Beckett shows mock understanding. “Of course. What about you, Primrose?”
Prim goes to speak, when Amiyah answers for her as well. “Oh, yes. Anal beads.” Amiyah tosses the beads at Prim, who screams and throws her hands up in the air.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Vance demands. Primrose hides her face as Amiyah bursts out into laughter once again.
“I want to show Devlin my new bag. Is he home?” Amiyah asks.
Beckett nods. “Upstairs in his room. And, Amiyah.” She blinks innocently at him. “Give me my card.” She sighs, rolling her eyes as she pulls it out of her wallet and mumbles something under her breath.
I smile at their friendship; it has a brother-sister vibe to it. “You need help with anything?” Beckett asks me.
“Actually, I do. Can you help me carry my bags up?” He nods. “Also, grab a tool set.”
Beckett frowns. “Why?”
“I have something I need you to install.” I wink, running up the stairs.
19
Beckett
Since I installedthe pole in Brixley’s room, it’s all I can think about. When I hear music blaring from her room, I envision her sweaty body grinding against the pole, artfully twirling around it. How her heels make her legs look endless, how even if she’s in spandex shorts and a sports bra, she’s my Jessica Rabbit fantasies come to life. Her wild red hair flying, her dark freckles bringing the green tints of her eyes to life. And fuck, those eyes when she dances are mesmerizing. So sinfully exotic.
Since I was a boy, I’ve had a type. Red hair, green eyes, milky freckled skin. The more natural, the better. It’s probably why I used to have a sick obsession with Jessica Rabbit growing up. She wasn’t natural-looking, but, come on.
I rise from the bed, throwing a t-shirt on, and pad my way to my door, but holt as I listen. “Vance, give me Samson back,” Primrose says, pounding on Vance’s door.
“Fuck off, Angel. It’s too early,” Vance mumbles back.
I bite my grin back. It’s like watching two people who are in the same orbit trying to resist the gravitational pull between them. It’s inevitable.
“Vance,” Primrose whines.
I hear his door swing open before Vance’s voice, which is rough with sleep. “Come say that in my bed and I’ll give him back.”
“Move,” Primrose says in a small voice, probably blushing.
I decide to give her a break. I swing my door open, scowling. “Give her the fucking cat back.”
Vance rolls his eyes, opening his door and calling the cat. Primrose snatches it and walks back to her room, slamming the door. Vance watches her like a dog being teased with a bone. “Sometimes patience works in your favor,” I offer.
Vance swings his eyes to me. “It’s running thin,” he grumbles. And then he shuts his door.
Madden walks out, combing his blond hair back out of his eyes. “Anyone ever heard of sleeping in around here?”
I laugh, following him down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Too much sexual tension in this house. Brixley and I, Vance and Primrose, Devlin and his hand, you and yoursister.”
Madden glares at me from the fridge, grabbing his stuff for a protein shake. “Stepsister, and we’ve been over this, that was a long time ago. It won’t happen again.” He looks down to the counter, and whispers, “It can’t.”
Devlin walks in, eyes immediately going to me. “Why is everyone so serious this morning?”
I shrug. “Too much sexual tension is my theory.”
“Yeah?” Devlin grins, grabbing coffee from the canister and making a pot.
We have a fancy coffee machine, but our tiny, spoiled brains can’t figure it out, so we just make regular coffee like peasants. Except Amiyah, she goes and buys hers from the campus coffee shops. Amiyah comes in like the walking dead, eyes narrowed into slits, raven hair wild and unruly, as she stomps in her fluffy house slippers.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” Devlin says cheerfully.