“Who he’s asking you to fuck.”
Touché. “See, this is what I’m talking about. It’s complicated, and the sex I usually have is not complicated. It’s simple. No attachments. No strings. Fuck, half the time I don’t even get their name. And that’s how I like it. This shit has too many moving parts and things to worry about.”
“But you’re still doing it,” she replies.
With a sigh, I say, “Yeah.”
I keep waiting for her to ask why, but instead, she’s nodding her head with a knowing smile. And I guess there’s not really any question why I’m doing this. I’m doing it because I want to. Because I want them.
“Come on. Your kinky couple is probably looking for you,” she says, pulling me toward the door.
With her arm linked through mine, I smile down at her. “I like you. I’m going to put in a good word and get you at Salacious.”
“I’ve never been to California,” she replies.
“It’s expensive and crowded, but we have great beaches,” I reply.
“And great men.”
“Obviously,” I say, and we both laugh as she opens the door. I’m in a much better mood than I was a few minutes ago. Until we peer down the hallway and find my kinky couple, as she calls them, waiting for me with irritable expressions on their faces.
Hunter’s eyes dance between me and Silla while Isabel waits, nervously chewing on her lip.
“Let’s go. We’re leaving.” He grunts before storming away.
“Wait,” I call, chasing after him. Turning back to Silla, I send her a helpless glance. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Go, go, go,” she replies. “But wait!” She grabs my arm and slides a card into my hand. “In case you want to bring them back here,” she says, nodding her head toward the room we just walked out of.
“Thanks,” I mutter, looking down at the matte black card in my hand.
Isabel is watching us, a notch of concern in her brow. Putting a hand on her back, I lead her toward where Hunter just disappeared. He’s already halfway out the door when we catch up to him.
“Will you slow down?” I snap, grabbing his arm.
“Deal’s off.” He grunts, pulling away.
“What?” Isabel and I reply in unison.
“Drake, you can’t be playing the field while we do this. It’s not fair to her.”
“I didn’t—"
“We both saw the way you were flirting with her. It was obvious.”
“I flirt with everyone, Hunter,” I argue. Why do I suddenly feel like I’m arguing with a jealous boyfriend instead of my best friend? “I didn’t sleep with anyone. I’m not that much of a whore.”
“I didn’t say you were a—" He’s struggling with his words now, clearly worked up, and I feel the card in my hand, squeezed so tightly, it’s left marks in my palm.
Forcing myself to swallow, I remember how perfect that room was. It had a chair in the corner and it was classy, not some sleazy hotel bed. And I’m really committed to this crazy idea, so here we go. No better time than the present.
I hold the card out to him. “She gave us a room. I haven’t done anything in it except talk to her. You can trust me. So…do we want to use it or not?”
Hunter’s eyes focus on the card I’m holding between us. Then, I glance sideways at Isabel, who’s standing silently next to her husband. She’s staring at the card too, like it’s going to explode or something.
It’s her who speaks first. “I’m ready.”
My heart beats a little faster. “I’m ready too.”
Then, she and I both stare at Hunter as we wait. And I watch as his jaw relaxes, his shoulders fall away from his ears, and the wrinkle between his eyebrows dissipates. Finally, he looks me in the eye as he responds, “I’m ready.”
There’s still tension between us as I open the door to the room Silla and I were just in. Isabel walks in, tentatively glancing around and taking in the decor of the place, as if she’s trying to decide whether or not this is the kind of place she wants to have sex with just the second man in her entire life.
“It’s nice,” she whispers, looking around, and honestly, this is all a little too uncomfortable for me. Awkward sexual encounters really aren’t my style. If I were with a normal girl, I would just make things physical quickly to snuff out any of those pre-sex jitters. But that’s not exactly an option for us right now.