Page 126 of Their Cruel Play
I bark out a laugh, remembering his fits when he was losing at something. The pouting and tantrums until he turned it around. “You’re just lucky I didn’t really care and always let you win.”
He smiles softly, and my pulse leaps a little. “Yeah, that probably didn’t help me figure out how to lose graciously.”
“Maybe, but what have you lost, Nico?” I tuck my wet hair behind my ear. I have no makeup on and a towel, but I’m comfortable. “I’m here. Your friends are here and willing to share with you. Maybe we don’t measure up to New York, but?—”
“You’re better than New York, sunshine. I just can’t get out of my head. I want to make it up to you.” Nico’s eyes capture me, and I see that guy who climbed the stands to find me again. The one that makes my heart beat quicker. “Please, sunshine.”
“We can do dinner sometime this week.” I’d already decided to offer that. “So we can talk. But just talk. We need to figure out who we are now. I won’t let you win all the time.”
He smiles. “I don’t expect you to.”
“Fuck, it’s like sucking on candy. Too fucking sweet.” Caden sits down at his computer. “You two are like a Hallmark movie brought to life.”
I laugh. “Have you ever watched a Hallmark movie, Caden? Because I don’t think what we do would qualify.”
He shrugs. “I’ve seen a few memes. Why do you still have your towel on, little nympho?”
I shake my head and stand. Arching an eyebrow, I put my hand on the knot and then turn to my dresser.
“Fuck, when did you become a tease?” Caden groans.
“Isn’t that what girlfriends do?” I reply over my shoulder as I grab a pair of panties, sleep shorts, and a tank.
“Nico knows what girlfriends do. So, Nico,” Caden says. “Are girlfriends teases or do they do what their boyfriends tell them to do?”
“Fuck, man. I’m already in the doghouse.” Nico chuckles. “You’ll have to figure this one out on your own.”
I glance at Nico, who gives me a cocky smile. Maybe, something new can grow. Time will tell.
“All right, we’ll put it to a vote.” Caden leans back in his chair as I sit on the edge of the bed.
“What are we voting on?” Jack sits down with a glittery smiley face painted on his cheek.
I laugh. “What’s on your face?”
Jack touches his cheek and smiles. “Lucy got a bunch of new makeup and wanted to try it out. I’m lucky I escaped the whole makeover.”
My phone buzzes, and I stand to go to it. I’ve got a pic from Jack in my messages. I open it to see a little girl who looks a lotlike Jack with sparkly makeup everywhere. Eyelids, lips, cheeks, her nose, her forehead, even some on her ears.
“You would have made it work.” I glance up and he grins.
“We’re voting on whether girlfriends do what they’re told or if they’re allowed to be teases,” Caden announces.
“Are we having issues already?” Eli’s camera pans until he has the laptop on his lap and his face and bare chest come into the frame.
“Harper flaunted herself in that towel and then refused to drop it.” Caden gestures at the computer.
“Technically, no one asked me to drop it. You asked why I had it on.” This is what I like about these guys. These moments. The sex is phenomenal, but having them here, talking and laughing, I’m pretty sure they’ve broken me for any other relationship.
It fills this need that I didn’t even realize I had. I’ve been lonely for so long that I took the bits and pieces I could from the two people who supported me: my mom and Kenz.
But I don’t feel like I’m getting the scraps with these guys. Mom and Kenz want to spend time with me, but it’s different. We find time to hang out. Mom has work. Kenz has Brandon and school.
The guys have me.
“So we’re voting on what then?” Eli asks.
“Whether she can be a tease or if she should do as we say. Nico refused to help because he’s in the doghouse.” Caden’s face turns contemplative. “Wait, can she put us all in the doghouse?”
