Page 39 of Brooks

“So you thought I was easy upon first glance?”

“No, Doll. I saw a beautiful, sexy woman and knew I was gonna do what I could to get in there. And when you threw me attitude, I knew a hundred percent I was getting in there.”

“That’s easy.” I pointed out.

“Again, nothing easy about you, Doll. You are the very definition of not easy. And straight out, just so know what happened in the shower, it’s gonna happen again. Only it’s gonna happen with you in a bed where I can take my time.”

No. No it wasn’t. I’d already embarrassed myself enough. The guys heard. Declan had shared what he’d heard with Zane, so now he knew, too. I was embarrassing myself. I was behaving like a floozy. I had a job to do, employment I was now questioning, and revenge to enact. Nowhere in there did I have time to complicate my life with great sex. And it was great. I figured if sex in the shower with Brooks standing up was great, sex in a bed where he could take his time would be even better. Off the charts better. So, no, we weren’t doing it again.

“That’s not going to happen. I told you already, I don’t want the complication. I let myself get caught up in the moment once. I won’t do it again.”

“We’ll see.”

“Yeah, we will. And we’ll see, it won’t be happening again.”

“Did you miss the part where I told you, a man sees something he wants he doesn’t delay?”

“No.”

“Right. I also told you you were the opposite of easy. Which I have to tell you, works for me. I don’t like easy. I’ve had easy. And, Doll, it isn’t all that great. Lucky for you, I like a challenge. You telling me what we shared in the shower isn’t going to happen again is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. So, I’ll repeat, we’ll see.”

Maybe I was going about this all wrong. Now that he told me he didn’t like easy, I needed to change up tactics.

“I see you’re workin’ something out in that smart little head of yours. Just so we’re clear, you coming on to me now will not be a turn-off, either.”

Damn. I had nothing else to say, so I muttered, “You’re annoying.” I heard him chuckle and it was a nice sound. Deep and rumbly. I liked it. Maybe too much, so I continued, “And you’re egotistical.” His chuckle turned into a full body laugh and I forgot what we were talking about. It was so good I let it wrap around me and soak in. Mistake. Big fucking mistake. I was going to let it happen again. Double damn.

“Time for bed, Doll, I’m fuckin’ wiped.”

“Sounds good. I’ll just go out to the—”

My words were cut off when he twisted us. He was back on his side, my back was pressed against his front, he curved back around me, and tangled his legs with mine.

“Night, Doll.”

“I think—”

“Go to sleep.”

“No, really, I think—”

“Sleep, Tatiana.”

“Fine. But I want you to know I’m not fucking happy about the sleeping arrangements.”

His body shook and I knew he was laughing at me again. Asshole.

“Noted.”

Bigger asshole.

I laid there not knowing where to put my hands, with one of his under my head and the other a tight band around my stomach. Anywhere I rested mine would touch him.

“Relax, Doll. We have a long day tomorrow.”

“How can I relax when you’re touching me?”

He had no such trouble figuring out where he wanted my hands. He moved his from around my waist grabbed both of my hands, threaded his fingers with one of mine and held them to my chest. Shit. My ex didn’t like to cuddle. Even after sex. When he was done, he was done. He rolled off, moved to his side of the bed, and went to sleep. We had a king-sized bed for a reason, he liked his space. Not even in the middle of the night did he turn closer to me. There was an invisible line down the middle. He had his side, I had mine. He never wrapped himself around me. Never held my hand, or pinned them to my chest while his thumb grazed my skin. Never. Not once. Not even when he was working to make me his. This was a problem. A huge problem. I didn’t know I liked to cuddle until that very moment. And now that I knew, I was screwed.