Page 44 of These Wicked Hearts

“And what’s going on here? Walk of shame?” Andre grins between us.

“That’s . . . hard to explain.”

“I bet. Real hard.” Andre wiggles his fingers in Gage’s direction. He returns the gesture with a tight-lipped smile.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know these two idiots were coming here.”

“We’re just taking him to⁠—”

“Work!” I cut Oli off. “Work, they’re taking me to work.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Oli asks.

“He doesn’t want me to know what he does for a living.” Gage smiles tightly. “Being really cool about it.”

“Why haven’t you told him?” Andre asks me.

Gage shrugs. “I don’t care, really. All I know is he travels a lot, punches people occasionally, and is around a lot of naked men.” He winks that last part at me sending heat through my belly.

“It’s not as sexy as it sounds,” Oli says.

I slap his chest. “That’s what I said!”

Gage runs his tongue along his cheek then nods, walking up to me. “I’ll leave you to it.” He lingers for a moment, and I almost lean in to kiss him before he gives us a short wave. “Goodbye, giant strangers.”

I want to tell him to come in but that’s stupid. I have to leave anyway. “Bye.” I watch him walk back to the elevator, then I let my friends into my apartment.

“Um, what the fuck was that?” Andre looks back at the door. “He’s fucking hot.”

“Hey!” Oli growls. “You legally gave up your right to look at other men this summer.”

“Not sure that’s how it works, babe.” Andre smacks Oli’s ass as he sits down on my couch. “So, what’s going on there?”

“Nothing’s going on,” I lie, because damn, there’s no way I’m telling my friends about the shit we do together.

“This is a nice place.” Oli drifts through my kitchen like he owns it, tugging drawers open and peeking into cabinets. “How’s practice been?”

I lean back against the counter, watching him rummage through my kitchen like the nosy bastard he is. I try to keep my voice level. Oli has a real gift for knowing when something’s wrong.

“It’s been okay,” I say as evenly as I can manage. “It’s just different. A different environment. Taking some getting used to.” And I will get used to it.

“Have you punched Rome in the fucking face yet, is what my man means.” Andre laughs.

“Rome is . . .” How do I tell them? He’s not what I expected. But I won’t tell them that. It doesn’t matter, at the end of the day Rome’s always been a dirty player, and he ended Grey’s career. “He’s Rome.”

Oli nods, opening my fridge. “No food?”

“I eat out.”

“I bet you do.” Andre grins.

“Shut up.” I roll my eyes, and now the thought is in my mind, I can’t force it to leave. Last night comes back in flashes. Him standing over me, letting my tongue travel between his cheeks. I leave in a few days for a long road trip, but I’m already thinking about the next time I’ll have Gage in my bed.

“There’s no alcohol either.” Oli shuts the fridge.

He glances back at me. I wish they understood this part of me. I think it’s confusing to them, though. I barely understand it myself. It makes me feel like I’m in between. Like it’s not that serious because I go to work, I do my job. So what am I complaining about? I have control, I don’t get withdrawals. It’s not something I need.

Until it is, I guess.