He pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps the screen.
“What are you doing?” I demand, coming around his side.
“Downloading the Tapper app.”
My stomach drops. “You… what?”
He shrugs. “If you think I need experience with otherguys before I can be sure, I’ll get some. How hard can it be, right? I’ve heard you and your brothers talk about the apps.”
My lips feel a little numb. “For you? Not hard at all,” I say faintly.
Sure enough, there’s a distinctiveblurpfrom his phone. Robbie taps away, face unreadable. Then he chuckles. “I’m using the ab shot I sent you the other day with the blue underwear as my profile pic.”
I want to grab his phone and chuck it down the garbage disposal. I want to scream that wasmypicture, that those abs and that dick belong tome.
But I can’t. Obviously. Because this is exactly what I wanted.
Sort of.
Or, okay, notwanted, exactly, but what I expected. The eventuality I was planning for.
And probably, knowing Robbie, he’s doing this to prove a point and make me jealous. To see if he can get me to back down.
Well, no dice.
“Sure,” I manage, grabbing the orange juice from his fridge. “That’ll work.Ithought it was hot.”
He swipes through the app while I pour my drink, and I hear him chuckle and murmur to himself.
“Do I like primal play? I dunno. I don’tthinkso, but by the Ames Axford rules, I guess I have to try it before I can say that, kinda like with cabbage when I was a kid, so…”
I watch in low-key horror as he shrugs and taps something on the screen.
A minute later, he laughs out loud. “Oh my god! I recognize those abs. That’s Rocco from Watchfire!” Hewhistles under his breath. “Dude. I had no idea what he was packing under those chef’s whites.”
I clutch my juice glass hard. I refuse to look. I refuse to be baited. I refuse to ask how Robbie recognizes Rocco’s abs. Also, if I picture Robbie and Rocco together, Holden will have to arrest me for murder, and I can’t do that to him.
Yes, I’m aware that my visceral reaction makes no sense. But being aware that I amliterallyauthoring my own misfortune right now changes nothing.
Robbie chuckles again and tucks his tongue between his teeth as he taps. I know he’s sent a message because a second later, his phone chirps with a reply.
Well, how nice. Rocco’s scheduled to open this morning. Is this what he does at work?
“Good god. I had no idea it was this easy to get someone to offer to fuck you,” Robbie marvels, genuinely surprised. “Technology, huh?”
To fuckyou? I want to ask. Or tobefucked? Just how advanced a degree is he going for?
Doesn’t matter. None of my business.
“Is this what you want, Ames?” he asks, suddenly sounding serious.
I avoid his eyes as I answer. “I mean, obviously. Yeah.” Which is somehow easier than saying I’d rather be pecked in the eyeballs by rabid crows than have him meet someone else for sex.
His eyes sear the side of my face before he blows out a breath and smiles again. “Okay, then. That’s what I’ll do.”
I speak carefully to keep my voice from sounding strangely pitched or wobbly. “Right, well. I need to get going. Can you drive me home?”
“Of course.” He tucks his phone away and gives me a smile.
