“Date them? No. But I’m not averse to sleeping with them.” She smiled faintly. “Come on, cowboy, you know you want to.”
Hell. He was in hell. No, scratch that—he was in the Garden of f**king Eden and Jen was standing before him, dangling the forbidden apple under his nose.
Cash licked his suddenly dry lips. “I can’t. I promised Carson I’d behave. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s ridiculously protective when it comes to you.”
“He’s overprotective. And just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean he can dictate who I spend time with.” She went quiet for a beat. “So Carson gets to dictate your life too now?”
“It’s guy code,” he muttered. “You don’t mess around with your friend’s sister, especially when that friend tells you not to. And especially when that friend isn’t just a friend, but also your lieutenant. I made him a promise, Jen.”
“You kind of already broke it. We almost had sex in a coatroom, remember?”
His c**k twitched at the memory. He briefly closed his eyes, then opened them to pin her with a firm stare. “I promised Carson to behave,” he repeated. “And I’m a man of my word.”
She smirked. “You really think we can live together and be able to keep our hands off each other?”
No.
He dismissed that deviant burst of cynicism and gathered up some willpower. Jesus. He was a grown man—surely he could respect his friend’s wishes and keep his goddamn pants zipped. Jen might be appealing as hell, but he’d met her only three days ago. His friendship with Carson trumped three measly days.
Steeling himself against her mocking blue eyes, Cash smirked right back at her. “I’ve got great discipline, sweetheart. I think I can keep my hormones under control.”
“Really.” She slanted her head. “What if I told you I like to walk around naked?”
The appealing image caused saliva to fill his mouth. Swallowing, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I’d politely ask you to put on some clothes.”
“What if I sleepwalk in the middle of the night—naked—and wind up in your bed?”
“Then I’d carry you to your bed, tuck you in, and go back to my room.”
“What if I want to sit in the living room and watch p**n ? Naked,” she added.
He shrugged. “I’d read a book in my room until you’re done, then come out and watch football.”
She looked frazzled. “You sound very confident in your ability to resist my charms.”
“Discipline,” he reiterated.
“Is that a challenge?”
Aw, hell. This entire discussion was treading on dangerous territory.
“I won’t deny I’m attracted to you, but I won’t act on the attraction. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, though.”
Friends? Christ, he was grasping at straws here. His dick was so hard it had started to tent in his pants, and Jen’s gaze, of course, immediately dropped to his crotch.
“Friends,” she echoed, her eyes twinkling.
He willed his erection to subside. “Why don’t I show you to your room?” he suggested, desperate for a distraction. “You can unpack, and then maybe we’ll grab some lunch or something.” AKA, get the hell out of the apartment before he jumped her bones.
Her mouth tightened in a resigned line. “Fine. I’ll unpack. But I don’t want lunch. I’m kind of pissed off and the only thing that’ll improve my mood right now is Choctastic Verryberry Swirl.”
He gave her a blank stare.
“It’s an ice cream flavor,” she muttered. “There’s a place a few blocks from here that sells it.”
“You want to go out for ice cream,” he said, perplexed.
“Yes.” Those delicate eyebrows lifted in another challenge. “That’s what friends do, no? Go out for ice cream, have a friendly conversation, walk down the sidewalk while keeping a respectable friend distance between each other.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s what friends do,” he said lightly. “Come on, your new room awaits.”
They were two steps to the hallway when his cell phone rang. Sliding it out of his pocket, he glanced at the display and saw Dylan’s number flashing on the screen.
He was about to ignore the call, but Jen stopped him. “Answer it. I think I can manage unpacking by myself.”
Frustration gathered in his chest as she flounced off. With a sigh, he brought the phone to his ear and said, “Hey, man. Now’s really not a good time.”
“Why? Are you washing your hair?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Dylan laughed. “Seriously, why do you sound so weird?”
“I’m about to take my new houseguest out for some Choctastic Verryberry Swirl.”
“I don’t know what that means. Is that a code?” Dylan paused. “Are you being held hostage and this is your way of signaling me? Blink twice for yes.”
“How’s that going to work? You can’t see me, ass**le.” Cash shook his head, unable to contain his amusement. Life was never boring with Dylan Wade around. “And I’m not being held hostage. I really am going out for ice cream with my new roomie.”
“O’Connor moved out?”
