Enough.
“Let me get this straight. You had sex with Ren, and then before you sealed the deal, you jumped off her like she has fleas?” he asked, sounding so disgusted I flushed and looked away while shame curled through my gut.
“I didn’t mean to. It startled me when I realized what I was doing.” I groaned, embarrassment encroaching through the haze of anger.
“Having sex with a beautiful woman?” Cole asked, snorting when I cursed and glared at him.
“I can’t sleep with Ren. We’re friends, and she works for me.”
“So?”
“So, afterward, things would be awkward. I’m not looking for anything serious, Cole, and you know Ren. She’s all sunshine and rainbows and dreams. That female is way too soft for uncomplicated sex.”
“And that’s all it could be?” Cole asked, his eyes so steady I had to look away as I shrugged.
“That’s all it can be. I don’t want more. I won’t ever want more.” I said, begging him to understand.
When he sighed and nodded, shrugging, I took another slug of beer and relaxed until he opened his fat mouth again.
“Well, then, I’m glad she went on a date. Ren deserves to be wanted and cared for, and if you’re not interested, I say she should go for it.”
“Date?” I growled, my ease turning into tension now at the thought of Ren out there.
With another male.
“Yeah, a date. What? She can’t date because you don’t want her?” he snarled, smirking when I cursed again and slammed my beer down. “I have news for you, Caleb, that’s bullshit. Ren deserves more than to spend her life alone and I, for one, want her to be happy. Trey too. Have to admit though, I never saw this coming. Thought they were just friends.” He said, shrugging when I grunted and then froze.
No. Absolutely-fucking-not. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was.
“She’s on a date with Trey?” I asked slowly, something dark unfurling inside me when I thought of my suave, suit-wearing little brother with my Ren.
“What’s the problem, man? Trey’s a good guy, and I bet he’s—”
I didn’t hear the rest of what Cole said because I was already moving and running for my truck. Not thinking, because I had a red haze covering my vision, I tore into town on two wheels and jumped out before the truck stopped.
“Don’t!” Cole yelled, making me turn my head even as I stormed into the Cutler. “Caleb, don’t—”
But I wasn’t listening as I looked around and spotted them at a table in the corner. I could barely form a decent thought as I stalked closer and saw them. Laughing. Chatting. Happy.
Those were my smiles. My happy chatter. My laughter, I thought, a deep growl working its way up my throat when I stopped at their table.
“Bro! Hey, what are you doing here?” Trey asked, smiling so happily it took everything in me not to beat his face in.
“Me? What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, my eyes flitting over Ren.
Seeing her made me angrier because she looked nice. Beautiful. So kissable and sexy; it reminded me of the body under the short black dress.
“Uh, having dinner?” Trey laughed, still unaware of how angry I was, until I faced Ren and growled.
She’d done this, I thought, my thoughts irrational and hazed with the resentment and fury I felt after days of her cold shoulder attitude. I was fine before she’d arrived on the scene, happy with my life, satisfied with being alone. She’d ripped me open and torn apart my entire world. And now she was here, with my fucking brother, smiling and laughing, as if she wasn’t in my bed, letting me feast between her legs?
Getting even angrier, to the point I couldn’t think clearly, I growled again and let every drop of my anger out.
“With her?” I demanded, my teeth grinding when Ren blinked at me innocently.
“Yes, Caleb, with me,” Ren said softly, smiling when Trey grinned and reached over to pat her hand. “We’re on a date.”
“Date? A date,” I snarled, shaking my head when it felt as if I was about to lose it. “With her? You realize this won’t win you any favors, don’t you? What do you think people will say when you run for the Beta position later this year, and Ren’s name is attached to yours? This pack hates her, Trey. You can kiss your political career goodbye if you do this.”