Flashing her a grin, I watch as Blair returns it with a tight-lipped smile before looking away from me.
“Wes warned me a few nights before she arrived that she needed a place to lie low,” Rhett continues, his voice lowering further. “Between her suspicious arrival and vague reason for staying here, and the authorities finding those bodies, and being on high alert—we shouldn’t go hunting again for a bit.”
Conflicting emotions war inside me. I get what Rhett is saying—if the police are on high alert, we should lie low. But I enjoy what we do. I look forward to it. On those nights, I feel like I’m doing something productive, somethinghelpfulto the community. But we don’t play these games just for me. Rhettneedsan outlet. If I don’t give it to him, I’m afraid he’ll slip away from me. From the world. I can’t have that. He needs a purpose, and this is how we do it.
I know, however, if I say that part aloud Rhett will completely lose his shit. He hates being seen as emotional or weak.
Deciding that nonchalance is the best way to handle this, I chuckle.
“Fine,” I concede. “I suppose we canbehave.”
A rare half smile pulls at Rhett’s lips. “Is that even possible for you, Santi?”
“Let me clarify; I’lltryto behave.”
Rhett shakes his head, but a ghost of another half-smile pulls at his lips.
An idea pops into my head and I ask, “Want me to do some recon on her?”
Rhett’s smile drops away as he gives my idea some thought. As he thinks about it, he plays with one of the hoops wrapped around his bottom lip. I love playing with those hoops with mytongue and I enjoy how they feel around my cock. I choke down a groan as I think about Rhett and his mouth and how good he can make me cum.
After a moment, he nods. “Yeah, sure. It would be nice to know who I’m living with.”
“Done.”
With that, I stroll away from Rhett and over to the woman in question.
“Santi! Where are you going? The wood is over?—”
“I’m going to chat with my new best friend,” I tell him, loud enough for Blair and Wes to hear.
Blair’s gaze locks with mine, and for a second, I swear it feels like she’s sizing me up before a subdued smile stretches across her face. When I stop in front of her, she drops her arms from her chest and quirks a brow curiously.
“Newbestfriend?” she inquires. “I’ve been upgraded already? Just earlier I was just a friend.”
There’s a snort from Rhett behind me as he stomps over to grab more wood to chop.
“Don’t let the title get to your head,” he sneers from a distance. “Anyone new would earn the title.”
Blair gives a one-shoulder shrug. “Then I should enjoy the attention before someone else comes along and takes it, shouldn’t I?”
“Psh, don’t listen to Rhett.” I wave a dismissive hand. “He doesn’t like when my attention is anywhere other than on him.”
“Rhett doesn’t like a lot of things,” Wes says. “Don’t let anything he says get under your skin. He’s a grump on his best days.”
“I’m right here, guys. I can hear you,” Rhett snaps.
Blair smiles, amused by the back and forth.
Nudging my head toward Wes, I ask in Spanish, “This old man bothering you?”
Wes’s answering,loudsigh makes me cackle. Oh yeah, he’s definitely not a fan of this inability to know what I’m up to.
Her smile grows as she side-eyes Wes. She answers me in flawless Spanish, “No, he’s being a very attentive host. I appreciate the company.”
My heart squeezes as warmth spreads through me. I want to lean in and… Well, I’m not quite sure. Bask in her presence? Press my mouth to hers? Or maybe to ask if she’ll say something filthy in my ear in Spanish? Just the thought of that last idea has bumps rising on my arm and I’m suddenly suppressing the urge to shudder.
“Stop it,” Wes warns even as he shoots the two of us a dry look. “I know you’re talking about me.”
