I clench my jaw, exhaling a sharp breath through my nose. When I don’t answer, he steps up to me again. His gaze dips to my mouth before coming up and holding mine. The corner of his mouth twitches, and his eyes twinkle with amusement. I hate how attractive it is.
But even more than that, I hate that Inoticehow attractive it is.
“Go on. Tell me,” he taunts. “I wanna hear it.” Leaning in, his breath is hot on my face as he says, “I wanna hear you tell me again how that kiss was a mistake. How you haven’t thoughtabout it. Replayed it. And Ireallywanna hear you deny checkin’ me out all night.” Remington pulls back enough to look me in the eye. “I’m listenin’.”
My jaw aches as I grind my teeth. “I can’t.”
A grin curves his mouth. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, daddy.”
“Knock it the fuck off.” I shove him back until I can breathe again. “Maybe I have thought about the kiss, and maybe I have been lookin’ at you all night. But that doesn’t change the fact that it was a mistake and that it won’t happen again.”
“Why not? You sayin’ you didn’t enjoy yourself?”
Oh, I did. A little too much.
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point? Because from where I’m standin’, we’re two consentin’ adults.”
“The point is, you’re my son’s best friend, Remington. It’s not right. We can’t.”
I don’t give him a chance to respond before I storm off, heading back inside the bar to find my kids and do my best to put the last five minutes—and the last week—out of my mind. But as it turns out, trying not to want something I’m already halfway ruined for wanting is damn near impossible, especially when thatsomethingrefuses to get out of my damn head.
Seventeen
Remi
Gentry meets my gaze from across the bar. A smirk tugs at my lips as I take a slow pull from my drink. I keep replaying the conversation we had outside, each time growing more amused than the last.
He wants me.
It’s written all over his face.
He wants me, but won’t let himself have me. And I get it. There’s a lot at stake, a lot of reasons why we shouldn’t. My best friend being the biggest reason. Hollis is his son, and I can understand why wanting to bang your son’s best friend would make you a little hesitant.
And yeah, I’m sure Hollis would be pretty pissed, and maybe even weirded out, if he found out his dad and I kissed. But what I don’t think Gentry realizes is that Hollis, more than almost anyone, knows what it’s like to want someone they shouldn’t. It wasn’t all that long ago that he had a secret relationship going on with my boss—a relationship he kept from even me.
But again, I get where Gentry’s coming from, and I understand his hesitancy, even if it’s driving me nuts. If I had to guess, his attraction to me is new. Whereas I’ve sat on my attraction to him for years at this point.
I’ve already dealt with the guilt over finding my best friend’s dad hot. Over wanting him in a primal, sweaty, and very fucking filthy way. I’ve felt guilt after giving in and making myself come to the dirty fantasies that have played in my mind over the years. I’ve had time, and Gentry’s probably still trying to process whatever it is he’s feeling. But I’m not an idiot, and I’m not blind either. His attraction to me is clear as day, and his restraint is slipping. He just needs a little…nudge.
One I plan to give him tonight. Iwillfeel his lips on mine again, his body pressed into me, and Iwillhave him moaning my name by the time this night is finished.
“Havin’ fun?” Finn asks as he sidles up beside me at the bar.
“Yeah, no complaints here,” I murmur, flashing him a toothy grin before finding his dad among the crowd again.
“Heard from Lukas?”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s been texting me. Tucker passed out about a half an hour ago.”
Lukas agreed to babysit Tucker while we went out tonight. I was a little nervous about it at first, but both times I’ve called him, things seemed to be going okay. Apparently, he’s babysat for a couple of the firefighters at his dad’s station, which is the only reason I agreed to it. I sure as shit wasn’t babysitting at thirteen—or really, ever—but according to Finn, it’s a pretty normal age to start doing stuff like that. Plus, it’s only for a few hours, and we’re not too far from the ranch, in the event that he needs us.
“I bet they had a blast,” Finn says before taking a long pull from his beer. “Tuck had, like, ten movies he wanted to watchwith Lukas, and he begged me to buy a couple packs of cards so he could give them to him.”
I chuckle. “That’s sweet.”
“How’re you settlin’ into the new role?” he asks, taking a pull from his beer.
