“All in?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m attracted to you, Atticus. I get it if you’re not interested.”
“I’mnot,” Atticus snapped, fury flashing in his eyes again. “I’m not interested in bein’ a toy you and Carson can use to get back at each other.”
“It’s not like that.”
“No?”
“No.”
Atticus tilted his head to the side. “Then why the fuck is Carson standin’ over there watching us?”
Slade didn’t have an answer for that. Worse, he didn’t know why the fact he liked that he was.
Chapter Fifteen
Atticus pretended he wasn’t still jolted fromthat damn kiss. It had been a mistake. A huge one. Now that it was done, he could move on. Not just from Slade but also from Carson. He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted no part of this game they played.
“Okay,” Atticus said. “Yeah. I … um…”
He shook his head and pulled his key out of his pocket. Time to get the hell outta Dodge, as they said.
“Iamgonna go to Dallas tonight,” he told Slade.
He didn’t want to drive for three hours, but it sure as shit was better than the alternative. Staying here was about as bad an idea as any. He’d already checked out of his motel room, so everything he owned was in the backseat of his truck. He had no desire to pay for another night here when he would be going up there tomorrow anyway. It seemed easier to go tonight.
Plus, he wouldn’t have to deal with Carson and Slade and whatever fucked up fetish triangle he’d found himself in the middle of.
“Please don’t go,” Slade stated. “You’re welcome to stay at my place tonight.”
Atticus barked a laugh. “Oh, right. Becausethat’sa good idea.”
Did the guy not realize Atticus spent the night in Carson’s bed last night?
“I’ve got a guest room,” Slade tacked on.
He wasn’t sure that was a better option. Temptation was an evil bitch, and Atticus knew he was not on good terms with it. Meaning when temptation gripped him by the throat, it tended to hold on until he made the absolute wrong decision.
Speaking of wrong decisions… Atticus swallowed past the lump of guilt that threatened to clog his throat as Carson approached. He wasn’t sure he should even feel guilty for kissing Slade, but he did. He wouldn’t go so far as to say it felt wrong becausenothingabout that kiss had felt wrong. In fact, it had felt far too right.
What didn’t feel right was the gleam in Carson’s eyes or the way Slade was constantly glancing at the man. Did he think Carson was going to punch him? Or did he think Carson was going to ask to be kissed like that? The expression on their faces gave nothing away, that was for damn sure.
Which made the decision to go to Dallas even easier. Atticus couldn’t get mixed up with Slade. It would inevitably fuck things up at work, and he happened to love his job with the task force. He didn’t want to do anything that would screw that up. Plus, leaving now would allow him to keep last night’s encounter with Carson in hisPLEASANTMEMORIESmental box. It could stay there, tightly sealed up, for the rest of his life.
“You two comin’ inside?” Carson asked, his blue-gray eyes sliding over them both as though he hadn’t witnessed them kissing.
“I’m sorry,” Atticus told Carson. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“Do what?”
Atticus didn’t want to play games. “I kissed Slade.”
“Actually,” Slade said, stepping back. “I kissed him. It wasn’t his fault.”
“Like hell, it wasn’t.” Atticus wasn’t into laying blame on other people, and he damn sure didn’t find it hot when someone martyred themselves to protect him. “It doesn’t matter who instigated it. I kissed you back.”
“And you want to kiss him again?” Carson asked.