“Short-term. He’s giving up his room so Carson’s sister has a place to stay.”
Hell. He was in hell. No, scratch that—he was in the Garden of f**king Eden and Jen was standing before him, dangling the forbidden apple under his nose.
Cash licked his suddenly dry lips. “I can’t. I promised Carson I’d behave. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s ridiculously protective when it comes to you.”
“He’s overprotective. And just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean he can dictate who I spend time with.” She went quiet for a beat. “So Carson gets to dictate your life too now?”
“It’s guy code,” he muttered. “You don’t mess around with your friend’s sister, especially when that friend tells you not to. And especially when that friend isn’t just a friend, but also your lieutenant. I made him a promise, Jen.”
“You kind of already broke it. We almost had sex in a coatroom, remember?”
His c**k twitched at the memory. He briefly closed his eyes, then opened them to pin her with a firm stare. “I promised Carson to behave,” he repeated. “And I’m a man of my word.”
She smirked. “You really think we can live together and be able to keep our hands off each other?”
No.
He dismissed that deviant burst of cynicism and gathered up some willpower. Jesus. He was a grown man—surely he could respect his friend’s wishes and keep his goddamn pants zipped. Jen might be appealing as hell, but he’d met her only three days ago. His friendship with Carson trumped three measly days.
Steeling himself against her mocking blue eyes, Cash smirked right back at her. “I’ve got great discipline, sweetheart. I think I can keep my hormones under control.”
“Really.” She slanted her head. “What if I told you I like to walk around naked?”
The appealing image caused saliva to fill his mouth. Swallowing, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I’d politely ask you to put on some clothes.”
“What if I sleepwalk in the middle of the night—naked—and wind up in your bed?”
“Then I’d carry you to your bed, tuck you in, and go back to my room.”
“What if I want to sit in the living room and watch p**n ? Naked,” she added.
He shrugged. “I’d read a book in my room until you’re done, then come out and watch football.”
She looked frazzled. “You sound very confident in your ability to resist my charms.”
“Discipline,” he reiterated.
“Is that a challenge?”
Aw, hell. This entire discussion was treading on dangerous territory.
“I won’t deny I’m attracted to you, but I won’t act on the attraction. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, though.”
Friends? Christ, he was grasping at straws here. His dick was so hard it had started to tent in his pants, and Jen’s gaze, of course, immediately dropped to his crotch.
“Friends,” she echoed, her eyes twinkling.
He willed his erection to subside. “Why don’t I show you to your room?” he suggested, desperate for a distraction. “You can unpack, and then maybe we’ll grab some lunch or something.” AKA, get the hell out of the apartment before he jumped her bones.
Her mouth tightened in a resigned line. “Fine. I’ll unpack. But I don’t want lunch. I’m kind of pissed off and the only thing that’ll improve my mood right now is Choctastic Verryberry Swirl.”
He gave her a blank stare.
“It’s an ice cream flavor,” she muttered. “There’s a place a few blocks from here that sells it.”
“You want to go out for ice cream,” he said, perplexed.
“Yes.” Those delicate eyebrows lifted in another challenge. “That’s what friends do, no? Go out for ice cream, have a friendly conversation, walk down the sidewalk while keeping a respectable friend distance between each other.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s what friends do,” he said lightly. “Come on, your new room awaits.”
They were two steps to the hallway when his cell phone rang. Sliding it out of his pocket, he glanced at the display and saw Dylan’s number flashing on the screen.
He was about to ignore the call, but Jen stopped him. “Answer it. I think I can manage unpacking by myself.”
Frustration gathered in his chest as she flounced off. With a sigh, he brought the phone to his ear and said, “Hey, man. Now’s really not a good time.”
“Why? Are you washing your hair?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Dylan laughed. “Seriously, why do you sound so weird?”
“I’m about to take my new houseguest out for some Choctastic Verryberry Swirl.”
“I don’t know what that means. Is that a code?” Dylan paused. “Are you being held hostage and this is your way of signaling me? Blink twice for yes.”
“How’s that going to work? You can’t see me, ass**le.” Cash shook his head, unable to contain his amusement. Life was never boring with Dylan Wade around. “And I’m not being held hostage. I really am going out for ice cream with my new roomie.”
“O’Connor moved out?”
“Short-term. He’s giving up his room so Carson’s sister has a place to stay.”
