Page 28 of Rock Bottom

“The hottie in the cowboy hat.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Bowie?”

“His real name?”

“It’s David Dixon. Why?” I put my hands on my hips.

Dante shrugged and brought the sucker out of his mouth with a wet pop that left my mouth dry and my heart racing. “Is he…available?”

“No,” I growled. “He is off limits.”

“Pity. I bet he knows how to ride a bull.” He popped the sucker back in his mouth and winked before sliding back through the front door.

I followed him inside and swung the door shut behind me. It banged against the frame. “Stay away from him.”

“What’s the matter? Afraid he’ll say yes?” Dante said, plopping down on the sofa. He seized a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and flipped it open, putting his feet up on the table. “Then you’d have to sit down here and listen to me fucking his brains out. I wonder if he’s a screamer or a crier?”

“Neither.” I shoved his feet off the table. “He’s off limits.”

“Calling dibs? Guess I don’t blame you. There’s just something naturally sexy about a man in a hat.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I’d snog a horse before I’d ever think about Bowie in that light.”

“Hmm. You’re right. He’s not man enough to be your type. I don’t think he could handle you.”

“And you can?”

He smirked and wrapped his tongue around the sucker. “I don’t know,” he said after popping it out of his mouth loudly. “Finding out is half the fun, isn’t it? Of course, there is that whole conflict of interests thing with you, isn’t there? I wouldn’t have to worry about that with Bowie, would I? He doesn’t have to guard me.”

I planted my hands against the back of the couch on either side of his head and leaned in. “I know what you’re trying to do. It won’t work.”

His lip curled into a wicked smirk and he glanced down. “Looks like it’s working pretty well so far. Or have you started keeping bowling pins in your pants?” He batted his eyelashes at me, leaned back, and gave the sucker a long, slow lick with the flat of his tongue.

My cock throbbed where it was trapped against my zipper. Christ, was I so easy to manipulate? Dante was just saying that to get under my skin. The problem was, it was working. I’d never wanted to murder Bowie before. Hurt, yes. Maim? Maybe. But kill? If he touched one hair on Dante’s head, I’d rip his arms off and shove them both up his ass.

“Bowie’s a braggart and a pushover,” I heard myself saying. I wasn’t paying attention. I couldn’t when he was practically tongue fucking that sucker in front of me. “He’s all bark and no bite. You don’t want that. You like a challenge.”

“Do I now?” He lowered the sucker and leaned forward until our lips were so close we were breathing the same air.

“Bowie wouldn’t even put up a fight.”

“Not like you, huh?” He sighed and fell back against the couch. “You’re just being a fucking tease again, aren’t you?”

“I’m the tease? You’re the one giving a blowjob to a strawberry candy.” I shouldn’t be doing this. What the hell is wrong with me? It was Bowie’s fault. Every time he came around, he got under my skin, and I was still on edge when Dante swooped in to take over. It wasn’t my fault. What was I supposed to do?

“It’s bubblegum,” he whispered.

“Prove it.”

I thought I was calling his bluff. At least, that’s what I told myself. He wouldn’t do it and that would prove once and for all this was just a game to him.

I should have known better.

Dante smiled and reached up to brush his fingers over my jaw. I suddenly wished I’d taken a little more time for a closer shave that morning, but he didn’t complain. Maybe that was how he liked it. He leaned forward and my heart jumped into my throat.

From the way he talked, I was half expecting the kiss to be a dirty, sultry tease. Instead, it was almost disappointingly chaste the way he pressed his lips to mine briefly before retreating.

I ran my tongue over my bottom lip, chasing the taste of him. “Tastes like strawberry to me.”

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