Page 83 of Rising Heat

I stare out at the street, rolling the glass between my palms.

“She likes you too,” I say after a minute.

“I know.”

My mind goes right back upstairs. To the way she’d tucked herself against my chest, her laugh, the look on her face when that card hit the table. To the fact that she’s asleep in my bed because carrying her one more flight of stairs felt harder than it should’ve.

“This is different.”

“She is.”

“No,” I shake my head. “This.”

Tyler studies me for a second before a grin tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“…Sure bro. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

I take another drink.

“On the couch. Considering our tenant is currently occupying your Alaskan King bed.”

I shoot him a glare.

I’m gonna throttle him one of these days.

“We should cool it,” I bite the words out.

“And tell her what exactly?” He looks at me. “Hey, Darcy. We really like hanging out with you, but we both wanna bang you, so we’re gonna go ghost?”

“She still lives upstairs,” I say instead. “She’s our tenant, Tyler.”

Tyler shrugs.

“We’re all adults.”

“That’s the part you’re hanging your hat on?”

His smile fades a little.

“If this goes sideways…”

“There isn’t a clean way out,” Tyler finishes quietly.

That hangs between us. Neither of us has ever had to untangle something like that before. We’ve always been good at keeping things simple. Have fun. Everybody knows the deal. Everybody leaves happy. Nobody’s life changes on Monday morning.

I take another sip.

“We haven’t even touched her and there’s already too many logistics.”

Tyler’s gaze drifts toward the ceiling.

“Well…” He scratches the back of his neck. “Selfishly? I’m not really interested in sitting this one out with you big bro.”

I look at him.

“Ty, you do not touch her.”

He arches a brow.