He preened and rubbed a hand over his front, showing off a rock-hard belly beneath his expensive suit.
“I’m a male with style, class, and brains, and I know a good thing when I see it.” He bragged, chuckling when I giggled and gave him a once over.
The man was hot, no doubt about that, but even considering a date with him felt wrong. We were friends, just friends who couldn’t date because I didn’t want to get between brothers. I told him that and laughed when he clutched at his chest and groaned dramatically.
“Hurts, baby.” He whined, his eyes sparkling when I snorted. Friends eat dinner together. Come on, Ren. Come to dinner with me, and let's laugh about how Caleb’s asshole’s gonna grow piles by the time he’s done shitting.” He coaxed, his belly tensing with mirth when I snickered and gave the pot another whiff. “Besides, this is gonna annoy him so fucking much. I’m nearly desperate for you to say yes. Help me annoy the shit out of Caleb. Get it?” he asked, eyeing the pot before he busted a gut again, and I choked with laughter.
“Okay. But just friends.” I wheezed, my eyes streaming tears of hilarity and anticipation.
“Great. Now, do you think I can install cameras in the bathroom in the short time we have left?” he asked, his eyes sparkling when I sputtered. “What? It’s no fun if we don’t know what happens.”
“Oh, trust me,” I drawled, giving the pot another stir that released the pungent odor of gut death. “We’ll know.”
Chapter 16 Caleb
Dragging my ass inside, I wasn’t sure whether I was still pissed off or plain numb. I’d spent all afternoon thinking about Ren and her stubbornness, and you know what, fine. If she didn’t want to talk to me, that was fine. She was annoying anyway with all that bright chatter, sparkly smiles, and the sweet, kind way she took care of me—
“Shut up,” I grumbled, shutting my thoughts down when I started to moon over her again. “You’re fine. So what if you’re not friends anymore. She’s right. You’re her boss, that’s all.” I huffed, stopping at the stove when I caught a whiff of something so potent my nose tickled, and my eyes started to water.
Growling, I reached over and took the lid off the huge pot, and despite my anger and the resentment that had stewed all day, I started to laugh so hard I clutched at my gut and doubled over.
“Jesus Christ, what is that?” Cole asked, walking in without an invitation while I snickered and leaned closer to sniff the food.
Death resided in that pot, I thought, my stomach lurching with hunger even as I slammed the lid back on and took a step back.
“Chili,” I grumbled, grabbing a beer while Cole peered into the pot and chuckled.
“Or homicide.” He laughed, grabbing himself a beer before he leaned back to look at me thoughtfully. “Wanna tell me why the world’s sweetest female is trying to kill you?”
“None of your damn business,” I muttered, finishing my beer off in three swallows and grabbing another because I needed it.
Don’t miss her. Really don’t.
“Aaah, but I think it is since you’re standing here looking like hell, and Ren’s cooked up certain death. What did you do now, asshole? Please tell me you’re at least trying to be nice.” Cole growled, scowling when I narrowed my eyes at him and snarled.
“I’ve been nice. It’s Ren. She’s the one who’s done a complete three-sixty and refuses to talk to me. We’re supposed to be friends, and all she’s done in the last for days is ignore me, glare at me when she thinks I’m not looking, and,” I waved at the pot. “This isn’t the first time she’s done something like this. I get it. She’s upset.”
Cole snorted, around his beer, his eyes twinkling while I fought a smile and the urge to…what? Rush over to her trailer and say what?
“The question is, what did you do? No offense, bro, but Ren’s a pretty simple female. She’s kind, helpful, caring, and giving of herself, so I don’t see her turning into a bitter witch. If she’s upset, you did something. So spill it.” He said softly, making me squirm and look away.
“It was one night, dammit. That’s all.” I muttered, my hand tightening around the bottle when a flash of Ren’s eyes invaded my mind.
Those blue, sparkling gems filled with hurt and confusion and then shame. Jesus. I made her feel ashamed, I thought, swallowing down a growl of self-hatred.
“One night of what?” Cole demanded, his eyes growing hard.
“We…she was bleeding, and she’d fainted. You know…”
“How our females suffer with blood fever. Yeah. So? What did you do, make her walk home in pain and then—”
“No! Jesus. I’m not that much of an asshole. I took care of her.” I muttered, my cock throbbing when I remembered our shower together, her scent, and the way she felt as I washed the blood from her molten sheath.
I still dreamed about that night. Every dream was dirtier and more intense because instead of cleaning her, I dropped to my knees and used my mouth to soothe the ache deep inside her. As shifters, oral sex was…it was something more than orgasms and need. I just…thinking about her and having my mouth on her at that time made me so hard I had to throttle a groan of need and ground my teeth.
“Explain,” Cole grumbled, watching me closely as I sighed and related it all to him.
I glossed over the details, not willing to tell my brother how good Ren smelled or how sweet she tasted or—