explained, frowning when they both gave me looks like I was being silly.
“He’s also saved my life a few times.” I glanced at Link.
“Trauma bond? Or no, that’s toxic? I can’t keep it all straight. ”
“We’re also friends, Bev,” he said, looking a little hurt.
I huffed. “Of course. That one was given.” I got up and kissed Winter’s cheek. “Don’t be a caveman when I haven’t done anything wrong and I’ll let you be one later.” My eyes went wide when Wyatt choked and Winter’s eyes filled with heat. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Naw, no take-backs, little sexy. I currently can’t stand up I’m so fucking turned on.”
“I didn’t need to hear that,” Link drawled. “And this is actually something serious even if not an emergency, Bev.”
That was the out I needed and hurried to move more like twenty feet away with him closer to the water. He put up the barrier and stared out at the water as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“I’m going to ask you a favor that I shouldn’t and I beg you not to turn me down.
It goes over a line that I never wanted to cross—something I feel bad even asking, but everything in me is screaming that I’m right no matter what people are telling me.
I just can’t shake this and it’s not the time to be distracted, so please just do this for me and tell me I’m dumb, okay? ”
“I’ll try,” I hedged, not willing to commit to anything without knowing what it was.
He nodded and then looked at me. “Something is up with one of my best friends. You’ve met him. He was the guard who walked you through everything at your disownment hearing. I didn’t know that. He told me later how nice you were and—you’ve seen him again, right?”
I nodded, his name slipping my mind. “Yes, really nice guy. He was great to me that day and always checks on me when I’m at the council estate. I forget his name. It’s one that most think of as a girl’s but boys use too.”
“Eunice,” he filled in for me. He blew out a heavy breath and scrubbed his neck.
“Something is wrong with him, Bev. Something has changed. I don’t know and he won’t talk to me about it.
I just know, you know? Like you would know if Tracey started acting off.
Our other friends told me to let it go, that it’s the stress we’re all under—that I’m under but… ”
“What do you want me to...” I sighed. “You want me to listen to his familiar. You bring them to the council estate. I could get near him.”
“Please?” he whispered, sounding unlike Link for once. “I know it’s a lot to ask and horrible of me to ask you to spy on my friend. I know it. I will make it up to him and tell him it was all me. I just know in my gut I’m right.”
“How sure are you?” I asked, but I really didn’t even need to. It was right there in his eyes.
Link was as sure as his own name.
“Okay,” I agreed. “But please don’t make it a habit. I have enough issues. If people…”
“I know. I’m sorry. I promise that—I know. This is really a—I swear this is a desperate time and honestly I hope you just tell me they’re right and I need more sleep.” He chuckled darkly. “I know I do, but it’s keeping me from sleeping.”
He really did need sleep though. It was beyond obvious and that was the reason I agreed more than Link’s gut. He wasn’t going to be able to help anyone if he didn’t sleep more.
He thanked me and said he’d let me know when he figured out how to make it work. Then he left, not even saying goodbye to Wyatt and Winter.
I went back over to them and stared at Winter before even sitting back down. “I know you walked up on something that looked bad with Link once, but it was explained and I apologized. I don’t like this—whatever this is with him. I’ve never given you reason to doubt me.”
“You haven’t,” he agreed, looking like he had more to say.
“Then hear it from me that he’s never flirted with me.
Never said anything to make me think he’s interested or—he’s never so much as talked to or glanced at my chest, Winter.
He might find me attractive.” I gave a shrug.
“So what? A lot of people do. I have huge boobs and a pert ass. I’m industry standard pretty. You want me to make myself ugly?”
He let out a slow breath and then another before glancing at the way Link had walked off before meeting my gaze. “I don’t like secrets between us that involve other men. That’s what bothers me about this. I feel that’s fair to say.”
I thought about that and sat down. “Normally, I would agree, but this is something that’s not about male or female. I promise. If the situation was reversed, I would have no problem with this. I swear it.”
“He used the word personal,” Wyatt defended.
“Kind of a favor for a friend?” I hedged, but sounded like I was asking. “Almost like when my professor asked for her daughter but not really?” I tried to work that out in my head. “Yeah, I’d put it like that even if I sent them to you.”
