“Fuck you,” Oliver growled out as he shot to his feet, taking a few steps back. “You’re going to regret this, you piece of crap.”
I laughed, despite the agony that echoed from my face, and grinned up at him. Blood slid past my lips, and I could taste the tangy bitterness on my tongue. “What an inventive insult, little mouse.”
He pointed a finger at me, his chest rising and falling with harsh breaths. “Stay away from KC. I fucking mean it. I’ll kill you before you get anywhere near him. I’ll....I’ll?—”
“You’ll what?” I teased, smirking on purpose to piss him off more. “What will you do? He’s never paid attention to you, has he?”
“How do you—” His muscles went stiff and the fury in his eyes blazed. “Are you the guy...?You piece ofshit. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I cocked my head and licked my teeth, tasting more bitterness. I let go of my nose and blood gushed from my nostrils down my lips and chin. I rose, and he stepped back again, the tension crackling in the air between us.
He squared his shoulders, a soldier ready for battle, and I pushed down the urge to chuckle again.
“Shall we test that theory, little mouse? You and me, seducing KC to see who gets him into bed first.”
Oliver scoffed. “He’s not a prize to be won. He’s a literal angel. Better than you or I deserve.”
Itsked. “I bet he’s a devil between the sheets.”
He hissed angrily, hands balling into fists at his sides.
“If you win him over, I’ll leave him alone. Hell, I’ll even move my shop somewhere else.” I raised my eyebrows when he flinched at the words. “But when I win, I make you my apprentice so you can watch as KC fawns over me. How does that sound?”
He swallowed visibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He stood taller, but it did nothing to put him anywhere near my height. Finally, he nodded and shoved out his hand. “We shake on it.”
I chuckled and swiped my fingers under my nostrils, smearing the blood onto my skin. He winced as I slid my palm into his. “It’s a deal.”
It didn’t take him long to snap his hand back, and then he turned, racing toward the end of the alley. I watched him, taking in the way his ass jiggled as he ran. It wasn’t the tightest I’d seen, but fuck it was cute. My cock was decidedly interested in hisassets. Intriguing. I ran my tongue over my front teeth, catching more blood.
Curious, though. Whatwashe doing in my new place?
As though reading my mind, Flint yelled from the side door of the shop. “Boss, the little shithead put rotten meat behind a grate in the wall. Probably wanted to make the place smell bad. I’m getting rid of it.”
I laughed harder. Oh, little mouse, the games were just beginning.
5
OLI
My body tingled from head to toe, and I wanted to die. Or kill that asshole. Ren. It was still astupidname.
Sucking in a deep breath, I pushed the needle on the speedometer closer to fifty, well past the limit on the bridge to Vert Island, the fancy rich neighborhood Barber had lucked into living in with Quain, his boyfriend. It made sense that KC lived here, though. He deserved all the good things in the world.
The idea of turning him into a bet made me physically ill. That’s how I knew Ren was a bad person. If he cared about KC at all—I could understand falling for him at first sight, honestly—he wouldn’t have made him part of the bullshit between us. How had things gotten so unhinged so fast?
The sensation of being out of control hammered at me. My stomach clenched and I pulled over as soon as I was across the bridge, rubbing my gut. The sinking sun was cutting into my eyes and I blinked against the long rays.
Guilt swamped me, and I rested my forehead on the steering wheel while I shivered.
How did I get hard for that awful man? Why did my body betray me? Sure, tattoos were sexy, but being a big fucking dickhead wasn’t charming. It made sense for me to jerk off at night to KC. He was tall and beautiful and always had a friendly smile. But Ren?
Admittedly, I’d never gotten laid. It was possible I could’ve met someone, but I was so hung up on KC. Perhaps that was why it had felt so good when Ren had put pressure on my cock with the firm muscles of his ass?
Was it possible I’d been hard from thinking about KC? That jerk had brought him up. My face burned.
“Stop thinking about it. Stop. Thinking.” My face was hot enough to melt. Ren’s tattooed biceps had bulged as he’d held me still underneath his body. His thighs strained. And I’d had an up-front view of a semi in his pants. It might’ve been from talking about KC, right? I guess we both liked him.
Part of me had wanted Ren to keep going. Grind on my cock. It wouldn’t have taken much for me to bust in my boxers.
