Page 177 of The Influencer

It helps that the sex that night is fucking amazing. More of the making love variety, which I can’t lie, I really needed. Plenty of kisses and whispers and achingly sweet caresses. I can’t help that I’m a sap for him. I mean, I can play bad cop, too, but no one loves me like he does—no one has ever loved me like this. And he doesn’t have to say it or try to brainwash me into thinking it—it just is. And it’s everything.

Saturday evening is the big meal we’ve all gathered for. Adam and Elio are in charge of the kitchen, but Vince doesn’t come out much either. Every time I’ve gone in there, they’ve got him chopping something.

Sawyer’s the DJ, not letting anyone near the remote for the sound system, and he sits on the sofa, patiently listening to Jade’s plans for the extravagant wedding we don’t have a date for yet. That leaves me with Race, who’s super chill and easy to talk to.

We’re making cocktails in the upper living room, enjoying the hell out of Sawyer’s masterful song choices and laughing at the water that continues to splash over the edge of the upstairs terrace where Gideon and Jax are debauching the hot tub, and have been for quite a while now.

“So, I heard about that Solstice weekend,” I say, having allowed myself a whiskey because it’s kind of a holiday, and I’m trying to be less strict with myself in general. It helps me make conversation, too.

Race’s face turns red in an instant, his blond curls hiding nothing. “Jesus. Those edibles were insane. I’m serious, we all had like—temporary insanity. Midsummer Night’s Dream shit.”

“I’ll ask everybody this eventually because Jade needs to know, but who’d you suck?”

“Oh my God…” Race shakes his head in embarrassment and squeezes a lime into a mojito for Jade. “For sure Jax—he’s a dead giveaway. And then it was Adam or Sawyer, but I’m pretty sure it was Adam because…” His voice trails off, and he shakes his head.

The whiskey does the talking for me. “What?”

“Well…he’s vegan…?”

“You guys came?”

Race gives me a look. “Well, I mean, yeah… Sort of the whole point.”

I laugh, feeling stupid and also kind of horny. “I guess I just thought… Dude, I don’t know what I thought. Just two for you?”

“No, we all went three times on both sides of the wall. Vince was my third. I know that dick like the back of my hand.”

“Was it easier to tell who you were doing or who was doing you?” I wonder—aloud apparently.

“Way easier to tell who was sucking.”

“Huh.”

“And to answer your next question…” He ticks them all off on his fingers. “Gideon, Jax, Elio.”

“So, between Gideon and Jax…?”

“Gideon. Jesus…”

“No shit?”

“No shit. Jax was good, but Gideon was fucking epic. Anyway…new topic…”

I laugh again, my curiosity satisfied for the moment. “Sure…what are your plans for next week?”

“We’re going to Seattle to have Thanksgiving with my family.”

“Nice. We’re headed back to Houston. Jade and my mom have this whole Black Friday shop-til-they-drop plan.”

“Do they know about the engagement?”

“Yeah. Jade FaceTimed Mom about five minutes after I proposed.”

“And?”

“They’re happy,” I say, the shrill scream of delight my mom let out at the news still ringing in my ears.

“Do they know what he does? Like—the cam stuff?”

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