Winter nodded. “Okay.” He kept bobbing his head as he reached for another container. “Yeah, that’s fair. I think that’s just what I need to hear when it’s walk away from me, barrier up conferences with a man who is attracted to you and things I can’t know about.”
“Okay, I can do that.” I smiled after a moment. “Look at me being all healthy in my relationships and addressing things instead of just ignoring them and being socially inept.” I was actually really proud of that as I popped another piece of sushi in my mouth.
“It’s a good look on you, Bev,” Wyatt praised. “I really mean that.”
“Agreed, but I’m still coming for that offer you made,” Winter told me easily.
I frowned until it hit me what he meant. Then I almost dropped the container.
He wiggled his eyebrows at me and then reached over and smacked Wyatt’s hand when he reached for more food. “Glad you’re good. You should get back to enjoying your time talking with Quinn. Have a good one.”
“Subtle, Winter,” Wyatt drawled.
“Wasn’t meant to be. Bye.”
I couldn’t even get my mouth to work, leaning over and giving Quinn a hug instead, basically agreeing. I think? Acceptance?
“Okay, thanks for the sushi,” Wyatt sighed and stood. “Let’s go, Quinn.”
Quinn said bye to Teddy too and Teddy took the hint… And more sushi before making himself scarce.
“I cannot believe you just did that,” I whispered as I focused on my food, no longer hungry.
“You’re the one who offered it,” he tried to defend. He simply chuckled when I pressed my lips together. He rolled to his feet and started cleaning up some of the containers and our mess, waving me off when I went to help.
I wasn’t just going to sit there though and combined things into other containers for later.
The place had given us enough chopsticks to build ten birdhouses since they probably thought the order was for a party.
The packets of soy sauce would make up a small bottle and—what a waste and probably a lot of their overhead.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” he asked after we were done.
I chuckled. “My mind is scary, but this time just stuff like a business owner.” I gave a half shrug.
He let it go and we actually walked back to the house. Jasmine was sitting at the table looking over stuff with a couple of Taylor’s people and didn’t even glance up as she tapped a cleared-off spot.
“Dogs have the cheese tax and attorneys have a sushi tax?” I teased her, the other people there giving me funny looks.
Jasmine already understood my sense of humor or that I was kidding and rolled with it. “Exactly, and sushi is best fresh, so gimmie.”
“Always keep the housemates happy,” I said to Winter as I set mine down, nodding for him to do the same.
“I’m going to be hungry again in like an hour. That’s not enough time for it not to be fresh,” he grumbled as he set his down too. “I would have eaten more if I’d known about the attorney tax.”
Jasmine snorted and it was actually light-hearted banter between them, so that was nice. “I added those IPAs you like to Nelly’s grocery list since it’s break and I knew you’d be here a lot helping out.”
“Thanks,” Winter accepted. “We’ll leave you to it. We can pick up dinner if Clare’s not up for cooking or whatever.”
“I have no idea,” she admitted. “This is something extra helping Taylor out with another contract. Some bullshit trying to force them to extend and—people are assholes.”
All of us snorted because yes, and the sky was blue.
It was like a switch was flipped the moment we were upstairs in my room though and I was pinned against the door. I was breathless as heat and something more filled Winter’s eyes.
“I trust you, but Link wants you even if he doesn’t act on it and yes, I want to be a caveman, little sexy.
Say yes now and not as a slip.” He brushed his lips over mine when I didn’t say anything.
“I promised you we’d do everything good in the shower when we had one big enough and now you do.
Let me show you. Give me permission, then behave. ”
I flinched and worry filled his eyes. “Sorry, something Conrad said. He said—sorry.”
“Never be sorry.” He leaned his forehead to mine.
“Never. He is a monster, and I don’t ever want you to think of him when you’re with me.
Tell me. Always tell me.” He moved closer.
“It’s us here only. I want us to have fun and be a bit—fun.
I want us to have some fun and my breathtaking girlfriend to give me my fantasy. Play with me, Bev.”
I nodded, panting even as my heart beat too fast.