“I, uh…”Fuck. “Are you busy right now?”
His eyes grew more suspicious. “No…why?”
I felt a little relieved, knowing I hadn’t interrupted anything. “I came to talk to you…about the deal you suggested a few weeks ago.”
A slow, triumphant smirk curled on his lips. “Just couldn’t stay away, could ya?” I tensed my jaw with a roll of my eyes, and he chuckled. “Come on in.”
I tentatively stepped into his apartment and glanced aroundthe familiar space—familiar only because the layout was the same as mine. It looked like a cliché bachelor pad with dark colors, sleek black furniture, and a massive flat-screen TV. And it was so…clean. There wasn’t a goddamn thing out of place or a speck of dust to be seen.
“So…the deal…” Right to the point; I guess I could appreciate that. I turned to look at him, and if the stupid grin on his face was any indication, he was enjoying the fact that I sought him out over this far too much. “I can only assume you came here to tell me you’re in because I don’t see you dropping by for any other reason. Come to think of it, how did you know which apartment was mine?”
“I have my ways,” I answered. “Tell me why you think this would even work in our favor.”
He set the Chinese container down and held up his hand to tick off his fingers. “Sex when we want and need it, so no more slumps. No worrying about attachment or feelings and messy complications because, well, it’s us. Sex when we want and need it?—”
“You already said that.”
“Well, I said it again because it’s the single most important part of my argument.”
I stared at him for a moment before releasing a breath. “We would have to set some ground rules.”
His grin broadened. “Okay. Hit me.”
I sighed. “First…it’sjustsex. Nothing more.”
“Duh,” he scoffed.
“We always use protection. If we don’t have any, we’re shit out of luck.”
“That’s a given. The world is not ready for another one of me.”
“We’re not at each other’s beck and call. And we’re not in any way exclusive. We can see other people, and the other can’t get weird or jealous about it.”
“I already told you, Princess, I don’t get jealous. So that’s easy.”
I ignored that stupid nickname. “But if we sleep with someone else, wehaveto tell the other. Because, personally, I’ll need at least three to five business days before you’re allowed to stick anything in me after beinginsomeone else.”
He snorted. “Fair enough.”
“And we can’t tell anyone. Not Gabe, Lucas, Callie…no one. We act the same as we always have.”
“Like we hate each other?” he jested in mock surprise.
“Precisely. Because we still do.”
“Right,” he said with a nod. “We just have the added element of hate fucking.”
I shrugged. “Call it what you want. I just don’t need anyone knowing how abhorrently desperate I’ve become to have slept with you.”
“Using ‘abhorrently’ and ‘you’ together in the same sentence while referring tomeis highly offensive and the biggest stretch. But I know it’s only because you’re bitter about how good my dick is, so I forgive you. Don’t worry. It’ll be our little secret.”
“God, can you be any more fucking arrogant?”
He smirked. “You don’t know the half of it, Princess.”
“Seriously,stopcalling me that,” I snapped.
He laughed. “Why would I do that when I know how much it pisses you off?”
