“That boy has had it really bad for you,” Lottie says. “God, I’m so glad he finally did something about it. How was it?”
I pause and tilt my head to the side. “He’s had it bad for me?” I ask, confused.
Lottie glances at Kelsey and then back at me. “I mean . . . what?” She blinks a few times.
“You said he has it bad for me. What do you mean?”
“Uh, I don’t think I said that, right, Kelsey? I didn’t say that.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she said that.”
“That’s what I heard,” Myla says with a smirk, and when the sisters look her way, she just shrugs. “Listen, we’re here for a reason. These men of ours often have the upper hand, and any advantage we can have over them, the better, so we might as well be truthful with her. Yes, Breaker has had it bad for you.”
“He didn’t say that to you?” Lottie asks, looking guilty.
“No, he didn’t. He wouldn’t say anything really, other than he knows what he’s doing.”
“Of course he does,” Kelsey says with an eye roll. “All the Cane brothers know what they’re doing and we are mere pawns in their plans.”
“Oh stop,” Lottie says. “I don’t see any of us complaining about the orgasms. Which by the way, you didn’t answer me. Was it good?”
I press my lips together and nod. “Yeah, it was spectacular. Like . . . unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
“It always is,” Kelsey says while leaning back in her chair. “I swear these men have some sort of secret society where they learn how to precisely play with a woman so they’re ruined for any other man.”
“It’s true,” Myla says. “Ryot has always been able to control my body, rendering it useless.”
“Huxley is the same. I hated him so much when we first met, but somehow, he kept me around by using just his fingers.”
“Breaker used his tongue,” I say, skipping over the dry humping because I just don’t think that’s something I can get into. “But he started it by ‘helping me dry off from the shower.’” I use air quotes, causing the girls to laugh. “And before I knew what was happening, he had me pressed against my apartment window, completely naked, and was going down on me.”
“God, that’s so hot,” Lottie says. “I love when Huxley fucks me against a window. It feels so naughty.”
“So it was magnificent then,” Kelsey says. When I nod, she adds, “Then why do I sense some hesitation?”
“Two reasons,” I say. “For one, I literally just broke up with my fiancé and called off my wedding. I think it makes me look incredibly slutty.”
“I don’t think so,” Myla says. “I think it’s just you figuring out what you want, and that’s important.”
“I agree,” Kelsey says.
“Me too. What’s the second reason?” Lottie asks.
“It’s Breaker. He’s everything to me, and even though when we’re in the moment, when he’s touching me, making me feel things I’ve never felt before, I can’t help but worry. What happens if this doesn’t work out? What if something goes wrong? What if he gets bored of me and moves on? It’s weird now when he’s intimate, it’s going to be so much weirder if I get attached and he decides to move on.”
“Not going to happen.” Lottie shakes her head. “Breaker would never.”
“But he’s never had a true relationship before,” I say.
“Because he’s had you,” Kelsey says. “Because you’ve been everything he’s ever needed, and now that he’s figured that out, he’s trying to take things to the next level.”
“But . . . he hasn’t kissed me. He’s just given me orgasms.”
Lottie and Kelsey pause as they exchange glances. Myla and I both look confused as Lottie shakes her head. “Oh no.”
“Oh no, what?” I ask.
Kelsey winces. “We know exactly what he’s doing.”
“What?” I ask, growing anxious.
“He has a plan, a meticulous plan to make you fall for him,” Lottie says.
“It’s true.” Kelsey nods. “The Cane brothers, well, they’re something else. When they have their mind set on something, they make it happen their way. Meaning, he hasn’t kissed you because he’s waiting for the perfect moment.”
Lottie nods. “Yup. The first kiss means something to him, so he’s saving it.”
“And going down on me means nothing?” I ask.
Kelsey and Lottie think on it just as Myla chimes in. “Have you guys ever been intimate before in your friendship?”
“Never,” I answer.
She nods. “Then this is him probably showing you that it can be normal.”
“Ah, yes,” Kelsey seconds. “God, that would so be something one of them would do. Think about the amount of times JP teased me before we actually had sex. Or you and Huxley. It’s their MO. It’s what they do. They turn you into putty until you can’t do anything other than follow them around, waiting for their next move.”
“Facts,” Lottie says. “The first time Huxley touched me was my last first—that’s how powerful it was. Did it feel like that to you?”
I think back to my bedroom—not to when we were drunk—but to when he was pinning me against the window because we were both very much aware of what was happening.
“It felt . . . it felt like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was as if I was just a mere instrument to him, and he knew exactly how to play me. I mean, I let him hold me by the throat. I let him put me into positions I never would have in the past, and I was convinced only by his touch, by his voice.”
Kelsey and Lottie nod. “Yup, he’s playing his cards with you,” Lottie says.
“So what do I do?” I ask.
“Nothing,” Kelsey answers. “There’s absolutely nothing you can do. You can try to fight it, but I don’t think it’ll do much.”
“I might be overstepping a bit,” Myla says, “but it almost seems like you might have the same feelings about him. Am I right?”
“I’ve never truly thought about it,” I say. “I always just considered him my friend. But this past week or so, it’s been different. He’s looked at me differently. He’s told me how beautiful I am. He’s said it before, but this was . . . it was as if he meant it from a different place. And then he started touching me lightly, here and there. Like this night when I felt really sad about losing my parents and asked him to hold me. We were in his bed, and nothing happened, but his hand did wander along my hip. I didn’t think much of it then, but after the night we got drunk—”
“Whoa.” Lottie holds up her hand. “What happened the night you got drunk?”
“I’m surprised your husbands didn’t tell you.” I set my yarn down, completely neglecting the knitting premise now. “It was the day I broke things off with Brian. Breaker and I went to celebrate, and we both got drunk and went to bed. We were playfully fighting over his pillow, and then he cuddled into me. I asked him if that was how he would hold his girlfriend, and he said no and then proceeded to show me exactly how he would touch his girlfriend.”
“And how did he show you?” Myla asks, sitting on the edge of her seat.
My cheeks heat just thinking about that night. “With teasing touches. He’d slowly move his hand to just below my breasts and then slip his hand past the waistband of my shorts.”