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Gail carries on, ignoring his quip. “I’ve told you my story, that I wanted to break free this year. I wanted to stop being so safe and try new experiences. I never imagined that would lead to me becoming a mom, but now that I’m here, that’s all I want.”
She shrugs out of Mickey’s hold and gets to her feet. When he looks like he’s about to follow, I discreetly shake my head, wanting her to have this.
“The thing is, while you were all I dreamed of, all I wanted, that’s changed. You’ve shown me a side I never knew existed.” She paces the part of the living room we’re occupying, barely looking at us as she talks. “But that was then. Now,” pausing, she squares her shoulders, “Now I know that you don’t deserve me. I might have made mistakes and unknowingly fucked you over. But you willingly did it to me.”
Damn, she’s not pulling her verbal punches, and it’s kinda hot.
“You don’t deserve me!” She’s almost shouting now, making sure to meet both our gazes. “But Fet is going to need a daddy or two, so I guess we’ll always be in each other’s lives.”
“Gail…” Mickey cuts himself off when she shakes her head.
“I understand where you were coming from, Mickey. Just as I understand why Soren’s the way he is. So, thank you for leaving me the laptop.”
Arching an eyebrow, I look at my friend, silently asking if he knew she’d looked into me, and when he shrugs, I have my answer. I should have known, though. Or maybe I should have asked during the week we’ve been alone, but I never did.
“But that doesn’t excuse what you did. I won’t ever try to keep you from Fet, and I’ll play house until I’ve given birth. But after that, I’m taking the money I’ve earned and finding a place for me and Fet—”
Mickey and I abruptly stand at the same time. “You’re what?” we ask in unison.
She folds her arms over her chest and cocks her hip. “We’ll stay close by,” she clarifies. “I’m not trying to keep you out of any of it. I want you in Fet’s life. But kids should have a yard, which I don’t have.”
“There’s a yard here,” I say.
“My house has a garden,” Mickey adds.
Rolling her eyes, she stomps her foot—literally fucking stomps it. “That’s not the point,” she hisses. “I’m not staying here. Not after what you did. You’ve been so busy focusing on the fact you don’t feel like you can trust me that you never realized that you made sure I can’t trust you. Either. Of. You.”
I don’t know why her words shock me as much as they do. Her reaction is beyond fucking reasonable, and she’s right about every accusation she throws our way. Do I feel bad for what we’ve done? I do… kinda… a little—but not as much as I probably should. This is why, away from the ice, the games, the treacherous fame, we’re just two broken guys who paid for pussy. It’s not like it can be a shocker we’re not the type to hold the door open and bring home flowers, is it?
“What about this afternoon?” Mickey asks, his eyes glinting with betrayal. “I thought we—”
“Oh, stop it,” Gail scoffs. “The orgasms were great, and I’m glad it happened. But it’s just sex. We can totally keep having sex.”
“And you want us to continue paying?” I ask, needing the clarification.
“Yep,” she nods. “But this afternoon was a freebie, and to even the score, I’ll sleep in Soren’s room tonight and that’ll also be free.”
Soren
The statement hits me like a body check, raw and electrifying. Before I can react, she turns to Mickey, stepping close to him. Their bodies are a breath apart, and I watch, a taut string of anticipation vibrating in my gut.
“Goodnight, Mickey,” she whispers, and then they’re kissing—a clash of lips and teeth, desperate and deep. It’s a kiss teeming with promise, with the taste of all the things we could share if we hadn’t reacted the way we did.
As they part, Mickey’s breathless, his cocky façade crumbling just enough to reveal the yearning beneath. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he manages, his voice rough.
Gail turns back to me, her expression daring, challenging me to rise to the occasion. And hell if I don’t accept the gauntlet she throws down. I move closer, towering over her, every muscle coiled tight.
“Let’s go to bed,” I say, my voice a low growl that’s all command and promise.
Her answering smile is all the invitation I need. Tonight, we break new ground. Tonight, Gail becomes mine in ways we’ve only tasted in the dark corners of Cupid’s Court.
“Lead the way,” she says, and I can’t resist pulling her flush against me, claiming her mouth with a searing kiss that leaves us both breathless.
“Trust me, Gail,” I growl against her lips. “You won’t be sleeping much tonight.”
I lead Gail up the stairs, my hand at the small of her back. The tension between us crackles, and I’m acutely aware of her every breath, every step she takes. It’s as though the air has thickened, filled with the weight of our unspoken desires.
“Your room,” she breathes out as we reach the top of the stairwell, her eyes alight with an ember of curiosity that threatens to set the whole damn night on fire.
