“Rooming together was notpart of the deal.” I growled down at the little demon as we headed to the private dining room. Normally, we’d all head up to our rooms to unpack before we met for cocktails at six. By six thirty, we’d head to our dinner reservation, but the influx of people staying for the week changed everything.
The concierge had our bags, we had no clue what to expect from our shared room, and the settling in I looked forward to, now wouldn’t happen until after dinner. A time I used to relish spending in the lodge bar with Chance.
He’d pay for abandoning me… again. Yes, not his fault, but at the moment, I couldn’t care less.
I thought I could do this. Minimal touching. Polite. Act like I actually like her. Limited displays of affection, but there was no warm up, no time outs, no water breaks.
By flipping the routine, I was in this… all the way in it for the next several hours. I didn’t have time for the freak out I so desperately needed after the way I fought my body’s reaction to her.
My head may not be all in on this ruse, but my dick slapped his thigh and jumped on the horse with a rowdy yeehaw like he was about to live his best life.
The dipshit and I were going to have a long talk about whatever the hell kind of brain damage he’d suffered between rolling in the parking lot and checking into the hotel that all of a sudden had him wanting to dive all the way into this fake relationship.
Daniel’s condescending gaze traveling the length of Charlie’s body only made it worse. Somewhere in the depths of my brain, my psyche whispered words I failed to realize could activate possessiveness in me.
He’s had her.
Why the hell did that bother me so much? Other than the obvious, she was too good for him. Anyone could see that, couldn’t they?
But her mother didn’t.
Fuck.
Why could I see it?
She shot an elbow into my ribs. “Well, it’s not like I planned it to be stuck in a hotel room with you, hot shot. And you’re welcome, by the way. My presence adds a level of protection for you, because Queen Succubus up there had plans for you. Sinister plans.”
They couldn’t be worse than the very round, soft, way-too-fuckable ass Charlie just ground on my dick in the lobby. Thankfully, she’d slipped from my grip before she discovered my very real, raging hard on growing against her. It took everything to fight my instinct to grind against her, especially when Daniel’s gaze met mine in challenge.
Bring it, you shithead. You’ll lose.
Lines blurred. The unwelcome stirring of trouble swirled in my gut and hadn’t stopped two-stepping on my peace of mind since.
Don’t fuck my baby sister…
Cool guy. Got you.
But who would keep her from fucking me?
Only in every single way but the one involving a spine tingling orgasm for me. Not that I wanted her. My dick seemed to, but that was just chemistry, biology, animal instinct—whatever. He didn’t run this shit. I did.
Chance would not get out of this without suffering. I’d come up with a way to fuck with him even half a world away.
“Your mother was chilly.”
I blinked down at her at the quiet hesitation in her voice, the words taking a minute to process because until today, I’d never once heard Charlie anything other than confident, brash, and larger than life. This was the second hint of vulnerability in less than an hour throwing one more unknown into our new dynamic.
The new dynamic messing with my regimented life in every single way.
“What? No, she wasn’t.”
She stopped short and whipped around with her cool glare in place. “Really, who got the better end of this deal?” she said with a snort. “My mom got you, and your mom…”
I took a step toward her and told myself I did it to keep this conversation from blocking the entire hallway. When really I didn’t want to leave her any way to escape. Reaching behind her, I clasped the end of that wavy ponytail and gave it a tug tipping he face up to mine. “My mom what, Charlie?”
She rolled her lips inward, the edges of her straight white teeth scraping along her bottom lip before it popped free. “Got this.”
She swept her hand along her body and I tensed, my initial confusion about my mother settling into a pang of disappointment.
